Control/Dimming L86 Dimmer Module questions

Lydia

Member
I have a mix of LMI and ETC 2400w L86s in my dimmer rack. Some of them have a circuit board between the data in and the SCR, some just have a Molex type connector instead. What does this circuit board add? Is it just to give me the non-dim switch? Is this a part I might find anywhere? I tried looking through ETC's site and didn't find any info on it, but I never have much luck there. What about the connector?

I included pictures of both.
L86_cktbd.jpg



The longer story is that i have modules that flicker no matter what slot in the dimmer rack i put them in and even after replacing the SCR. It only happens on one side of the module and almost always only over time (heat). As far as I understand it can't be the temperature sensor if the other dimmer in the module stays on. I'm trying to figure out what else to repair and/or replace. Sadly they are the old style stacked breakers and the budget doesn't allow to upgrade all the modules (we have about 200 modules). ;) I guess that wasn't longer.

Thank you all in advance!!
 
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I believe the little circuit board was only to set a dimmer to non-dim. This is an ETC part. Contact ETC Technical Services to see if the part is still available and for the price.

Something I have seen fail in these modules and sounds like it could be your problem is the circuit breaker. If you remove the breakers on a module that has the flickering you might notice damage on one or the other. I have replaced these with a single dual-breaker but you might want to go through ETC for parts.

-MH
 
I believe the little circuit board was only to set a dimmer to non-dim. This is an ETC part. Contact ETC Technical Services to see if the part is still available and for the price.

Something I have seen fail in these modules and sounds like it could be your problem is the circuit breaker. If you remove the breakers on a module that has the flickering you might notice damage on one or the other. I have replaced these with a single dual-breaker but you might want to go through ETC for parts.

-MH

Thank you! Sadly, as far as I am aware the stacked style breakers are no longer available; we would need the retro fit chassis to accommodate the side by side breakers.
 
Contact Steve Short at Litetrol Service.

I know he has a room full of salvaged L86 dimmers

516 681 5288
 
Great answers here! Yes, they are a non-dim card. Yes, Steve Short is a great resource for replacement modules. It would be rare to be the breakers, but if it is, then a refit kit or replacement modules are the only option as those breakers are long since gone. The thermal cutout would affect both halves of the dimmer, rarely fails and only trips out at very high temperatures.

I don't think it's clear from above. Are the only ones flickering, the ones with the non-dim card, or do any of the modules flicker? Do they flicker in all three columns of the dimmer rack or just one? Are you sure it is always the same side of the dimmer? Do you have an EMR or I3M in the top slots of the rack? Are all your cooling fans running and are the filters clean? There is a fan per column/per chassis. There may be another issue at play here.

David
 
Great answers here! Yes, they are a non-dim card. Yes, Steve Short is a great resource for replacement modules. It would be rare to be the breakers, but if it is, then a refit kit or replacement modules are the only option as those breakers are long since gone. The thermal cutout would affect both halves of the dimmer, rarely fails and only trips out at very high temperatures.

I don't think it's clear from above. Are the only ones flickering, the ones with the non-dim card, or do any of the modules flicker? Do they flicker in all three columns of the dimmer rack or just one? Are you sure it is always the same side of the dimmer? Do you have an EMR or I3M in the top slots of the rack? Are all your cooling fans running and are the filters clean? There is a fan per column/per chassis. There may be another issue at play here.

David

I do not have any flickering modules that do not have the non-dim card, they flicker in whichever of the three racks I put them in, I'm sure it is always the same side of the dimmer, EM64?, the filters are clean and i do have two broken fans that I am working on replacing. It is only about six modules that I am having ongoing issues with (out of about 200 in our racks). We don't have many of the ones without the non-dim card so that could just be a statistical thing. I have a system where each module has an individual tag number as well so I can track how the modules behave in different locations and these six just keep coming back no matter where I place them. I have even tried placing them in more gently used sections of the rack (our FoH is 1-1 with 750 lamps) and they still flicker. They got fresh SCRs just to make sure. I have asked to get the retro fit chassis but until that budget becomes available I want to make sure I'm not missing any other in house repair possibilities.
 
I do not have any flickering modules that do not have the non-dim card, they flicker in whichever of the three racks I put them in, I'm sure it is always the same side of the dimmer, EM64?, the filters are clean and i do have two broken fans that I am working on replacing. It is only about six modules that I am having ongoing issues with (out of about 200 in our racks). We don't have many of the ones without the non-dim card so that could just be a statistical thing. I have a system where each module has an individual tag number as well so I can track how the modules behave in different locations and these six just keep coming back no matter where I place them. I have even tried placing them in more gently used sections of the rack (our FoH is 1-1 with 750 lamps) and they still flicker. They got fresh SCRs just to make sure. I have asked to get the retro fit chassis but until that budget becomes available I want to make sure I'm not missing any other in house repair possibilities.

I think it is absolutely wonderful that you've tagged modules and tracked their issues. It makes your work, and ours when needed, so much easier!

Ok, well, after checking around here a bit, it does not look like the non-dim cards go bad all that often. However, I don't think I can find any other reason for the issues. A new chassis/breaker setup will almost certainly not help and I would rather you not spend money for that.

You can try cleaning the switches on the non-dim card with DeoxIt to see if the issue goes away, or I would suggest the non-dim cards need to be repaired/replaced. We do have replacements but they are of a different connector type and won't just plug in.

Hope that helps,

David
 
As thought, why fix the non-dm functionality at all ?.

In general, ND has very little usefulness for powering things that rightfully want either a relay or constant breaker module (moving lights, things with computer timing circuits, etc...), neither of which are available in the L86 module.

I think it's time to step back and ask what are these L86 modules powering ?, and if used as a dimmer in ND mode, would simply setting the console dimmer An appropriate profile/curve, full at 2% or some such, be adequate ?.

Maybe just replace the ND modules with standard dimmers ?.
 
As thought, why fix the non-dm functionality at all ?. Maybe just replace the ND modules with standard dimmers ?.

A very reasonable and cost-effective solution!!

David
 
As thought, why fix the non-dm functionality at all ?.

In general, ND has very little usefulness for powering things that rightfully want either a relay or constant breaker module (moving lights, things with computer timing circuits, etc...), neither of which are available in the L86 module.

I think it's time to step back and ask what are these L86 modules powering ?, and if used as a dimmer in ND mode, would simply setting the console dimmer An appropriate profile/curve, full at 2% or some such, be adequate ?.

Maybe just replace the ND modules with standard dimmers ?.

:) I am not really interested in replacing the ND functionality of the modules. That is part of why I was doing this research. We have only conventional lights and never find ourselves adjusting to ND at the module.
 
As thought, why fix the non-dm functionality at all ?.

In general, ND has very little usefulness for powering things that rightfully want either a relay or constant breaker module (moving lights, things with computer timing circuits, etc...), neither of which are available in the L86 module.

I think it's time to step back and ask what are these L86 modules powering ?, and if used as a dimmer in ND mode, would simply setting the console dimmer An appropriate profile/curve, full at 2% or some such, be adequate ?.

Maybe just replace the ND modules with standard dimmers ?.

Is this what that plastic connector was doing? How do I go about doing that?
 

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