Who's had a jubilee gig cancelled because of the rain?

[flyfisher]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1338937936' post='1681542']
I always carry a mains tester to make 100% certain that I have an earth and that L and N haven't managed to get reversed courtesy of dubious wiring.
[/quote]

Coincidentally, so do I. Must be that bass player thing about carrying tools and spares for every occasion.

Have only ever detected one faulty mains socket though, a missing earth connection.

A good thing for the gig bag and only £7: http://www.maplin.co.uk/mains-socket-tester-9800

[Sibob]

I did 5 over the last 5 days.....I need another weekend haha. Good fun though

Si

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1338755314' post='1678971']
Extension leads go faulty really quickly when you pour water on them.
[/quote]

Well if you let your mains connections get wet then that counts as something 'faulty' in my book. Like your brain!

[icastle]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1338969724' post='1681667']
Coincidentally, so do I. Must be that bass player thing about carrying tools and spares for every occasion.

Have only ever detected one faulty mains socket though, a missing earth connection.

A good thing for the gig bag and only £7: [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/mains-socket-tester-9800"]http://www.maplin.co...ket-tester-9800[/url]
[/quote]

I went for a slightly more sophisticated version but the general idea is the same.



I've had a couple of defects, generally missing or high resistance earths.

[TimR]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1338934988' post='1681497']
Quite surprised about what?

It's clearly possible to safely play a gig outside in the rain if appropriate precautions are taken. Bands do it all the time. The obvious precaution is to prevent electrical gear from getting wet, and that would include all plugs and socket strips, but that doesn't mean an electrical cable itself is dangerous when wet.

As for RCDs not providing 100% safety, I know what you mean about the current/time curves and physiological variability in the reaction to an electric shock, but that's getting into fairly rarified theoretical territory. A bit like worrying about being electrocuted by testing a PP3 battery with your tongue.

For the vast majority of healthy people, RCDs will provide perfectly good protection against fault conditions - unless you try really hard and insist on connecting yourself across the live and neutral conductors! After all, RCDs specifications are not approved by the IET wiring regulations for nothing.

I wouldn't be too concerned about playing in a (dry) tent with power from a single-length extension cable plugged into a house socket fed from an RCD-protected circuit.
[/quote]

Which is ideal world conditions so I think you've missed my point entirely.

In the real world you turn up having been told you're playing in a marquee only to find a small gazeebo with water running underneath the sides and forming puddles in the grass.

The drummer plugs his fan into an extension lead that he has mended with insulation tape after the rabbit has chewed through all the insulation. The keyboard player is having to play with his foot on the mains lead of his keyboard to keep the flex from pulling out of the plug. The singer is complaininig of getting shocks from the PA because someone extended the mains lead using a 2 pin lawn mower plug and socket that they had lying around.

But no-one has to worry becuause you're using an RCD.

Granted if you play in a regular band with the same guys using the same kit week in week out you can be pretty sure your kit is good but quite a few of us don't.

Those were only a few of the situations I've been in.

Not including the two extension leads mentioned earlier. None of it IP68 rated and not even a plastic bag wrapped around where they're joined.

Add the red mist that descends on someone who has spent a lot of time and money organising the gig and insists you set up a quickly as possible and people will do the most stupid things.

Edited June 7, 2012 by TimR

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1339058518' post='1682902']
Which is ideal world conditions so I think you've missed my point entirely.

In the real world you turn up having been told you're playing in a marquee only to find a small gazeebo with water running underneath the sides and forming puddles in the grass.

The drummer plugs his fan into an extension lead that he has mended with insulation tape after the rabbit has chewed through all the insulation. The keyboard player is having to play with his foot on the mains lead of his keyboard to keep the flex from pulling out of the plug. The singer is complaininig of getting shocks from the PA because someone extended the mains lead using a 2 pin lawn mower plug and socket that they had lying around.

But no-one has to worry becuause you're using an RCD.

Granted if you play in a regular band with the same guys using the same kit week in week out you can be pretty sure your kit is good but quite a few of us don't.

Those were only a few of the situations I've been in.

Not including the two extension leads mentioned earlier. None of it IP68 rated and not even a plastic bag wrapped around where they're joined.

Add the red mist that descends on someone who has spent a lot of time and money organising the gig and insists you set up a quickly as possible and people will do the most stupid things.
[/quote]

In which case, walk away.

[thunderider]

i played a jubilee tent...at glastonbudget.....but the next day i was back stage at the main stage to watch the mighty chesney hawkes it was lashing down all the gear was soaked stage was awash they put peddles on bits of card...quite scarey really!!