The power supply in today’s entertainment lighting equipment has come a long way since the first dimmer racks were put backstage. The current generation of Switching Power Supply technology has resulted in higher efficiency and greater operating flexibility compared to years past. Features like soft-start, auto-recovery, AC input auto ranging, automatic overload & overvoltage protection, and PFC (power factor correction) are common and inexpensive features that either didn’t exist in the “old days” or were (continue reading…)
Tag: Smart Power power supply
Modern Day Hook-ups
As new lower wattage control gear and LED lighting fixtures come onto the market, there are a few more connectors that are becoming more and more common. As you lose a cable to your gear, you can usually run to a Radio Shack or even dig through your old computer gear to find the proper power cord. I will be discussing the two most common cables. Both are classified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and have amperage limits placed on them.
C5 and C6 Connectors
The first is the C5 and C6 connectors. The C5 is the female version on the cord end and the C6 is the male panel mount. They are rated at 2.5 amps. The way to recognize these (continue reading…)