How do you Manage your display?

[Nodent]

Hello Kids,

I was wondering what you all might do during the day?
How do you prepare your show for the night's display? (start up process)
How do you power down?
Do you leave any power supplies on?
Do you use timers?

My first year I'm running 8 arches with 100 pixels each. using two E6804's

Thanks
Nodent

 

[kane]

I was wondering what you all might do during the day?
How do you prepare your show for the night's display? (start up process)
How do you power down?
Do you leave any power supplies on?
Do you use timers?

My first year I'm running 8 arches with 100 pixels each. using two E6804's

Mine is completely automated - means if I'm not around the show still goes on..

I have DMX controller 240v controllers (from AVD) that I use to turn on all power supplies about 10 minutes before the show. Then the show kicks in, and 10 minutes afterwards the power supplies are all turned off. A lot of people use timers for the same thing.

The only thing I do manually is turning on the speakers I have outside - obviously cars can tune in, but I have speakers for those that are on foot - but I don't want them on all night as it can annoy the neighbours. Would be good to have them turn off automatically at a set time..

 

[mborg10]

I just use the good old fashioned timers to turn the power supplie on about half hour before and half hour after. Cars can tune in but people walking past have to rely on the cars providing enough sound, which is usually no problem

 

[djgra79]

I just use the good old fashioned timers to turn the power supplie on about half hour before and half hour after. Cars can tune in but people walking past have to rely on the cars providing enough sound, which is usually no problem

Does this mean your computer &/or boards are running all day with the sequences running but as the power is off most of the day the lights themselves don't work?

 

[Benslights]

mine is also automated and turns on 30 mins before show and turns of 30 mins after the show including the projector.

 

[David_AVD]

I use my own DMX relay boards to turn the power supplies on and off. LOR Show Scheduler makes it a piece of cake.

 

[penguineer]

I have my show laptop running the show scheduler all the time, power supplies and amplifier are on timers. Timers turn on and off about an hour before and after the show.

My biggest concern with this setup is timers getting out of synch due to power outages(reasonably common up here in storm season).

Otherwise the whole thing is hands off.......

Cheers!

 

[mborg10]

I just use the good old fashioned timers to turn the power supplie on about half hour before and half hour after. Cars can tune in but people walking past have to rely on the cars providing enough sound, which is usually no problem

Does this mean your computer &/or boards are running all day with the sequences running but as the power is off most of the day the lights themselves don't work?

Show computer is on always running the scheduler everything else on timers

 

[DrNeutron]

I leave all my controllers and show computer on for the entire month of December.
The show computer runs the scheduler and everything is hands off.
I adopt the theory that electronics are most likely to fail upon power-up rather than continual use.
Besides, with the cool climate I live in, heat is not an issue and in fact having the power on is a good thing to keep things "warm". The only issues I ran into last year were GFCI trips due to heavy rain.

 

[Bird]

Show computer stays on 24-7
Controllers and non-controlled lights are on a timer that comes on 30 minutes before show and remain on for 30 minutes after show.

 

[BundyRoy]

I use my own DMX relay boards to turn the power supplies on and off. LOR Show Scheduler makes it a piece of cake.

So this board just gets allocated a channel/s, you set it up so that channel gets turned on when you want the power supplies to come on and then stays on until you tell it to turn off. Do you still make them David and how much are they. Thanks

 

[David_AVD]

It's on the AVD web site here and there's some detail in the da-share wiki here. I think I have at least one in stock.

I use mine in 2-channel mode. Raising the first channel above 50% turns the relay on and raising the second channel above 50% turns the relay off again.