But there’s another issue that might be nagging at you. When you hear the name, “Whirlwind,” you might automatically think “sound” and wonder, “What the heck are they doing in a lighting magazine?”
True, Whirlwind is a big name on the audio side of the industry. But their new power distros are poised to take the lighting and video side of the industry by storm.
The Concept
Have you ever felt like your power distro is lacking? You might feel as though the unit could be redesigned to be more useful to your particular needs. Perhaps there could be a power meter here, or an extra set of convenience power outlets there.
Whirlwind gives you that power. You can design your next distro with ease, based on their standard input and output panels and extension boxes. It’s kind of like picking items off the dollar menu at McDonald’s to suit your taste preferences and hunger for that particular meal.
The Enclosure
When you start designing your Power Link Distro, you’ll want to begin with the enclosure. Just like the various panels, there are choices — the PLD series, which comes in a UL-listed ATA flight case, is available in various rack sizes; and the PLR series, which is self-enclosed and ready to drop into your favorite rack or mount in an equipment rack for installations.
The Panels
Here comes the real fun — configuring the Power Link distro to meet your needs. The panel options are broken down into six different types: Input, Output, Main Breakers, Branch Breakers, Combos and Power Meter/Accessories.
Within each type, there are a number of pre-built configurations providing almost any type of input, output and breaker size that you might need. Depending on which panel you choose from, most of the panels are either a 2U or 3U. Some of the larger panels for cam locks need a 4U space.
To breaker off individual circuits or panels, you have a number of choices, from 20A, 30A and 50A, with a huge selection of panel sizes and breaker counts. For output panels, the list of available panels and connector types and counts seems to go on and on. It is safe to say that almost every type of power connection is available.
For even more output options, Whirlwind offers Edison and breakout distro boxes in the PL1 series. Again, the choices abound, with options for the number of breakers you might need along with various output connection styles.
For getting power into the unit, the input panels offer the widest selection available cam lock configurations. Finding the right input panel for your needs takes come careful planning along with some knowledge of power requirements.
Some of the other options include a power meter that displays the current load on the system. There are also three options for the main breaker panel, 100A, 200A and 400A. In case you designed a system that doesn’t quite fill the rack, there are blank panels to fill those spaces. Your logo can be laser engraved on these panels to make the distro uniquely yours.
Designing Your Power Link Distro
Designing your custom Power Link Distro with the Design Pro Software that Whirlwind makes available on their website is not as complex as it sounds. You start with the simple interface showing all of the current enclosure and panels options available. Then just grab the panel and place it where you think you’ll need it. While configuring the distro is easy, you should have some understanding of power requirements and usage. Whirlwind has you covered there as well. After you finish your layout, a product specialist from Whirlwind will review and discuses your design with you to optimize the configuration and confirm it will work as needed.
All distro pricing is based on final configuration of the product you select. For more information, you can reach the company at www.whirlwindusa.com.
