Zero 88 Gear

[williambond55]

Hey!

 

My place of work have asked me to learn how to use the lighting equipment they own. As a music technologist I'm completely new to lighting, but I'm gradually getting my head around it.

 

I was wondering if you could help me identify what this piece of equipment is and what it does (attached). I do have a pretty solid idea as to what it does, but it doesn't seem to be speaking to the lighting desk in a way I recognise (Jester).

 

Thanks,

 

Will

 

http://s1294.photobu...020b94.jpg.html

[alistermorton]

Hi.

 

Those are dimmer packs in the first picture and the second is indeed the lighting desk. How do you mean "it doesn't seem to be speaking to the lighting desk in a way I recognise". What are they doing or not doing? From the picture, it looks like some of the channels have tripped so they won't be responding by bringing up the lanterns plugged in to them.

 

BTW, the site you used to host your pictures started popping up suggestions to download improved media payers and opened a window for an online gambling site. You might like to find a different hosting site - although photobucket doesn't usually spam you in that way.

[vinntec]

These are dimmers - 2 x 6-channel packs being driven by DMX by the look of things (as one is addressed 1 and the second as 7). They look like Zero 88 Betapack 3 on closer inspection? Basically, conventional lanterns are plugged into these so that their input voltage can be varied (to cause them to dim and brighten under control of the lighting desk). The connections into the dimmers are numbered and most probably the same numbers appear on the sockets to which the lanterns are connected (probably on the lighting bars or as sockets to which the bar cabling connects).

 

Be aware that most moving lights and all LED lighting do not connect via dimmers but use hot power like you have at home so this is just for lanterns which have a conventional usually tungsten-halogen or similar lamp.

 

Is that any help?

[MarkB]

Hi Will

 

That's a dimmer. Specifically a Zero 88 Beta 3.

Please have a read of the Blue Room Wiki to see a better description but in brief:

It can provide up to 10 amps of power to each of the paired sockets on the front of it. (Depending on the power source)

This allows you to control 6 channels of generic lights.

The dimmer takes the DMX signal from your Jester Lighting desk and converts it into varying level of power output to control the channels.

 

The dimmer requires an address to know which DMX channels to listen to.

The manual tells you how to address the dimmer, this can be done as one start address and 5 more consecutive address or 6 individual addresses.

 

If you address the dimmer to 001, when you raise fader 1 on your jester the light/s plugged into channel 1 should be powered relative to the fader position.

(This assumes you have signal between the desk and the dimmer, the desk is patched 1-2-1 and the relevant masters are up)

 

I hope this helps, please ask me to clarify anything I haven't made clear.

Good luck

Mark

[williambond55]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks so much for getting back to me!!!

 

Basically, it seems as though everything going into the top dimmer pack works, but nothing in the second does (although I'm not overly sure). For some reason, the top dimmer pack has the numbers 001 one showing and the bottom has 007... Has this got anything to do with why nothing on the bottom dimmer pack isn't working?

 

I now know loads about the desk, as there is a tun of videos and info available on the internet, but I can't seem to find anything about the dimmer packs. Could someone link me up if possible?

 

Thanks!!

[timsabre]

The 001 and 007 is exactly right, this means that the top dimmer works from sliders 1-2-3-4-5-6 on the desk and the bottom one works from sliders 7-8-9-10-11-12.

 

There is a green "DMX OK" light just to the left of where the DMX plugs in - is this lit on both the packs? It sounds like the DMX signal may not be getting to the bottom pack.

 

If you are not sure whether it is working, push up sliders 1 and 7. Check that the stage light connected to 1 is lit. Then pull the plug out of channel 1 (make sure the light goes out) and plug it into channel 7 instead. If the dimmer is working it will come back on. If it does then something is wrong with the all lights plugged into the bottom pack (unlikely, but possible).

 

edit to add: from your photo, all the trips on the bottom pack are turned off - I take it you have tried turning these back on.

[Tregilibob]

Are both dimmers connected to the lighting board? It is hard to see from the photo, but you need to connect the board to one dimmer, then use another cable to connect that dimmer rack to the next - daisy chaining them together with the lighting board. It is not clear on the photo whether you have done this?

[WiLL]

I was just about to say that it's hard to see from your pictures but the desk should connect to the first dimmer via a 5-pin xlr (called a DMX cable) then a short DMX should come out of the first dimmer and into the second.

[alistermorton]

It is indeed hard to be sure, but there is a cable in both the DMX sockets on the upper pack, and one in the lower pack. One of the cables from the upper pack disappears over the frame - perhaps it reappears under it and plugs into the lower dimmer.

 

Only thing worrying me about that is that it appears to be joining both the left sockets, which would be linking the DMX in sockets, then the cable snaking away out of the picture is connected to the DMX out.

 

To clarify for the OP - there should be a 5 pin XLR cable from the Juggler's DMX out to the DMX in of one of the packs , then a cable from that pack's DMX out to the DMX in of the other pack. Ideally, there should be a terminator in the DMX out of the second pack if it isn't feeding any other devices.

[J Pearce]

Alister, the Betapack 3 has auto-termination when nothing is plugged into the loop out, so no terminator is absolutely fine on this setup.

 

I suspect the OP has a number of blown lamps and a number of trips that will need resetting once the lamps are replaced. On that note, there are different batches of Betapacks that have the trips in different orientations, so use the label on the trip as your guide rather than physical location of the tab.

 

As the OP has a Jester I might also recommend resetting the patch. Zero88's manuals are well written and make this process quite clear (pg 29 onwards for DMX patch). Links below.

 

http://zero88.com/su...ual-issue-21-en

http://zero88.com/ma...rmanual_3_4.pdf

[Brian]

With reference to the picture below, please answer the following...

 

1) Where does cable A go to?

 

2) Where does cable B go to? Does it go to C?

 

3) Circuit breakers labelled E appear to be in the 'OFF' position. Is that correct?

 

4) Circuit breakers labelled D appear to be a mix of ON and OFF. Is that correct?

 

5) Have to tried turning on the breakers which are in the 'OFF' position?

 

[alistermorton]

Alister, the Betapack 3 has auto-termination when nothing is plugged into the loop out, so no terminator is absolutely fine on this setup.

 

Fair do's.

 

My other previosu comments stand, though - where do the cables go, and what state are breakers in?

 

... and has the OP disappeared?

[williambond55]

Again, thanks for the replies!!!

 

Following Brian's photo, it seems everything is now how it should be.

 

Cable A is going to the lighting desk and cable B goes to cable C. I have flicked all the trip switches to 'ON', and some of the lights in the lower dimmer pack are now working.

 

My only answer to why some of the lights aren't working is bulbs, cabling or the lights themselves? Am I correct in thinking that?

Thanks guys,

I'm finally understanding all this!!

Will

[timsabre]

My only answer to why some of the lights aren't working is bulbs, cabling or the lights themselves? Am I correct in thinking that?

 

Almost certainly blown bulbs.

[J Pearce]

Lamps (or bulbs) is almost certainly your issue, being much more likely to fail than cables or the lantern itself.

The lamp code for replacement should be on the ceramic base of the lamp. Take care not to touch any of the glass on stage lamps (except PAR cans, big round things that look like car headlights) as any contamination can cause them to fail under the intense heat.

Before replacing the lamp check that the lamp base (socket that the lamp plugs into) is clean and not blackened or cracked. If it is it will need replacing, which will probably require someone with more experience.