L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

M

Matt Vivlamore

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Jan 11, 2011
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Southern MD, USA
www.meerkatsound.com
I am budgeting for a new purchase of a new power distro which can be installed in a rack.

Right now, if need be, I can get away with 2 20amp breakers for my PA system. But typically I am running on 3 breakers for a show. However, lately I am coming across bigger plugs (L14-50 or CS6365 plug) to use. I do have a home-brew 14-50 (range plug) power distro with 6 20amp breakers, but I never use it all the breakers. When I do use it I am able to run everything off of 4 20 amp breakers (1: IT4000 & LS9-32, 2: IT8000, 3: Monitors & Backline, 4: LED stage lights). But sometime I do mix breakers 3 & 4 on the stage by doing a Stage Left and Stage Right power (half wedges, half backline & half LEDs per breaker). I don’t see myself needing any more power than what I am using now as amps are getting more and more efficient.

As I looking and researching Rack mount Power Distros, I have narrowed it down to a 120/240 single phase distro with a L14-30 (30 amp) or Cali plug (CS63##, 50 amp) in/thru plugs.

Now for something fun; last year I bought a spool (250’) of 4 conductor 4 gauge SEOOW power cable for a steal. Since then I have only built a couple power cables from the spool; 25’ Cali to 14-50R and 50’ 14-50P to 14-50R. If I go with an L14-30 distro, I don’t mind selling/buying/trading for different power cable (8g/4c) and plug to match my distro.

Should I go with a L14-30 or CS 50 amp In/Thru power for my Distro?

I am planning on installing my distro into the Amp Rack and running the amps directly to the distro. So that got me to thinking, if I don’t have access to L14-30 or CS6300 plugs; how do I power up my amps while connected to the distro?

Pros and Cons:
L14-30
Pro: cheaper plugs and wire; fits my needs now.
Con: would need to build a master disto if I ever double the amp rack

CS6300
Pro: more power available; room to expand
Con: higher (initial) cost, heavier weight
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Did you give up on a all self powered system? If you still are working towards this keep in mind being able to modify it down the road.
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Robert Kenton said:
Did you give up on a all self powered system? If you still are working towards this keep in mind being able to modify it down the road.
Click to expand...


The changeover is being planned, but it’s going to be happening in steps, it looks like my current Mains, Subs & Amps are staying for another year. I would like to buy 2 small format mains (probably DVX D15) and then I am looking at changing the SRX718s to a powered sub while keeping and bi-amping the QRx212. So I am no rush on this; I am happy with what I have at the moment.

I guess a “rack mount” isn’t required, I can use the Stage Stringer (Motion Labs) or Floor Box (Six-2).
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

I'd go with the larger system, which gives you extra room, if you do need more power. If you get to a site that only has 30 amps available, no big deal, you can adapt down to that. But if you need 50 amps and your distro is only capable of 30, the 50 amp supply available to you does no good.

I've built my amp racks with 6/4 wire and cams on each, with 6 20 amp circuits. The main breaker determines how much power I really have available. I can run both amp racks off of a single power source, but if only smaller circuits are available, it's easy enough to power them separately if needed.
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

It makes the most sense for me to have two distro systems, a 'large venue' system and a 'small venue' system.

The large venue system is a couple hundred amp 3 phase distro with camlock inputs and California, L14-30, and Powercon outputs.

The small venue system is dramatically smaller, being a 100 amp single phase panel fed with a California plug and 4/4 feeder. It has an L14-30 output plus a bunch of Edisons and Powercons. In a large venue situation, this small distro plugs into the large distro and gives me that much more flexibility.

I like having the small panel rated for more than the feeder because it gives me room to expand, if needed. If there were ever a situation where I needed more current, I could simply change the feed cable and have more ampacity. If the distro were only capable of 50 amps, I'd be very limited. Of course there aren't a whole lot of plugs that can handle 100 amps except for camlocks, at least nothing economical, so the 100 amp connection would likely be hardwired.

My father is a commercial electrician, so any time I need a completely legit tie-in he gets a call and shows up in his company truck.
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Cascading distros makes a lot of sense. Your smaller systems can be built together into a big system with your own large distro when needed.

The fun thing is that once you get above 30 amps, the variety of connectors available gets daunting quickly. My solution is that everything is set up with mini cams. Yes, I have to pay attention to which wires get used for what, but if I run out of 8/4 for an amp rack, I can use my piece of 2/4 without worry. (yeah, that's happened, and it looks wicked impressive with 2/4 SO cable powering your amp rack)

If I had connectors rated with the wire gauge, this switchover wouldn't be quite so easy.

In my inventory, I've been building cam to whatever power connector adaptors as needed. I've got a half a dozen or so different types now, but that's way easier than tracking down an electrician to tie into a panel.
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Silas Pradetto said:
Of course there aren't a whole lot of plugs that can handle 100 amps except for camlocks, at least nothing economical, so the 100 amp connection would likely be hardwired.

My father is a commercial electrician, so any time I need a completely legit tie-in he gets a call and shows up in his company truck.
Click to expand...

You mean that $500 for a pin and sleeve connector isn't economical? :D
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

If you're seeing range plugs (14-50) and small generators, it absolutely makes sense to go with the "California" connectors, as you can build simple adapters to go from the 14-50 to your distro (and that's a common connector on generators). The shrouded plugs are also a bit less likely to get bent pins than L14-30.

What do other companies in your area (that you might cross-rent with) use?
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Since you already have a pile of 4/4, I'd go with the CS connector-based distro. In addition to some of the other benefits which others have listed, there's also the fact that when you're far away from a power source, the larger cable will give you a stiffer mains voltage. The longest feeder I've ever used with my small 2x30a L14-30 distro is 125 feet, and I was getting significant sag with that. Also, if you're tying into 2 legs of a 3-phase supply, your neutral isn't exactly "between" the two hots, so it carries more current, and becomes a bigger part of your line-loss equation.

Also, if you're using the Crown Itechs you mention in your footer with this distro, you might want to consider setting up your distro to run them at 240V. I've occasionally popped 20a breakers with my IT8k's when running them all-out on sub duty, when they're on a long AC run -- the regulated PS seems to draw more power to compensate for the voltage sags. If you run them at 240V (or 208V, if you're on 2 legs of a 3-phase supply), you're a lot further away from the 20A breaker on the back of the amp, and you're also balancing draw against both of your supply legs by default.
 
Re: L14-30 or CS63## power distro (small to mid sized PA systems)

Chris, I have tripped the 20amp breaker with a IT8000; but I was doing a GoGo show with 6 SRX718s (3 per side) and 500 people in a warehouse. But running off 240 would only be an option on a few shows.


Anyways, it looks like I am going to keep the 4/4 & CS63## plugs.
 
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