Automated Fixtures Experience with maintenancing Chauvet QWash 560z

brizelton

Member
Hello!

I'm currently in a venue, where due to a series of unfortunate events, almost our entire inventory of QWashs has stopped working, we think due to being powered off dimmers set to non-dim. From the research I've done, it seems as if the LED drivers are what has gone one. There are two main issues showing up,
1.) loss of zoom control. The light gets stuck at whatever zoom it's in and won't move again
2.) on power up, the LEDs turn on at full white, unit doesn't home, and the LCD display on the back is unresponsive.

When problem 2 happens, we've discovered that if we fully disconnect the unit (not just turn it off, but unplug it as well) and let it sit over night, MOST OF THE TIME, we get control back eventually, which leads me to think something is having to do a full discharge inside before it can "reset".

My question is, has anyone experienced this or something similar, and does anyone had any suggestions for in house repairs? Shipping an inventory this size out for repair is a little cost prohibitive for us at this moment, so I'm checking every avenue before we go that route.

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Update.
Finally got inside the suckers. Looks like the step down voltage regulator is completely fried. (See attachment). So my next question is, any idea where to find replacement boards?
 

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What does Chauvet have to say? Being that it is a discontinued product a large stock of parts isn't likely.
More importantly, have you addressed the problem of getting constant power to your lighting positions?
 
It doesn't look like the parts store carries that but it wouldn't hurt to send CSR an email and see if they just don't have it listed.
http://www.chauvetparts.com/subgrouping.htm?cat=5925

TBH I would take the fixtures that are having the most problems and pull them from use and turn those into your parts. Then first things first get some real power into them.
 
I would say you are correct. Wonder if the board they are selling is an upgraded board.

Or

They have become that efficient that they take the same cut boards and use them for multiple things to keep costs down on MFG side of things.
 
I agree that you probably did this by running them off dimmers set to non-dim. What kind of dimmers do you have, perhaps you can buy constant power modules for them.

Let's turn on the bat signal for our CB friends from Chauvet @Ford and @Ben Dickmann and see if they can tell us if that board will work or if they have a bin of the correct boards in the warehouse.
 
Older LED fixtures like this one, really don't like being run on "Non-Dim" Dimmers...so that's part of the reason. @brizelton PM me your contact info, and I'll get someone in contact with you ASAP.

I'm not intimately familiar with the inside of that fixture as it's not one of "mine", but, there is a chance the photo above is the correct part, that it just had a revision done to it. Again, I'll forward this thread over to our CS and Parts teams.
 
Hi all! Thank you so much for the responses! Sorry I'm a little late responding. Another update, I was actually able to find a replacement control board on chauvetparts.com, and installed it in two units showing the two different problems. It corrected the zoom problem, so I now I have full control of those units. Now I just have the few (significantly less) that turn on to full white with no screen to solve. Since it's so many less units, I'm thinking my point of attack is just going to be to ship them out somewhere for repair. I really appreciate everyone's help. ControlBooth has been one of my first lines of defense for years, and this is why.

And for all concerned parties,
I have purchased enough non dim trays for my sensor racks to run these little guys correctly from this point on. A perfect storm of things led us to this point, and unfortunately the damage was done before I got here. But once these guys are running, we should be good as gold.
 

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