24 Channel install Dimmers

[Sam Mottram]

I need some advice on what install dimmers to go for .

 

What are the pros and cons of the ones out there and also what are the prices .

 

the dimmers are for a church with a capacity 350 and will be used about 2/3 times a week for a couple of hours

 

Thanks

Sam

[Simon Lewis]

Sam,

 

I installed Paradimes in my church, and we haven't had a problem in 3 years. We used the rackmounts with 15A sockets on the front to act as a patch bay, but the wall mount versions use pretty much the same electronics modules as far as I know.

 

Since our system has the house lights patched into the dimmer system, and house light states can be called up from a wall plate, these dimmers are on 24/7/52.

 

Just my experience - others will say how good their dimmers are!

 

Simon

[andystone]

Assuming that you don't need any particular features and you are only using them for very little time each week then there is not much point in going for anything other than the cheapest, the best of which are probably the Zero 88 Chilli or the Anytronics Contractor.

 

Going up from there you then have the new Strand Wallrack, ADB Eurorack and Compulite CompuRACK, all of which are very good, but much more expensive and will have features that you will never use. The only possible feature you may want (depending on what the dimmers are being used for and what control system you have) is the ability to be able to store scenes in the dimmers and recall them from wall plates, which would mainly be used for houselights. All of the above mentioned except the Anytronics offer this feature.

[Light Console]

We might need a bit more info such as:

Total load per channel,

Budget,

Control platform, (ie DMX/Analogue/simple push buttons)

Available power,

Hardwired or patchable,

Size limits.

 

However, you could go for hardwired Zero88 Betapacks at circa £460 a throw for six channels. These units are very easy to repair, when they go wrong (rarely in my experience). Depending on the supply, you could have up to 2KW/ channel. Betapacks They also do other install dimmers, but I have no experiance of these.

 

Or Pulsar Datapaks which are slimline, but harder to repair (again rarely go wrong, but I recently spent a long time replacing fuse carriers and Triacs.) Hoever I can't find a price for them at this time, the link for the manufacturer is here. Loads range from 1KW/channel to 4KW/channel.

 

Anytronics make install dimmers, which I have seen, but not used. 12A/channel is about 2.760KW/channel. Their rack mountable packs are very easy to repair, but since the one I repaired got filled with beer, I don't know how long they last otherwise!

 

ETC make install dimmers, and I have seen and used both Sensor and SmartPacks with ease. Many various loading options.

 

I have no connection to any of the suppliers I have listed. I speak as someone who has had 6 years of faultless service from my Zero88 Betapacks, and Pulsar Minipaks, and who has repaired many dimmers.

Hope this helps

 

edit coo, 3 replies within the space of 1 min!

[Sam Mottram]

We might need a bit more info such as:

Total load per channel,

Budget,

Control platform, (ie DMX/Analogue/simple push buttons)

Available power,

Hardwired or patchable,

Size limits.

Total load -I think the total load will be 1 to a max of 2kw

Budget - I am hoping to stay under the 2k mark

Available power - 3 phase

Ideally Hardwired

About the size of a chilli

 

one of the main issues we are finding is that the installation is so expensive so we need cheaper dimmer to compensate

 

 

sam

[robloxley]

one of the main issues we are finding is that the installation is so expensive so we need cheaper dimmer to compensate

Who are you looking at to do the install? Getting a 'general' spark to install the containment, cabling & outlets may be the cheapest, then you may need someone with some more knowledge just for the dimmer & control commisioning.