Power for electronics in the art show?
Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 4:56 pm
Hi there, I'm working on some 3-D pieces for the art show, and they all include some electronics. The electronics are not essential to the pieces but they do make a really big difference in the effect of the work.
Normally I'd just run the display on a battery pack: but the problem is, one of my pieces takes a fair bit of power, something to the tune of 400-500mA. It's not really that much power but over the course of the weekend it does add up. I think I could run that all weekend on a bank of 4 D cell batteries, but if I could use a power outlet, the whole problem would be much simpler, I could just hook it up to a cell phone charger and plug it in.
However, I understand that, while there are bound to be power outlets in the vicinity, Anime Boston may not be willing or able to let me use one. There's safety issues ranging from tripping over cords to possible fire hazards, capacity problems if everybody shows up wanting an outlet, and so on. Or you just may not have a policy on this, in which case maybe you can't provide one 3 weeks before the con.
I also want to say up-front that I understand that sometimes con staff can't commit fully to promises in advance of the con. So if the answer on the forums is "we can probably accommodate you somehow" and then the answer at the con is "I'm sorry, we can't do that after all" - I understand.
So first question: Any chance I could use an outlet? If the answer is "no", I totally understand... But you don't get things you don't ask for, right?
And second question: Assuming the answer to outlet access is "no", would it be OK to have my piece running on this fairly substantial battery pack? (4 alkaline D cells most likely. I plan to stick very safe battery technologies.) I'd most likely try to figure out a way to stack the display piece on top of the battery pack, so the whole thing is a single unit (in case it needs to be moved, etc.)
Final question: Assuming one of the above solutions is OK, is there anything you'd like me to incorporate into the system? A clearly marked "off" switch for instance?
Normally I'd just run the display on a battery pack: but the problem is, one of my pieces takes a fair bit of power, something to the tune of 400-500mA. It's not really that much power but over the course of the weekend it does add up. I think I could run that all weekend on a bank of 4 D cell batteries, but if I could use a power outlet, the whole problem would be much simpler, I could just hook it up to a cell phone charger and plug it in.
However, I understand that, while there are bound to be power outlets in the vicinity, Anime Boston may not be willing or able to let me use one. There's safety issues ranging from tripping over cords to possible fire hazards, capacity problems if everybody shows up wanting an outlet, and so on. Or you just may not have a policy on this, in which case maybe you can't provide one 3 weeks before the con.
I also want to say up-front that I understand that sometimes con staff can't commit fully to promises in advance of the con. So if the answer on the forums is "we can probably accommodate you somehow" and then the answer at the con is "I'm sorry, we can't do that after all" - I understand.
So first question: Any chance I could use an outlet? If the answer is "no", I totally understand... But you don't get things you don't ask for, right?
And second question: Assuming the answer to outlet access is "no", would it be OK to have my piece running on this fairly substantial battery pack? (4 alkaline D cells most likely. I plan to stick very safe battery technologies.) I'd most likely try to figure out a way to stack the display piece on top of the battery pack, so the whole thing is a single unit (in case it needs to be moved, etc.)
Final question: Assuming one of the above solutions is OK, is there anything you'd like me to incorporate into the system? A clearly marked "off" switch for instance?