Automated Fixtures Mac 700 Wash issues on Strand Light Palette

[dgoodmanedberg]

Hi Everyone!

So I'm having a strange issue with Mac 700 Washes on the Strand Light Palette Classic. We rented two for a show and have them fully connected to the board (and have control of all their functions), except they both home to a strange yellow color. The color correction is not engaged, no colors in the color wheel are in, and the C, M, and Y color flags are all (theoretically) set to 0.

Any ideas why this could be happening?

Also, the lamp options on the Strand Board for the fixtures are Lamp On, Off, Reset, and Idle, and the shutter will only open if set to Idle. Idle makes me think that it's switching the fixture to the 400W mode, though? (Both fixtures seem dimmer than usual, but that could also just be the weird yellow). I've used these fixtures on ETC's Ion before and didn't have any issues.

Thanks a ton!

 

[MNicolai]

The MAC 700's have multiple personalities. They have a basic mode and an extended mode. If your fixtures are in the wrong mode from your console, the DMX parameters won't line up and mysterious things will happen.

Have you verified the fixtures are in the same mode as they are patched into the console for?

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

Yes, we are using the extended personality on the board and on the fixtures. Thanks though!

 

[MNicolai]

Have you tried running the fixtures through their self-test modes to look at how bright they're supposed to and which color regardless of their DMX values?

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

We tried that, and we get the normal, bright white out of both of them in the self-test mode…

 

[Amiers]

Are the fixtures terminated and using proper cabling?

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

So it turned out to be an issue with the fixture profile on the board. For some reason, the profile has the CTO set to always be at 100% (and won't let encoders change that). We parked the CTO address at 0 and that solved the issue. Thanks so much, though!

 

[derekleffew]

"Idle" does not mean low power, merely that the fixture is not doing anything else: lamping on/off or resetting.

Rather than parking the CTO at zero, look for a function in patch or fixture setup called "invert parameter." Engaging this will still allow you to use a degree of CTO if desired. Invert is also useful on the pan if a fixture is hung backward, or on some fixture that think iris=0 is full open.


Sent from my iPad5 using Tapatalk

 

[dgoodmanedberg]

Thanks so much!
Unfortunately, that show is over and we have returned the Mac 700 washes…
But if we rent them again we'll definitely try the "invert parameter" option.
Thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding of "idle" as well!

(Though I think Strand has fixed the fixture profile now.)