New Resources for the Entertainment
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Portable Equipment Used Outdoors
Fortunately for those of us in the live event production industry in the U.S., there is an article in the National Electrical Code that allows the use of portable stage and studio lighting equipment and portable power distribution equipment that is not listed for outdoor use under certain circumstances.
"Article 520.10 Portable Equipment Used Outdoors. Portable stage and studio lighting equipment and portable power distribution equipment not identified for outdoor use shall be permitted for temporary use outdoors, provided the equipment is supervised by qualified personnel while energized and barriered from the general public."
Notice that it says "qualified personnel. Who is considered qualified personnel? According to the NEC, it's "One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved." If you've ever taken an APT Entertainment Electricity class, then it could be argued that you are qualified personnel. If not, then check out the upcoming classes at www.APTxl.com.
When the production crew politely pointed out Article 520.10 to the AHJ, he allowed the use of the gear under supervision. The show went off on time and disaster was narrowly avoided. |
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APT Puzzle Pieces
Answer this simple question and win a free t-shirt.
Name five ways we protect ourselves from electricity. Be the first to email your answer to rcadena@APTxl.com and include your t-shirt size.
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New Book on Generators
Have you been looking for a good reference book on portable generators? If you're like me, then you've probably found small bits and articles dealing with portable gennys, but nothing comprehensive. Now that I've found it, I don't know how I could have missed it.
The book is called "On-Site Power Generation: A Reference Book, Fourth Edition," and it's published by the Electrical Generating Systems Association. It has 600 pages and it's packed with valuable information the prime mover to troubleshooting. Eight sections include: Prime Movers and Other Energy Sources; Generators; Circuit Breakers, Switchgear, and Automatic Transfer Switches; Controls and Monitoring Systems; Auxiliary Equipment; Applications; Emissions; and Troubleshooting. Each of the 37 chapters is written by a different author, all of whom were selected by the Author Selection Committee of the EGSA.
There's a chapter on basic electricity, which is great for novices or as a review for more experienced people, and the chapter on alternators (synchronous generators) does an excellent job of explaining winding configurations and how they interconnect in various ways for single-phase and/or three-phase generators.
Many people have been asking about inverters lately, primarily because of the proliferation of solar panels and alternative energy sources. There is a chapter on inverters that does an excellent job of explaining them. And one of my favorite chapters is on grounding, which is an extremely important safety issue.
There is a lot more covered in this book and I highly recommend it. For more information, click here.
 | | On-Site Power Generation: A Reference Book, 4th Ed. |
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New Class in Orlando Added in November 2011
A new APT class-Entertainment Electricity, Power Distribution, and Controls-has been added to the 2011 schedule. The 3-day class will be held November 17, 18, and 19, 2011, at the facilities of Chauvet Lighting in Sunrise, FL (a suburb of Ft. Lauderdale). For more information, visit www.APTxl.com or email info@APTxl.com.
Upcoming Classes: Austin, TX: August 15-17, 2011 University of California, Davis: August 29, 30, & 31 and September 1, 2, & 3 Sunrise, FL: November 17-19, 2011 Texas State University San Marcos: January 9-11, 2012 "Great class. Completely exceeded my expectations." - Steve Fisher, Honolulu, HI "...presented clearly and in the most common-sense way possible. It's really good to be able to cram so much knowledge into such a short period of time." - Michael Roche, San Marcos, TX New classes have been added to the schedule of upcoming offerings. In addition to classes in Austin in August and Texas State University San Marcos in January, 2012, two classes will run consecutively at the end of August and the beginning of September. The classes are taught by ETCP Recognized Trainer and author Richard Cadena and because the course is an ETCP Recognized course, each hour of class time counts as recertification credits. For more information or to sign up, click here. |
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Upcoming Classes
Austin, Texas, August 15, 16, & 17
University of California, Davis, August 29, 30, & 31 or September 1, 2, & 3
Sunrise, FL, November 17, 18, & 19
Texas State University San Marcos, January 9, 10, & 11, 2012
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Sincerely,
Richard Cadena
Academy of Production Technology |
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