Do you terminate your DMX lines?

[derekleffew]

It's getting boring around here--time to bring up a controversial topic, again.

[SerraAva]

Dimmers, haven't unless built into the racks. Movers, just about always as there is always a few hundred feet or so of cable between them and the board. LEDs, sometimes, really long runs can make them act a little weird. Other DMX things like foggers and what have you, haven't done or had to yet. Always try to run things through an iso too.

[Logos]

When I put in my own rig of DMX gear I always terminate at the last device. It isn't expensive it isn't hard and it avoids problems. If I am splitting a line out from the desk or tagging onto an exisitng system with a splitter or node I try to make sure every line has been terminated but you can't always be sure. I rarely have problems so maybe it's a waste of time. But then I rarely have problems and that could be why.
My runs tend to be short by most standards. I have 1 100 meter cable and a couple of 30 meter DMX cables but most of my DMX cables are only 10 - 12 meters long.

[len]

I seldom have issues, but I think that's because I use a splitter and high quality cable.

[beam_1973]

I have a bunch of fixtures with termimation dip switches on them, so they are easy ... the ones without, hmm, let's NOT discuss those shall we.

[soundlight]

We always terminate. On your way to run the DMX line, you just grab a terminator out of the IQ (Intelligents) roadbox, and plug it in to the last dmx "thing".

[ship]

About four years ago I asked our electronics repair department for some 120ohm resistors to use in making up some terminators. I was given a 100pkg of them. In the past few years while I have made less terminators than say 3:5 or 5:3, much less 5:5 or 3:3 type adaptors in their various versions, I’m now about left with like 20 terminators out of the 100 left. This after whipping out a quick dozen just a few weeks ago in both 3pin and 5pin versions.

Been a few years since I was able to tell what gear might need either terminator or much less “Martin reverse adaptor” but it could be said that 80x terminators in the past few years might say something still about the need for them with some gear, and or the it won’t hurt factor. This granted in new gear it’s at least 100 or more new moving lights bought per year in adding to the inventory over the years.

Were I doing shows, granted I would know if my gear needed a terminator or not, when I didn’t I would have them requested, this much less have a dozen in my road box for the issues of weird stuff going on type things. First I would plug one in if not otherwise knowing the cause by process of elimination or what’s the cause.

Hmm, like 80x terminators made in the past few years... some no doubt have been lost or lifted but not so many persay theorized to be swept up off a floor, I mark and disquinguish my terminators by way of corporate heat shrink label over the plug so even if it’s seen to be just a plug laying on the floor - perhaps a worthless to a IA guy the might have been cut off a cable, it has our name on it and it’s different than just a plug. Such a thing if seen on a deck has more hope of winding up in one of our road boxes than just an un-marked plug that might get trashed. Such terminators get marked in a way that they are more than just thrown out - theoretically at least. Thus the 80x I made in the last few years says that even if most moving lights already sense if it’s the last in line as a concept I would expect, there is still gear out there that don’t.

[Van]

I don't have a choice, with Gordon hanging around the theatre. If it's not terminated it's CrrrrrAP!

[Grog12]

Nope. Haven't terminated a mover run since '01. Also haven't had issues.

I also want to know who voted that they dont' use DMX

[Radman]

Originally Posted by Grog12

Nope. Haven't terminated a mover run since '01. Also haven't had issues.

I also want to know who voted that they dont' use DMX

Someone with either a very low or very high budget.