menghini222 Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Hello B/R I Have been given some old Mini II and I have looked at past posts and havent found anyOpinions only help comments wich shall be usefull in the future! Also I have a been given a Strand LX Console. So basicly I just want too know what you think of them? Thanks Menghini222 Also Is there any way to get a lead for octal - Din ? For a Demux? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Use the search function... or look in the Lighting forum, for today there has been another topic discussing converting an analogue system to DMX, complete with information about making octal plugs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Had a mini 11 in the seventies and was pretty good for me to learn on. The only problem with them was dirty tracks on the faders, but decent switch cleaner works well. The LX is pretty good too - just a newer version. If you have them, they'll still do a good job if looked after. The Mini 11 is about as basic a desk as a 2 preset comes - but does the job it was designed for. I still reckon nobody should be allowed to use clever desks till they've run a few shows on a single or twin preset desk. Once you are able to carry out basic concepts on these things, memory and moving light desks have a kind of context in lighting as a whole. re-setting loads of manual faders in too few seconds does wonders for your manual dexterity and inginuity - as in comb like gadgets made with lolly sticks to reset faders in a hurry for those one-off tricky cues. Two lengths of timber with a lolly stick thickness slot, then loads of lolly sticks held in with screws to set the fader levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springgrove Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Use the search function... or look in the Lighting forum, for today there has been another topic discussing converting an analogue system to DMX, complete with information about making octal plugs....Yes, there's quite a lot of information here, and here. The Mini IIs were -10V control and it seems that some of the LX desks were +10V - see the Strand Archive. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Mini II desk or dimmers? If the latter, you need to look out for the filter caps (some of which were prone to flames) and the sockets. The socket contacts lost some of their grip as the aged leading to high resistance, arcing and more flames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Hampson Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 If using a newer desk, measure the control voltage, after it's plugged in I used to do an anual panto in a hall that had mini 2's and Permus dimmers, the desk was never able to quite get to -10V, and as such the dimmers were capped at about 85%, in the end we needed to have the demux set to give -15V and knock back the GM a little, just to giv us the full range of dimming. No end of messing with the trim pots in th dimmers would cure the problem. The council knocked the place down not long after... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menghini222 Posted September 29, 2007 Author Share Posted September 29, 2007 Hi sorry I did mean the mini 2 dimmers I got them from our old school and are need of a clean up I have some one who is going to do that for me and again I did mean the LX Desk 18 channle desk. Does these dimmers have a habbit of going faulty? Thanks,Menghini222 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Does these dimmers have a habit of going faulty?No, not at all; however they are all VERY old now. Possibly last sold in the mid 1980s or so? I've worked on three systems where the plugs had weakened to the extent that they either needed replacing, or in one case, were replaced by bolting a metal clad socket to the front of each dimmer in the pack. Not a difficult mod. The capacitors with issues were used by Strand between 1978 and 1990 in Mini 2, Micro 8, MCM, Tempus, Permus, Environ, Mini Universal, and Micro dimmers. They are marked PME 271 and were manufactured by RIFA AB of Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Bearing in mind youngest MiniII has past its 21st birthday and a lot of them will be now 30 something, fact that there is still so many in service tells you something.Wouldn`t think will get many moving lites still doing the rounds at that age. If your running them from an analogue desk, wont be needing a demux so save hundred something quid, if the sockets are ok on them , save another bundle, changing capacitors on gear of this age never a bad idea. Monitors in old arcade video games also have problems with exploding caps at this age. If they do what you need and qualified advice tells you they`re electrically safe no reason why they shouldn`t offer you few years more service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.