Control/Dimming "Facts" about DMX
- Thread starterderekleffew
- Start date
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
Not much has changed on this issue since 1998, when I wrote this article, with some grinding of teeth!
Whose network is it, anyway? Why the end user is the loser in the DMX512 connector controversy
ST
Huzzah! A huge benefit of the switch to ACN will be the off the shelf nature of it's components. No more expensive DMX cables, you'll be able to make your own quickly, easily, and cheaply. It's still a long way away and the transition period is going to be a bit awkward with two standards about, but 20 years from now, when the change is done, it's going to be wonderful. All you young guys here on CB will be grumpy old T.D.'s saying,
"In my day we used 5 pin dmx cables and they were expensive! and we liked it. You kids don't know how easy you have it."
From the article cited:
Is work on this still in progress? Does anyone else see the irony in taking eleven years to develop a Compliance Statement to a Standard that took only a few meetings over the summer of 1986?
All you young guys here on CB will be grumpy old T.D.'s saying,
No actually, back in my day we used 0-10v
Or 0 to -10, or 1-10, or...
zuixro
Active Member
Someone around here used to say that you could run DMX down a barbed wire fence if you wanted to. My grandfather has 100+ feet of barbed wire fence running along both sides of his driveway. I fully intend on testing that claim when I have the equipment to. (properly terminated of course
)I might make a video and post it.
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Les
Well-Known Member
Someone around here used to say that you could run DMX down a barbed wire fence if you wanted to. My grandfather has 100+ feet of barbed wire fence running along both sides of his driveway. I fully intend on testing that claim when I have the equipment to. (properly terminated of course
I might make a video and post it.
Too bad there will be a short at each t-post (unless yours are wood). Otherwise, it sounds like a cool experiment, haha.
It's not uncommon for me to say you can run analogue audio over wet string, DMX over barbed wire would depend on length as well as the ambient noise floor in EMR terms, no to mention the atmospheric conditions would have a bearing.
It would be better done with a protocol that has some error checking ability. Watching the error count change as you moved further along the fence could be interesting...
It would be better done with a protocol that has some error checking ability. Watching the error count change as you moved further along the fence could be interesting...
epimetheus
Well-Known Member
So, by their analogy, the following is true: I have a 56 kbps modem that works fine on plain telephone cable. It conveys digital information. My 100baseT ethernet (100 Mhz LAN) is digital, therefore it should work fine on phone cable as well. Well, gee, why did I spend all that money on Cat 5 cable?
Somebody at Cheap Lights had better go to engineering school.
Somebody at Cheap Lights had better go to engineering school.
STEVETERRY
Well-Known Member
I realize the standard says 5 pin but I never saw the big argument about using 3 pin instead. Yes that does cause some doubling of inventory of cable and 3 to 5 pin adaptors, but in greater scheme of things, the other two pins have never come into play as thought orriginally. All that said, I do agree that a company shouldn't be giving out bad advice on the difference in cable and it's uses. Have I used a mic cable in a pinch, sure, I don't thinkl there are many out there that hasn't, but I certainly don't do it on a regular basis.
jmabray
Active Member
You're right. I don't like the 35 mph speed limit they set down the road either. I can go 40. It might cause a little more gas usage, but in the greater scheme of things, everyone else on the road is doing 40 as well so I should be able to do so too, Right? Sure I go over the speed limit upon occasion, as do most people, but if MADD or Insurance institute for Highway saftey came out and said that I should be going 40, does that make it right?
Maybe my analogy is a little extreme, but standards are written for reasons. They are also adapted and changed as a group of expierenced professionals who write the standards sees need to. It would seem that if there was not a reason for putting it on 5 pin cable in the first place, they could have made 3 pin an acceptable part of the standard in the times where the standard has been modified, no?
For a group of people to come along and completely disregard the standard ultimately doesn't do any one any good. See all the arguments and problems that they (these manufacturer's looking to save a few pennies on the dollar) have created? For other people to come along (who purport themselves to be professionals) and give not just bad, but tottally erroneous advice doesn't do anyone in the industry any good.
Maybe I have just answered too many tech service calls where people have said, "but I read on the inter-webs that it was ok to do this..."
Maybe my analogy is a little extreme, but standards are written for reasons. They are also adapted and changed as a group of expierenced professionals who write the standards sees need to. It would seem that if there was not a reason for putting it on 5 pin cable in the first place, they could have made 3 pin an acceptable part of the standard in the times where the standard has been modified, no?
For a group of people to come along and completely disregard the standard ultimately doesn't do any one any good. See all the arguments and problems that they (these manufacturer's looking to save a few pennies on the dollar) have created? For other people to come along (who purport themselves to be professionals) and give not just bad, but tottally erroneous advice doesn't do anyone in the industry any good.
Maybe I have just answered too many tech service calls where people have said, "but I read on the inter-webs that it was ok to do this..."
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I can certainly understand your frustration, I too wish it had sstayed at the five pin standard so you could tell what cables do what. Unfortunately the three pin usage is too common to completely irradicate. But for a company to publish completely erronious information is inexcusable.
Re: "Facts" about DMX - Now what do I do?
Someone grabbed my 3 pin "DMX" cable and put it in with the XLRs. How do I tell which one is the "DMX" cable?
I purchased an Elation Stage Pak 2 for adding lights in our gym for school plays and a worship service they have there on week ends. I wanted to try a temp setup before committing to additional electric work. I used two of the provided 3 pin "DMX" cables connected together to connect between two dimmer boxes. I needed a longer one from the controller to the dimmer in the ceiling so I grabbed an XLR to test things out. Someone came along and picked up the third cable, wound it up, and put it in the XLR box. So how can I tell which one is the "DMX" cable?
Could I try to determine the impedance some how? Say with an ohm meter?
Someone grabbed my 3 pin "DMX" cable and put it in with the XLRs. How do I tell which one is the "DMX" cable?
I purchased an Elation Stage Pak 2 for adding lights in our gym for school plays and a worship service they have there on week ends. I wanted to try a temp setup before committing to additional electric work. I used two of the provided 3 pin "DMX" cables connected together to connect between two dimmer boxes. I needed a longer one from the controller to the dimmer in the ceiling so I grabbed an XLR to test things out. Someone came along and picked up the third cable, wound it up, and put it in the XLR box. So how can I tell which one is the "DMX" cable?
Could I try to determine the impedance some how? Say with an ohm meter?
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Les
Well-Known Member
I'm resurrecting this thread because I found something else that is funny on the cheaplights site.
You can go here: CheapLights.com | Stage Lighting | DJ Equipment and scroll to 121-FISHPACK-1C or just continue reading.
121-FISHPACK-1C
$72.79
Single chrome P64 fishing light with deluxe 8 foot stand and high quality 1000 watt bulb. If you don't need the stand order (1) 121-P64-1C & (1) 148-FFP. Par can Size: 10.5 x 16.5 Weight: 3.0 lb. Stand Size: 43.0 x 6.0' x 5.0 Weight: 13.0 lb. Bulb Size: 8.0 x 7.0 x 7.0 Weight: 2.0 lb. Total Weight: 18.0 lb. (These packages do not include a frame for a color gel because a 1000 watt bulb would melt a gel)
... FISHING LIGHT???
And I love their lame (and widely incorrect) excuse as to why they don't include a color frame! Sounds so... black and white. If you don't remember, that's what they said about people who advise not using mic cable as a substitute for DMX cable.
You can go here: CheapLights.com | Stage Lighting | DJ Equipment and scroll to 121-FISHPACK-1C or just continue reading.
121-FISHPACK-1C
$72.79
Single chrome P64 fishing light with deluxe 8 foot stand and high quality 1000 watt bulb. If you don't need the stand order (1) 121-P64-1C & (1) 148-FFP. Par can Size: 10.5 x 16.5 Weight: 3.0 lb. Stand Size: 43.0 x 6.0' x 5.0 Weight: 13.0 lb. Bulb Size: 8.0 x 7.0 x 7.0 Weight: 2.0 lb. Total Weight: 18.0 lb. (These packages do not include a frame for a color gel because a 1000 watt bulb would melt a gel)
... FISHING LIGHT???
And I love their lame (and widely incorrect) excuse as to why they don't include a color frame! Sounds so... black and white. If you don't remember, that's what they said about people who advise not using mic cable as a substitute for DMX cable.
jmabray
Active Member
Yeah. believe it or not, when I used to work at a dealer, one of my first sales calls in to the shop was a guy asking for a fishing light. I had no idea what they were talking about either.
It's basically a Par 56 or 64. Fisherman like to use it cause the fish are attracted to the light at night. So they mount it up on their boat or somesuch and fish away. (I have even heard about one guy who waterproofed the whole contraption and put the light underwater.)
So yeah.... fish light.
It's basically a Par 56 or 64. Fisherman like to use it cause the fish are attracted to the light at night. So they mount it up on their boat or somesuch and fish away. (I have even heard about one guy who waterproofed the whole contraption and put the light underwater.)
So yeah.... fish light.
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