# Help create CB pocket reference Swag for LDI!



## gafftaper

DvsDave and I are working on a plan for some swag to distribute at LDI. We want to create a plastic credit card covered front and back with really useful information that you always want to have with you. Those of you who know the world famous Secoa Mousepads, imagine a pocket sized version. It's a credit card in your wallet full of information technicians use all the time. 

We need your help, what information should be on this card? What do you most often stop to look up online? What formula do you find yourself needing on the job? When you dig out your Back Stage Hand Book what information are you most likely to be looking for? We will be cramming as much as we can from a variety of disciplines onto a two sided professionally printed plastic credit card with the CB logo on it. *Best of all, if you submit ideas and we use them we will send you a card when they are done! * 

So here are a few ideas I have to get you started thinking:
1/4" scale markings running down one edge of the card. 
The ETC tech support hotline
The Apollo tech support hotline
A couple of knots
Pinout's for DMX and XLR


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## Kelite

Recommended extension cord wire gauge 

Amperage rating on top

Length
in 
feet
listed
down
the 
side


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## derekleffew

Ohm's Law, in various permutations.
Multiplication factor to determine field angle diameter of 5,10,14,19,26,36,50,70,90° ERSs.
2011 NEC, Section 520.
Other formulae from Mathematical Formulas for Lighting - ControlBooth .


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## jonslilbro

AC Voltage Drop formula with wire guages


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## misterm

righty tighty, lefty loosy


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## porkchop

Things I would totally use: Common conversions (feet to meters, kilos to pounds), the size of common clamp hardware.
NEC color coding for wiring (green, yellow green = ground, white silver or nickle to neutral, and all the normal colors for hot) might also be useful. It might not be worth it for the limited size, but real life sizes of common materials might be nice. Like a 2x4 is actually 1 1⁄2 in × 3 1⁄2 in (doesn't sound right but that's what the first Wikipedia article says), ply wood comes in 4 x 8 sheets, Masonite comes in .... (I've never ordered it), fabric usually comes in rolls of ..... length (again never ordered it). And perhaps weights of common things like lighting fixtures and building materials.

ALSO: If the conversions seem like a good idea, Celsius to Fahrenheit is a conversion that fewer of us have memorized, less useful than lengths and weights, but still I run into it from time to time.


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## soundlight

I'd use a 4-pin pinout section, for different pinouts including that random Wybron one that makes half of their old power supplies useless and the CK CB12/City Theatrical PDS pinout.

Also, outer diameters of various sch. 40 iron pipe - 1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2". Useful for determining what kinds of couplers will work on them.

Lastly, a ruler on the side opposite the 1/4" scale would be useful for bolt/screw/nut/other hardware sizing. In fact, that'd probably be the most useful feature when I don't have a tape measure on me (don't normally need one in the automated lighting shop).


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## starksk

LOTO reminder with generalized checklist (i.e.: Is power off, Breaker locked/marked? etc...)

real size comparison of Bolt/Screw size for most common hardware

Gobo sizes in inches and metric for most common sizes

I agree with the DMX pinout, perhaps include A and B Cat5e color code? (For making crossover cables)

List of most commonly used acronyms

I like the color code for wiring, be sure to include international colors

Schedule 40/80 OD and WLL/ft.

That's all I have off the top of my head...

Edit: Simulpost with soundlight


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## danhr

Commonly used NEMA plug/socket pinouts- (Stage pin, edison, etc.)


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## ruinexplorer

Common wiring (Edison, Stage Pin, twist lock, DMX, XLR, Ethernet and X-over). Formulas.

I disagree with hotline phone numbers. You could leave blank space for people to Sharpie in their own. 

Don't forget to leave room for a punch-out in case people want to hang this on a lanyard.


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## dvsDave

Love the ideas, keep them coming. Please remember we are trying to cram this onto a credit card sized piece of plastic, so we have to select the most compact way to display the data as possible.


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## chausman

ruinexplorer said:


> I disagree with hotline phone numbers. You could leave blank space for people to Sharpie in their own.



I agree with your disagree.

I also agree with pinouts for DMX/XLR and RJ-45/Ethernet.


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## jhochb

Good Morning All
With all these wonderful ideas may I sugest a multilayer card. You know, the type with a rivet in one corner so you can fan it out.


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## zmb

Reminder of what drapes are where in a tradtional procesnium house. I can never remember those myself. Maybe layout it around the edge of one side with other info inside of it.

And to answer the phone number one, maybe make a different, just phone card. Could include ETC, Strand, Apollo, National Supply Houses, plus blank spots for local businesses.

I just came here the other day to look up the number of cuts per sheet for 19 degree+ and PAR Source4s, so that data could be included for more common instruments.


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## dvsDave

Kelite said:


> Recommended extension cord wire gauge
> 
> Amperage rating on top
> 
> Length
> in
> feet
> listed
> down
> the
> side



I like it, can you point me towards a table of common values to include?


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## DuckJordan

Color to name layout for cam lock connectors such as,
Green = ground
White = Neutral
Blue = phase 1
Red = phase 2?
Black = phase 3?


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## soundman

After LDI will a PDF be made available to members so we can print off our own copy if we are unable to attend? 

One thing that I constantly have to look up is the max length of signal cable. I can't remember how much distance I get by jumping from cat 5 to fiber.


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## erosing

A pair of color wheels, one for light and one for pigment.
Common color temperatures (Kelvin): candle, sunlight at dawn/dusk, incandescent, tungsten, sunrise, noon sun, FAY lamp, carbon arc, overcast, tv.
1.732
Lamp diameter: for [Letter]-N, N/8=Diameter
Ladder, Ramp, and stair angles.
Size chart for preventing rotation of shackles in thimbles.
1 Cubit = 18 inches.
...---...
Picture of Grade 1, 5, 7, and 8 hardware head markings.
Stagepin style connector Pin screws - Phillips panhead brass 8-32 x 1/4"


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## mstaylor

Maybe pictures of screw types, phillips, torx and others. I am constantly amazed by guys that can't ask by name the various types. Or a chart to equate bolt sizes to wrench sizes. 3/8 bolt to 9/16 wrench.


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## porkchop

Going off zmb's post, common fixtures gel cut and gobo sizes. Another thing to that probably won't make the cut for the size, but I feel like saying anyway is the resistor color code.


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## gcpsoundlight

Basic rule down one side, both metric and imperial


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## Pie4Weebl

I don't think phone numbers would be too useful. Likewise, how to match cam colors shouldn't be on there.

How about a little chart of size of pools lights make at different distances, so I could quickly look and see, well I'm shooting at 50' so this 19 degree will give me "x"


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## Footer

porkchop said:


> Going off zmb's post, common fixtures gel cut and gobo sizes. Another thing to that probably won't make the cut for the size, but I feel like saying anyway is the resistor color code.



Along with that, the PRG cable length code.


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## venuetech

Resistor color code
Electronic color code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



> PRG cable length code.



which is?


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## Footer

venuetech said:


> Resistor color code
> Electronic color code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> which is?



http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/20676-organizing-cable.html#post188463


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## silicsound

How about the approximate field angles for instruments described by their lens diameter and the focal length.
EX,
4.5x6 ≈ 50°
6x9 ≈ 36°
6x12 ≈ 26° 
6x16 ≈ 19°
6x22 ≈ 10°


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## gafftaper

I added a poll to the top of this to help us figure out which measurement marks would be most useful. Please vote for two, as that will help us decide the most useful combination. Remember this is a credit card so it's only 3" long.


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## Morydd

Slightly crazy, but combine the color wheel with the color codes. So an arrow to green that shows (note, I'm making up the numbers so they're most likely all wrong):
PRG-50'
Res-5ohm
Wire-Ground
etc.


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## carllib

What about including the Electric Formulas Wheel and the USITT Lighting Symbols?


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## Chris15

gafftaper said:


> I added a poll to the top of this to help us figure out which measurement marks would be most useful. Please vote for two, as that will help us decide the most useful combination. Remember this is a credit card so it's only 3" long.



If you are going to have a metric, PLEASE millimetre mark it. When you only have 75 odd mm you're only measuring small things and so accuracy becomes of some importance


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## dvsDave

Millimeters are tough. There are 25.4 millimeters in an inch and the printer prints at 300dpi. 300/25.4 = 11.8 oh yay. Do I accept the rounding error and make it a 11 pixel space between each 1 pixel-wide center mark (11+mark=12), would that level of accuracy be okay?


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## cpf

Just as long as the error does not accumulate. If you're looking closely enough to discern a 84um discrepancy, you shouldn't be using a swag giveaway to do the measuring...


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## zmb

cpf said:


> If you're looking closely enough to discern a 84um discrepancy, you shouldn't be using a swag giveaway to do the measuring...



It's theater.

And I agree to include the electrical formula wheel.


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## Chris15

dvsDave said:


> Millimeters are tough. There are 25.4 millimeters in an inch and the printer prints at 300dpi. 300/25.4 = 11.8 oh yay. Do I accept the rounding error and make it a 11 pixel space between each 1 pixel-wide center mark (11+mark=12), would that level of accuracy be okay?



I've done the maths - it's in a spreadsheet I just emailed you since one is not permitted to upload an xls...

Basically some gaps will be 11px and some will 10px...


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## dvsDave

Dude, you rock. You just saved me a ton of time! I'll get this inputted today.


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## gafftaper

Again I want to point out that Chris lives in Australia and it's tomorrow there. He is able to get so much done around CB because he lives in the future. 

Chris can you check on some lottery number results for me?


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## JChenault

I'd like to second the idea of a chart showing throw distance to beam spread.


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## LavaASU

Ditto. I'm always looking that up and/or guessing (do I need a 19 or a 26?!?)...


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## derekleffew

Which would be preferable,

a) a LIST of the multiplication factors:

> 90 degree= 1.88
> 70 degree= 1.40
> 50 degree= .93
> 36 degree= .65
> 26 degree= .46
> 19 degree= .31
> 10 degree= .178
> 05 degree = .119



*OR *

b) a CHART of angles and distances:

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 4. WIDTH OF LIGHTING BEAM - AT ANY SPREAD ANGLE & DISTANCE
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> D.in| ANGLE (in degrees)
> ft.| 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
> |------------------------------------------------------------------
> 5 | .9 1.4 1.8 2.3 2.7 3.2 3.6 4.1 4.5 5.0 5.4
> 10 | 1.8 2.7 3.6 4.5 5.4 6.3 7.2 8.1 9.0 9.9 10.8
> 15 | 2.7 4.0 5.4 6.8 8.1 9.5 10.8 12.2 13.5 14.9 16.2
> 20 | 3.6 5.4 7.2 9.0 10.8 12.6 14.4 16.2 18.0 19.8 21.6
> 25 | 4.5 6.8 9.0 11.3 13.5 15.8 18.0 20.3 22.5 24.6 27.0
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 30 | 5.4 8.1 10.8 13.5 16.2 18.9 21.6 24.3 27.0 29.7 32.4
> 35 | 6.3 9.5 12.6 15.8 18.9 22.0 25.2 28.4 31.5 34.7 37.8
> 40 | 7.2 10.8 14.4 18.0 21.6 25.2 28.8 32.4 36.0 39.6 43.2
> 45 | 8.1 12.2 16.2 20.3 24.3 28.4 32.4 36.5 40.5 44.6 48.6
> 50 | 9.0 13.5 18.0 22.5 27.0 31.5 36.0 40.5 45.0 49.5 54.0
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 55 | 9.9 14.6 19.8 24.8 29.7 34.7 39.6 44.6 49.5 54.5 59.4
> 60 | 10.8 16.2 21.6 27.0 32.4 37.8 43.2 48.6 54.0 59.4 64.8
> 65 | 11.7 17.6 23.4 29.3 35.1 41.0 46.8 52.7 58.5 64.4 70.2
> 70 | 12.6 18.9 25.2 31.5 37.8 44.1 50.4 56.7 63.0 69.3 75.6
> 75 | 13.5 20.3 27.0 33.8 40.5 47.3 54.0 60.8 67.6 74.3 81.0
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 80 | 14.4 21.6 28.8 36.0 43.2 50.4 57.6 64.8 72.0 79.2 86.4
> 85 | 15.3 23.0 30.6 38.3 46.0 53.6 61.2 68.9 76.5 84.2 91.8
> 90 | 16.2 24.3 32.4 40.5 48.6 56.7 64.8 72.9 81.0 89.1 97.2
> 95 | 17.1 25.7 34.2 42.8 51.3 59.9 68.4 77.0 85.5 94.1 102.6
> 100 | 18.0 27.0 36.0 45.0 54.0 63.0 72.0 81.0 90.0 99.0 108.0
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------


(from Lighting Designers Page ) [With better formatting. And valid data--ignore the rubbish constant of .018 on the page referenced--it's been disproven elsewhere. The correct method to calculate is to use the formula Beam diameter = distance * (2 * tan (beam angle in degrees / 2)). ]

?


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## JChenault

derekleffew said:


> Which would be preferable,
> 
> a) a LIST of the multiplication factors:
> 
> 
> *OR *
> 
> b) a CHART of angles and distances:
> 
> 
> ?


I would vote for the list. most folks have a calculator so multiplication is fairly easy. A chart would take up a lot of precious room


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## gafftapegreenia

Still waiting for my Mega Combo anodized in CB yellow.


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## Chris15

gafftaper said:


> Again I want to point out that Chris lives in Australia and it's tomorrow there. He is able to get so much done around CB because he lives in the future.


That sounds way more exciting than the reality of me procrastinating... 


gafftaper said:


> Chris can you check on some lottery number results for me?


I could, but remember that the balls spin the other way and we read the other way up, so what I tell you probably won't make sense...

Regards from tomorrow


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## dvsDave

gafftapegreenia said:


> Still waiting for my Mega Combo anodized in CB yellow.



I looked into it, but it was prohibitively expensive.


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## gafftapegreenia

dvsDave said:


> I looked into it, but it was prohibitively expensive.



Fair enough.


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## porkchop

List please


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## Mandolomo

W=VA, Common gel cut dimensions (S4=6.25 x 6.25), weights (lb) of common fixtures, plus everything that you guys already said!


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## JChenault

I would like to vote against things like a definition of lighting symbols ( look at the legend there is no universal standard)
I think that things like simple electrical formulas would not be a good choice. These formulas are something that you should just know like righty tightey. Also just knowing the formulas is not enough, you have to know how to use them


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## AhClem

I agree that almost all of those suggestions would be great (so would a black hole to compress it down to credit card size  ), so might I suggest leaving a space for one of those new smart phone hi-tech bar codes so the "card holder" could scan the card to access the additonal information stored on line. You could even offer various online calulators, and up-to-date support phone numbers while keeping eveything up to date in a central location.


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## gafftaper

AhClem said:


> I agree that almost all of those suggestions would be great (so would a black hole to compress it down to credit card size  ), so might I suggest leaving a space for one of those new smart phone hi-tech bar codes so the "card holder" could scan the card to access the additonal information stored on line. You could even offer various online calulators, and up-to-date support phone numbers while keeping eveything up to date in a central location.



A QR code! That's a really cool idea Clem.


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## dvsDave

Alright, here are the final cards. We ad originally wanted the background to be black, but the printer told us that we could not do a full black background with the type of process they used, so we had to settle for 50% gray. 







The people who's suggestions made the final card:
gafftaper
derekleffew
porkchop
soundlight
starksk
silicsound
carllib
Chris15

I promised that whomever's idea's made the final cut would get some in the mail, so if you aren't going to be a LDI, shoot me a PM with your address and I'll drop a couple in the mail for you. 
We are working on a future revision that we hope we will eventually have for anyone to get thru an online site. No promises on the ETA for that, though.


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## gafftapegreenia

Can version two have Cat5e pin outs? Could have used that today.

Other ideas for the 2nd Edition:

Pre drill sizes for lag screws and wood screws. 
Nominal bolt size to head size for common theatrical sizes.


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## cmckeeman

gafftapegreenia said:


> Pre drill sizes for lag screws and wood screws.
> Nominal bolt size to head size for common theatrical sizes.



I second this


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## Kelite

gafftapegreenia said:


> Can version two have Cat5e pin outs? Could have used that today.
> 
> Other ideas for the 2nd Edition:
> 
> Pre drill sizes for lag screws and wood screws.
> Nominal bolt size to head size for common theatrical sizes.


 

Here here! I'll go for that!


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## derekleffew

gafftapegreenia said:


> ... Pre drill sizes for lag screws and wood screws. ...


For reference:


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