How to get power at 30C3 – bring ALL your multi-outlet power strips!

German summary: Unbedingt Mehrfachsteckdosen mitbringen! Außerdem: Cat5-Kabel, Lampen für Eure Assembly, Telefone, Werkzeug, etc…

Distributing power on 30C3 requires a lot of planning and effort, and of course a truckload of equipment. This year the setup consists of 5 kilometers (km) of CEE compliant three-phase and 8km of 230V/16A power cabling, resulting in a total of 13km of cables needed to distribute power at the venue. To connect all the cables there are also about 100 three-phase distributors needed, 25 of them being “big” ones with 63 amperes. On top of this power backbone we will have about 800 multi-outlet power strips in place, resulting in approximately 3900 power sockets.

=> So please bring your multi-outlet power strips!

That is very important as the sockets have to supply a lot of equipment on site, and there will be fewer outlets available than needed in busy most areas. So please bring a power strip to connect to the sockets provided on-site so you can share power with other users. If everybody starts charging their devices directly from that single free power outlet, there will not be any sockets left for other users. Also don’t forget to bring CAT5 cables for your laptops please, as there will be none provided!

Especially if you plan to connect several devices, or to set up an assembly you and your group should bring plenty of power strips with you. While you’re at it, please feel free to bring lamps (especially colored ones) and anything else that helps making your assembly a nice place worthwhile. Also you might want to bring your DECT phone or your old GSM mobile with an old SIM card, your soldering station and other devices and tools that might come in handy. If you are uncertain about what to bring or not to bring to the congress, please have at look our “How To Survive” page in the wiki.

For all travellers from abroad, please keep in mind that the German power sockets might be different from the ones you use to have. So don’f forget to bring your adapters.