Shorting Bizzzzzzzzzzzzt

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   Nothing to do with Aurora.  What do you all do to keep everything from shorting in the wet weather?

Its been raining her for a day and have the show is off line.

P.S.  We are going to get 2 - 4 inches of rain in the next 24 hours

Thanks

Andy

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Rambler1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Pre-Order User Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Location: Upton,MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 19	Quote Reply Topic: Shorting Bizzzzzzzzzzzzt Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 8:38am
	Nothing to do with Aurora. What do you all do to keep everything from shorting in the wet weather? Its been raining her for a day and have the show is off line. P.S. We are going to get 2 - 4 inches of rain in the next 24 hours Thanks Andy
	If you're not in You're out

Pony_God Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Location: Naples, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 551	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 9:09am
	Nothing. If the GFCI goes, then it's doing it's job. If nothing blows, and I'm not all tingly when walking around, we're good.
	Fine. You're so smart you rig up the lights. D-Light users Unite!

Rambler1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Pre-Order User Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Location: Upton,MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 19	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 9:13am
	I was thinking about wrapping the connections with plastic wrap. Are there any reason why I shouldn't do this?
	If you're not in You're out

Pony_God Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Location: Naples, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 551	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 9:19am
	Yep... One. More time consuming to take apart. That's it. Usually, we're fairly good as long as we're not sitting in a puddle.
	Fine. You're so smart you rig up the lights. D-Light users Unite!

deweycooter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Development Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Location: League City, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 674	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 9:43am
	Make a bad weather voiceover and cross your fingers for better weather. Speaking of (and since we're off topic :D) Houston got this weird white stuff yesterday all over the place. Some of it was still here this morning, though I'm not sure where the rest of it went.
	Aurora Lights Wiki

LightChristmas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 15 Oct 2007 Location: Equality, IL Online Status: Offline Posts: 993	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 10:20am
	Wrapping connections is hit and miss - if water gets into a wrapped connection, you'll have a heck of time locating it, and it could cause corrosion. Best bet is to cover any exposed connections with a miniature "pup tent" made of sheet plastic and secured to the ground with a couple of "U"s made from coathanger. If any connections get a wet, a good blow with a leaf blower tends to get most of the moisture out. EDIT - Had to delete a word! Edited by LightChristmas - 11 Dec 2008 at 10:21am


Slinkard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DMX Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: El Cajon CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 243	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 10:51am
	Here my solution: Move to San Diego! And 1 year I tried the plastic wrap man it was a mess. water got stuck into all the connection and i believe it was worse b/c I did that. I decided from then on just to leave it and hope for the best. If I start to blow some fuses I launch my bad weather song and just keep the projector running holiday movies. On a competely off topic, You guys should see my cube! 8 channels of bliss, bad part is I am the only one that has decorated! Slink
	Coming soon www.computerizedlights.com

peteandvanessa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Location: Rocklin, CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 11:18am
	I used baggies on a few connections the first year, then used nothing the second year. Both years worked out fine even with rain :-)

LightsOnLogan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3187	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 2:36pm
	IMO, most of these products are designed with exit "weep holes" in mind to let moisture out if it should get in. Sealing those holes runs the risk of trapping moisture which could be less safe than not. That said, some pointers... Mini lights... low risk except for the plug ends (which seem to be fairly well designed anyway)... each bulb is 2.5V so water in the individual sockets really isn't a big deal. The same goes for LEDs which run in the 2V - 3.5V range per bulb depending on color and manufacturer. C7/C9/Curtain strobes.. could pose problems. Each bulb gets the full 120V! Most of these have two "weep holes" at the base of the bulb. If power is continually applied anything that does manage to cross the contacts usually vaporizes before any problem can occur. Even in typical wall switched applications, accumulated water will only blow the fuse in the string. In animated applications though, water accumulated in the socket when power isn't applied will cook a triac when the channel switches on. Where possible it is best to orient these with the weep holes down to let gravity do its job. Flood Lights (Incandescent PAR type, not MR16): The WORST offenders. It is absolutely positively 100% necessary to get very good floodlight holders! The WalMart $2 specials will NOT* work in this application. No exceptions! You will need to get something in the $6-$10 range with all metal construction and a very good weather seal around the bulb. IMO, the cheap plastic ones in the $2 range are completely unsafe and should be taken off the market! Puddles... It should go without saying that the above applies to typical precipitation, not to submersion in puddles. Don't place something where it will become submersed! Now... everything I just wrote... throw it away! These are products made in China where design and material substitutions without telling anyone are pretty much business as usual. Just because something was designed correctly doesn't mean it ever was made that way!


Jonathan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Beta Testers Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Location: SoCal Online Status: Offline Posts: 1237	Quote Reply Posted: 11 Dec 2008 at 3:45pm
	Your right about the floodlight bases. My 4th of July Water Lights show used, well, a lot of water. I had geysers that shot up into the air, and what goes up must come down... right on top of my floodlights. It was imperative that I had water resistant floodlight bases. Because of the eventual submersion of the extension cords, I also used a lot of electrical tape, and even that failed on me a few times. If it is really a concern, you can add a bit of plumbers putty around the connection then tape that shut, but even then that's nothing more than a gamble. GFCI's are essential, and they saved my butt so many times it's unbelievable. I like the idea of an inclement weather announcement. I've got a technical difficulties (show back online soon) announcement, and a technical difficulties (show canceled tonight) announcement, so that's makes sense to have that as well.
	~Jonathan