AndyJones Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Hello guys, I heard from a friend the other day that the DF50 hazer was designed so that it could be run off of a dimmer. which would make sense as it has no onboard DMX. But before I went and wrote off a channel on our Art Rack I thought I would ask on here... AndyJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomM Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 No idea whether it is the right thing to do (™) but I have done it several times with no noticeable adverse effects on either the Art Rack or the DF50. No effects that is apart from the one whether the designer insisted the hazer went next to the Art Rack, when the racks were full of gunk afterwards - but that it is an allowable effect! I may have ended up with the channel in question being set to a switch, but it is still a dimmer not a switch pack, so no real difference in the mess made of the sine wave. YMMV T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Yep. Seems to work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Hmmm...Pardon me for being dense, but WHY would you want to put a hazer on a dimmer channel...??Surely, this would NOT give you the required control over the output.Putting on a channel in this way would - as far as I can see - simply give it mains power, and thus you'd be waiting for the machine to heat before giving haze output, and so you couldn't realistically program it as a cue... But if all you want to do is supply it's hard power from the rack, why not just give it hard power? Why would you need it on a DMX channel? I may be being dense but not really sure what the benefit would be of powering from a dimmer channel UNLESS that's the only power you have available (which seems unlikely). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 DF50's are a compressor based hazer, not a fan + heat block based hazer. The time from power to haze is about 5 seconds, so it is very common to put a DF50 into a dimmer. However it is advisable to ensure you change the dimmer curve/law/profile (what ever your dimmers call it) to a switch mode (square wave) - so that the channel is either 0 or 100%, no matter what the actual DMX value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Ah - then that would explain the issue then - my apologies to the OP.I showed my ignorance having never used a DF50, but will shelve that nugget away should I ever need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 As with Mac Calder, I always run DF50's off a dimmer, however, I always modify the channel as Mac suggests, and effectively turn the channel into a relay circuit. Works a treat, and doesn't mean having to ask an on-stage tech to turn them on/off every time the turn has a hissy fit when they walk past it. Cheers Smiffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 For reference the same applies to Cirro Strata CS6s which are also compressor based. I wouldn't try it on cheaper dimmers but the ART racks are pretty bullet proof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 The last touring show I saw carrying a DF50 were running it via a single channel Showtec DMX switch pack. Seemed to work fine - might be a worthwhile investment if you are unlikely to have dimmer channels to spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Remo Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 A nice add on for DF50's that a company I work for use is a Pulsar Unipak which fits perfectly in the lid of a DF50 with powercon to 16a of both genders. Can be set to operate as a switch or a dimmer, set to switch in this case. Bit pricey you may argue but if you are spending that much on a differ.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 There is also a DF-50 version with DMX control built in - based on a timer that works around 100 seconds. Channel at 40, haze for 40s, off for 60s. Quite a bit more expensive though, if I remember correctly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmx512 Posted August 31, 2010 Share Posted August 31, 2010 I use one of those remote control socket adaptors plug the DF50 into the mains unit and you can fire it off and stop it from anywhere in the room with no wires....Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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