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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Extension cord/strobe question.
Robert Scheer, Photographer
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Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 9:51 AM on 04.08.11 |
->> Quick question. I need to get a couple of extension cords (one 25ft, one 50ft), to run to my strobes. What's the smallest gauge cord you'd recommend? In other words, I'd rather not pay for 10 or 12 gauge cord if something smaller will be just fine. Will be powering a dynalite 500 w/s pack and a 400 w/s Uni Jr (different outlets).
I asked the folks at the local camera shop who basically said "buy the most expensive one."
Thanks all! |
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Greg Foster, Photographer
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Atlanta | GA | | Posted: 10:08 AM on 04.08.11 |
| ->> Robert, this is one area where you need to get a good high quality, heavy duty product. I have one 100 ft. cord and two 50 ft. cords; I can't remember and I can't tell by looking at them what the gauge is, but they are thick and heavy...I want to say maybe 12 gauge. There are a few people on Sportsshooter that know a lot about electrician stuff, hopefully they will weigh in with their advice. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 10:27 AM on 04.08.11 |
->> Up to 25' I use 16ga. as these are short runs and unless I'm on wet ground/grass I don't worry about voltage drops or leaks.
25'-50' I have mostly 14ga. cords which can bring me roughly 15 amps all the way to the device without issue.
50' - 100' I run 12ga and spend the extra money on moisture resistant insulations as these will most likely get used outside to bring power to my tents and gear and will probably get laid on damp / dewy grass during early morning setups.
100' are all 10ga. moisture and UV resistant insulated.
One tip; early in the season (like now) you can find camping/RV/boating centers selling shore power or RV umbilical cables on sale. These are HEAVY duty cables that are moisture / abrasion resistant cords designed to carry 30-50 amps. You can buy plug adapters to convert the twist lock plugs to standard blade plugs. |
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Dave Prelosky, Photographer
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Robert Scheer, Photographer
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Indianapolis | IN | USA | Posted: 10:32 AM on 04.08.11 |
->> Gents, thanks for the thoughts. I know enough not to use cheapo dime store stuff designed for clock radios, but don't want to shell out for 10 or 12 gauge if a well made 14 will be fine for what I need (up to 50 feet).
I'll check out an RV shop tomorrow. Thank you for the tip! |
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Guy Rhodes, Photographer
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East Chicago | IN | USA | Posted: 9:08 PM on 04.08.11 |
->> Rob:
I build all my cables from scratch, and use black 14/3 SJOOW type cable, which is water resistant. Orange / yellow cords are a huge pet peeve of mine in situations where looking clean is important, or when cables need to be hidden in and on sets when working with video or in theater.
I use 14/3 gauge because, typically, I'm dealing with 15 amp circuits when shooting on location. 14/3 is also much smaller than 12/3, which saves room when your vehicle starts to get full.
For your situation and the gear you describe, 14/3 will be just fine, but as Eric alluded to, max'ing out a 14/3 cable with a 15 amp load and then tacking on a 150' run can cause an overload because of the voltage drop through the cable.
The longer the cable, the more the voltage drops, and the more the voltage drops, the more current you'll draw.
Here's a calculator that will figure your voltage drop based on wire gauge, type of conductor, and length:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/voltagedropcalc.html |
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Robert Seale, Photographer
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Tim Cowie, Photographer
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Davidson | NC | USA | Posted: 9:42 PM on 04.09.11 |
->> Get the heavier cables. People are correct that with the heavier cable, the less voltage drop will occur, thus not creating an significant increase in amperage draw (this increased draw will cause the breaker to trip whenever the load is maximized).
However, you are always better off having a heavier cable because you never know how much draw is already on that particular circuit already. Think about 2 different outlets in your garage, both on different circuits.
Outlet 1 is on the same circuit as your living room lights and outlets. Outlet 2 is on the same circuit as your kitchen outlets which has the fridge and dishwasher connected.
Plugging the skill saw into one of the outlets in the garage versus the other may have two very different results regardless of whether you have a heavy gauge cord or not. Some things you can't control, but always minimizing line loss via heavy gauge cords will give you the best opportunity to get the job done without popping circuits every 5 minutes. |
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John OHara, Photographer
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Petaluma | Ca | United States | Posted: 2:17 PM on 04.10.11 |
| ->> I use Speedo 2401 SX packs. They do not like low voltage. I use a voltage meter every time I plug them in, long or short cords. Better safe than sorry. John |
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Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
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Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 9:23 PM on 04.25.11 |
->> Woods brand cords are yellow and the 25' ones can come with a 3 outlet female end...
They are all glow-tip.
Home depot has them |
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Guy Rhodes, Photographer
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East Chicago | IN | USA | Posted: 4:05 AM on 04.26.11 |
->> "However, you are always better off having a heavier cable because you never know how much draw is already on that particular circuit already... Outlet 1 is on the same circuit as your living room lights and outlets. Outlet 2 is on the same circuit as your kitchen outlets which has the fridge and dishwasher connected."
Tim,
Are you suggesting that the entire load of a circuit is fanned out through any cable / device that is added to it? This would only be correct if everything were wired in series.
Since circuits in a house are wired in parallel, this isn't an issue. Your extension cord only has to carry the load that is applied to it.
If cords did bear the load of the entire circuit coming out of the wall, you'd never be able to plug a measly cell phone charger into the same circuit as your running washing machine, as the current going to the washing machine would overwhelm the charger rated for only a few watts.
Using your same analogy, the 100 amp feeder cable that comes into the service head on my house would have to have sufficient gauge to handle the max load from every house on the block that is wired in parallel to the same step-down transformer. Of course, this isn't the case there either. |
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Guy Rhodes, Photographer
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East Chicago | IN | USA | Posted: 5:07 AM on 04.26.11 |
| ->> ... so after re-reading Tim's post, I think I understand what he was getting at. Basically, you don't want to be in a situation where your under-gauged cord causes you to pull more amperage than expected and pop an already tax'ed breaker on a heavily loaded circuit. Carry-on. :-) |
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