DMX laser machine quandry

ShellNZ

ShellNZ

Senior elf
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
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Location
Karaka, Auckland, NZ
A few users will know about this quandry from chatroom, just thought I would put it out here for those who dont come into chat.

I have a DMX Rave Green Laser machine, this one.... http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=SL3433&keywords=dmx&form=KEYWORD

It has the manual on that website too.

When I plug it into 240v wall and have it on auto or sound activated it goes as it should, covering a big area and bright.

I tried hooking it up to the DC48 card via a DMX RJ45 cable to the lasers 3-pin laser input. Playing with LoR S3 and other smaller apps we could get it going but it covered a smaller area and wasnt as bright at all.

Heres a couple of videos showing the difference...
Via DMX/LoR
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p112/Toby3_photo/?action=view&current=IMG_0810.mp4
Standalone mode
http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p112/Toby3_photo/?action=view&current=IMG_0809.mp4

I have also just this morning hooked it straight into LoR 240V controller. Same thing, small and much dimmer, so it appears not to be specific to DMX hookup.

My only options as I see it now are.....hook it up to 240v LoR and just go with it, however I would have to make approx 60m power cable to go from 240v to other side of property

OR

Neighbour suggested that as it appears to have a 12v transformer in there, cut the end off the IEC power cord and run it into the DC48 (cutting out the ground wire). See if it goes. If it does then it would only require approx 40m cable to that enclosure.

Everyones thoughts?

Edit: Pic of sequence using DMX editing (didnt seem to matter whether I used DMX editing or LoR normal)
DMXLasertest3.jpg
 
At a rough guess, I would say it is something to do with the triacs and dimming.
I found an old post of mine which might be relevant/explain it
Kaden said:
I am not sure if this is too far out of scope, but do you want to add information about controlling non-dimmable 240/110v items (such as mirror ball motors).

You would need to use DMX swithpacks (instead of dimmers) such as 4 Channel and 24 Channel options as well as the Chinese DIY option from Ray 12 Channel

I have attached a pdf (http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1890.0;attach=1806) which explains why "cheap" dimmers are bad for some electrical items (NOTE: it is marketing material).

LOR CTB-16D controllers are opto-isolated CTB-16D User Guide Page 40 so should not be used with non-dimmable items.
Click to expand...
 
Kaden said:
At a rough guess, I would say it is something to do with the triacs and dimming.
I found an old post of mine which might be relevant/explain it
Kaden said:
I am not sure if this is too far out of scope, but do you want to add information about controlling non-dimmable 240/110v items (such as mirror ball motors).

You would need to use DMX swithpacks (instead of dimmers) such as 4 Channel and 24 Channel options as well as the Chinese DIY option from Ray 12 Channel

I have attached a pdf (http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1890.0;attach=1806) which explains why "cheap" dimmers are bad for some electrical items (NOTE: it is marketing material).

LOR CTB-16D controllers are opto-isolated CTB-16D User Guide Page 40 so should not be used with non-dimmable items.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I think what shell is doing is using the DMX signal coming from either the DC48 or an LOR controller running in DMX. The laser has DMX capabilaties and this is where she is having her issues. There is every chance the unit may be faulty as well.
 
It's hard to tell from your sequence, but here's what I would try.

Leave channel 1 at a fixed value, so the mode selected doesn't change. Either have it in the DMX pattern range or the automatic range.

Leave ch 2 (motor speed) and ch 5 (Laser) at fixed value - 100 for ch 2 and 99 for ch 5.

Vary just ch 3 (motor direction) and ch 4 (line length) to see what they do, and if the area covered by the laser is better.

If it's working on automatic (non-DMX), then there's probably nothing wrong with the power supply, etc.... However, the values that you are feeding it via DMX can effect how it comes out.

Also, what are you using to send DMX? If it's just an LOR dongle, you might try another intelligent DMX dongle that does the DMX timing for you. If it's an iDMX, then you should be OK, but no promises.

The cheaper DMX devices are sometimes sloppy in how they interpret DMX, so there could be an issue either with the sender or receiver here...

I wouldn't hook this in line with another LOR controller, unless you're planning to use all DMX to drive everything on this controller chain...

Be sure you're terminating the DMX line after the last controller, since reflections on the line can also confuse things.
 
mschell said:
It's hard to tell from your sequence, but here's what I would try.
Click to expand...

The reason i asked for a picture of the sequence she is using is because many things have already been discussed in chat. I then found out that she is using a sequence to test with so i was just curious to see what see has.

But the terminator is one thing that hasnt been discussed so good suggestion Mark
 
Thanks for your suggestions mschell.

It has totally hiccuped now in that I set DMX address and it does its own thing, turn "all" off and it still does its own thing lol

We bought it June last year and still have the docket so going to attempt to take it back to Jaycar tomorrow and get a replacement, telling them the DMX function doesnt work :)

If I get a replacement (or regardless) I will give your settings a try.

As its my one and only DMX device I am unable to terminate it I think.
 
Hey Shel

As with last night I think the laser should be terminated also, especially with such a long data cable.

When you go to jaycar, grab a 120R(confirmation someone?) resistor and an extra XLR plug, to make a termination plug.
 
ShellNZ said:
As its my one and only DMX device I am unable to terminate it I think.
Click to expand...
To terminate it, you just need a 120ohm resister across the DMX +ve and -ve lines, on the DMX "out" of your device. You can get ready-made terminators that would simply plug into the DMX out, otherwise it's pretty straightforward to make one.

dmxtest1.gif
 
I figured you guys had already covered most of what I mentioned, since you did it in chat, but wanted to make sure.

I'm betting that there's just something wrong with the input, so good thing you can take it back...
 
Alrighty, got all my controllers going now from 1-97 :) DMX addresses set as per below :)

Unit 1 - 1-16
Unit 2 - 17-32
Unit 3 - 33-48
Unit 4 (DC48 DMX) - 49-97

I returned the Green Laser machine to Jaycars and they gave me the shop display one to test out.

I got a 3-pin XLR termination plug and have plugged that into the OUT of the laser. After doing a bit of reading it turns out the DC48 also has a termination jumper so I have removed that as per instructions here:
http://auschristmaslighting.com/wiki/DC48

On the laser dipswitch I have pins 3, 6 & 7 switched up/on, thats all.

IMG_0844.jpg


The input XLR lead goes to the DMX RJ45 slot on the DC48.

When I plug the DMXRJ45 into the DC48, my Unit1 goes offline, so it appears to want to take its place being DMX address #1 etc. Units 2 & 3 stay on......until I play the sequence in LOR S3, then they go offline. Meanwhile the DC48 other lights go OK. The laser appears to be in DMX mode this whole time as it seems to be waiting for instruction.

As far as I can see the only way to reset the laser (no instructions on it) is to turn all the dipswitches down (off) and reboot it.

I have also tried your Chan settings mscell, no difference since there seems to be a DMX address problem.
 
Last update :)

I grabbed another dongle and have now seperated protocols. I have my 3 x LOR boards on one dongle and the DC48-DMX on the other dongle.

I reset the DC48 to default and made it Universe 1, Chan1.

Made no difference at all.

The only way I can "control" it is to plug it into the 240v LoR and have it as a LOR channel :) So thats what Im going to do, unfortunately its going to require a very long cable but so be it. Ive had enough of trying to get the damned thing to run under DMX.

Thanks for everyones attempt at helping me with this :)
 
Do you mean you're going to switch the laser unit's power with the LOR AC board? I don't know if that's such a good idea to be honest. You may end up with a dead laser.
 
No Im just plugging the laser into the LOR 240V controller that I have.

SP16ChannelsX3.jpg

I had only used about 14 out of the 16 chans/pigtails on it. The reason its going to have a long power cable is that the laser is going to be placed at one end of our property and my 240V controller is at the opposite end of the property.

Edit: Sorry I misread your post David. Yes I was looking at turning the units power off/on with switch. To be honest I think I will be overjoyed at the thought of a dead laser at this point, lol.
 
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