DEFINING SOCAPEX

Parenthetical Definition

Synonyms: Soca, 19-pin, multiconductor cable, a large power connecting cable ranging from 25 to 500 feet.

Sentence Definition

Socapex, or Soca, is a large multiconductor power cable with 19-conductive prongs; it is often used in film, television, and stage lighting to connect lighting fixtures on stage to power distribution equipment off stage.

Expanded Definition

What is Socapex?

Socapex, also known as Soca, 19-pin and Multiconductor cable for its characteristic multi-prong connection design, is a large, multicore power cable containing 6 individual 20 A (Amp) circuits (Box 353; Cadena 67). The 19 pins on the male end of the cable are the conductive pieces that connect with the 19 holes on the female end.

The foundations of Socapex’s design is like a household extension cable with 3 prongs: consisting of 1 neutral, 1 live and 1 ground on the male end, that connects to the female end (see Fig 1). Socapex differs with its 19-pin design consisting of 6 neutral, 6 live, and 6 ground pins, with its 19^th pin, used purely to aid alignment when connecting “the male end of the connector with a female receptacle” (see fig 2 for alignment and pin formation) (P3connectors.com).

Figure 1 Close up on the male and female ends of a household extension cable from: Alibaba. Nema Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord – Buy Bulk Extension Cord, Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord, Nema Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord Product on Alibaba.com. [online] Available at www.alibaba.com/product-detail/NEMA-common-use-USA-bulkextension_60762528720.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.2.678c6cd87UH6q&s=p. Accessed 29 Sep. 2019.

Figure 2 Close up of 19 pin configurations on the tail ends from: Christie Lites. www.christielites.com/Socapex-19-pin-cable/230w4w36w155w657. Accessed September 30, 2019.

Where is it Used?

This heavy-duty cable is often used in film, television, and stage lighting to connect lighting fixtures on a stage rig, a truss section with fixtures connected to power and data, to the power distribution centre off stage (see fig 3 and 4 for examples of a stage rig and power distro). There are two ratings this cable falls under #12 AWG (American Wire Gauge) for 20 A per circuit or #14 AWG for 15 A per circuit, which fulfills power demands for a variety of fixture types (Box 356).

Figure 3 Portable power distribution centre with 8 Socapex power outlets from: Cadena, Richard. “Stage-Lighting Systems Overview.” p. 65, fig 3.13.

Figure 4 Stage Rig Diagram displaying hung lighting fixtures connected by a breakout cable to the Socapex cable from the power distro from: Cadena, Richard. “Stage-Lighting Systems Overview.” p. 51, fig 3.1.

 How Do You Use it?

To properly distribute power from Soca, you use a breakout splay. This attachment simply divides the 6 circuits carried within the cable into 6 individual outlets; that is why they often “breakout” into conventional household outlets, know as AC or Edison (see fig 6) (Cadena 68).

Figure 5 True1 power connection breakout splay from: Christie Lites, www.christielites.com/true1-splays/228w2w17w148w1013. Accessed September 23, 2019.

Figure 6 Edison connection breakout splay from: Christie Lites, www.christielites.com/5-15-12-3-edison-splays/228w2w17w85w1017. Accessed September 23, 2019.

These 6 circuit breakouts can be adapted to a variety of connections such as Edison, a standard AC outlet (see fig 6); PowerCON, a twist-lock connection, and universal plug; True1 (see fig 5), the newest standard plug that offers voltages from 120 to 208 volts (Monk).

Example 1: Setting up 3 moving lightings on an 8ft piece of truss (based on fig 4).

An Elation 5 R requires 2.9 A at a standard 120 Volt service (see fig 7).

Figure 7 Elation 5 R Beam Fixture from: Christie Lites. www.christielites.com/elation-platinum-beam-5r/228w2w10w8w313. Accessed September 29, 2019.

There are 3 on one truss requiring 50ft of Socapex cable to reach the truss at height, 30ft on stage while also reaching the power distro below the stage, another 20ft.

To break out the 6 circuits of Socapex to service the 3 fixtures, you will use circuit 1, 2 and 3 to power each fixture with a standard 6 circuit, female end, Edison splay (see fig 6).

This fixture will use PowerCON adapters to connect the fixture to the Edison circuit provided by the Socapex breakout (see fig 8). These adapters work the same way as an extension cable just with the required ends: PowerCON to the fixture and Edison to the breakout splay.

Figure 8 PowerCON to Edison cable from:

Monoprice. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=14557. Accessed September 29, 2019.

In this case, 3/6 circuits will be used leaving 3 circuits, 4-6, available to be used by other fixtures, if added to the rig.

Precautions to Take?

A principle to follow when balancing power across Soca circuits is the 80/20 rule. This principle asks you to never put more than 80% of the total available amps on one circuit. For example, a 20 A circuit should never have more than 16 A on it at a time, leaving 4 A to allow room for the heat energy produced not to affect the conductivity of the cable. This practice is called de-rating current-carrying conductors based on the number of current-carrying conductors in contact with each other (Cadena 67).

Example 2: Calculating the load on a circuit (continuation from example 1 based on fig 4).

An Elation 5 R Beam lighting fixture draws 2.9 A to power all functions (“Elation Platinum Beam 5R”).

The breakout circuit we are using is 20A.

If we do not want to put more than 16A on the circuit, we can do simple math

20A – 2.9A = 17.1A available on this circuit.

Therefore, we have plenty of room to string together multiple fixtures on one circuit.

How many?

16A ÷ 2.9A = 5.5 therefore, we can put up to five 5R beam fixtures on one circuit, with a remaining 5.5A for current to fluctuate.

It is important to remember to balance how you distribute power across the circuits, as it is rare to put all of one type of fixture on one circuit; we often pair lights with nearby low drawing fixtures to minimize Socapex runs, usually no more than 2 to a truss line.

Conclusion

Overall, this cable offers a variety of ways to bring power to fixtures on a stage, in a theatre, or on a remote site with no infrastructure at all. While the overview presented here is very basic compared to the field, its principles are the same: Socapex carries power from a power distribution centre to a breakout splay that divides the current into useable circuits to service a group of lighting fixtures.

Works Cited

Box, Harry C. Set Lighting Technician’s Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution. Focal Press, 2010, www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/books/9780080928081.

Cadena, Richard. “Stage-Lighting Systems Overview.” Routledge, 2018; 2010;.

Monk, Elliott. Personal Interview. September 23, 2019.

P3connectors.com. (2019). Socapex Diagram for Wiring Circuits | 19 Pin Circular Lighting Connector. [online] Available at: https://p3connectors.com/Socapex-19-pin-circuit-drawings-wiring-diagram/ [Accessed 29 Sep. 2019].

Figures

Figure 1 “Extension Cable,” Alibaba. Nema Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord – Buy Bulk Extension Cord, Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord, Nema Common Use Usa Bulk Extension Cord Product on Alibaba.com. [online] Available at www.alibaba.com/product-detail/NEMA-common-use-USA-bulkextension_60762528720.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.2.678c6cd87UH6q&s=p. Accessed 29 Sep. 2019.

Figure 2 “Socapex 19 Pin 1.5mm2 Cable.” Christie Lites. www.christielites.com/Socapex-19-pin-cable/230w4w36w155w657. Accessed September 30, 2019.

Figure 3 Portable power distribution centre with 8 Socapex power outlets from: Cadena, Richard. “Stage-Lighting Systems Overview.” p. 65, fig 3.13.

Figure 4 Stage Rig Diagram displaying hung lighting fixtures connected by a breakout cable to the Socapex cable from the power distro. From: Cadena, Richard. “Stage-Lighting Systems Overview.” p. 51, fig 3.1.

Figure 5 “True1 14/3 Break-in.” Christie Lites, www.christielites.com/true1-splays/228w2w17w148w1013. Accessed September 23, 2019.

Figure 6 “5-15 12/3 Edison Break Out.” Christie Lites, www.christielites.com/5-15-12-3-edison-splays/228w2w17w85w1017. Accessed September 23, 2019.

Figure 7 “Elation Platinum Beam 5R.” Christie Lites. www.christielites.com/elation-platinum-beam-5r/228w2w10w8w313. Accessed September 29, 2019.

Figure 8 “Stage Right by Monoprice 16 AWG NEMA 5-15p to PowerCON Connector 1.5FT.” Monoprice. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=14557. Accessed September 29, 2019.

Link to Original

What is Socapex?

Link to Peer Review

Peer Review of “Socapex”

Docx File

301 Morgan Brandt 3 Definitions Revised

Letter of Complaint

RONA

1711 Springfield Rd

Kelowna, BC

V1Y 5V5

Morgan Brandt

Kelowna Actors Studio

100-2600 Enterprise Rd

Kelowna, BC

V1X 7Y5

November 26, 2019

Dear Management,

On Monday, November 25, 2019, I purchased lumber for the Kelowna Actors Studio under our company account at your Kelowna, BC location and our staff discount was not applied to the transaction. I noticed the error upon reviewing the receipt later that evening with my manager as the invoice was not attached either.  Upon returning to customer service the following day, the price difference was promptly reverted on the account and an invoice was issued to me for our records. However, if this receipt remained unchecked, we would have exceeded our budget immensely and be declined during our next transaction.

Now, after discussing the checkout procedure with my coworkers, it appears that the manual entry of skews and returns increases wait times and steps for cashiers to complete business transactions. But by digitizing the customer service cashier systems, wait times and transaction accuracy would improve as well as provide prompts for cashiers to apply discounts and issue invoices for business accounts.

We greatly appreciate the selection offered at your store and want to continue using RONA as our lumber provider for productions. If digitizing your systems is not feasible currently, then greater attention should be paid during business transactions for issuing company discounts and invoices.

Sincerely,

Morgan Brandt

Production Manager

Kelowna Actors Studio

250-309-1889

Letter #2: Bad News Letter

Morgan Brandt

Kelowna Actors Studio

100-2600 Enterprise Rd

Kelowna, BC

V1X 7Y5

Morgan Brandt

RONA

1711 Springfield Rd

Kelowna, BC

V1Y 5V5

Dear Miss Brandt,

We apologize for the error in your recent transaction at our Kelowna location. Thank you for taking initiative by visiting our customer service department to correct the error on the account as well as providing feedback for our services.

Regarding your suggestion to digitize our systems, the updates will reach our branch in late 2021. In the meantime, diligence in performing business transactions, particularly in applying discounts and providing appropriate forms and invoices will be emphasized across departments.

In appreciation for using RONA as your primary lumber provider, 2 free RONA truck deliveries, a $150 value, have been credited to the Kelowna Actors Studio company account. Simply order the supplies on our website then select truck delivery at checkout. Within 48 hours our expert centre will contact you to arrange delivery in 4 to 10 days after your online order.

If you enjoy using the scheduled truck deliveries, any future order can be delivered in town for only $75. This service is designed to free up time in busy schedules, especially for future projects that you cannot get away from or do not have a truck available for the job.

Sincerely,

Morgan Brandt
General Manager
RONA
250-309-1889

3.3 Peer Review

To: Ranjit Dhaliwal

From: Morgan Brandt

Date: December 9, 2019

Subject: Peer Review of Formal Report Draft

Hello Ranjit,

Having read your draft, the report is thorough and appeals to the reader’s interests. The main features addressed below revolve around formatting and organization.

Content

• Most informative sections:
  • Page 3, Highest and Best Use definition
  • Page 5, ‘Verification of Third-Party Information’
  • Page 11, ‘Other Land use Controls’
  • Page 13, ‘Trends and Policies,’ paragraph 1
  • Page 14, ‘Theory and Principle of Highest and Best Use’
• Highest and Best Use analysis portion covers the subject effectively defines an affordable solution through primary and secondary sources.
• Progression of Information:
  • Introductory section ‘Definition of the Problem’ needs further details regarding the property, appears to bleed into further sections but requires a brief introduction and methods section.

Organization

• Headings are intuitive and clear.
• All sections are clearly connected however the conclusion headings disrupt the flow, revise headings to refer to the content below.

Style

• Tone is objective and critical, focuses on finding a positive solution for highest best use.
• Areas of confusion:
  • ‘Trends and Policies’ page 13, paragraph 2 is unclear as to what the city encourages purpose-built rentals. Phrasing problem.

Design

• Tables are well-designed and effectively integrated into the content.
• Page 7 has exemplary spacing and use of tables
• Areas for improvement:
  • Page 21, ‘Secured Market Rental Housing Policy (Rental 100),’ text and figure are crowded, consider spacing the table further down from paragraph above.

• MLA Formatting

• Double-space document
• Page numbers in the header, top right with the last name in front ie) Dhaliwal 1
• Remember in-text citations for legal documents as well, even when paraphrasing
• Follow a font style throughout the documentveral006Cvererereer

Figures and Tables

• Well constructed and clear data representation
• Areas for improvement:
  • Page 6. ‘Dimensions, Shape and Area’ a map of the land plot is beneficial here.
  • Page 10. ‘Design and Layout’ could use a floor plan to visualize the property in question.
  • Table of Contents
    • Add one under the ‘references’ heading. This uses the headings formatted in the document
    • Easily update headings and page numbers by updating the table.

Overall, the draft fulfills the assignment 3.3 criteria while maintaining a professional tone with the reader’s interest in mind. As progress continues, keep these suggestions in mind to create a well-executed report. Enclosed with this peer review is a marked-up copy of the draft with comments directed to the passages mentioned above. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at m.brandt@ubc.alumni.ca.

Sincerely,

Morgan Brandt

301 Ranjit Dhaliwal Peer Reviewed Mark up

4.1 Taras Shyp Application Package

To: Taras Shyp, English 301 Writing Team Member

From: Morgan Brandt, English 301 Writing team Member

Date: December 16, 2019

Subject: Peer Review of Application Package

Hello Taras,

Reading your application package was a treat to learn more about your background in oncology and work with the references available during the application process. The documents overall are well organized, conversational but not stiff, and showcases your resume well.

Cover Letter

Content

• The content fulfills the reader’s requirements as a recruiter, providing the context of industry experience as well as career goals.
• The letter is correctly formatted and addressed to the institution of application.
• The recipient is defined as much as possible based on our knowledge.
• The letter contains a clear introduction, body, conclusion, and salutation.

Organization

• The introduction directly approaches the reader to read the application letter.
• The conclusion invites the reader to act with a response or request more information regarding the application if needed.

Style and Tone

• The letter utilizes a “you” perspective where necessary, focussing on the key information for the application process.
• The letter is written in plain English outside of the jargon associated with the medical field. This would not hinder the intended reader of the letter.
• The tone is friendly, confident, and professional throughout.
• The design of the document is a conservative one page, however, spaces between introduction, body and concluding paragraphs create effective use of white space.
• Clarity can be improved by proofreading the document for awkward phrasing, word choice, and previous edits.

Resume

Content

• An impressive archive of education and work experiences are listed, a further description of each would add credibility and demonstrate industry skills.

Organization

• The font size to spacing ratio could be increased to maintain the 2-page maximum, increasing readability and emphasis on headings and content.
• To effectively use white space, add the skill bar graphs under the block of interests to fill the empty field. This will also leave room to include all references on the second page.

Style and Tone

• The tone is professional and formal.
• The design of the document is conservative utilizing a chronological resume format.
• The style is clear and concise but more attention to experience in the field would be beneficial.

Reference Request Letters

Content

• The letters’ mailing addresses are correctly formatted with a defined reader in mind.
• The letters contain salutations, introductory paragraph, a body with defined intent, concluded with a call to action with mention of attached documents.
• The letter’s main point is clearly stated in the subject line, the end of the introduction, and reinforced in the conclusion.

Organization

• The introduction indirectly leads to the favour being asked, which feels appropriate if the reader has not been contacted recently.
• The action being requested is still introduced in the first paragraph and clearly elaborated in the body paragraph.
• The conclusion encourages the reader to act by providing any documents required to reference.

Style and Tone

• The letter focuses on the reader throughout, however, some awkward phrasing and word choices decentralize the reader for small instances.
  • Ex) Letter third paragraph 3 “Providing your reference would be profitable for me, and increase the chances to get a desirable position,” changing the phrase to “A reference provided by you would increase my chances profoundly,” increases clarity and concision.
• The letter is written in relatively plain English, aside from industry-related jargon, which would not hinder the intended readers.
• The tone is polite, conversational, and professional.
• The letter is designed with the principles of white space and content balance in mind.
• The style of the letters overall is clear, concise, and likeable, by integrating attention to the readers’ career achievements while maintaining a clear motive throughout.
• To improve clarity and readability, the letters have a few grammatical errors and typos that once fixed would increase the response rate for reference letters.

In general, your application package integrates the lesson strategies effectively to curate a concise resume, informative cover letter, and reference request letters that centralize the reader. The only recommendations for improvement are to proofread for basic typos and grammatical errors that arise when editing drafts, as well as to arrange the content to effectively use white space in the page layout. For your convenience, I have attached a marked-up copy of the application package with directed comments and suggested edits. If you have any questions about implementing my recommendations, feel free to contact me at m.brandt@alumni.ubc.ca.

Sincerely,

Morgan Brandt

Encl.: Marked up Application Package

301 Taras Shyp Application package markup

TO: Ranjit Dhaliwal

FROM: Morgan Brandt

DATE: September 26, 2019

SUBJECT: Peer Review of your Expanded Definition of “Capitalization Rate” on Our Team Forum

The first draft of the expanded definition of Capitalization Rate demonstrates a keen background in real estate and strong explanations. Below are a few suggestions to improve the clarity for a broader readership.

Audience and Jargon:

• the prospective reader would have no difficulty with the terminology used in this context.
• To further define capitalization rate, expand on the terms “valuation metric,” under What is capitalization rate, and “net operating income,” under How is it used. Provide a simple sentence definition or a short glossary to make the definition accessible to most readers.
• For clarity purposes, using a clear range of values when describing properties than “extremely old properties,” provides a better context for the reader.

Focus:

• The document is well organized with thoughtful examples to translate concepts into practice.
• Mathematical examples of how to calculate cap rate is a great way to translate the description further, creating a strong foundation for application purposes.

Citations/Visuals:

• The document is well researched but in-text citations are required to recognize which ideas are being integrated from outside sources.
• Figures also require in-text citations accompanied by signal phrases to communicate the significance of figures to the context of documents.

Overall, the definition for Capitalization rate is well formulated, requiring only citations and slight expansion on certain terms. I look forward to seeing how these suggestions can be incorporated in the final draft, and if you have any questions for clarification, do not be afraid to ask me.

link to definition draft 1

What is a Capitalization Rate ?

Memorandum

To: Erika Paterson

From: Morgan Brandt

Date: November 11, 2019

Subject: Progress Report for SW Hour Allocation and Job Satisfaction

Hello Professor,

Here is the current progress made on the formal report as well as the schedule going forward to meet our deadlines:

• The audience for the report will be:
  • General Manager, Craig Westley
  • Assistant General Manager, Barry Fisher
• Purpose of the report: To investigate the effectiveness of SW Event Technology’s current scheduling procedures to find any opportunity to improve hour allocation and job satisfaction amongst technicians.
• Significance: The opportunity to improve procedures carries long term benefits for employee longevity while minimizing costs for onboarding new employees and training.
• Research Plan:
  • Problems
    • Lack of tech training within the company
    • Unable to maintain 30hr minimums year around
    • Understaffed during certain events
    • Staff spread thin during peak seasons
    • Overtime (festival season)/banked hours (corporate season)

• • Primary Resources
    • 39 Question Survey to employees (polls on main problems outlined)
    • Link: https://forms.gle/hkL9utGrRevFP86e9
    • 2 Interviews with management
    • (interview questions attached below)

• • Secondary Resources
    • Current Industry Climate
      • “The Commercial Audiovisual Industry has Enjoyed Two Years of Growing Sales and Employment, According to AVIXA’s Monthly Sentiment Index.” Targeted News Service, 10/03/2018.
    • Hour Allocation and Flexibility
      • Attia, El-Awady, Philippe Duquenne, and Jean-Marc Le-Lann. “Considering Skills Evolutions in Multi-Skilled Workforce Allocation with Flexible Working Hours.” International Journal of Production Research, vol. 52, no. 15, 2014, pp. 4548-4573.
    •  Overtime versus Hiring Costs
      • Ingels, Jonas, and Broos Maenhout. “The Impact of Overtime as a Time-Based Proactive Scheduling and Reactive Allocation Strategy on the Robustness of a Personnel Shift Roster.” Journal of Scheduling, vol. 21, no. 2, 2018; 2017;, pp. 143-165.

• Writing Schedule:
  • Nov 18^th: Interview questions sent to Barry Fisher and Craig Westley
  • Nov 18^th: Complete Introduction
  • Nov 24^th: Finalize results from the survey
  • Nov 25^th: Complete Figures and Secondary sources to be incorporated
  • Nov 30^th: Complete body and list concluding recommendations
  • Dec 2^nd: Review the organization, style, and design of the draft
  • Dec 4^th: Formal Report Draft Submitted to Team Forum
  • Dec 8^th: Complete the following:
    •  Abstract
    • List of illustrations
    • Appendices
    • References list
  • Dec 10^th: Peer Review Submitted to Team Forum
  • Dec 12^th: Incorporate review suggestions into the final copy
  • Dec 15^th: Finalize conclusion and recommendations
  • Dec 19^th: Formal Report Submitted to Team Forum

Overall, the report is progressing as originally quoted in the proposal (attached below). The only changes are that I am interviewing only 2 managers, not the V.P., Ben Pidskalny or Owner, Cal McCarthy, due to their availability. The other challenge is that during the offseason there are fewer technicians available to survey, resulting in a small sample size. Thus, I  must continue my formal report with these renewed conditions. With your confirmation, I will continue with the report based on this timeline, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me at morganbrandt1@gmail.com.

Morgan Brandt

301 Morgan Brandt Interview Short Answer

301 Morgan Brandt Interview Short Answer

301 Morgan Brandt Report Outline

301 Morgan Brandt MEMO progress report