Breakout Power Cable Options

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

Can anyone offer guidance on this?

I am looking to buy / have made one or both of the following:

- a cable that takes a dryer outlet and converts it to a set of Edison plugs

- a cable that connects to the power at the panel in a home and breaks out into multiple 20a outlets




Friends of mine have these, and I know an electrician I can ask for help, but I wanted to reach out to see if you folks know of any pre made options? Other cool things I haven't thought of?

Clearly I am looking to run a lot of lights off a houses built in power circuits.

Thanks!

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

Hmmm... I finally found this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RRWWAY/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[Jeffrey T. Morgan]

I am kind of surprised people aren't into this, haha, unless you all just rent generators all the time?

[Greg M]

When you consider the liability of taping into a residential panel, the cost of renting a genny becomes more and more attractive.
Although this is a very cool box, here is a cheaper supplier:
http://www.smarthome.com/56099/Coleman-Cable-01980-X-Treme-Box-Portable-Temporary-Power-Distribution-Box/p.aspx

I have several similar ones that I use on a small generator...you might try searching generator supplies

[Brian F Kobylarz]

I am kind of surprised people aren't into this, haha, unless you all just rent generators all the time?

Actually, I believe most of the experienced folks on this site realize that providing technical data to assist in your "doing it yourself" may lead to them being named in a lawsuit.

Yes, there are tie-ins that are manufactured that will clamp to the mains inside a circuit breaker box. When you do that, you are bypassing the protection afforded by circuit breakers.
Typically, those tie-in cables terminate in Camlock connectors which go to a variety of breakout devices designed for motion picture work. Experienced, licensed electricians need to do the tie-in. From the Camlocks out, depending on what state you are located in, what is typically referred to as a "competent person" may distribute, but they need to know what they are doing. Install in the wrong order and you have fried your gear. The M-M and F-F Camlocks are known as suicide connectors for a reason. Electricity can and does kill people.
The last thing you want to do is cause harm to someone.

Even some of the best lighting techs can make a mistake. A "nationally known" friend of mine once melted the wiring in a state medical school - pulled more amps than the design allowed. Could have been worse - could have been an actual fire in the walls. That could happen to you in the "home" you are planning on using. If the total amperage of the lights you are planning on using is more than the total available from the 15 or 20 amp edison outlets there, chances are you are going to overload the main.

The temporary electrical distribution for motion picture and event staging is a profession on itself.
Not to be fooled around with. Trust the people that have the training - and the license.

As an alternative, could using some more efficient lighting be a consideration?

[Nick Gardner]

Gaffers tie in all the time. Most rental houses rent the kit. Accidents happen with everything. I think for most things nowadays, they drop a hundred amp breaker into the existing box, so you still have a breaker and you are dropping your cam locs off of that. At least that's how the guys who have done it for me have done it. Old buildings and old wiring are a different story. There is no one size fits all solution as is often the case in life.

Nick

[Michael Notar]

ha ha. i made the dryer outlet unit myself. then got a 2500w hmi and took it apart and adapted it to bates. i am a gaffer i can make such equipment that is safe if you are so interested.

i have adapted may outlets, dryer, range, the many different configurations to my needs. i am comfortable with single phase and 3 phase. you can get tweko clamps
http://kayelites.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=36_202&products_id=630 with a camlok or bates on the end. tho dangerous and it does circumnavigate breakers, causing safetly issues, but it can be done safely.

i am the only guy on my block with a 100 A 240v camlok power tap on my house panel lol. its not that expensive for a big breaker, but it is specific to each panel. i got the breaker, 20ft of #4 cable and camloks for $150ish total.

instead of getting only 20a circuits out of panel i only go in there when i need more power. i have learned to look for separate 20a circuits in a house, clothes washer, bathroom gfi, toaster.

[Michael Notar]

those products look good, safe and appropriately priced, for a dryer outlet option. just keep in mind you can only use 30A per side/wire, tho you have lots of outlets. cant do any better actually doing it yourself.

there is a 50A 240v, a spider box, typically used on a construction site. they are like $300-400 new. but you can get a great deal on them used, i got one for $75.

tho i am often pressured to do a tie in on projects, a genny isnt that expensive. i can get a 200 amp (20kw) genny for $100/day in these parts.