Do you terminate your DMX lines?

[avkid]

Where are you getting Neutrik connectors for $1, because I would love to get them for 1/5 the price that I normally pay.

Ditto.......

 

[avkid]

Just search Ebay for "xlr connectors." Here's one batch of 20 new for $18:
http://cgi.ebay.com/20-XLR-3-Pin-Mi...ryZ32838QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Have you actually bought these?

 

[JD]

Can't be sure without digging for invoices as to who I last got them from. Haven't bought any this year, but this guy has a rating of over 16,000 and 100% positive feedback.

 

[fosstech]

I can't remember where I saw it, but a while back somebody made up some terminators with an LED sticking out the strain relief of the plug. Whenever DMX was being transmitted down the line (and reaching the terminator), the LED would be flickering.

 

[soundlight]

Fleenor makes 'em, and I know that I've seen them somewhere else (another style), but can't find that source right now. Anyway, here's the Fleenor link.

http://www.dfd.com/term.html

 

[PhantomD]

It ain't terminated, no issues.

 

[n1ist]

I have used those cheap XLRs. I'm not a fan of them for cable mounts (the cord grips are a bit cheap...) but for terminators, I just solder on the resistor and pour in either some epoxy or hot-melt glue to hold things together.

 

[len]

Can't be sure without digging for invoices as to who I last got them from. Haven't bought any this year, but this guy has a rating of over 16,000 and 100% positive feedback.

Be wary of extremely high numbers. I saw one seller with high numbers, until you read them. He would have 10-20 quotes posted at the exact same time, with the exact same comment, from different buyers. The odds of that happening are astronomical.

 

[RonaldBeal]

I always terminate DMX, both at the last fixture and unused outputs of my splitter. Anything I build that speaks DMX, I include a termination resistor and switch so at least I don't have to hunt for a terminator for those boxes. Why take a chance, when terminators are cheap to build.

Terminating unused splitter outputs is completely unnecessary. because each output (or pair of outputs) is on a different driver, reflections on one line wouldn't affect any others. That is one of the purposes of an opto-splitter. Additionally, the distances from the driver to unused output ports are so close, that there is not enough length for reflections to form.

RB

 

[pacman]

Yes, I terminate everything that doesn't have built-in termination, except the opto-splitter.

 

[Stoldal]

I Normal don't terminate, but i don't have that complex of a system. Normal it is just a Response 96 , two cyberlights CX. One show i did had 20 LEDs + my normal set up, and still no problem with out a terminator

 

[SerraAva]

Its hit or miss. Sometimes you will have problems, sometimes you won't. It really has to do with the length of the run in question. The longer the run, the more likely you are to have issues. In a installed setting, if you don't have problems when its first installed, you most likely never will unless you add more to the system.

It generally takes about 500+ feet of data before you run into problems. Thats 500 feet either from the board, or from an opto. Most never run into this. Generally when running that much data, you would want some optos to amplify the signal, which starts the 500 feet all over again.

I have one set of lights that I use in clubs that have problems with only about 100 ft of cable and need to be terminated always. There are many factors involved. As it has been stated, its so cheap to terminate, its much better to do it instead of allowing problems to occur.