Distro unit

333rocky333 · 27 Mar 2015

Been asked by a sound engineer to install a 3ph commando socket and a distro unit.

Socket not a problem but a distro unit ?
Anyone got a pic or know of a website for one, I assume there some form of multi socket arrangement, but is it normal to have a 3 phase one

Rf maybe

RF Lighting · 27 Mar 2015

The touring house where I work have two supplies available for the sound kit. One is a 125A SP&N, the other is a 63A TP&N.

The sound rig can suck a fair old bit of power, so whilst they probably won't have any 3 phase kit, a three phase supply is normal purely due to demand.

As for the distro, it could be anything depending on the specific equipment they'll be running.

Have a look at rubber box for distro's

http://www.rubberbox.co.uk/products

Lectrician · 27 Mar 2015

Hundreds of different ones. Nothing specific. It's a generic term.

An inlet, and copious types of mixed or similar outlets, TP or SP. Usually also contains MCBS, RCDS and even phase protection/neutral loss relays and shunts.

Lectrician · 27 Mar 2015

We use a company called IDE.

http://www.idesystems.co.uk

We hire these days rather than trying to maintain aged kit.

333rocky333 · 27 Mar 2015

Ah I see thanks.

The manager ( whos paying ) is not happy with the outsider sound engineer who wants this..

He has at present, two circuits, comprising 2x32amp blue outlets and there is, what looks like 7 amplifiers with 7 x 13 amp plugs fitted.

Using 4 way leads theres 3 units plugged into 1 circuit and 4 units plugged in the other circuit.

These leads are 1.5 flex coming from each 32Aplug
this is the main issue

Its all permanent and dont move from its location and no plans to increase the load.

I proposed to him wiring 2 twin outlets from each existing 32a socket via a blue plug and 6mm rubber flex.

He also wants rcd protection and as the Mcb board is old school polestar, i was proposing, replacing the blue outlets with Rcd version.

Sound systems are not my feild, so just touting options too pass back to my office
Thanks

Adam_151 · 27 Mar 2015

Swap the 32A outlets out for ones which incorporate RCDs to get the RCD protection.

Then I'd get a couple of the 32A versions of these http://www.olson.co.uk/13a_r.htm or similar to mount in the rack with the amps. Link the CPCs from both PDUs onto the casing of the rack cabinet

RF Lighting · 27 Mar 2015

You could use an off the shelf pdu such as

http://www.olson.co.uk/lh_rh_32a.htm

I'd be careful about how you RCD the supplies, as the equipment can be leaky due to filter caps, and also the issue of one fault taking out a bank of amps.

333rocky333 · 27 Mar 2015

They are insistent on RCDS as someone working on it got a shock.

Nuisance tripping was my concern,

The only options I see are
Rcd Blue outlet
Rcd twins X 4
Rcd singles X 8

I feel trying to get a polestar RCD may be hassle

flameport · 27 Mar 2015

333rocky333 said:
They are insistent on RCDS as someone working on it got a shock.

You need to find out how that happened, as with plug in equipment, people getting shocks should be next to impossible.

333rocky333 said:
what looks like 7 amplifiers with 7 x 13 amp plugs fitted.

7 distinctly separate pieces of equipment each with their own power lead?
Or some other dubious deathtrap arrangement?

333rocky333 · 28 Mar 2015

flameport said:
333rocky333 said:

They are insistent on RCDS as someone working on it got a shock.

Click to expand...

You need to find out how that happened, as with plug in equipment, people getting shocks should be next to impossible.

333rocky333 said:

what looks like 7 amplifiers with 7 x 13 amp plugs fitted.

Click to expand...

7 distinctly separate pieces of equipment each with their own power lead?
Or some other dubious deathtrap arrangement?

It was a sound engineer behind them fiddling with something last year.

Yes, 7 seperate kettle type leads doing 7 seperate units, there ok with moulded 13a plugs, problem just how they connect to the 32Amp outlets at present, via 13 amp 1.5mm multi leads with 32a plugs replacing the cut off 13a plugs to make adapters

phatboy · 31 Mar 2015

333rocky333 said:
1.5mm multi leads with 32a plugs replacing the cut off 13a plugs to make adapters

Sounds like a fire waiting to happen!!!

plugwash · 1 Apr 2015

Are the "multi leads with plugs cut off" the type with a fuse in the socket strip?

If they have a fuse then it's not too horrible, the fuse will provide overload protection.

If they are the type without a fuse then things really need replacing ASAP.

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Distro unit

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