Caravan Hookups At Temprary Events

[ProDave]

This topic has been discussed before, so I thought I would post some pictures.

This was at the Belladrum music festival a few weeks ago. A whole field of caravan hookups were installed for those rich enough to pay for them.

Fed from a number of 3 phase generators. (I forgot to photograph any of the genny's but they were big things built onto trailers.

The 3 phase from the generator goes first to a marshalling box like this. Obviously three single phase cables going out.



Each single phase leg goes to a made up termination like this, where as well as feeding a bunch of caravans, it also feeds out to the next identical cable assembly.



And then at the end of the line



All cables on the surface, though the generator cables were burried if they passed under a roadway.

Only earthing was a rod at the generator.

 

[Andy™]

what connectors have they used for the distribution? doesnt look like a normal ip44 connector. is there any overload protection on the 16a outlets?

looking again, it looks like the distribution is multicored and not just LNE?

 

[ProDave]

Some interesting points.

Short of unplugging and having a look, I could not tell what connecters they were, and didn't want to provoke the attention of one of the marshals and get myself ejected from the event.

No sign of overload protection anywhere (other than presumably at the generator).  Each line had two of these cable assemblies daisy chained, so 10 caravans per leg, or 30 caravans per generator.

These were advertised as "16A hookups" so if that's honest advertising that's 160A per phase from the generator.  I would love to see their diversity calculations and know what the actual rating of the genny was.

I always believed these commando connectors were not "waterproof" but Splashproof, IP44  or similar. They are only "waterproof" in normal use due to the orientation of the socket they plug into, and rainwater falling vertically will run off correctly so none gets into the contacts or inside the plug.  Laying down on the ground like that in use could become "interesting" in very heavy rain.

I'm not posting this as being right or wrong, just the way it was actually done at one event.

Didn't see an RCD either for that matter, but again probably one at the generator. But 30 caravans off one RCD, imagine the potential for nuisance tripping.

EDIT

I've just zoomed in on the full size original pictures.  

The marshalling box has a flap that covers some MCB's. Can't see any mention of ratings but they are labelled as MAIN MCB and L1 MCB, L2 MCB and L3 MCB

 

[Blue Duck]

Next time carters steam fair is in town go check out their electrics much the same with a large does of bodge.

 

[kme]

OOh - wish i`d taken pics of ours......

We`ve only got 23 hook ups; and one genny - but we`ve also got a shower block, and pressure pump supplying the potable water from an IBC container to the standpipe; plus a couple of lights.

We had a 32A TP commando on the genny ( has built-in RCD), feeding a distro with 3 x 32A SP commandos.

Each 32A run then had 4 double "Romec" hook up boxes, daisy chained, 7 metres apart. Three of the boxes were double outlets, each with its own 30mA RCBo - the last on the line was a single box.

Because we went to 23 this year, we added a double box into one of the runs.

Max demand recorded on any phase was 21A, at any time over the weekend.

The distro box also has 3 x 16A SP outlets; for the showers, lights, and pump supplies.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I think you will find those  commando  type plugs with the threaded top retainer are IP65.

 

[Sidewinder]

I think you will find those  commando  type plugs with the threaded top retainer are IP65.

Possibly even IP67

 

[ProDave]

I think you will find those  commando  type plugs with the threaded top retainer are IP65.

Yes I am sure those ones are.

It's the "customer" outlets I was talking about. The ordinary 16A commandos lying on the ground.

Reminds me of once when I was called to a farm. RCD tripping.  Quickly found it was a caravan feed that was plugged in to the utility room. Followed the cable out of the window, across the farmyard, where in the middle of the yard there was an in line 16A commando plug / socket sitting fully immersed in a puddle.

People actually think they are "waterproof"

 

[hublander]

The last temporary event I was at blue commando on wooden posts

 

[Adrian41uk]

Those threaded connectors are SOCAPEX. These are generally used in the entertainment industry for stage lighting. They are 19 pin and usually wired 6 x LNE circuits & 1 shell earth, often configured as 2 circuits per phase. The cable is usually 19 core x 1.5mm2 or 19 core x 2.5mm2. Its usual use is the connection between dimmer packs & lighting bars but are also often used for 'hard' (ie. non dimmed power).

The breakout box will almost certainly contain 6 x MCBs - they are under the little flap that can be seen on towards the bottom on the side of the box nearest to the camera.  Using 16A MCBs on each circuit sets the system up nicely for a 32A TPN feed.

I've often used a SOCAPEX based system to provide hard power onto a lighting rig but I don't think using it outside in a field is the right think to do .... SOCAPEX isn't IP65 rated - it generally doesn't have a gland on the cable entry - just a clamp.

I'd say that a lighting company has been given the job of doing the distro for the caravans and they are  alittle out of their depth.