Bizarre Fog Machine Behavior

[LesWilson]

Reaching the end of my patience with this Chauvet Hurricane Flex 1800. Lotsa fog controlled by DMX for $300 but becoming a pain in the butt after 5 years.

Basically, I flew it to get fog from above and run it twice a month all year to keep it from freezing the pump. After some electrical rewiring of our dimmer circuits, it stopped responding to DMX. Okay fair enough. A surge or something. Chauvet tech support said to replace main board. Did that. The polyurethane tubing in the tank fell apart. Okay, reran the whole length from tank to pump. Bench tested OK via DMX.

After flying it, it won't respond to DMX control. Works fine by wired remote.

Here's the weird thing: When the unit finishes it's warm up cycle, it's indicator light goes from RED to BLUE. When it's BLUE, it should fire. It did when it was flown initially in April as well as when I bench tested after installing a new main circuit board but not after flying it. However if I kill the power for a second and turn it back on, it goes red and I can fire it. As long as it's RED it will fire. But once it turns blue it won't fire.

Chauvet tech support said to replace the DMX board. I did that and it bench tested fine. I also tested it hooked up to the DMX circuit on the electric where I fly it. Tested fine. My lighting fixtures downstream of the DMX on that electric all work fine. But after flying the fog machine, it won't fire when BLUE. Only when RED (after initial warm up).

Any ideas? TIA.

 

[cbrandt]

Have you tested it on the ground with the same wiring that you use when flying? It might be worth opening up the connectors and checking that you don't have any over stripped or crossed wires.

 

[Van]

Maybe it's afraid of heights. Irrational fears are still fears, man.

 

[LesWilson]

Have you tested it on the ground with the same wiring that you use when flying? It might be worth opening up the connectors and checking that you don't have any over stripped or crossed wires.

After replacing the main board, I did not. But after replacing the DMX board, I tested it with just the inbound DMX line from the electric not the outbound. After it started misbehaving, I disconnected the outbound but that did not correct the problem. Next step is to get it down and take it apart. I'll look at the 5 pin connector board and any other ideas that come up here.

 

[Van]

Going to ask the age old DMX question. Do you have it terminated? I notice there does not seem to be an internal DMX terminator switch, nor is there a setting on the addressing switch that opts for internal terminating.
Also assuming you are using Full or 255 for the 'on' signal.

 

[LesWilson]

Good question and thanks for the interest. This is a new installation as of April and my first. I just ordered terminators. BLUSH The DMX output window from Lightkey confirms 255 is the "on" value.

 

[Les]

@LesWilson man, I bet you were mad that I took your first-choice username. Just kidding - always good to meet another "Les". There are literally dozens of us!

 

[LesWilson]

DMX Terminator did not resolve the issue but I found what is causing the problem. Kinda. With the unit on the ground, of course it worked perfectly. I patched the DMX for the fog machine into the DMX in the air and it worked perfectly. However, changing the AC power from the dimmer circuit on the floor to the one in the air triggered the problem. This correlates to the wiring change after which I experienced the problem initially. Its power was coming through a different dimmer channel both before the wiring change and when it was on the bench. In all cases, the dimmers were set to 255 using the same control software. But these are old LMI dimmers from the 90's so..... I'm moving this discussion over to the LIGHTING forum. Unfortunatley, swapping dimmer trays didn't resolve the problem. I think there's a wiring issue. TBD

 

[Van]

Wait, you're running it through a standard dimmer channel? That would probably be your problem. Run power from a non-dimmed source, not through a dimmer set to non-dim; either a relay pack or wall power but it has to be a physical non dim.

 

[LesWilson]

@Van yeah. I came to that conclusion after trying 6 randomly selected dimmer trays. I only found one that "worked". Power needs to be remote controlled since it's flown. Will look for DMX controlled fixed power. Thanks.

 

[LesWilson]

@Van : DMX Switch Packs seem to all be discontinued. Everything seems to be Dimmer/Switch pack. What about this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013XWB3M/?tag=controlbooth-20

 

[Van]

@Van : DMX Switch Packs seem to all be discontinued. Everything seems to be Dimmer/Switch pack. What about this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013XWB3M/?tag=controlbooth-20

I'm going to have to defer on this one. I do not know how the Elation is processing the current. If in relay mode it's a straight switch supply it would be ok, but if it's sending it through a scr at full, it'll be doing the same thing as what you have now.

 

[LesWilson]

ANyone know of a DMX Switchpack that will solve this problem?

 

[mbrown3039]

Am I correct in assuming you would use one DMX channel to control the power supply (a batten-mounted "dimmer" gizmo set to max) and another DMX channel to control the fog machine itself?

If so, I may have a very ghetto/rigged (but UL-listed!) way of solving this....I think. M

 

[microstar]

ANyone know of a DMX Switchpack that will solve this problem?

A bit of DIY needed, but DMX relays are available from http://northlightdmx.com/DMXtoRelay.htm. Their accessories page has the necessary power supply and enclosure if you don't want to provide your own. You will have to ask Northlight if the power supply will run off a dimmer at full though. Might be substituting one problem for another.

 

[Les]

We have used Elation Dimmer/Relay packs with cryo jets and they seem happy - but those are just a dumb old solenoid, so they don't care much. The mode of operation is set via DIP switches, so I really doubt they transfer to a standard airgap relay internally. ADJ/Elation REALLY should clarify this...

 

[derekleffew]

ANyone know of a DMX Switchpack that will solve this problem?

http://www.dfd.com/1r20.html , but it's rather dear. I don't see the reason for a DMX relay. Give the machine power at the beginning of the day, during the show control it via DMX, turn it off overnight.

Also, http://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Lighting-Fixtures/ColorSource/Relay.aspx .

 

[LesWilson]

To clarify, I used the dimmer circuit to power the unit so I could turn it on and off from the lighting console. That's handy since it's flown. I do have fixed power circuits available on the electric but they are always on and I want to turn the unit on and off remotely. So a DMX controlled relay is just fine.

Geez, these relays cost as much or more than the silly fog machine. SMH https://www.etcconnect.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737483465

 

[JChenault]

For a less expensive option you might try
https://www.stagelightingstore.com/home/88117-meteor-single-channel-universal-dmx-relay-120-vac

 

[MarshallPope]

If you don't necessarily need to control power via DMX, you might have luck with an outdoor Christmas light remote.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798W2TZ1/?tag=controlbooth-20