DMX2-18 help please for noob :)

[dannyWA123]

Hi All,

I hope I'm in the right place to post this. I have just picked up a DMX2-18 controller and a 200-31 power supply with a USB dongle adaptor from Hansons and I am going to use it running 2 wire lights.

I am having trouble getting my laptop to talk to the DMX2-18. I am using xLights as software. I have followed the instructions but I am a bit confused at this part:

"Set DMX channel 1 to value 1..255 to the required setting for the new DMX start address • Set DMX channel 2 to a non-zero value if it’s required to add 256 to the new DMX start address"

Where do I do this, in xlights?

Can anybody spoon feed me please lol.

Cheers

Dan.

 

[leighf]

If you're using Windows try downloading da_Tester from da-share.com. It can drive the USB dongle and has individual faders which can set the values on channel 1 and 2 directly.
Cheers,
Leigh

 

[dannyWA123]

Alrighty, I've done that and I have managed to get the string of lights to 'manually' work. What do I need to do to get them to work in xLights?

 

[OzAz]

using Hanson USB dongle
in xlights Controller tab Add USB, you might need to change the default COM port it thinks it's on, I think Protocol is openDMX
The DMX2-18 is probably set to channel 1, so set Id to 1

In layouts tab add a DMX prop - not sure what you'd use

 

[AAH]

The choice of the com port and open dmx is potentially where the issues could be.
You'll have to find what com port that windows assigns to the dongle. You may have to go to device manager for this.
Once you know the com port then add the details as per the pic below I did for another ACL member. It needs to be Open Dmx.

 

[dannyWA123]

OK, so I've done that Alan, but no lights are flashin. I thought I would start from scratch so I have uninstalled xLights and re-installed it again. I have put in the settings you suggested and no lights yet. I know I have the com port (3) correct as when I click the output to lights icon in xLights, the usb dongle starts flashing, as does the data light on the DMX2-18. I manually got the lights to come on using da tester as Leigh recommended, so there is definitely data travelling from the pc via the dongle to the DMX2. Iam only using on set of lights to test to get it all set up, and have the + wire on output 1 and the - on output 2 of the DMX2. I know the lights are working as they work when I switch the test mode on also. Also on the DMX I should have the 9 ch mode to on right? Any ideas?
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it, sorry for being a pain lol .

 

[dannyWA123]

So I tested the string using the actual test function in xlights and got some action, so I think the basics are there ( I was using the output to lights button before as I thought that was the 'tester'). I think now I need to set up my layout and model/group. What settings ect do I use when using these 2 wire lights?
I have 9 sets so I plan on using all 18 channels of the DMX right?

 

[AAH]

For my own lights I draw them up in xlights as a custom and have the channels staggered left to right and up to down so that horizontal and vertical fades etc will turn on 1 half of the string before the other.

 

[dannyWA123]

Thanks Al, I'll have a play around with them today and see how I go. Thanks again for all the help

 

[dannyWA123]

OK, had a play but with limited success. I think what I need to know is this: What do I need to create ( model wise ) and what settings do I need to set the model with to run a 2 channel, 2 wire string of lights. Has anyone got a cheat sheet or similar to show me what to do. I'm guessing once I work out how to get the first set of lights going, I should be able to do the others. As far as I can see, all the settings seem to relate to pixel nodes not 2 wire 'Bunnings' lights which I have.

 

[AAH]

For the sake of playing just create a custom model like in the image above but make it 20 x 3 and put in numbers 1 to 18 in a zigzag format.

 

[dannyWA123]

So what does the grid represent and what do the numbers 1-18 represent within the grid?

 

[AAH]

The grid is just a way to map custom elements. The 1-18 would be the 18 channels of the dmx2-18.

 

[dannyWA123]

Alright, so that's my 18 channels, how do I break that down into each channel for each set of 9 lights?

 

[AAH]

9 separate 2 channel props will do that.