Outlet Labelling Question

[Spader]

At our small theatre, we have a wall outlet beneath the board. One outlet is the DMX line that runs to the dimmers, one is the plg in point for an override console for our house lights, and another is a four-pin XLR outlet labelled "Over Temp." Does anybody have an idea of what "Over Temp" means?

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by Spader

At our small theatre, we have a wall outlet beneath the board. One outlet is the DMX line that runs to the dimmers, one is the plg in point for an override console for our house lights, and another is a four-pin XLR outlet labelled "Over Temp." Does anybody have an idea of what "Over Temp" means?

It's a feed back loop from the dimmer racks to the lighting console, informing you that one or more dimmer racks are over-heating.

What console ?. What dimmers ?, probably not ETC as ETC uses the Link return for over temp messages and Link is not 4 pin.

Steve B.

[Spader]

It's rather strange...We have an Express 125 or 250 and Strand dimmers (I think--the distribution system is all Strand and I've never actually seen the dimmers)

[waynehoskins]

Pretty sure you've got CD80 racks. Strand used a separate dumb "Overtemp" link -- two pins of the jack are hardwired to the Overtemp indicator on the console panel -- for ages. It's almost like they didn't trust these new computer boards and multiplex protocols and really wanted a low-level "The rack is melting" warning.

It sounds like your system was installed in the late '80s, a typical CD80 and probably Lightboard/M or LP/90 or some such combination, and the board was upgraded in the mid-to-late '90s with an Express, being the popular board of the time. Dimmers are pretty dumb and robust, though, so there was no need to replace a perfectly good CD80(AE?) rack.

[Spader]

Okay.

I guess that whoever installed it used that. I know that the building was converted into a theatre in the early to mid-90's, though, and that we had an older board, but when that crashed (from what I've been told) we got the board that was supposed to go the the Getty Centre (Art Museum).

Thanks for the info!