Automated Fixtures Apollo Smart Color 7.25 Issue

[T1NM4N]

Hello again all!


An issue has arisen with some of our apollo scrollers. I have 15 units wired in chains of 5 on 3 electrics. some of them are running DMX through but not responding to control. I will select them all on the board and change the color simultaneously and intermitted scrollers will not change.

Any ideas? Is this something I can fix on my own or do I need to have these sent off (Not exactly a viable option right now).

 

[sk8rsdad]

Verify that the address they have been assigned match the address the in the console patch and that they are set in the same mode that the console is expecting.

 

[T1NM4N]

Addresses are confirmed. What modes are you referring to?

 

[Amiers]

I would check your DMX in cable and make sure you are terminated on the end. Then I would check the 4 pin cables to make sure they haven't gone bad. Also curious as to what board you are using as the patch might have been compromised.

 

[T1NM4N]

I would check your DMX in cable and make sure you are terminated on the end. Then I would check the 4 pin cables to make sure they haven't gone bad. Also curious as to what board you are using as the patch might have been compromised.

Using an ETC Gio. I'll double check the patching in the morning but the patch was done this evening.

 

[RonHebbard]

Hello again all!


An issue has arisen with some of our apollo scrollers. I have 15 units wired in chains of 5 on 3 electrics. some of them are running DMX through but not responding to control. I will select them all on the board and change the color simultaneously and intermitted scrollers will not change.

Any ideas? Is this something I can fix on my own or do I need to have these sent off (Not exactly a viable option right now).

Hello Tinman!

Just a couple of boring thoughts;

Do they get powered down and repowered on a regular basis, daily for instance?
If so, do all of the scrollers cycle and recalibrate?
Have they been plugged together and never unplugged for a fair length of time, a year or more perhaps?
I've seen it happen with XLR's where mated connections fail due to corrosion while unplugging and replugging a few times will get things back to working for another year or so. Yes, I realize you wrote that they're passing DMX through and presumably passing power through as well. You have five on each of three pipes, do you have the last unit on each pipe returning back to the power supply / DMX splitter as well?

As I wrote back at the top, just a couple of boring thoughts for you.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[GreyWyvern]

Hello!

Good thoughts Ron.

Tinman, some questions (some the same) for you to help me understand your setup...
What power supply are you using? Do you have a return line from the last scroller in each chain going back to the power supply?
Do you have DMX terminators in place at the end(s) of your DMX line(s)?
It sounds like the units not responding are in the middle of the chain, for example, scrollers 1 and 2 are responding, 3 is not, and 4 and 5 are; is that correct? Is it always the same units not responding?
Were the units working previously and then stopped working?
Do the units properly calibrate when you give them power?
What is the green light on the unit doing, flashing on and off once per second or a steady flicker/on?

If you can answer those questions for me, I can help you figure out what is going on. Also, feel free to give me a call to talk through things if that would be easier.

 

[T1NM4N]

Thank you all for your help! I apologize for not getting back to your advice. The issue was part addressing (we were addressing at 2 am so there were some discrepancies we found) and partly due to the power on reset function of the scrollers. Some of them didnt have this function turned on and it was causing an issue.

Again Thank you all who submitted advice!