Omega Tech Stage Boxes

ROAD TEST

Omega Tech Stage Boxes – Stopping the Show Stoppers

by Simon Byrne.


Omega Tech is a small West Australian manufacturer specialising primarily in power distribution products for the live event production industry. Their Stage Box series power products have been designed as a robust distribution system for stage power and getting power into truss and so on.

With numerous models and options to choose from, the flexibility is over the top, so most applications are covered and where they are not, Omega Tech will provide custom solutions based around their highly configurable stage box shell system.

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The most popular model features powerCON in, with eight GPO outlets and two PowerCON loop though outputs. There are Wieland models which take advantage of the four circuits on a Wieland loom too, giving you the capacity to shift large amounts of power in an efficient, neat way.

Most models have an integrated switched circuit breaker with red neon which provides confidence that the supply is energised, and of course overload protection.

The housing is constructed in 1.2mm zinc-treated and powder-coated steel that feature an integral M10 thread to enable the box to be hook-clamped to a stage leg or hung from truss. Customers have the option of having their own custom nameplate made when ordering.

Why are they so useful? The obvious reason is that they are zillion times more reliable than the ubiquitous “Showstoppers”, those cheaply made and unreliable powerboards. But where they really shine is in keeping things neat, especially the loop-through versions, because you can loop through from one stage box to the next.

Australian standards compliance is important for most things, but critical for anything that could potentially kill. All of Omega Tech’s products are standards compliant, including AS/NZS 3002:2008, the standard for shows and carnivals.

But this is a CX Road Test, what are the real users saying?

Derek Peterson – Totally Sound, Bunbury WA

Totally Sound are a staging, lighting, and AV production hire company, servicing the South West of WA.

The Omega Tech Stage Boxes are a simple but unique product that fill a hole in the market. The PowerCON connections cannot fall out and we wanted to get away from Showstoppers. Showstoppers are crappy and unreliable, but up until Omega Tech’s Stage Boxes, there wasn’t an alternative.

We mainly use them for stage power running from a 3phase distribution board (also from Omega Tech) using PowerCON cables to the first, and then loop through to a second and so on. We like PowerCON cables because they are a locking connector

Very reliable. We’ll be buying more.

Geoff Politt – Twisted Pair Productions

Twisted Pair is Queensland’s largest DJ Backline supplier, and also a full service provider servicing corporate through to festivals and concerts whilst focussing on boutique events.

We primarily use the boxes on live performance stages for backline power. We’d been looking for a while to move away from Showstoppers. We looked at getting something custom-made or adapted from the US, but that was cost prohibitive, especially to ensure they were compliant with Australian regulations.

We’ve had our Omega Tech Power Boxes for just over eighteen months and we have them in packers of six with various PowerCON links. Our three-phase dizzys have PowerCON out (which we bought from Omega Tech at the same time). Being PowerCON, we don’t get air gaps, and the link through is a great feature.

Their construction is great! They get dropped quite a bit, and apart from a few dents, they are fine. The M10 bolt holes on the back are really useful for hanging. I’ve seen the internals; everything is immaculately done. They are robust and do exactly what they say on the tin. We can’t fault them.

Rosh Bellen – Brisbane Sound Group

In addition to their sales and installtions arms, Brisbane Sound Group offer complete technical solutions for all types of events, specialising in sound, lighting, and video systems.

We’ve got about thirty units utilising either PowerCON or Wieland inputs, with loop throughs. We find the Wieland versions are great for distributing power to multiple upright trusses. Using the M10 bolt hole, we mount stage boxes on the back of them, and use the Wieland loop throughs to the next trusses.

Because everything is LED now, our loads are well within the capacity of the four circuits within the Wieland looms and using two GPOs on each box, we pick up one of the four circuits locally. It is much neater than tails and we can label everything up clearly. They also have a power present indicator light which is handy.

For stage power we use the PowerCON versions. No Showstoppers!

Before coming across this range of products a couple of years ago, everything had to be custom-built, which is a challenge. Omega Tech’s gear already complies with the relevant safety standards, and is built out of steel, which means it doesn’t fall apart.

When people see them, they often comment “Oh wow, that is a great idea!” And they are; they really fill a need, the quality is good, they are fully compliant, the price is fair, and their service has been fantastic.

Stage Box Versions:

SB-GPO-P – Powered Stage Box w/ PowerCON Input/Thru

SB-GPO-T – Powered Stage Box w/ TrueCON Input/Thru

SB-GPO-CF – Powered Stage Box w/ CeeForm 16A Input/Thru

SB-GPO-W10 – Powered Stage Box; 8x 10A GPO; 10pole Wieland Input

SB-GPO-W10/T – Powered Stage Box; 8x 10A GPO; 10pole Wieland Input/Thru

SB-GPO/PCON-W10 – Powered Stage Box; 4x 10A GPO & 4x PowerCON; 10pole Wieland Input

SB-GPO/PCON-W10/T – Powered Stage Box; 4x 10A GPO & 4x PowerCON; 10pole Wieland Input / Thru

SB-GPO/TCON-W10 – Powered Stage Box; 4x 10A GPO & 4x TrueCON; 10pole Wieland Input

SB-GPO/TCON-W10/T – Powered Stage Box; 4x 10A GPO & 4x TrueCON; 10pole Wieland Input / Thru

SB-PCON-W10 – Powered Stage Box; 8x PowerCON; 10pole Wieland Input

SB-PCON-W10/T – Powered Stage Box; 8x PowerCON; 10pole Wieland Input / Thru

SB-TCON-W10 – Powered Stage Box; 8x TrueCON; 10pole Wieland Input

SB-TCON-W10/T – Powered Stage Box; 8x TrueCON; 10pole Wieland Input / Thru


Manufactured and distributed by www.omegatech.com.au

CX Magazine – Oct 2019   Entertainment technology news and issues for Australia and New Zealand – in print and free online www.cxnetwork.com.au

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