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Junior Varsity
How powerful generator is needed for this PA system
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<blockquote data-quote="Jay Barracato" data-source="post: 129295" data-attributes="member: 24"><p>Re: How much generator?</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I feel like this has gotten to the same stage as "how much PA do I need?" Most of us, based on experience, have paid the lumps and can look at a space and picture how much PA we would put in there for different types of events. And we know if we ask others, we are likely to get a range of answers with the usual outliers on both extremes. Maybe that room isn't going to sound very good with a pair eons that cousin Elmo can borrow, but it also doesn't need 12 vertec per side. Somewhere in the middle is an answer that is "enough but not too much."</p><p></p><p>I look at generators the same way. While just get more than enough is an easy answer, it is not always a cost effective one. A friend of mine was getting married and the event was going to be in a large tent on a friends farm. They were going to use a couple of cheap construction generators but wanted to pay me a goodly chunk for providing sound for several bands that were going to be performing. I volunteered my services for free but insisted they rent a proper generator.</p><p></p><p>When I arrived onsite to setup, they had already strung numerous lights everywhere, had a full sized carnival popcorn machine going, and had rented a full hard sided trailer rest room. In other words they had the usual chain of triple taps plugged into other triple taps with the cheapest Walmart orange extension cords running all over the place. They had already maxed out the courtesy outlets on the generator.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately I was able to plug in a 50 amp rac pak via one of the california connector circuits for my needs.</p><p></p><p>I have successfully run the same system (with no apparent change in performance) off of a EU3500. I know others have done the same. In a way it makes sense to own or rent from a trusted source to remove the vagueness of maintenance, etc. and to control access to generator during the show.</p><p></p><p>I had an entire stage shutdown on me at a major festival. I was just a visiting band tech but the system tech grabbed the chance to go get a meal. Stage went dark, band kept playing acoustically to the light of cellphones while I traced the feeder back to the panel. The generator was running fine. A GFCI had popped. Near as I could figure out, someone had plugged in an electric scooter to charge. Everything was fine while it was charging. When the battery was fully charge it then popped the GFCI.</p><p></p><p>I know my logic is akin to build a bridge, drive successively heavier trucks over it until it collapses, then rebuild the bridge and you know the weight limit but...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jay Barracato, post: 129295, member: 24"] Re: How much generator? I feel like this has gotten to the same stage as "how much PA do I need?" Most of us, based on experience, have paid the lumps and can look at a space and picture how much PA we would put in there for different types of events. And we know if we ask others, we are likely to get a range of answers with the usual outliers on both extremes. Maybe that room isn't going to sound very good with a pair eons that cousin Elmo can borrow, but it also doesn't need 12 vertec per side. Somewhere in the middle is an answer that is "enough but not too much." I look at generators the same way. While just get more than enough is an easy answer, it is not always a cost effective one. A friend of mine was getting married and the event was going to be in a large tent on a friends farm. They were going to use a couple of cheap construction generators but wanted to pay me a goodly chunk for providing sound for several bands that were going to be performing. I volunteered my services for free but insisted they rent a proper generator. When I arrived onsite to setup, they had already strung numerous lights everywhere, had a full sized carnival popcorn machine going, and had rented a full hard sided trailer rest room. In other words they had the usual chain of triple taps plugged into other triple taps with the cheapest Walmart orange extension cords running all over the place. They had already maxed out the courtesy outlets on the generator. Fortunately I was able to plug in a 50 amp rac pak via one of the california connector circuits for my needs. I have successfully run the same system (with no apparent change in performance) off of a EU3500. I know others have done the same. In a way it makes sense to own or rent from a trusted source to remove the vagueness of maintenance, etc. and to control access to generator during the show. I had an entire stage shutdown on me at a major festival. I was just a visiting band tech but the system tech grabbed the chance to go get a meal. Stage went dark, band kept playing acoustically to the light of cellphones while I traced the feeder back to the panel. The generator was running fine. A GFCI had popped. Near as I could figure out, someone had plugged in an electric scooter to charge. Everything was fine while it was charging. When the battery was fully charge it then popped the GFCI. I know my logic is akin to build a bridge, drive successively heavier trucks over it until it collapses, then rebuild the bridge and you know the weight limit but... [/QUOTE]
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How powerful generator is needed for this PA system
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