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A mates band need their equipment PAT testing for a venue they are playing. I’ve got the cert n’all that , stickers and item log but no longer a PAT test meter apart from my Multi and insulation tester.
Presumably it doesn’t matter how its tested as long as visual, Eth leakage and insulation are within the limits. Or do I need a specified tester.
TC
Re: Pat testing (a query)
Ideally you should be using calibrated equipment but in similar circumstances I would go ahead and do the tests. I assume you are not charging a fee?
Re: Pat testing (a query)
I wouldn’t be sticking the megger on the keyboard players synth or any digital equipment, even power amplifiers have digital power control these days ! is the pat testing of IT equipment which I think falls into the same class as MI have to test at 100ma ?
Re: Pat testing (a query)
Hmmm would a keyboard which runs off a 12v PSU need testing, would have thought just the wallwart. Other than that it’s 2 basic amps, power leads and a couple of extensions.
TC
Re: Pat testing (a query)
I would not bother with that the instrument is via a transfomer in any case
Re: Pat testing (a query)
The extension cables need a careful look as they get a hard life. Obviously you have to check correct wiring of them as well as earth continuity.
Re: Pat testing (a query)
By experience you normally find that cabling within a band situation is often not as it should be, its not uncommon to see bands working in any local type venue who have poor quality cables and dodgy power supplies made up. Often or not there is normally at least one person in the band who knows more about such things than the rest and hopefully they maintain some degree of safety.
Things often improve when the band is more professional in that they have a proper PA system which the band runs through. Here one person the techy one or the sound engineer will ensure that there are no annoying ground loops ( Buzzes and the like Continually Audible ) and each player brings there own instruments and smaller backline amplification.
Being a stickler for making sure everything is safe and correctly wired my main concerns are often or not the venues where this all ends up getting plugged into. Over thirty five years of being involved in those kinds of environments I have see some terrible installations which for the people who run these venues they see nothing wrong !
One night In Switzerland I was with a drummer on stage who was blown six feet across the stage by faulty wiring in the venue and a unshielded microphone cable ! The guys face was blue one side !!!.
Many venues have polaritys swaped on stage sockets, Stage supplies on the same leg as the chillers and catering equipment like commercial microwaves which bring their own unique problems to digital insturments.
Its also not uncommon to find stage sockets with NO EARTH !
Bands are often under pressure to just get on with the job and stop complaining as none of the other bands have kicked up any fuss. If in doubt and a safe stable electrical supply cannot be guaranteed my modus operandi is Just Walk Away and make a quick call to H & S.Its good practice for any band or performer to carry a Martindale and at least check that the sockets are wired correctly and get their power supplies and cables checked on a regular basis which I think will cure most problems for the mobile musician or and make their life just a bit safer.
Now where’s that Six inch nail for the fusebox 🙂
Re: Pat testing (a query)
Phidom wrote
The extension cables need a careful look as they get a hard life. Obviously you have to check correct wiring of them as well as earth continuity.
Oi, they’re borrowing those things off me so thy’ll be in pristeeeen condition 😉
Where’s me gaffer tape.
TCRe: Pat testing (a query)
Did a gig last year where they insisted on seeing public liability, then two days before asked for pat test certificate. We got to the venue and they had two single sockets in the stage area. One was held on the wall by gaffer tape and the other had an extension that could be termed lethal.
The venue promoter seemed a bit peeved when I asked him to unplug his games machines while we soundchecked and that if not we needed to see his public liability insurance.Machines switched off all night, punters not chuffed at all. Went back a few weeks later with another band to find two brand new double safety sockets installed.
Result 🙂
TCRe: Pat testing (a query)
That sounds par for the course, we had a gig on a army base in Aldershot one time and it was in a large hall, the trouble was the power system was not up to supplying two bands, two large sound systems, two lighting rigs, and a dj. We could not share gear as it was two venues in one building each with a different theme and crowd. So the got a BIG jenny in for our gear and ran power into the venue. Great we and they thought, trouble was there was mains ripple on this supply which would power ok but for sensitive digital mixing desks, lighting controller it was a nightmare, the keyboards would not work as the ripple was constantly changing the parameters of everything within the keyboards system !
We did get the gig done but I would not want to repeat that oneRe: Pat testing (a query)
Ha 😀
You’ve reminded me of an open air gig me and a mate did sound and light for years ago. Big old bandstand (now gone) on a town centre park (Helo will know the one 😉 ). One single 13A socket for everything so we ran the lights from a genny. Every ten minutes the lights went out so all the other bands and crew drove their cars/ vans round to the front of the stage. Everyone sat on their bonnets seeing who could react fastest when it went dark. Formation Starsky and Hutch and the oddest lightshow ever 😆 .
Ah, those were the days (er…and still are luckily 😉 )
TC
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