Acme Winner light problem

[leonfoxyy 0]

hi just wondered if anybody has had this problem, when running 4 x acme winners somtimes number 4`s mirror will swivel round and be in its own little world to the rest of the ligths but still mirrors the others movements and colours etc This does not always happen but im thinking bad leads? or stepper motor on the mirror is on its way out? any help would be great thanks, leon

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

if it does what the other do but backwards then you have a switch setting messed up or you programed your DMX controller wrong...

 

it could be a fault with the unit its self

 

but the first step to take is change leads arround. and try the unit on its own and then with one other light and then two and then three untill the problem comes up.

 

good luck

[Andy Westcott 0]

Have you correctly terminated the DMX cable?

 

As a data cable, each of the two cores needs a terminating resistor to earth (150 ohms) at the end of the chain, otherwise the system will generate what can best be described as electrical echos back and forth in the wires, and this could possibly interfere with the data proper.

 

Just one possibility, the other is that you have a faulty unit.......

[norty303 0]

I had the same sort of intermittent problem with a constella unit but on the gobo wheel. Turned out to be a connector on the board where the stepper motor plugged to the board. Reseating it with a small amount of switch cleaner sorted it out.

 

I've got the same lights but branded by chauvet and i've never had a problem not using a terminator but it's one thing to rule out.

[superstardeejay 0]

No it wont be a DMX problem as all the other functions seem ok. It is almost certainly a stepper drive problem, if one of the phases misses an output, even for a second, the motor can leap about, even backwards or erratically, then resume normal movement albeit at a different position ('cos its lost its bearing). If its the mirror tilt, the culprit will be the multicore flex which forms a loop to feed the mirror, the constant flexing wears out the copper though the pvc outer will look fine. If it's the mirror pan, its probably a dry joint or overheating drive chip on the pcb.

 

 

[DJ Dicky 0]

QUOTE (Andy Westcott @ Nov 7 2005, 10:56 PM)

As a data cable, each of the two cores needs a terminating resistor to earth (150 ohms) at the end of the chain, otherwise the system will generate what can best be described as electrical echos back and forth in the wires, and this could possibly interfere with the data proper.

DMX terminators are a 120 Ohm 1/2 W between the data pairs not 150 Ohm to ground

[DJ_Ajay 0]

A long time ago when I used the Acme Winners I noticed the ones on the end of the line were playing up too. I was using 4 Winners and 4 Rovers.

 

I have also used 2 Winners recently and had no troubles.

 

And yes I was using terminators, etc......

[Andy Westcott 0]

"DMX terminators are a 120 Ohm 1/2 W between the data pairs not 150 Ohm to ground "

 

I stand corrected. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

The old mind goes out visiting a lot, you know.

[Splosh 0]

I hear you can buy terminators to just plug in.

Where do you get them from???

 

Splosh

2J's Roadshow

[leonfoxyy 0]

Well i tried a terminator which you plug in, i got mine from terralec, and no joy! I think its bad leads. I did a gig friday night and had a new problem! The end light didnt play up this time but the first light (master) kept switching off thus causing the rest of the lights to do there own thing.....so i pulled the plug and switched back on and it was fine for another hour then the same thing happened! i might just buy some abstract ones as they are probebly more reliable!

 

cheers for your help guys much appreciated