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gotty

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    Retired - used to work as Manager (audio/technical resources) at BBC Radio
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  1. What "safety grounds" would these be? I'm used to thinking of C curve breakers as normal, certainly that's what's in my house, at the theatre, my place of work, so I'm wondering why you are reticent to change from B's which are sensitive beasts, to the C. This is quite apart from a ring protected by a 16A breaker.... MCB types have to be chosen with the cable and circuit in mind - not just willy-nilly replace a B with a C without understanding the local circumstances. There's a golden rule in safety protection devices - use the most sensitive protection that's practical. A 16A C-curve breaker could, in its limit, allow 160A to flow for 5s and, while it's true that this is likely to be safe in a new installation, or one which is thoroughly understood, I wouldn't want to replace a B with a C in a relatively old installation without knowing more about the wiring. Therefore I decided against it on safety grounds. I'm with richardash all the way on this. The new working prototype design with the Omron relays tests out fine, and the relay operation gives me an opportunity to kill some unused lights when not required (particularly the couple that have noisy fans in them).
  2. I know that this is a year-old thread, but I've just come across it and I'm in the middle of trying to resolve the same problem (with LEDJ units), so thought I'd describe my experience so far. In a community hall there are 12 LEDJ units, and turning on gave the same problem most of the time. There's only a single ring available, with a 16A B-curve MCB, and the distributions are split into 4 via an ordinary mains strip (feeding 2, 4 and 6 luminaires plus an active DMX splitter unit). I did toy with the idea of getting the breaker changed to a C-curve, but decided against it on safety grounds - I could have hit the guy who suggested replacing it with a 32A breaker! I measured overall inrush - steady current was about 4A, but inrush was hitting up to 100A for a couple of few microseconds, dropping to 4A after a couple of ms (obviously depending on where in the mains cycle the power is applied). That's an average of about 8-9A per luminaire, which was confirmed by drilling down to individual units - this level of inrush surprised me, especially as the whole lot had been tested extensively at home, but via a 32A B-curve MCB, As I had designed and prototyped a user-friendly Arduino-based DMX control box, I decided to move the mains to 4x IEC sockets on the box and incorporate inrush limiting of some sort. I first thought about NTC, but these are bulky and get VERY hot unless subsequently bypassed, with the risk of problems if the bypass relay fails. They also don't provide protection if there's a momentary power outage while they're still in circuit. I also looked at zero-crossing solid-state switching, but decided against it. In the end I decided on staggered switch-on using a commercial opto-isolated 4-relay board driven by the Arduino. I ran a few stand-alone tests with the relay unit, and then incorporated it into the control box prototype. However, during testing in situ, two of the 10A relays eventually started sticking (I'm assuming it's contact-welding). So I now have 4x 16A Omron HR relays, each specifically designed to handle 100A inrush. It meant designing relay drivers (as the original board had drivers on it) but the new prototype is finished. I haven't tested it in situ yet due to limited chances to access the hall at present. Mains safety in the control box is obviously paramount, especially as all of this is going to be mounted on a single PCB. PCB design is nearly complete, and I hope to send it for manufacture in the next week or so once the new prototype has been thoroughly tested.
  3. Thanks - unfortunately, it doesn't support the ENTTEC for input. Thanks. Looking through various threads online, it seems that it may have supported ENTTEC, but I can't find anyone that has been able to make it work recently.
  4. I'm currently developing some DMX control software and need to monitor its output to make sure it's doing the right thing before I take it along and try it out on site. I'm using the ENTTEC USB PRO Mk2, and have their DMX PRO Manager, which shows a 512-cell grid with 18 columns. I've modified it to have 16 columns so it's easier for me to figure out channel numbers, but it's still difficult to read quickly. I've hunted all over the place but can't find anything that will run on Windows with ENTTEC. I don't need a visualiser (although it'd be nice if free), just some way of monitoring all the channels with some form of identification. I can re-write the ENTTEC code (it's simple and crude and not user friendly for what I need) but just wondered if there was something off the shelf that I could use. Four "musts" - it has to run on Windows, has to work with ENTTEC USB PRO Mk2, must be easy to install and use and must be free or very cheap. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
  5. Thanks for all the thoughts. I'm going to take a closer look at one of the Zero88 desks, but not just now. I decided to go for a personal investment in Enttec's D-Pro, which I'll use when I'm doing the lighting. A solution for when others are doing it is still being looked at, and will almost certainly be a custom-made control unit using Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Prototype is finished, but still a lot of work to do. Again, thanks all
  6. Sorry to be a pain … but can you confirm that this crossfade works when manually selecting scenes (ie not in a chase)? In other words, if I have scenes 1-5 set up and press 1, it fades up … then I press 5, and it crossfades to scene 5 … and then I press 2, and it crossfades to scene 2 … and then I suddenly need scene 5 again, so I press 5, and it crossfades to 5. I've looked at the manual and there's specific mention of this in a chase, but not when manually selecting scenes. I've already now bought (and am returning) several different DMX controllers on assurances that they can do this, but they can't. Pressing the scene buttons just switches to that scene. Thanks, Alister
  7. Thanks - good point. However I hadn't realised that "24 channels" actually really meant "24 DMX channels" and not 24 lighting channels. I should have figured that out, but the online manual was vague, and I couldn't imagine a unit of this price being only 24 DMX channels. So it's going back as I'm using way more than 24 DMX channels (across 12 lighting channels).
  8. Thanks The fader-per-scene is only a nice-to-have (the basic DMX controller I've designed using an Arduino does exactly that). But fading between scenes on buttons is essential. If I've read the (appalling!) manuals correctly, the QTX DM-X24 and Showtec SC-2412 both seem to offer a scene-per-fader mode so that you can set up 24 scenes and fade as many of them up as and when you need them. Or you can have two banks of 12 that you can crossfade between (a bit like a vision mixer from my days in television). Both modes would work well here. Downside is the cost, and the addition of features not really needed but which will confuse the inexperienced. As an aside, I worked with a bunch of 10-13 year olds, and they all preferred physical sliders for audio work. I'm not sure whether that would apply to lighting. Thanks - I'll take a look. I have my own USB/DMX adapter (ENTTEC DMX USB PRO MK2) and have tried a number of free software packages, but they really don't want a software option. The main reason they give is that the hall with the stage is used as a community facility and they don't want to be lending laptops to hirers, so I have to respect that (mind you, I don't think they realise that hiring the hall with a complicated lighting controller is a whole can of worms!!) I may consider getting the QTX DMX-24 to try (on a 30-day return basis).
  9. Thanks all for quick replies. Well, "real faders" as in "one-per-scene" would give some nice flexibility, but not essential. Switching between scenes on buttons is fine, but crossfade is wanted. And channels … 192 channels (12x16) The 192-channel controllers are not quite the same product - specs do vary, according to their user manuals. In fact I suspect many of the basic models are from the same mould, but with different PCB, case and software configurations. For instance, the Gear4Music Universe-192 has some spaces on the main circuit board for additional chips and interface. That's where the great confusion comes in of course. I confess I haven't seen DM-X24 look-alikes, although I'll have a look around, but I'm thinking about using the Universe-192 for my other project (controlled by an Arduino for multiple preset scenes) and get them the DM-X24 and fund the difference myself. I'll have a closer look at this one. Thanks. Thanks all
  10. Another DMX-controller question (unrelated to my previous one). I'm helping a local school install a small stage lighting rig which will mainly be used for very small productions and presentation … the lights are more or less sorted. I've also got them a cheap Universe-192 DMX controller from Gear4Music, which does the job - but there is no way of fading between scenes, so the result is quite harsh! It is possible to fade between scenes if set up in a chase, but chases aren't suitable here. I'd wanted them to use a software-controlled system, but they want a dedicated controller. So I've looked around, and the best option appears to be Transcension Operator 192 which, according to online comments, will crossfade when switching between scenes. Does anyone know whether this is the case? I've tried to glean this from the manual, but it isn't clear. One other feature I'd love to have is the ability to have faders reassignable according to the light selected so that fader 1 always controls overall brightness, 2, 3, 4 control RGB etc, regardless of fitting (makes programming easier). Event Lighting's Kontrol 192 seems to be able to do this, and may be able to crossfade between scenes. But it seems to be only available in Australia. I might add that I've also looked at the QTX DM-X24, which looks as though it can put scenes on faders and can reassign fader channels. But is a bit more than they can afford. Thoughts, as always, much appreciated. Thanks. G
  11. Certainly no trepidation here - I've re-roped track before, although it's a fiddly job (and it took me a while to pluck up the courage!). However, the physical removal of existing track, and the installation of new track is a different matter (especially for \a bunch of 60- and 70-year olds :)). As for running the steel rope through a ceiling to the back of the hall, there's no ceiling as such - it's a very high vaulted roof, shared by stage and hall. I'm going to put the project on hold for a while and perhaps look at a DIY motorising of the existing (single) track. Thanks for all the comments - they've been very useful.
  12. Thanks both Thanks for that. Indeed there is some width at each side (about 30cm, which is usually tied back) and so there'd be some masking of any mechanics - but the person operating would have to go off and come on to the stage from the back-centre of the stage. Hence the idea of motorised. I know that there are some issues with motorised, and it's not a given that we go down this path. As for speed - 15s is definitely too slow. Unfortunately, that's the maximum the system that's been suggested to me will go (it's really just an electric "semi-domestic" system). I certainly don't want huge speed - the domestic system is about 22cm/s, and I'm realistic (after all it's "just" a small community stage) I'd like to see maybe 35cm/s (so about 7s) - 5s would be even better. One of the schools mentioned used to pride themselves that they could winch 10m in under a second - hence the need to be re-roped (because they insisted on doing it, even when the wire rope was starting to fray)! And your costing sounds good - although they seem to want an installation package. I really think we can install it between us.
  13. It's a while since I started this … and I thought an update may be of interest. I now have an Arduino-based unit that holds 48 preset scenes (in banks of 12, with each lamp dimmable once the scene is selected). There are some limitations, especially in terms of editing the presets (which are hard-coded). But it has an OLED screen showing which scene is in use, and which has been preselected, which is then actioned by a "select next" button (and a "select previous", just in case of a mistake). There's also a black-out button. What is even nicer is that the whole unit is portable, and can be powered by a rechargeable 5v lithium battery and it has a wireless DMX connection (not yet tested). It's still in prototype form, but I've 3D-printed a 25cm square box and front panel (with slots for faders etc). I'd like to add the ability to create different presets - but I don't think the Arduino (or more accurately my time) is up to this. I'm also struggling with noise pickup on the faders - however, I may look at a Raspberry Pi Zero with battery backup.
  14. I'm helping sort out a small community stage which has nice fairly heavy curtains. But they can only be opened and closed by pulling them by hand, so they're never used (except to shut off the stage from other events in the hall). A manual pulley/winch system is not possible as the stage is the stage is basically a box with the 6m proscenium at one end and doors at the other to gain access. So there is no place to put a winch or ropes that aren't in full view of the audience (although there are seep and 1m high recesses at both sides at track level that would allow space for a motor) I've been looking around and can't find much within a budget of about £2k, other than a system that will open and close the curtains in 15 seconds, which is rather slow. Are we on a hiding to nothing?
  15. Thanks for the thoughts. I'd already thought about the Arduino - you've now convinced me! I'm going to abandon my idea of a touch screen, uploading configurations from a memory stick and spending a lot of development time. I'm not so worried about turning-off issues as I normally have a battery backup in my Pi devices that shut them down cleanly. I was also confused by the various DMX interfaces and software libraries for the Pi - the DMX hat for the Arduino look much more straightforward, and a much quicker development. However, I'm still looking at the GWDMX as a backup plan if time gets away from me. Thanks - even more convincing :-) See my previous reply. Thanks everyone for the ideas.
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