Automated Fixtures Vari-lite 2416 troubleshooting



I've been working on some 2416s that sat in storage for many years, and I'm trying to bring them back to life. Many are up and running, but I have 3 stubborn units, all with the same problem. I'm getting a"no com" message for aux 1 & 2, even though the LED is flashing on both aux cards (I always thought that led indicated Data transfer.)

I see no batteries on any card anywhere

I'm plugging them into 208.

24v metered on both cards.

Fans in head are working, but motors are not. Apart from this, they all cal up normally.

I have replaced, one part at a time, with known good parts (the working light sitting next to it) aux cards main control card Main to aux harness both aux to head harnesses.

I think the fact that there are three with the same exact problem should be telling me something, but I'm drawing a blank.

Anyone have a clue? My next step is to try any ideas I get here, then part em out if that doesn't work.
 


I've been working on some 2416s that sat in storage for many years, and I'm trying to bring them back to life. Many are up and running, but I have 3 stubborn units, all with the same problem. I'm getting a"no com" message for aux 1 & 2, even though the LED is flashing on both aux cards (I always thought that led indicated Data transfer.)

I see no batteries on any card anywhere

I'm plugging them into 208.

24v metered on both cards.

Fans in head are working, but motors are not. Apart from this, they all cal up normally.

I have replaced, one part at a time, with known good parts (the working light sitting next to it) aux cards main control card Main to aux harness both aux to head harnesses.

I think the fact that there are three with the same exact problem should be telling me something, but I'm drawing a blank.

Anyone have a clue? My next step is to try any ideas I get here, then part em out if that doesn't work.

This isn't specific to those units, but I would suggest unplugging all but one motor and trying it like that. Ditto on the driver chips (keep the motor unplugged on any without a driver chip installed). Try this for at least two of each (to rule out the one you kept being the culprit). Sometimes a motor and/or driver can go bad and pull too much current bringing down the voltage on a rail within the card. As usual make sure the light is unplugged when swapping connections/chips.
 
This isn't specific to those units, but I would suggest unplugging all but one motor and trying it like that. Ditto on the driver chips (keep the motor unplugged on any without a driver chip installed). Try this for at least two of each (to rule out the one you kept being the culprit). Sometimes a motor and/or driver can go bad and pull too much current bringing down the voltage on a rail within the card. As usual make sure the light is unplugged when swapping connections/chips.


I can rule out driver chips, because they are on the Aux cards, which were swapped for known good ones. Motors on the other hand, are a good possibility that had not occurred to me. I will check that next. Thanks

Lampie
 

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