24 channel desk locked up

[sunray]

I've tried doing a search as I'm sure it must have been here before. However the search function brings up pretty much every lighting topic.

 

One of the halls I have involvement with has a Cobra Colour 24, today I tried focusing lights for an event at the weekend and found it lit up like a christmas tree:

All chanel lights and step are pulsing and the desk is outputting DMX. Well it did when I flicked the polarity switch.

A phone call to the last person to use it several weeks back said he couldn't get it to work so pressed lots of buttons until it looked like this. Moving faders changes the LCD but nothing else seems to do anything.

Any suggestions welcome please.

A

[sandall]

Manual at https://www.terralec.co.uk/Portals/54/product/images/prde5d98478-1da8-4003-9871-68f9ce0f7fb4.pdf 

Only suggestion for resetting is unplug from mains, & wait 30".

[alistermorton]

What appears to be a blackout light is lit, suggesting it's in blackout mode, so pressing "blackout" until that light is off would be my first guess. Although, that would be strange if the lanterns themselves are actually pulsing. Unless that's "full on".

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by alistermorton

[sunray]

I tried restarting several times over a half hour period and each time the same.

None of the buttons do anything. These desks start in blackout with the light lit and usually a press extinguishers it.

I imagine the actual reason it wasn't working was polarity switch.

Edited June 14, 2022 by sunray

[Tomo]

I'd guess that the SRAM is corrupted.

In the absence of an actual "hold this button during boot to clear the memory", you could try unplugging it, then removing the battery or shorting the supercap (via a resistor) for 20-30sec.

That would of course wipe absolutely everything - not that it matters if it won't run anymore!
Doesn't look like this has any way of saving a showfile, so hopefully all the important stuff is written down somewhere.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Tomo

[sunray]

2 hours ago, Tomo said:

I'd guess that the SRAM is corrupted.

In the absence of an actual "hold this button during boot to clear the memory", you could try unplugging it, then removing the battery or shorting the supercap (via a resistor) for 20-30sec.

That would of course wipe absolutely everything - not that it matters if it won't run anymore!
Doesn't look like this has any way of saving a showfile, so hopefully all the important stuff is written down somewhere.

The desk is 'programmable' but any existing saved scenes are irrelevant.

Removing the battery was to be my next intention but IIRC it's between the PCB and front panel on this model and a bugger to get to.

[ianknight]

It looks to be a clone of the original Botex Showmaster that shows up in various brands but started life as the Showtec Showmaster.

Have a look at the manual here Showtec Manual - page 13 shows how to do a factory reset from the front panel. If the FP is responding - worth a shot.

The firmware isn't likely to vary much - it's often copied along with the PCB's 😞

[sunray]

3 hours ago, ianknight said:

It looks to be a clone of the original Botex Showmaster that shows up in various brands but started life as the Showtec Showmaster.

Have a look at the manual here Showtec Manual - page 13 shows how to do a factory reset from the front panel. If the FP is responding - worth a shot.

The firmware isn't likely to vary much - it's often copied along with the PCB's 😞

Thank you Ian.

Yes it certainly is the same as all the others and I've looked at several manuals that also seem to be clones with this:

etc

 

Your link isn't working, I've tried searching for Botex etc manuals and haven't found anything different yet, Could you do the linkagain please

[kgallen]

Probably this one:

https://www.highlite.com/media/attachments/MANUAL/50831_MANUAL_GB_V1.pdf

 

[sunray]

30 minutes ago, kgallen said:

Probably this one:

https://www.highlite.com/media/attachments/MANUAL/50831_MANUAL_GB_V1.pdf

 

Sadly not, that is the one I quoted from.

[kgallen]

3 minutes ago, sunray said:

Sadly not, that is the one I quoted from.

Sorry I might be right off script here!

These desks have a weird reset (that I never understood from the manual). This seems to be this sequence:

RECORD+1,6,8,8 then RECORD+1,4,2,3 then SHIFT+REC/EXIT

Does that help or have I missed the point completely!

[sunray]

5 minutes ago, kgallen said:

Sorry I might be right off script here!

These desks have a weird reset (that I never understood from the manual). This seems to be this sequence:

RECORD+1,6,8,8 then RECORD+1,4,2,3 then SHIFT+REC/EXIT

Does that help or have I missed the point completely!

That's something I'm not aware of, I've tried it but it really feels like none of the buttons are having any effect.

What is that sequence for?

[Kazeja]

Hiya.

From what I can see, spec quotes 12-20v, 500mA. 

What does your DC adaptor claim to be?

Do you have the means to measure the voltage coming out of it (preferably whilst connected to the console)?

Do you have an alternative DC adaptor you could try?

 

K.

 

[kgallen]

45 minutes ago, sunray said:

What is that sequence for?

Ah so you didn't actually read the manual I posted 😁

Section 2.7, page 13 [2.7 Return to Default Settings (Factory Settings)]

That 1668 thing is enter Record Mode, 1423 is then the Factory Reset. Weird I know...

Guess it's academic though as your front panel is dead... Jim...

[sunray]

52 minutes ago, sunray said:

That's something I'm not aware of, I've tried it but it really feels like none of the buttons are having any effect.

What is that sequence for?

My apologies my own desk is an older 48channel version Cobra and the code in my manual (a photocopy given to me of a well used manual from web) for clearing memory, which I believe is similar to the record code (maybe something like 1568) didn't work, I've just tried 1423 which does clear the saved scenes and 1423 is shown in the on-line version I quoted from earlier.

Getting back to the 24 channel unit I see that having had it powered for a couple of hours (hopefully to get some life into the battery) and powered down for several minutes while I made a cup of tea, the 'step' LED isn't lighting now the 'A' & 'B' master faders are making the LCD change, albeit in reverse to proper operation ie 'A' downwards (100%) displays 0% and 'B' full downwards (0%) displays 100% manual I've had saved.

Next step is to remove the battery which is luckily easier to get to that the last battery I changed in a desk.

Edited June 15, 2022 by sunray