Tech Gadgets in the Chapel

[thedqs]

The attached schematic is actually for an 8-way box I built for overhead miking Saturday's Warrior.

So you worked on the production of Saturday's Warrior?

[thedqs]

The plug was sitting on the floor.

The fan, though operating, was not plugged in.

Thanks for the story.

Though I wonder if somebody next door had a large tesla coil and somebody had connected the pins of that fan together.

[rmrichesjr]

So you worked on the production of Saturday's Warrior?

Several years ago, the stake I lived in at the time did the play with a youth cast and adult tech crew. I was assistant sound guy. I built the 8-way mike adapter unit, but the main sound guy chose to use three multi-hundred-dollar units instead. I wasn't convinced the expensive units did much if any better for sound, but they were more visible and provided a larger target to be hit by a wooden sword at least once. (ouch!)

(Please note: I understand current Church policy prohibits use of strobe lights.)

Another fun project I got to build for that show was a strobe light for one scene. It used four 4-foot 40W flourescent tubes, some induction motor capacitors charged to 170 or 350 volts, and some relays to switch the tubes between low-voltage filament heating and capacitive discharge flash. It lit up the stage quite nicely. However, it appeared the tubes and relays would have a rather short lifespan under that kind of abuse.

[skiptaylor]

(Please note: I understand current Church policy prohibits use of strobe lights.)

Would you know where to find policy on this? Our DJ just bought some kind of stand lighting that basically flashes with the music playing. I found them disturbing when I watched them last night as I was getting dizzy from them it seemed.

Any thoughts appreciated!
Skip

[skiptaylor]

...
Do you bring gadgets to church, and where do you personally draw the line?

Yes. Cell phone, Ham Radio (small HT) and Pocket PC. All are kept off in Church except when I need the PDA to read scripture or hymns.

Do you WAN from church?

No.

What apps do you run at church and what materials do you access at church? Scriptures? Lessons? Conference talks? Church mags? Presentations? Attendance spreadsheet? Meeting minutes? Personal journal?

In the Pocket PC I use Yanceyware.com programs to keep many ebooks (Scriptures, lessons, conference talks, Ensign, leadership material) that I use in classes and in chapel (Hymns or scripture look-up). I occasionally use the notes program to take notes in classes and I use it to schedule broadcasts and other things I have to do with my calling.

What is the largest gadget you would feel comfortable powering up in a church meeting? Beeper? Cell phone? PDA? Tablet? Laptop?

PDA

What precautions do you take to keep from distracting yourself and others?

All are powered off once I'm in the building unless they are needed. On the one I use most (PDA) the sound and button chirps are shut off completely.

Does the fit and finish of a gadget affect its church-ability?

I'd say it's more size than what I think of as fit and finish. But if you need it to help you participate and learn I'm all for it. By that I mean assistive devices.

My 2¢ worth!
Skip

[rmrichesjr]

Would you know where to find policy on this? Our DJ just bought some kind of stand lighting that basically flashes with the music playing. I found them disturbing when I watched them last night as I was getting dizzy from them it seemed.

Any thoughts appreciated!
Skip

In theory, the best resource for policy matters is your local priesthood leaders. They can check their handbooks.

In practice, the Church web site has a ton of stuff. Going to lds.org and searching for the words "policy", "dance", and "strobe" produced a hit on the August 1992 Ensign, "I Have a Question" column. That column quotes from the 1990 "Activities Committee Handbook":

“3. Lights should be bright enough for people to see across the room. Strobe lighting is generally not advised; psychedelic lighting that pulsates with the beat is not acceptable. Lights on the floor, in the corners of the hall, or spotlighting creative wall and ceiling decorations are appropriate."

The column also mentions the contract for performing groups (which one might think would also apply to DJs):

"5. Solve issues related to lighting and music and atmosphere before the dance begins. Performing groups need to sign a suitable performance contract (one is available at no charge from Church distribution centers—Publication No. PXMU0028.)"

[skiptaylor]

Thanks for the info! I told the DJ to check with the Stake Presidency prior to using the lights with the equipment.

I'll try to remember the lds.org as a resource!

Skip

[scion-p40]

---------snip----------

“3. Lights should be bright enough for people to see across the room. Strobe lighting is generally not advised; psychedelic lighting that pulsates with the beat is not acceptable. Lights on the floor, in the corners of the hall, or spotlighting creative wall and ceiling decorations are appropriate."

--------snip---------

Since this is the policy per handbook, it's too bad that this issue is not covered during construction and/or remodeling. It wouldn't take much work to have a few lights on a switch to provide adequate dance lighting that is dimmer than required for a basketball game in the cultural hall. A dimmer switch for some lights is another possibility.

[rmrichesjr]

Since this is the policy per handbook, it's too bad that this issue is not covered during construction and/or remodeling. It wouldn't take much work to have a few lights on a switch to provide adequate dance lighting that is dimmer than required for a basketball game in the cultural hall. A dimmer switch for some lights is another possibility.

At least in some buildings, that is being done. The cultural hall of a new meetinghouse built in 2004 in my previous stake had both the standard undimmable flourescent lights and recessed incandescent lights with dimmers as part of original construction. I'm told the stake center in the same stake was recently updated (using stake budget allowance funds, if I understood correctly) with incandescent lights with dimmers to supplement the standard undimmable flourescents. The meetinghouse for my current ward has both types of lights with dimmers for the incandescents, but I don't know the history of that installation.

[thedqs]

Even in the old stake centers you could turn off selections of the cultural hall lights to get it quite dim. This was used for showing presentations on the cultural hall screen (not the chapel screen) or for stake dances.