Downrigging: Load OUT

 Some of the first things to think about:
Where are the motor boxes stored?
How do they want them brought out and/or placed?  Is there a convention for packing the motors?
For example, are there places for the chain hook, or are they placed just on top of the chain pile, or do they clip to the motor handle?  Some consider clipping a chain hook to a motor handle bad form, as it eventually can loosen the nut on the underside of the motor body.  If the nut falls off, it jams the motor, so it is recommended to always do what they prefer.
Who is doing the pickling?
Where are the pickles?
As a particular truss comes down, get permission to have the motors.         
To retrieve a motor, first unhook the control connector.  Each motor will have two connectors; one for power, and one for control.  The remote pickles control just the motor it's plugged into, and uses the main power.  The pickle has a male connector, so disconnect the female receiver and plug into it.  Release the safety.
Pickle the motor down to the corner of or into the box, being careful not to get it hung up on any connector cables.
Unhook the chain bag.
Do whatever is their convention for the bag:
Hook it to the side of the box while running out the chain on the motor.
Drape it over the lid of the box.
Tuck it into a bag cubby partition in the box.
After the motor is in place, use the pickle to run the motor chain all the way out.  At the end, it will automatically stop.  It is customary to back it off a couple inches once it reaches the end.  This is to prevent the motor from becoming jammed.
There are 2 ton motors, 1 ton motors, and 1/2 ton motors.  The boxes are usually marked as such. 

Are there video screens upstage right and left, out over the seats?  If so, those usually come down early on.

The video wall (located upstage) usually comes down as quickly as it can, but often the stage has to be moved and the wall comes apart incrementally.

The cable pic truss...

But usually somewhat the reverse of how the show was set up.

If there's nothing else to do, coil steel.
Keep your eye on things, and see if you can be useful getting motor boxes set up in their appropriate places.

 

We are all on the same team provide a professional service to the production companies, and to fulfill our contract with the U of O -

Remember to leave plenty of tail on your knot, and hold onto this tail as the knot passes over the corners (lift up on the tail to maintain knot loading and prevent the knot from opening up).

attend the next workshop

a DOWN Rigger should be present before an uprigger sends in a point

IF one leg needs to come in first, in order to avoid a flying truss, for example, the DOWN Rigger should be notified and the UP Riggers should coordinate so that the leg coming in first is lowered all the way in until it is hanging off the other leg like a dead hang. Then both legs can be brought straight in together. We still need to stop momentarily at the hook, so that the DOWN Rigger can safely contain the bridle.

Stopping when the hook reaches the DOWN Rigger