Power Distribution Boxes for Commercial Events! | Parker Systems

David discusses our custom Power Distro Boxes and how we use them for various events. You'll also learn the difference between Three-phase and Single-phase Power!
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Check out how we used these distro boxes at a festival: • Your One Stop Shop for...
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Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:16 The Design
1:47 How Power Distribution Works
2:11 Three-Phase Power Explanation
5:37 Additional Equipment
7:09 How American Power is Generated
8:54 Final Thoughts
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Want to learn more about our disaster response equipment? Click Here! • Disaster Response Equi...
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#powerdistribution #generator #portablepower #genset #threephase #singlephase #festivalpower #eventpower #powersolutions

[@ParkerSystems]

Thanks for watching this video about our Power Distribution Boxes! If you'd like to see these in action at a festival, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4vHgqaNmtConK8si=bT01tx8yLm91lEKL

[@gustavostensson1048]

Finely a good video explaining how the American grid and phases works, i haven't been able to fully understand it before.

[@Swamp-Fox]

Best explanation of 3 phase power distribution I have ever seen!

[@balexan530]

Awesome video! I like the simplicity of your system for getting power where it needs to be. Never thought about the tap and feed connector. I'll have to keep that in mind for future use.

[@ba03111]

Layman here 🙋🏻‍♂️… Any issues plugging an RV into 208v instead of 240v?

[@ParkerSystems]

typically no. First most RVs except maybe for the largest units (like a 45 diesel pusher or prevost) all the interior devices are 120 not 240. However for the last several years (at least 20) most motors or dryers - or large appliances will accept 208 to 240 -- with no issues. -- great question

[@michaelkadziolka3626]

Amazing explanation of all the components and I will say I'm a bit jealous of all that feeder you have haha. Btw, those panels don't really seem like they are outdoor rated along with the receptacles. maybe also consider adding GFCI protected Edison outlets along with outdoor rated panels and receptacles. Its more of an investment but I feel like it would be more durable and longer lasting. Also, have any inspectors given you crap about the panels? I work in the entertainment industry doing production for concerts and many inspectors have given us crap about not having GFCI protected outlets on out distros and having our own DIY distros even though we build them to the highest quality we can only using the best components and clearly are just fine.

[@ParkerSystems]

On the outdoor rating we only use them in a temp situation -- we have the rain shield on top. We also made the units were a large garbage bag would protect them -- we buy the clear bags and they work pretty well, we didnt mention it but hey also have a led strip along that rain shield that illuminates the distro. Most commercially built distro have indoor rated panels with a rain shield on top. On the GFIs we approach that in the same way the construction and RV industry approach the safety -- the end user is responsible for the ground fault protection -- ie the RV has the GFIs installed and construction industry require the workers to bring GFI protected cords or double insulated tools .. we do a lot of movie and sound industry work -- those industry dont like the GFIs on critical circuits and they handle the protection ...

[@Retired-nohurry]

Very interesting for a layman.

[@dwal2165]

Thanks for making. Good information

[@ParkerSystems]

thanks for watching

[@dalesql2969]

For many cities, the AHJ (city electrical inspectors and code enforcers) are getting more and more skeptical about shop built distros like you show. No matter how well you build them, they want to see that UL listing on the parts. I work for a large entertainment lighting rental vendor, and we have largely phased out the older shop built distro panels. Lex Products in CT, and Trystar out in the midwest are both products I've used and they are very good quality and have that magical listing. For fairs, festivals, movie and tv shoots, they generally want to use locally licensed electricians and to pull permits and have inspections. One issue you probably don't deal with, but I have for TV and movie shoots is voltage drop along a distribution network causing the lighting to have slightly different color temperature of the lights. The solution is to run the power feeder as a ring main, like the UK does. This gives effectively double the size of conductor to all the distro boxes, which greatly reduces voltage drop. How do you handle rain getting into the outlets and plugs? I don't see covers and such on the outlets. I have dealt with it by using a blue tarp. Take one edge, pin it under the backside of the panel, wrap it up and over the top and down, then secure it with a bungie cord. When I need to get in, just undo the rubber cord and the tarp keeps you dryish while you are dealing with the panel in a driving rain.

[@ParkerSystems]

Great comments. For the rain we made them the size that a large 55 gal garbage bag will cover them. We buy the clear ones and the led lights that we have under they cover shines thru. I’m a master electrician and we have never had had an issue with the UL certification, all of the parts are correct and the portable code has never failed us. I am familiar with the Tristar, LEX etc brands as well as several other power vendors that build a great outdoor rated panels, although to your point many of these "outdoor" units have interior rated breaker panels and the company builds a rain shield. I understand the issue with voltage drop and the color of the lights changing, I like your idea of a ring. I bet that alone would solve the majority of voltage and voltage drop issues, as the ring would keep all of the voltages relatively consistent.

[@dalesql2969]

One thing I would do differently on your panels is instead of having a set of tails hanging out of the panel, have a set of cam males and females on panel mounts. that way you don't have to deal with all the tapping tees and keeping them up put of the mud and puddles on a site. That many little expensive things to keep track of and go missing. I don't know if you have run into this, but some production companies have their ground and neutral cam connections reversed gender. Having panels with full sets of goesintas and goesoutas on them makes the need to keep gender changers around go away. Also curious if you take precautions against copper thieves and vandalism? I've had to fish a power distro out of a river once, and then the police kept it for a year in evidence trying to get fingerprints from it. @@ParkerSystems

[@robdeaton9910]

Great video again, I didn't realize that the gen sets were 3phase, I only used those 3phase on industrial projects not events. Like to hear more besides the networking for said events. Keep up the great work.

[@35manning]

You might be surprised to know that three phase is a LOT more common. My 1989 4WD has a three-phase alternator. Those three phases are combined and rectified to give 12v DC. You can get single phase alternators, but chances are your car is also three phase.

[@ParkerSystems]

I appreciate you watching

[@Fei8lo]

Good explanation. With the pseudo split phase setup, the phases are 120 vs 180 degrees apart giving only 208 VAC instead of 240 VAC. Also, transmission lines are 200 kV and not 200 kVA. kVA refer to the reactive power rating (e.g. transformer power rating) and KV is the voltage of the transmission line. I assume your gensets are configured in a wye configuration instead of delta given the ground/neutral configuration. I have no experience with 3 phase power but I have done some reading.

[@ParkerSystems]

You are correct. We do so many gensets I’m very sloppy with that term. Sorry. You are correct. Power lines are volts and kva literally volts x amps …. Real and reactivity power is far detailed than videos are comments. Thanks for watching…. I need to be better. Thanks again.

[@graysonsmith2017]

Awesome video

[@ParkerSystems]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pauliossi2674]

great video,probably the best, easiest to understand description of 3 phase to 1 phase power online. have you ever looked into using a beverage/beer body trailer for ease of organizing and load/unload of breakout boxes and cable? Heavy cable units down low and lighter distribution boxes on top.I "m not positive but i think that the beer bogy compartments are compatible with standard pallet sizes.

[@dalesql2969]

Beer is about eight pounds to the gallon. Copper cable is a lot heavier for the same cubic space. I'd have to do the math, but I suspect that the beer trucks are not built to handle the additional weight. Take a bin full of cable, toss a distro panel in on top, and have the forklift carry it out to where needed. Turn the bin on it's side or upside down to keep the empty bin from becoming an unplanned dumpster during the event.

[@pauliossi2674]

what weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of copper? the trucks are limited by weight not the density of the product inside. being able to have ground acces to your product vs having to lift everything 4+ feet off the ground and then moving it up the 53 foot tunnel are different amounts of work and logistics especially in a field vs warehouse with a loading dock.@@dalesql2969

[@ParkerSystems]

I have had that beer trailer suggestion before -- i have seen those repurposed for tool and service trailers as well -- thanks for watching

[@steveedmunds1050]

So are those NEMA 14-50 receptacles that are not delivering 240? or 18-60 actually feeding 208?

[@ParkerSystems]

that is correct if we are using a genset in 3 phase configuration (120/208) if we utilize a the single phase setting we can get to 240/120... Most modern 240 equipment can handle the 208 -- you will notice that motors will give ampacity ratings for 208 / 220 / 240 amp ratings at each voltage -- I appreciate you pointing this out as in AC circuits reducing the voltage is typically not a good idea -- unlike DC circuits were dropping the voltage typically is okay.

[@StringerNews1]

Hate to tell you, but what you call "Edison" was invented by Harvey Hubbell. An Edison outlet is a 1" lamp socket.

[@ParkerSystems]

I will agree with you... This is movie/production industry term, I am not surprised that it is rooted in not accurate information. Thanks for the clarification. If you were to ask for a hubble on a movie set you would probably get handed a 32 amp pin and sleeve --- Thanks for commenting

[@StringerNews1]

@@ParkerSystems I'm glad my work was in the television industry. 😄

[@abecoulter8550]

how do you get 208 volts from two lines of 120?

[@ParkerSystems]

It’s 3 phase. We are only taking two of the phases to the box. In a three phase circuit between each phase is 208. We then divide the phase AB BC AC …. Thanks for watching. Each phase is 120 degs apart from The other phases.

[@markpriceful]

How much of a problem is it, if at all, for the 3 phases to have very different loads on them for the generator?

[@ParkerSystems]

Great question. -- you want to keep the load balanced as much as possible -- that is why we balance the loads across the phases -- most genset controllers will shut the genset down on phase imbalance -- when you single phase a genset you typically derate it at least 80 percent -- sometimes more... You can also help this by utilizing the genset at 480 using a delta to wye transformer down to the 208/120 this help smooth the load to the genset -- thanks for watching --