Control/Dimming Anyone else have this problem

[Wicked]

Alright my high school theatre has an Innovator 600, and I was wondering if anyone has had a problem where when the board is on it flickers any and all lights that are on, because mine has been getting progressively worse going from flickering it once in a blue moon to flickering 3 times with in an hour, so if anyone has had this problem any suggestions on how to fix this problem would be much appreciated

 

[JD]

Alright my high school theatre has an Innovator 600, and I was wondering if anyone has had a problem where when the board is on it flickers any and all lights that are on, because mine has been getting progressively worse going from flickering it once in a blue moon to flickering 3 times with in an hour, so if anyone has had this problem any suggestions on how to fix this problem would be much appreciated

Although the board may be the first thing that comes to mind, it would not be my only suspect. Unless there are symptoms on the board itself, (such as a flickering display or changing values on a readout) I would also consider potential communications problems. Many seemingly unrelated things may introduce problems in communications, such as the removal of a terminator, installation or changes in building wiring, and of course, general corrosion on connectors in the chain. Of course, there are plenty of things on the board from dirty faders, flakey power supply, to out of spec drift on DMX encoding that may be the problem.

 

[Les]

Make sure there is sufficient airflow to the dimmer rack and that the filters are clean also. Similar things can happen in an overtemp condition.

 

[Wicked]

Make sure there is sufficient airflow to the dimmer rack and that the filters are clean also. Similar things can happen in an overtemp condition.

My dimmer rack has its own room hidden in the anipro, but I will check if the room its self is hot

Edit: Yeah the room is boiling hot, this could also be the reason I have lost a couple dimmers, and the filters are gross, apparently no one in the 10 years this school has been open had the idea of cleaning the rack's filter, and not leaving the system on for 7+ hours...

 

[FMEng]

If the room is hot, it isn't just a dimmer filter/fan/cleanliness problem. There should be some kind of air handler to ventilate the room, which may have failed or been shut off.

 

[Edrick]

I had that same problem with our innovator in high school and it was a new install.

 

[Les]

I strongly advise getting those filters cleaned before the system is used again. It may also be a good time to clean dimmer modules [while following all LOTO procedures and manufacturer's instructions! Consult a professional or trained, qualified person if you are unsure of any aspect of this operation]. This may or may not be the same reason you have lost additional dimmers, but I am sure that you would prefer not to risk the rest of the system. It's a good time to have maintenance check the HVAC to that room as well.

While there are other possibilities for what is causing your flicker problem, I strongly feel that correcting this condition will resolve the issue. I've had the same things happen with ETC Sensor dimmers, but it was the HVAC supplying the room. Get it corrected -- it is important.

A good rule of thumb is to clean your dimmer filters prior to every production, and clean modules once every season; more frequently in excessively dusty or dirty conditions. I suggest giving at least the air filters a visual inspection as often as possible.

 

[Wicked]

Completely cleaning it before the system is used again, there is a choir concert in there, and they like to keep the system on all school day, I dislike the music department at my school

 

[Mistermon]

We had an innovator and were experiencing the same problems. With an old Colortran rack (ENR) I was told there is an oxygen sensor (don't really trust the maintenance company, though) that can get dusty. When mine happened, I got compressed air, blew the racks out, and the problems went away. For what it's worth...

 

[DrPinto]

My dimmer rack has its own room hidden in the anipro, but I will check if the room its self is hot

What's an "anipro"? That's a new term for me. Just curious...

 

[Tex]

What's an "anipro"? That's a new term for me. Just curious...

I think he means wiki: Ante Pro.

 

[DrPinto]

I think he means Ante Pro.

Thanks! I haven't heard of that term either, but that makes more sense when I Google it. Looks like "Ante Pro" is a space before the proscenium and "Anipro" is a manufacturer of cattle feed supplements.

I learn something new every day.

 

[josh88]

Thanks! I haven't heard of that term either, but that makes more sense when I Google it. Looks like "Ante Pro" is a space before the proscenium and "Anipro" is a manufacturer of cattle feed supplements.

I learn something new every day.

The wiki link on Ante Pro in tex's post had a good explanation


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[MircleWorker]

I would first look for extra fixtures or devices on the same DMX universe, or make sure you have the system terminated.

does it happen when you are touching the board?
I had problems with the faders being dirty, even though I kept board covered when not in use.

 

[MarshallPope]

Are there any fixtures not powered through the dimmer rack (Movers, LEDs, etc?) and, if so, are they also flickering?

 

[Wicked]

Sorry about the misspell of Ante Pro, I was pretty tired when I wrote this.

And no everything is in someway connected to the racks.

It flickers when the board is just on, no one touches it.

 

[MircleWorker]

Colortran dimmers? Check airflow, dirty dimmers, or finally it's the Colortran dimmers.
I'm also wondering if you have an archetechual control attached to your Dimmers.
I have had a bad station that would make magical things happen with the lights.