DJ. I always look forward to your videos to see what I can learn and how much knowledge I can gain, borrow, steal! Yes this project is awesome! I was thinking of an OB Van which would have cost a lot much more! This project can be just as good at a fraction of the cost with funds left for solar power generator and climate control! DJ I will be stalking your channel for the continuation of the build process! This is great work as usual! Now quickly finish, post blue prints and cost! Thank you very much Sir!
Hi Doug, It's been a great pleasure to watch quite a lot of your videos, and often found them very instructive and full of common sense, and practical considerations. Now is the time to give a little back. During the 35+ years of working (first as a sound engineer, then video tech, then project manager), I have spend a couple on OB operations, in France, and Europe. Which means many hours in different OB vans, in different configurations, audio only, light or huge video production, with or without tender, etc. At that time, one of those was hosting 25 people and drawing more than 300kW of power !!! I understand that your trailer is not intended to compare to such extends, but I would like to share a few comments that come to mind. Especially considering you are starting almost from scratch. But I don't know the level of time, money, and level of "care" you want to put into this project. The following comments are only intended to be positive, and I surely will be amazed at some of the solutions that you will implement. 1. All the elementary power lines switching and breakers (now at the front of the trailer) should be grouped on a specific panel. Once you start builing insulation, panels, furniture, it will be difficult to move some switches afterwards. And crouching under the director's desk during a show, to restore light or A/C, not really fun ! 2. Take some time to prepare the grouding scheme. Either for the sake of a clean hum-free audio, as well as to avoid static when touching the trailer metallic parts. An earth-pole may need to be connected, when working with a generator, for example. Of course, that goes with the whole electrical design. 3. Plan the airflow. If you intend to work more than two hours in a row with a few peolpe and the door closed, the air may get "crowded" at some point. So, a couple of switchable air extractors (and louvers) could prove useful. It is summer, and I don't know the wheather in Utah, but have you thought about some heating for the winter ? Ok, that's enough for a first message ! I am really interested in what you will achieve with this trailer, as it is a nice alternative to an OB van, and surely much cheaper. Cheers, Guillaume
Thanks for your input! 1. All of the main electrical is at the front, behind the director's desk. There will be a few low voltage switches elsewhere, but all switches which affect the AC circuits will all be easily accessible behind a door below the desk. Hopefully there won't be a need to be able to get to them during a show, but should I need to I won't have to remove any wall panels or anything. There will actually be quite a lot of room behind the director desk -- enough that someone could climb inside and even stand up. In a worst case scenario the director moves to another desk and works from there temporarily so they aren't in the way. 2. Everything is grounded to the trailer frame at one point in the front. When running on external AC this ground is bonded to the incoming power ground. When running from a generator I do need to come up with a proper solution, and I'm working on that. Open to suggestions. 3. My current plan is to place a vent at the front of the trailer, then an exhaust vent at the back, and just have that run at a low level continuously. That should help keep the air fresh, and provide a little cooling for the equipment as well.
I’m curious about your solar panel system. Will you be showing the panels? Is there chance of hail in Utah? How would the panels hold up? Do you have a build list with specs and sources on your electrical that you could share? Do you have any power conditioning in your system? Thanks for sharing your project.
I could shoot a little video of the panels, but there isn't really much to see. PV Panels: amzn.to/2i8YlY6 Charge Controller: amzn.to/2y9IjrF Battery Charger: amzn.to/2gGZFkC Inverter: amzn.to/2gFNuVb It's very rare to have extreme weather here in Utah. In the 25 years I've lived here I've never seen hail any larger than a pea. Considering that most PV panels are designed for outdoor use I'd suspect they'd hold up well to all but the worst weather. There isn't currently a dedicated power conditioner.
Hey Doug, another question here: the transfer power...that blink that happens when the systems switch over...would that affect any video or computer equipment? or are those gonna be on UPS? the "sure power" system, is that a defacto UPS line? or will you have to do a standalone UPS box for those systems? what gear can blip off in the event of a power failure?
I'm still working on making the transition as smooth as possible. The most critical pieces handle it just fine (switcher, routing switchers), but I still have some tweaking to do to make the transition virtually seamless. UPSes are kind of a no-go because of my power budget. Powering the equipment PLUS charging a UPS battery would push me past my power limit. And UPSes tend to not like being run on inverters or generators very well. With the setup I have, I can pretty much rely on solar for recharging the batteries when shore power comes back online. I'm not sure how you'd do something like that with a UPS.
I've had a few roadblocks that have prevented me from making the progress I hoped to. But things are still moving along. No recent videos because there isn't much new that is visually interesting to see just yet.
Sorry, I started my message as soon I watched your video, and ended it later without seeing the comments from Isidoro and Cole. I can also confirm that vibration dampening is really important. Vibrations put a high stress on rigid attachments. Silent blocs may be needed for supporting your racks. Does your trailer have a pneumatic suspension ?
I did have it custom made, but not because of the size -- I wanted one that was fully insulated and had an air conditioner. The size is a standard size offered by most manufacturers. The size ended up being perfect. My trailer is the perfect size for a standard parking space. The 16 feet plus about 4 feet for the tongue make it the exact length of a typical parking space so it doesn't stick out into the roadway, and the width just fits between the lines in most parking lots. If I had gotten one any bigger at all I'd have a significant problem finding a place to park it at many of the venues we work in.
Careful with putting vibration sensitive equipment past the trailer axles. I belong to a arcade cabinet user group. The group provides game cabinets to conventions. We had to retire the first trailer do to damage to any cabinet riding in the back.
Thanks for the heads-up! This trailer seems to have a pretty good suspension on it. And I'm not sure that much of the gear in the back would be sensitive to vibration. But if it is an issue I can always add some type of dampening.
Cool! it seems that you have planned everything beforehand, keep an eye in the grounding system, star like, sound engineer will thank you... but I think you already done that :)
Since I've had a year to plan this I've thought through a lot of it ahead of time. I'm being very careful with the grounding. Ground loops are awful to deal with.
Doug, I am sure you are very busy but wanted to see it if you might have time to speak on the phone. I wanted to ask some questions that I think you can only answer. We do some very small Live streaming on the East Coast and I would love to speak with you.
I'm self-taught with pretty much everything I do. I studied Computer Science in college, but after three years I hadn't learned anything so I quit school (I started doing professional contract programming at 12, and selling software in retail at 14, so I was usually more familiar with the material than the professors). I actually don't have any degree.
I wanted to share this with you www.dropbox.com/s/ewbqrzsededxeld/IMG_0181.JPG?dl=0 It's what we have on the side of our sprinter van. i made it out of a rv shower box. probably wouldn't work the best for you with all the io you have, but they do have some pretty big boxes out there. Love the channel! Been learning all i can about blackmagic's products. we recently switched over from an older tricaster system and it's been a hell of a learning curve. I'm very interested in your hyperdeck mini solution, I've been using it as a VTR playing back commercials during breaks and it's far from smooth. the auto roll feature is very limited. the one thing i'd like to see more of on your channel is how you're using the gear, more of use case demo instead of review focused. You're videos have been super informative though and i think you've convinced me to go fiber! I'm tired of running half inch to inch thick rg6 snakes, and i'm deff running into cable length limits. Anyway, thanks for the videos!
That's a pretty innovative solution to the I/O problem. I'd love to do more use case videos. Ideally on-site during a production, so it's real-world, not so much theoretical. I'll try to make that more of a priority. Fiber really is the way to go. We shot a concert this last Thursday, six cameras, two of them PTZ. We used the trailer (even though it is far from ready), and the camera in the back of the venue was more than 100M away from the trailer. By the time all was said and done the signal ran through more than 300M of fiber. I don't think I could have gotten either video or network connectivity to that camera if I had to use copper. One of the best parts of it all was that I was able to run signals for absolutely everything (bi-directional video, audio, comms, and network) over one single 1/4" fiber trunk, and I still had four unused lines to spare. Up to ten cameras over one cable.
Great video, looking forward to hearing more about the project.
DJ. I always look forward to your videos to see what I can learn and how much knowledge I can gain, borrow, steal! Yes this project is awesome! I was thinking of an OB Van which would have cost a lot much more! This project can be just as good at a fraction of the cost with funds left for solar power generator and climate control!
DJ I will be stalking your channel for the continuation of the build process! This is great work as usual!
Now quickly finish, post blue prints and cost! Thank you very much Sir!
This is such an awesome project! I realy hope you will make a lot of videos . Especially of all the smaller details.
It's also so organized! Gotta love that
Excited to see all the progress. Can't wait to get back over there and help!
Paul D Green I'm excited too!
Hi Doug,
It's been a great pleasure to watch quite a lot of your videos, and often found them very instructive and full of common sense, and practical considerations.
Now is the time to give a little back.
During the 35+ years of working (first as a sound engineer, then video tech, then project manager), I have spend a couple on OB operations, in France, and Europe.
Which means many hours in different OB vans, in different configurations, audio only, light or huge video production, with or without tender, etc.
At that time, one of those was hosting 25 people and drawing more than 300kW of power !!!
I understand that your trailer is not intended to compare to such extends, but I would like to share a few comments that come to mind. Especially considering you are starting almost from scratch. But I don't know the level of time, money, and level of "care" you want to put into this project.
The following comments are only intended to be positive, and I surely will be amazed at some of the solutions that you will implement.
1. All the elementary power lines switching and breakers (now at the front of the trailer) should be grouped on a specific panel. Once you start builing insulation, panels, furniture, it will be difficult to move some switches afterwards. And crouching under the director's desk during a show, to restore light or A/C, not really fun !
2. Take some time to prepare the grouding scheme. Either for the sake of a clean hum-free audio, as well as to avoid static when touching the trailer metallic parts. An earth-pole may need to be connected, when working with a generator, for example.
Of course, that goes with the whole electrical design.
3. Plan the airflow. If you intend to work more than two hours in a row with a few peolpe and the door closed, the air may get "crowded" at some point. So, a couple of switchable air extractors (and louvers) could prove useful. It is summer, and I don't know the wheather in Utah, but have you thought about some heating for the winter ?
Ok, that's enough for a first message !
I am really interested in what you will achieve with this trailer, as it is a nice alternative to an OB van, and surely much cheaper.
Cheers,
Guillaume
Thanks for your input!
1. All of the main electrical is at the front, behind the director's desk. There will be a few low voltage switches elsewhere, but all switches which affect the AC circuits will all be easily accessible behind a door below the desk. Hopefully there won't be a need to be able to get to them during a show, but should I need to I won't have to remove any wall panels or anything. There will actually be quite a lot of room behind the director desk -- enough that someone could climb inside and even stand up. In a worst case scenario the director moves to another desk and works from there temporarily so they aren't in the way.
2. Everything is grounded to the trailer frame at one point in the front. When running on external AC this ground is bonded to the incoming power ground. When running from a generator I do need to come up with a proper solution, and I'm working on that. Open to suggestions.
3. My current plan is to place a vent at the front of the trailer, then an exhaust vent at the back, and just have that run at a low level continuously. That should help keep the air fresh, and provide a little cooling for the equipment as well.
I'm so interested to see all the progress
Doug great work, please keep with videos
I’m curious about your solar panel system. Will you be showing the panels? Is there chance of hail in Utah? How would the panels hold up? Do you have a build list with specs and sources on your electrical that you could share? Do you have any power conditioning in your system? Thanks for sharing your project.
I could shoot a little video of the panels, but there isn't really much to see.
PV Panels: amzn.to/2i8YlY6
Charge Controller: amzn.to/2y9IjrF
Battery Charger: amzn.to/2gGZFkC
Inverter: amzn.to/2gFNuVb
It's very rare to have extreme weather here in Utah. In the 25 years I've lived here I've never seen hail any larger than a pea. Considering that most PV panels are designed for outdoor use I'd suspect they'd hold up well to all but the worst weather.
There isn't currently a dedicated power conditioner.
I would defently add a server grade ups for the main components such as mixer and pcs.
Hey Doug, another question here: the transfer power...that blink that happens when the systems switch over...would that affect any video or computer equipment? or are those gonna be on UPS? the "sure power" system, is that a defacto UPS line? or will you have to do a standalone UPS box for those systems? what gear can blip off in the event of a power failure?
I'm still working on making the transition as smooth as possible. The most critical pieces handle it just fine (switcher, routing switchers), but I still have some tweaking to do to make the transition virtually seamless.
UPSes are kind of a no-go because of my power budget. Powering the equipment PLUS charging a UPS battery would push me past my power limit. And UPSes tend to not like being run on inverters or generators very well. With the setup I have, I can pretty much rely on solar for recharging the batteries when shore power comes back online. I'm not sure how you'd do something like that with a UPS.
@@djp_video Hey Doug did you end up getting this tweaked to make the transition as smooth as needed? Can all your gear handle the switchover?
@@SheaHarris I swapped out the charger and inverter for a combination Inverter/Charger from Xantrex and now it transitions perfectly.
Any new updates? Would love to see how the project has come along?
I've had a few roadblocks that have prevented me from making the progress I hoped to. But things are still moving along. No recent videos because there isn't much new that is visually interesting to see just yet.
check out a wind generator also they have small ones u can fold out on roof and get the extra power u need
Looking good Doug.
Racks next?
Not too far off, but the walls have to go up before I can do the rack. Hopefully soon.
Sorry, I started my message as soon I watched your video, and ended it later without seeing the comments from Isidoro and Cole.
I can also confirm that vibration dampening is really important. Vibrations put a high stress on rigid attachments. Silent blocs may be needed for supporting your racks.
Does your trailer have a pneumatic suspension ?
Each axle is supported by its own leaf spring.
I'll add some vibration dampeners. Thanks for the feedback!
What is the size of the trailer? Inside ceiling height? Length and width
Interior dimensions: 16 feet long (plus about 2.5 feet for the V-nose), 7 feet wide, 7 feet tall.
@@djp_video thanks, was the trailer especially built? I look at 20ft.
I did have it custom made, but not because of the size -- I wanted one that was fully insulated and had an air conditioner. The size is a standard size offered by most manufacturers.
The size ended up being perfect. My trailer is the perfect size for a standard parking space. The 16 feet plus about 4 feet for the tongue make it the exact length of a typical parking space so it doesn't stick out into the roadway, and the width just fits between the lines in most parking lots. If I had gotten one any bigger at all I'd have a significant problem finding a place to park it at many of the venues we work in.
Careful with putting vibration sensitive equipment past the trailer axles. I belong to a arcade cabinet user group. The group provides game cabinets to conventions. We had to retire the first trailer do to damage to any cabinet riding in the back.
Thanks for the heads-up!
This trailer seems to have a pretty good suspension on it. And I'm not sure that much of the gear in the back would be sensitive to vibration. But if it is an issue I can always add some type of dampening.
Looks awesome! How do you access the power switches during a show?
All of the power systems will be behind a door beneath the director's desk, and have remote switches to turn them on and off when need be.
Doug Johnson Productions perfect 👌
what is the cost of all of that equipment sir ?
I’m not sure. I’ve never added it up.
Cool! it seems that you have planned everything beforehand, keep an eye in the grounding system, star like, sound engineer will thank you... but I think you already done that :)
Since I've had a year to plan this I've thought through a lot of it ahead of time.
I'm being very careful with the grounding. Ground loops are awful to deal with.
Doug, I am sure you are very busy but wanted to see it if you might have time to speak on the phone. I wanted to ask some questions that I think you can only answer. We do some very small Live streaming on the East Coast and I would love to speak with you.
I actually understand most of this..yay
I was wondering. You seem very smart, do you have a degree in engineering?
I'm self-taught with pretty much everything I do. I studied Computer Science in college, but after three years I hadn't learned anything so I quit school (I started doing professional contract programming at 12, and selling software in retail at 14, so I was usually more familiar with the material than the professors). I actually don't have any degree.
Doug Johnson Productions that's really amazing and such dedication. You are very well self taught. I'm impressed this stuff is not easy
You're very kind. :)
I wanted to share this with you www.dropbox.com/s/ewbqrzsededxeld/IMG_0181.JPG?dl=0
It's what we have on the side of our sprinter van. i made it out of a rv shower box. probably wouldn't work the best for you with all the io you have, but they do have some pretty big boxes out there. Love the channel! Been learning all i can about blackmagic's products. we recently switched over from an older tricaster system and it's been a hell of a learning curve. I'm very interested in your hyperdeck mini solution, I've been using it as a VTR playing back commercials during breaks and it's far from smooth. the auto roll feature is very limited. the one thing i'd like to see more of on your channel is how you're using the gear, more of use case demo instead of review focused. You're videos have been super informative though and i think you've convinced me to go fiber! I'm tired of running half inch to inch thick rg6 snakes, and i'm deff running into cable length limits. Anyway, thanks for the videos!
That's a pretty innovative solution to the I/O problem.
I'd love to do more use case videos. Ideally on-site during a production, so it's real-world, not so much theoretical. I'll try to make that more of a priority.
Fiber really is the way to go. We shot a concert this last Thursday, six cameras, two of them PTZ. We used the trailer (even though it is far from ready), and the camera in the back of the venue was more than 100M away from the trailer. By the time all was said and done the signal ran through more than 300M of fiber. I don't think I could have gotten either video or network connectivity to that camera if I had to use copper.
One of the best parts of it all was that I was able to run signals for absolutely everything (bi-directional video, audio, comms, and network) over one single 1/4" fiber trunk, and I still had four unused lines to spare. Up to ten cameras over one cable.