Strip light troubleshooting...please help

[Arez]

I was setting up some strip lights to be used with effects, and I was told that they weren't all working properly, so I found out which ones weren't working and fixed one, but I'm having a bit of trouble with the other. Here is what I've done so far:

-Ran a dimmer check
-tested extension cord
-tested individual instrument
-plugged it all back up

Here is what I know:
-Instrument works (no burnt out lamps)
-extension cord works
-dimmer works
-floor pocket works

I can't think of anything else, but I need to have it working in a few days, and I can't figure out what I'm overlooking. Please help.

Thanks

[Mayhem]

For the unit that still fails, you say that you have done the following:

-Ran a dimmer check
-tested extension cord
-tested individual instrument
-plugged it all back up

And each has passed its test. Correct? However, when you say that you have checked the individual instrument and the lamps were not burned out, did you actually plug it in and check that the lamps fired up? A visual inspection of the lamps does not rule out any other faults with the unit. Sometimes a lamp will fail with no obvious visual damage. I have had some MR16 lamps fail right out of the box and looked perfect. The lamp could not be seated properly, or the lamp base damaged. Is there a fuse on the fixture (probably not on a strip light).

What happens if you swap out one of the working units for this one (keeping everything else constant)? If the working unit works on this circuit then the fault is in the fixture.

In a situation like this I would check the fixture first and if the lamp was not faulty I would check the power coming into the unit with a power tester (such as a GAM check) or a DMM, or simply a light that you know works. If power was present in the feed to the unit, I would remove the unit and test it on a test bench.

Always be wary when powering up a unit that visually appears not to have a bad lamp as a wire inside could have come loose, which could touch the case – the ceramic terminal blocks frequently do come loose, so check those (if present). So I would always suggest testing a fixture on a protected circuit and not to “hot patch” it (perhaps that is a future QOTD). In Australia, we are fortunate that all out receptacles have a switch built into them but this is something that I have noticed to be missing form US receptacles.

If there was no power present in the feed, I would work back to the next component in the line and check again there. Once you have power, you know that the unit that immediately preceded it needs further checking.

It is all a process of selective elimination. Good luck.

[Arez]

Yes, I plugged in the instrument and it lit up like new.

It is a three way split strip light, and one of the three sections doesn't work, which is why I'm so confused. I have tested the dimmers and there is power coming from them, and I know the plug is wired correctly, so I'm lost at where to go. I thought there might have been a problem from the board, but I proved myself wrong, I switched to a different instrument and it worked fine in the dimmer.

[moojoe]

sounds like theres a band connection in your one circuit, open it up and take a look, i wouldnt be suprised if that was the problem.

[Mayhem]

OK – now it makes sense. What you now describe is a strip light that has one segment that doesn’t work.

There is obviously a problem with the internal wiring, the lamp base or the lamp.

Step one would be to remove the lamp from the segment and check it with a multimeter/continuity tester to ensure that it is good. Check the lamp base to ensure that the contacts are good and making good contact with the lamp. You could always swap the lamp form a working segment into the non-working segment. If the lamp lights up a previously working segment, you need to look further. If the lamp doesn’t light up, safe bet that the lamp is dead. Try a working lamp and see what happens.

If the lamp works on another segment, then it is either the lamp base or the wiring. If you have a multimeter or a continuity tester, you could check the lamp base contacts with the plug pins for that segment. I am not sure if you are using a strip light with individual whips or one that has a multi pin connector (we have both types here).

One terminal on the lamp base will go to hot, the other to neutral. If not, you have a wiring problem (possible loose connection or broken wire). If the connections are good then the lamp base will either need to be cleaned or replaced. Can you see any signs of physical damage to the lamp base?

Remember to kill the power to the unit when taking the measurements and also when swapping the lamps.

You may very well have to open up the unit but I would check the lamp and lamp base first. If your unit uses the ceramic blocks to join the whip to the lamp base, check that the screws are tight as these frequently work loose.

[Arez]

The wiring is correct, I checked it and it is all good to go.

Sorry I forgot to mention that it is in whips, the segment works fine when it is plugged into a seperate wall outlet, but when I try plugging it into the dimmers, the other segments work, but not the one I have it set up like this:

Dim - Color/segment
------------------------
55 - Pink
56 - Green
57 - Blue

Dimmer 55/Pink is what doesn't work, but I know the dimmer is working, and I know the outlet is good, and I know the instrument is working.

Sorry I wasn't clearer before.

[Mayhem]

What happens when you swap the whips around so that 55 becomes Green and 56 becomes Pink?

[Arez]

55 still didn't work

[Mayhem]

Then the fault most likely is with your dimmer or the board or with the extension lead(s) between the dimmer and the whip for your Pink segment.

You said that you tested the dimmer.
What did you do to check this?
Are you able to repatch at all?
Swap the extension leads at the dimmer for outputs 55 and 56. Does 55 still not work?

What dimmer/board are you using? Whilst your systems are different to ours, some things are the same and by posting this info, you will make it easier for others to help.

[Arez]

55,56,57 are all on the same dimmer. I reset it after all the testing to see, and 55 still didn't work.

I'm not sure what you mean by extension lead.

I'm on an ETC 48/96