Backstage

Power...

I was planning on doing a post about how we use some odd electrical connections in the theatre industry... I should have known that power would cause me issues in doing so... When I got home from my office today, I found my UPS had died a quiet death at 12:42pm... Let it rest in peace, it has saved my computer several times over the years... On to power though...

One of my projects today was changing out the plugs on some lighting fixtures... I picked these units up via salvage a few years ago when a retail store went out of business... I haven't had any call for them since then, but they're solid units, and I wouldn't want to buy them new... Here is where the change started... These units had Edison plugs on them... Edison plugs are the typical parallel blade and ground plugs you find on just about any 110v item in the US... Well in the arts, it has been found that that type of plug just doesn't cut it for many reasons... (yes, I know there are places that have them as the house installation, but I assure you nobody working there is happy about them) So, what do we use in the arts?... Do we use the ANSI approved and recommended L5-20 twist lock plug?... Well some places do... They're ok, but they have some durability issues, they're bulky, and they are very expensive... What most places use, unless local code prevents it, it referred to as either a "three pin", or "two pin and ground" (2P&G), or stage pin. (not to be confused with "stage plug" which is an old, very scary electrical connection that I hope I never have to actually use) These lovely plugs were actually designed for theatre use... That doesn't sound like a big deal, but believe me it is... The arts has no money to waste on R&D of most kinds of equipment... We tend to scavenge around industrial, architectural, marine, and whatever other industry actually has money to develop equipment... So what the 2P&G is, is this... Think of 3 heavy brass pins in a line, encase them in a (usually) black plastic housing, and (more and more commonly) put a good strain relief on the back side where the cord comes out of the plug... The ground pin is slightly longer than the two hot pins, and is placed just off center, so you can only plug the things together one way... The nice part about these plugs, is that they are only about 3/4" thick when they are lying on the ground, so they aren't much of a trip hazard, unlike the rather bulky L5-20 (around 2.25" diameter). Edisons are a little better, coming in just over an inch in diameter, but they are only rated at 15amps rather than the 2P&G's 20amps... (yes, I know you can get a 20 amp edison type plug, but in reality, they suck for the same reason their 15amp brothers do) So apart from the size, what's the difference?... Well edisons have thin brass contacts that will bend easily, they are also made to plug in and unplug easily, finally, they're rated at 15amps, so most of the housing are made to take wires up to 14ga (15amp capacity). They always seem to pull apart on you when you don't want them to, and unless everyone is careful, you have mangled contacts. (that's not real likely in the hectic world of production) The L5-20 is a real solid plug, that will not pull out inadvertently if you lock it together... The problem comes in the thin metal contacts again which always seem to get bent up... The 2P&G (when it is maintained as it should be) does not pull apart as easily as the edison (though very few of them lock, most people simply tape them) and the pins are 1/4" diameter, so they really take a pounding before they bend... Here's the best part though... To get good quality Edison connections you will pay $8-$15 bucks a pop, good L5-20's will go $15 for a male and $50-$60 for a female, 2P&G will go $3-$8... Now naturally there will be variation in pricing, and you can get cheaper versions of the edison and L5-20, but you will invariably be disappointed in them soon... For once, it seems like the arts came up with something that works well, is durable, and is actually cheaper... Who would have ever thought a bunch of "artists" would pull that off...