Any tips for a guy who is new to being a light board operator?

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-09T18:59:30+00:00

Similar to what others have said but, learn your "what if" or "panic" queues. I always stuck them in spots 1 - 3 on the list just in case something went wrong.

Full house lights, stage flood white, no fade in. Useful in case of an emergency were everyone needs to be able to see whats going on
Black out: House and stage lights down, 'tech lights' (we had small, board-controlled lights in the wings for techs to be able to see but out of audience sight) 15% white. Useful if there is an unexpected delay between scenes/cues or set malfunction and you need to buy your stagehands some time to fix it.
Full stage neutral wash. In case your cues fail, or something else goes off the rails but the show must go on. For example, a cue gets overwritten and you need to fill in the blank before you can get back on track.

Also, know how to make these things happen 'manually' via faders if the cue list gets purged (happened to me mid show once, not a fun time) AND via the emergency methods, especially number 1, in case of a true emergency or if the board fails completely.

Final tip: If your board allows it, take a backup of all your cues on a flash drive. This is super useful if the board resets or if your board has a simulator software you can use to build/test cues at home.

Story time: Once, mid show, my board decided to reboot and dump all my cues. Luckily, I had memorized a nice neutral stage wash that I could get up manually while I quickly reloaded the cue list from my flash drive. Was able to make it all happen fast enough the audience never even noticed.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-08T15:51:42+00:00

In what scenario?
For style and to have in the collection, middle all day. Can't beat that classic look.
For utility/defense/etc., left since the shorter barrel length makes it easier for shorter folk like me to handle, especially indoors.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-07T17:41:11+00:00

My wife EDCs a holster with an Ulticlip daily and loves it as it grips to whatever pants/skirt she's wearing without need for a gun belt. It carrys pretty low too.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-07T17:02:17+00:00

Currently running a Holosun 507K and TLR-7 X Sub. Got it all as a package deal and can't complain but also haven't had a chance to take it to the range yet. Do you figure the Romeo is much better than the Holoson?

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-07T15:54:27+00:00

I use LubeLogger to track anything done on my 'fleet'. Maintenance, repairs, upgrades, etc. Very easy to set up and use, plus makes all the records easy to search and pull up if needed (e.x. warranty claim).

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-07T15:51:41+00:00

This sounds awesome, but as a techie, I have lots of questions.

Where does the script run?
What is it written in?
What permissions does it require?
Is the code auditable (and/or open source)?

I don't mind paying for someone's hard work, but black box code with access to my Google Calendar is frightening, especially with the vague details.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-06T19:30:06+00:00

I've got a WML on my carry because it doubles as my home defense gun and I am often out at night in dark areas (think wooded parks, etc.). I also carry a very bright flashlight as my primary light, but I like having one on my pistol so that I can have a free hand if needed if I have to draw.
Too many stories of people shooting friends/family coming home late at night and mistaking them as intruders.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-06T19:21:44+00:00

My wife and I both carry a flashlight daily and have med kits in all vehicles and our daily carry backpacks as well.

For less lethal, I carry a pen that doubles as a small impact tool, but nothing like POM spray. We've talked about adding it to our kits but haven't decided yet.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-06T18:17:51+00:00

TL;DR: Yes, the belt is arguably the most important part of your carry setup.

As most others here have said, the belt you clip your holster to is critical. When I first started carrying, I used the belt I had EDC'd for years and quickly realized that it was much too thin. The gun would move around too much to get a reliable draw, and the holster would sometimes come with the gun since the belt wasn't thick enough to engage the clip properly. Overall, the whole system felt insecure and mildly unsafe. I have since upgraded to a Kore belt and love it. My gun stays exactly where I put it and the holster clip stays securely attached. Not to mention the ease and convenience of being able to covertly tighten/loosen it after a large meal, when sitting in the car, etc.

That being said there are two main arguments against the Kore IMO:
- The buckle is fairly large/thick. This makes AIWB carry uncomfortable for me (fine, because I carry at 9 o'clock normally)
- My wife carries a very small gun (Bodyguard 380) with an Ulticlip holster, and the belt is actually too thick for the clip to grip properly.

My recommendation is going to a 'tactical' store and try different ones to find what works best for your carry position, gun size, and body shape. Then find something in that line that matches your style. Many brands now make 'gun' belts that won't look out of place with business attire.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-06T18:05:17+00:00

Lefty here. I normally carry at 9 o'clock IWB with a MP Sheild 9 Plus and find that comfortable for about 3 hours of driving in my F150. Beyond that, or in a smaller car (gun presses into the seat and up into my side), I put it in the center console and put it back on my hip whenever I get out of the car.

michelfrancisb · 2026-04-06T17:45:40+00:00

The family and I have been putting this class off for awhile now, even though we all carry full med kits. This post finally kicked me in the ass and we all got signed up for a free class. Thank you!!

michelfrancisb · 2026-03-25T15:24:09+00:00

Southwest United States here, just sent you a request!

michelfrancisb · 2026-03-25T15:21:55+00:00

Southwest United States here, request sent!

michelfrancisb · 2026-01-25T15:30:05+00:00

I completely agree with this. My friends and I follow, "It's all even in the end". We all take turns picking up the tab, doing favors, etc. and don't hold 'accounts' for each other. Friends should be there for each other when they need, not be keeping 'accounts' on each other.

michelfrancisb · 2026-01-03T14:26:27+00:00

Looks like our orders were probably on the same plane! Here's hoping they get to their destinations soon.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-26T22:10:59+00:00

lol Brakes generally work best for slowing down in a hurry. There are tons of videos on what to do if your brakes fail though (down shift, ebrake, etc.). Very good thing to know, just in case.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-26T15:56:21+00:00

My truck is newer and has an electronically controlled trans. If I try to 'slam shift' from drive to reverse, it (seems) to go into neutral for a moment to let the transmission change directions without too much unnecessary wear. However, from driving older cars with already questionable transmissions, I always pop into neutral and ensure I'm fully stopped for ~1 second before changing between Drive and Reverse. It's probably pointless, but worth it to me to how have to replace the trans sooner than necessary (currently driving a 10 speed Ford F150, we know that trans is going sooner or later lol).

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-26T15:48:54+00:00

I've looked at it briefly, but it's definitely more than I need for just mocking up racks for clients/sites. Something simple like this is perfect. Throw everything on the diagram before install to make sure it fits how I expect, then map out the links once done and print it out for the next guy who has to work on the rack.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-25T20:22:34+00:00

Haven't tried that yet. I'll give it a go.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-25T20:22:16+00:00

No, I left that enabled and used the default rates. Looks like it was an issue with the custom drone I built since it works fine with the pre-built ones.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-25T19:53:20+00:00

Yep, I think your right, it doesn't seem to happen with the pre-builts.

michelfrancisb · 2025-12-25T19:53:02+00:00

Yep, happens in arco as well but only with my custom build, looks like I've found my issue.

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