1/4 jack strobe control

i13 said:
I thought Light-O-Rama had a DC controller that could handle up to 60V. I don't fully understand the setup you're describing but the problem is that none of the DC controllers adjust the output voltage. If you have it dimming 60V then it is actually flashing 60V really fast for a lower total light output. The flashing is too fast to see without connecting LEDs and waving them around. In my opinion another problem with Light-O-Rama is their pricing.
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Inside the unit on the board, the variable speed switch has two wires going to it. The one going in is 60vdc and as you ramp the speed up, the voltage on the 'out' wire increases until it gets to the full 60v. This is what controls the speed of the flashes. I was suggesting getting a DC controller that can handle up to 60vdc, and wiring it in place of the switch. That way, as you adjust the voltage coming out, you can control the speed of the flashes. I also suggesting connecting a solid state relay to switch the 240vac going into the light, so it isn't sitting there doing nothing for hours, as its only supposed to be on for a max of 2 hours in one hit.
 
smartalec said:
easyest way..
open up the strobe an check what section of the controller board is connected to the jack..
i remember some just needed to short the jack (eg switch) ,
others needed a trigger pulse.
an some jacks were for sound input..

so it realy depends on how its connected inside.
the wrong connection could easy do damage to the unit
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Think I might just avoid the jacks all together. They were originally designed for a handheld remote controller that used the 1/4 inch jack and could be daisy chained. There would be number of different data signals + voltages going through the jack and I really couldn't be bothered to go stuffing around with it. I'll just bypass the switch as I mentioned in a post above. It seems much, much easier
 
Thanks for explaining the setup. I still suspect a DC controller won't be able to do this (see above). It is the reason that you can only dim electric (not electronic) things on DC controller outputs.

It might work though. As I don't know how the dimmer switch is adjusting the voltage, it is possible that it might be doing the same thing as a DC controller and whatever is measuring the voltage isn't keeping up. It is also possible that it might not matter. If it does matter then you might damage the system. I don't know how the rest of the circuitry works.
 
Sounds like the better option would be just to get some smart strobes or RGB floods instead
 
I'm just really not sure if it will work or not. Is there much circuitry beyond the dimming switch?

Edit: You can probably use relays to switch the strobes on and off but I'd hate to talk you out of something that could still work. I know how DC controllers do their dimming but I have no idea how your strobe setup works.
 
Will have a look at the circuitry tomorrow and investigate a little further. I didn't really study it all that well
 
You need to be *really* careful when poking around inside strobes like that.

Most of those type have all of the circuitry (except the trigger input) referenced to the incoming mains.

You can't safely connect any of it to external control.

Without a photo of the insides and circuit board, I would assume the worst (not safe to play with).
 
David_AVD said:
Did the strobe come with an instruction manual ?
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Hmm good question, I'm not sure. I'll check them out when I get home, may be able to find one online
 
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