Control/Dimming DMX Dimmer Pack
- Thread startermarknb
- Start date
Les
Well-Known Member
Yes, dimmer packs will allow you to dim fixtures, assuming you also have a board to tell the packs what to do. Relay packs are on/off only.
Pay careful attention to the load ratings of the dimmer packs. Some cheaper packs are rated to 600w per channel, 1800w max (or similar), meaning if you have each channel loaded with a 575w Source Four, you can only have three on at one time. If you are using 750w lamps, make sure the pack can handle this (common 600w per channel 4-packs will not).
DMX is the current standard signal used by lighting equipment to communicate with one another. That said, yes, it is great for controlling lights
.
Pay careful attention to the load ratings of the dimmer packs. Some cheaper packs are rated to 600w per channel, 1800w max (or similar), meaning if you have each channel loaded with a 575w Source Four, you can only have three on at one time. If you are using 750w lamps, make sure the pack can handle this (common 600w per channel 4-packs will not).
DMX is the current standard signal used by lighting equipment to communicate with one another. That said, yes, it is great for controlling lights
.
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JD
Well-Known Member
Gets trickier then you would think! Take for instance:
Elation Professional - Professional Lighting Products
Max 2400 watts, 10 amps per channel. So, that would mean 1200 watts per channel, right? NO!
They don't say 1200 watts, just the electrical limit of 10 amps. In practice, you are best off limiting the load to 600 watts per channel.
The control devices in the pack do not have enough headroom to reliably handle the inrush of a 1000 watt lamp. (First hand experience.)
More here: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/7369-elation-dp-dmx20l-popped.html
Elation Professional - Professional Lighting Products
Max 2400 watts, 10 amps per channel. So, that would mean 1200 watts per channel, right? NO!
They don't say 1200 watts, just the electrical limit of 10 amps. In practice, you are best off limiting the load to 600 watts per channel.
The control devices in the pack do not have enough headroom to reliably handle the inrush of a 1000 watt lamp. (First hand experience.)
More here: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/7369-elation-dp-dmx20l-popped.html
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Because the throw distance is relatively short (20 to 24 feet) I believe we can use 575W bulbs. The hope is to start with only six fixtures, but want to have the flexibility to expand to a total of eight if needed in the future. If I understand your response correctly, it appears the Elation pack will allow for this.
Our stage is 30 feet wide and only 12 feet deep. I will also be using LED fixtures on the back wall, so I need to keep the S4 light off that surface. Am considering 19 or 26 degree fixtures. Will six fixtures be enough to provide front stage lighting?
Check out Leviton's D4DMX dimmers. We've sold a ton of them and haven't had any problems. Just make sure you order the correct DMX pin configuration for your system.
The Elation packs may or may not allow 4x575W. It depends on the power source for the packs themselves. Most wall outlets can't provide 2150W. Check with someone who knows the space what your power options are. If you want to use a lot of medium to high powered fixtures, and the budget allows for it, look at a dimmer pack that has a larger power input, either by using dual Edison inputs, or by using a higher amperage/voltage NEMA connector. I use the 4 channel, dual input, twistloc version of these: Leprecon® | Products - Dimmers - ULD340/360, 4 & 6 ch 1800/3600Watt dimmer pack to power 4x 750W S4s with no issues.
As for your 19 vs 26 degree question, which barrel you use is determined by how many zones you want, and how many colors you want. I'd recommend looking at ETC's datasheets for the Source 4 and Source 4 Jr and looking at the various beam diameters at your throw distance. With that shallow a stage, its going to be a challenge to illuminate faces and keep the beams off the back wall.
JD
Well-Known Member
The wall outlet and 15 amp plug are the weak link. (Power cord is 12/3) Even on 20 amps, if you plugged four 575 watt loads in, turned everything on full, at some point in time, the breaker would trip. (80% rule) May take a long time, but the continuous load rating for a 20 amp breaker is 16 amps. People tend to think of breakers as things that trip at a very specific point, but actually it is a curve graph. 150% will not cause an instant trip, but 90% will trip them when left on for a long enough time.
thatactorguy
Active Member
We use 26 degree S4jr in our venue, and the grid is just shy of 15' above the stage. Average throw is about the same as yours. The 575W should be more than enough. At that distance, each fixture will have a beam diameter of about nine-ten feet at hard focus, so six should give you good coverage.
You didn't mention the height at which you'll hang the S4s; you'll have to have an angle of at least 30 degrees, or the front lights will annihilate the LEDs on the back wall...
