Long ILDA runs/home runs

[ragerlazer]

What is your preferred method of running those long ILDA runs, from a FOH to stage standpoint:
- Long runs of DB25 cable?
- Cat5 with DB25 adapters on the ends?

I have an event coming up in about a month where I'll need a ~200' run from my control to the powered split I have. I can make a cat5 snake (or purchase one of those nice ones on a reel already), or use DB25 - what is your preferred method? I have FB3's, so I'd run cat5 if I had Moncha or QM2000's, and will be running two zones.

Thanks for your input!



Robert

[hitekvoop]

Not on your list of options, and significantly more expensive, but I took the plunge and bought a startech 4-way USB extender. Now the FB3's go closer to the projectors (at your split location onstage) and the FoH run is simplified. Cat5e for FoH run and my ILDA cables are just 25' as a result.

[dsli_jon]

What is your preferred method of running those long ILDA runs, from a FOH to stage standpoint..

ILDA DB-25 > 8-9 channel XLR 'snake-head', ie: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/390456407640?lpid=82 (..this is top-grade.. yes, you can find 'cheaper', yet still well-shielded, etc..)
> 8-9 channel XLR 'snake' (..either w/ a nice 'stage-box', ie:..
...or straight-up 'tails'..) and a 'reverse-sex' XLR > DB-25 on the pj-end... Why?

- Good XLR-snakes are usually tough as a mother, well-shielded, and will be the most-probable cable you can 'x-rent / buy in a pinch' (from sound / lighting guys at a gig / local-shop..) vs Cat5 if someone, ie: runs over yer nice cable w/ a forklift / stiletto / workboot-heel under some 300lb stagehand.. .. (..and just try finding 200' of nice, HD-Cat5 in some rural-areas on a Sat nite at 6pm..

- Easy to roll, clean, and will last for years.. we've run snakes like this up-to 400' (..then daisy-chained DB-25 another 125' to 3x more pj's..) with no 'visible' noise / signal-loss, etc..

..Yeah, a 'bit of an investment' the first-time out, and, you'll also have to 're-solder' the DB-25s-up to match ILDA-pin outs / Channel 'assignments' (Ch. 1: X; Ch. 2: Y; R, G, B, Shutr/Intlk, SFX, Fog, Beam-Table, etc..) but that also gives you those 'extra couple lines' - already run - for Fog / Fan DMX / Beam-Table DMX / other DMX-fixture, etc.. Quite-practical, overall..

.02
j

[hitekvoop]

The rest of my story is I decided to use 25-pair Cat5e bulk cable as my snake medium with Neutrik ethercon connectors on the ends. I built a head and tail end box to break out the ethercon to whatever (db-9, db-25, xlr, etc) I needed. The jury is still out whether the bulk cable I'm using will hold out after repeated usage since it's still solid core afterall. Jon, your advice makes more sense, but what's done is done