ION/Element monitor help

[Sayen]

I know I should head to the ETC forums, but I can't find my login.

Two monitors, only a few months old.

While running our Element, we lost use of one monitor. It still powers up, but says it isn't receiving signal. From the shell I can select both monitor, but Identify doesn't show the second unit, when I swap the cables the monitor won't come on. I figured it was a bad monitor.

Tonight I finally upgraded the ION to 1.8 software, and promptly lost the other monitor, exact same symptoms. I'm wondering if there's a command somewhere I missed, or a setup change...anyone know? Seems highly unlikely to randomly have two monitors fail during normal operation.

[avkid]

Sounds like a graphics card problem.

(possibly corrupted or deleted drivers?)

[icewolf08]

Have you tried connecting the displays to a known working computer? Have you tried connecting a known working display to the console?

[bdkdesigns]

Sounds like you have the same issues that we have, are your monitors made by Planar? (I'm not sure if I'm spelling that right)

If so, the issue resides in the fact that both the consoles and those monitors are both auto sensing and neither are taking control. They are they only brand that I am aware of that has issues.

To fix it, remove the DVI cable from the splitter, and then unplug the power from the monitor. Wait a few seconds and then plug the DVI back into the console. After that, plug the power back in and reassign the monitor in the shell like you mentioned before. You should be golden at this point!

[starksk]

Sayen,

I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with your monitors. I would recommend first, that you make sure that your monitors have a native resolution of at least 1280x1024 and that both monitors have the same resolution.

Second, I would follow bdkdesigns' advice of making sure that you have both monitors on before powering on the console. When it boots, exit to the shell (or click the countdown timer to abort the launch). In the external monitor arangement screen (on the general tab in settings) make sure both monitors are in the second row labeled as Monitor Arangement and that the top row "available monitors" has two empty boxes. To move a monitor, click the icon to place a green box around it, then click the area you which to place it. Once this is complete, choose apply and then yes to keep the settings. After both monitors are in the bottom row, and you have applied the changes, you should be able to move the mouse to both screens and both screens should show signal.

If you get no signal on the second monitor, I would then follow icewolf08's advice and try testing the monitor and cable with another control source as well as connecting a known working monitor with the console in the same place and reapplying the settings.

If after the swap, you find that the monitor and cables check out, and the known working monitor does not work with the console, please give us a call at 800-688-4116 for more advanced troubleshooting.

[shiben]

This happens to ours as well, and the above advice tends to fix it. I have had to try several times, but in the end it works out.

[Sayen]

I found this - KnowledgeBase: Planar LCD Monitors( PL1700/1700M/1711M/1910M/1911M) with EOS/ION/Element - Electronic Theatre Controls

It was the Planars, and both are working again.

Thank you all, and thank you Kirk.

Now the next challenge - and I posted this on the ETC forums after giving up and making a new login - is why both consoles won't exit to the shell and give me the chance to go into settings. They only give me the chance to reboot, which makes troubleshooting very slow.

[Sayen]

And can I just add how awesome it is that the 1.8 software (or some upgrade along the line from 1.4) preserves submaster numbers on the LCD display? By the time I was on different sub pages it was a nightmare trying to figure out sub numbers.

Now, if only the Element was numbered.

[starksk]

Now the next challenge - and I posted this on the ETC forums after giving up and making a new login - is why both consoles won't exit to the shell and give me the chance to go into settings. They only give me the chance to reboot, which makes troubleshooting very slow.

They actually do present all buttons again, you just need to wait 7-10 seconds because the console application is closing in the background. This was changed in 1.7 because we were finding people making changes before the application had finished exiting and weird end results because of that.

As for numbered submasters on the Element, they are numbered on the bottom of the screen where it shows you percentage data.

[Sayen]

Ah, thanks again.

Numbered on the screen, sure. But I may bribe someone from the art department to neatly number them on the physical console.

Thanks for the help - and I really like the changes in the client. I was very confident telling my district to buy an Element before I could see one physically to try out, and for what it is, I'm impressed. Depending on the event, I almost prefer it over my fancier toys.

[BRosen]

in a similar problem. i'v got an ION with one touch screen and one regular VGA monitor. when the VGA is in alone, it works fine, but when i add the touch screen into the DVI port, i lose the VGA. i thought i could solve this by getting a DVI to VGA turnaround and have both monitors in the VGA port, but i continue to recieve "NO SIGNAL" on the VGA... anyone run into this problem?

[squirt4444]

We had this issue with the ion a few weeks ago and called in to the manufacture and what happens occasionally with the ion when its moved if it isn't totally shut down (i.e. power switch in the back) then it can have a lapse back to the 1 monitor setup. from your general settings primary client screen hit ctrl shift function f2 and then set your console back to 2 monitors with the appropriate size and you are good to go.

This is a last resort check however after troubleshooting from shell, checking your cable and making sure that both monitors are working appropriately. Make sure you take care of all of that before checking this.