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I had a thought hit me.

I was doing a gig on Sunday, and the crowd likes to sit right at the edge of the stage. I don't know what they do up there, count nose hairs of the performer or something? But, someone first changed a DMX address, then took the light out of the correct mode. Not satisfied with this, they knocked 3 more lights out of the correct mode. Then, because they werent' done yet, they unplugged power to a bank of 4 lights. This mode change actually took out HALF my stage until they cut power on that light, which took out 4 mis-behaving Mega Bar 50s and let the DMX signal pass without being altered.

Now, I realize people are generally stupid. But it's hard enough when I'm monitoring FOH, monitors, recording and doing lights and then having to run back and forth to chance batteries(despite putting fresh ones in earlier) and now have to fight throgh the crowd to try to quickly resolve lighting mode issues.

So, I'd like to request a switch that is easy to access, easy to use, but is recessed so it's not going to happen by accident. This switch should be used to "lock out" the front panel. The type of switch I am thinking about is like the voltage switches on cheaper computer power supplies.

Short of that, a key press/hold combination, say hold "UP+DOWN+Mode" for 4 seconds... locks and unlocks.

Just a thought. I think I'm gonna hire a few big guys named Ben to guard my lights....
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A lot of other lights, like Mac's and Studio Spots/Colors, have a lock out of the face panel. The way you disable it is holding up and down at the same time for a few seconds so its not a bad idea at all.

As far as recessed power, I haven't seen that on a fixture yet. You should try gaff taping the fixtures on. I do this a lot with fixtures and power strips to prevent them from turning off accidentally.
I thought about gaffing, but knowing the crowds as I do, that just means they can't see what they are pressing!

You did misunderstand one thing I said. As I want the lock-out to be simple, the idea of using a recessed typed slide switch SUCH AS what they use on some computer PSU's might be an idea. However, you can program the button hold into the ROM/PROM and avoid adding physical cost to the fixture that way.

Even for myself, I like my fixtures to be the same every time I use them to the point where I even label them. I wouldn't mind locking myself out just to ensure that consistency factor be guaranteed consistent.

As far as people dinking with power, I think that all lighting going forward that uses IEC connectors should be compatible with locking cables. That would be sufficient to discourage MOST people. My problem here was not that someone jiggled a cable loose, there was a real effort to disconnect it(the cable was taken OUT and then hidden behind the stage skirt).

It gets to the point where "how much idiot proofing do we have to do". Since a good many shows, I wonder why I'm even doing sound services, they just sit crammed at the front of the stage between the mains. But these are smaller shows and security really hasn't been something to be concerned about. By that, I meant there has been security there, but nobody was acting in a manner were security needed to do anything. The crowd was behaving properly.

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