Wheres the light???

[Splosh 0]

Evening gang.....

 

Finally!!!!! Woa, I have some dmx lights!!!!!

 

Am so proud to enter this wonderful world of lighting, but with one small problem!

 

How do you get the bleeding thing to work!!!

 

I have an SM16 Controller that has instructions that are only useful for one thing http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/pooh.gif (yep, wiping from your backside)

 

and guess what???

 

I now have 2 Winners and 2 Rovers with instructions that are usefel for http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/pooh.gif (yep, wiping it again)

 

Can anyone give me just a few basic instructions on how to get the flipping things to work..... I am sure I will pick it all up eventually, but for now, i would just like the light to come on!!!!!

 

Thanks Gang.

 

Splosh

(loosing hair quickly)

 

2J's Roadshow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stevie 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/071.gif

 

Same here mate my 4 year old can make mine do allsorts!

 

Me i can get them to go but its more luck than judgment not got a bloody clue.

 

Dip switches mmm kids messed with em so what do you do with them?

 

Also whats a terminator and dont say a film.

 

120 ohm resistor they say but to what pins http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif

 

 

[spinner 0]

Were there no instruction manuals with these lights?

 

If there were it should be simple to set the units in master/slave mode to make use of the inbuilt programs.

 

If not and they're anything like the Scimitar or Bomba, then they should work standalone with all dip switches off.

[dj007 0]

QUOTE (stevie @ Oct 22 2005, 07:02 PM)

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/071.gif Also whats a terminator and dont say a film. 120 ohm resistor they say but to what pins http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wallbash.gif

i dont know anything about dmx either but the terminator goes at the end of the chain of lights. you set the first light to master and the rest to slave and the last one in the line without a cable in it is where the terminator goes. I THINK http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif

[Paul Forsyth 0]

That's right from my understanding, the terminator is kind of like a closed door and tells the controller that that is the end of the dmx chain. I believe that without one the controller can be looking for where the end is and sometimes this can lead to strange things happening - but don't ask me what http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif

 

Where are the experts ????

 

Vinnie

[Splosh 0]

The only thing that i can think of in terms of the terminator is using another dmx lead and taking the last light back to the unit for a 'file dump'.

 

I agree, where are the techies???

 

And as for instructions, yes they did come with some, but seriously, they tell you diddly squat... The Same goes for the SM16 controller....

Not saying that I am a dunce, but I do have a pretty good electrical knowledge, and this is far over my head........ Buy a Winner or Rover, or that controller for that, and you will see my point!!!!!

 

More help needed!!!!!

 

Splosh.

 

[Paul Forsyth 0]

 

No - you can buy terminators that just plug in to that last position for around £4 (?)

 

Not sure how its wired http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/533.gif but it's just a dmx plug.

 

Vinnie

[spinner 0]

QUOTE (Splosh @ Oct 23 2005, 11:16 AM)

And as for instructions, yes they did come with some, but seriously, they tell you diddly squat... The Same goes for the SM16 controller.... More help needed!!!!! Splosh.

Really surprised at the lack of info with your lights. I have Acme Scimitars, Bombas, Colortecs and Supernovas. All came with instruction books showing the dip switch settings for standalone, master/slave and DMX control. At the very least I would have expected the Winners and Rovers to have the same. If they haven't I can understand your frustration.

 

Might be worth an e-mail via the Acme website at acmeco.com.tw

[Kingy 0]

Terminators go at the end of the chain to stop refleted signal. They are only really necessary in long runs, usually not for mobiles.

 

Its just a 120ohm resistor between pins 2 and 3 of a dmx plug. Some units have them built into them and are automatically inserted if no out going DMX plug is inserted.

 

Dont wory too much about them, the units will usually work without them.

[stevie 0]

Thanks i will save my £4 http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

 

I have 4 quarsers turned all the dip switches off apart from the 1st one in the chain dip switch no 9 thats on and now they all work together woo hooo

[norty303 0]

DMX is not a simple plug and play format and it does take a bit of knowledge to set up. You'll also find that once you've got the controller to move the lights the hard part begins in the programming. I know lots of people who've bought into DMX and sold the lot on because it just wasn't what they were expecting. Having control means that you have COMPLETE control, the light will do nothing until you tell it to. It won't respond to music either unless the desk has sound to light built in. Even if it has Sound to Light it will only move the light between pre-programmed steps that you've entered previously.

 

Assuming you're going to stick with it i'll go on.

 

Every DMX controller has the ability to control a number of 'heads' (or more accurately head channels as each one can have a number of lights attached to it all doing the same thing) Most cheaper controllers will have a set number of channels per head available (e.g. 6 comprising of mirror pan, tilt, colour wheel, gobo wheel, shutter and prism) If you plug a 4 channel light onto it the other 2 channels aren't used but they remain. The first head will start its address at either 0 or 1 and will use the following 5 numbers (e.g. if it's 0 then it'll use 0,1,2,3,4,5) Head 2 will then start on 6 and use 7,8,9,10,11. Obviously this'll change depending on your controller and it couyld have 16 or 32 channels available per head in which case Head 1 will start on 1 and head 2 will start on 33, etc

 

With me so far?

 

You'll now need to set your addresses on your lights.

 

So if you want to control your Winners on head 1 you need to set the switches to give either 1 or 0 depending on what your controller uses as it's start address. So for this one it'll either be all off (0) or 1st one on (1). If you want the Rovers on channel 2 then you'll need to find out what the start address of head 2 is and set it to that (check the DMX address lookup table in one of the manuals to verify this)

 

I'll leave it at that for the time being. Let me know when you've got that far and we'll go on.

 

I've got the Chauvet versions of those light and have no problems (or with the manuals). Try downloading the manuals for them from the Chauvet site and see if they make any more sense than the ones you've got.

 

Having just had a look they look the same though....

 

You won't need a terminator BTW, they work fine without one.

Edited October 23, 2005 by norty303

[qifop 0]

I'd agree with the above within reason. At present with 4 fixtures you may well get by without termination. However for the sake of £4 on ebay I would buy a terminator. Especially if you wish to expand your light show in the future. Often issues caused by termination are not seen for months, years but in my experience (working with, installing and maintaining DMX and 0-10v analogue rigs) you will see problems at some point. Some manufacturers units include termination which you can setup on the fixture, whether this be by dipswitches more often these days user interfaces via LCD panels on fixtures themselves. Not familiar with ACME lights themselves has we really only use Discharge lamp equipped equipment, however I know MARTIN, CLAY PACKY & BOTEX (Dimmer Packs) often experience problems due to bad termination.

 

As others have said I think with that particular controller it will take alot of work to programme anything that will match the manufacturers built in programs let alone beat them. Might be worth going down that route with master slave configuration until you have more confidence with the DMX protocol.