Guide 2: Power and Safety – What People Regret

This guide is about what most people underestimate until it's too late:
power, fuses, and stability.

Most lighting setups on party buses don't fail because DMX is difficult,
but because the power isn't planned well enough.

The goal of this guide

• A lighting setup that doesn't cut out in the middle of the night

• Less stress, fewer “random” errors

• Understand why things work at home – but not out on the road

• A setup that withstands cold, vibration, and long nights

Who is this guide for?

• Party bus groups who have had lights suddenly die

• Those considering a fog machine, laser, and strobe

• Anyone who wants to avoid being left with a blacked-out bus at 2:30 AM

The basic rule (very important)

Lights almost always stop working because of power – not DMX.

DMX problems often look like:

• flickering

• delay

• reset

• “it works sometimes”

But the cause is almost always:

• voltage drop

• overload

• bad grounding

• inverter too weak

1. Inverter – the heart of the entire setup

What the inverter does

The inverter converts 12 V from the vehicle to 230 V AC for:

• fog machine

• laser

• strobe lights

• possibly DMX equipment

If the inverter fails, everything fails.

Why inverters are often too small

Many think:

“The fog machine is 1000 W, so a 1000 W inverter is enough”

That's not correct.

• Fog machines have startup spikes

• Lasers and strobes draw more power than you think

• Cold weather makes everything worse

Recommendation

• At least 2× expected load

• Pure sine wave (not modified)

• Good cooling

Example:

• 1000 W fog machine
  → at least 2000 W inverter

Always check the manufacturer's specs. Some inverters may say 1000W/2000W. That means it handles 1kW continuous load, and 2kW in short bursts.

Why pure sine wave is important

Pure sine wave is important because:

• heating elements and electronics get correct voltage

• less electrical noise

• lower risk of reset, beeping, or unpredictable behavior

• the inverter runs cooler and more stable

Modified sine wave can work for simple loads, but often gives:

• more heat

• more noise

• shorter equipment lifespan

2. Separate power for lighting (very important)

Do not connect lighting to the same circuit as sound.

Why this is critical

• Bass = high current

• Lights are sensitive to voltage drops

• Same circuit = noise + resets

Proper solution

• One circuit for sound

• One circuit for lighting

• Separate fuse box for lighting

This alone solves many “unexplainable” problems.

3. Fuses – small details, big consequences

Fuses are not there to “blow first”.
They are there to protect the rest of the system.

Typical mistakes

• No fuse

• Fuse too large

• One fuse for everything

Recommendation

• Main fuse near the battery

• Separate fuse for each branch:

  • inverter

  • fog machine

  • effect lights

If one thing fails, not everything should die.

4. Cables – where many cut corners

Cables are often underestimated. They work – until the load increases.

Typical mistakes

• Cables too thin

• Long runs

• Poor connectors

Result

• Voltage drop

• Hot cables

• Unstable operation

If the cable gets hot, something is wrong.

Rules of thumb

• Use thicker cable than you think

• Keep runs short

• Use proper cable lugs

12 V vs 230 V
Low voltage gives high current → thicker cables needed.
230 V gives lower current → thinner cable is often enough.

230 V (copper)

• 10 A → approx. 1.5 mm²

• 16 A → approx. 2.5 mm²

If you're unsure, a specialist retailer like Elektroimportøren can help you choose the right cable and fuse.

5. Grounding – the hidden culprit

Poor ground gives:

• flickering

• resets

• noise

• strange errors that come and go

Proper practice

• Common ground point

• Short path to chassis

• Clean the contact point (metal to metal)

Don't trust that “it will probably ground itself”.

6. Fog machine and power (extra important)

The fog machine is often:

• the largest load

• the biggest source of errors

Common problems

• Inverter shuts off during warm-up

• Voltage drops when firing

• The entire lighting system resets

Solution

• Oversized inverter

• Separate circuit

• Don't run fog constantly

Fog is used in moments, not continuously.

7. Cold, vibration, and reality

At home in the garage:

• stable voltage

• no vibration

• normal temperature

Out on the road:

• cold

• uneven ground

• engine running

• people jumping

All of this makes:

• weak power even weaker

• bad connectors worse

Plan for the worst case, not the best.

Checklist before the first night

• Inverter at least 2× load

• Lights and sound on separate circuits

• Fuses correctly sized

• Cables thick enough

• Common ground point

• Test fog machine + lights together

If you have this in place → you're far ahead of most.

Common mistakes

• “It worked before”

• Inverter too small

• Everything on one circuit

• No fuses

• Blaming DMX when power is the problem

Ready for the next step?

The next guide in the series is:

Guide 3: How to Control the Lights – Scenes, Modes, and Failsafe

There we cover:

• how to control laser, strobe, and fog together

• scenes that work in practice

• blackout and emergency mode

• why less control often gives better results