Control/Dimming HELP! ENR 96 Dimmers Flashing

[Zel]

I have an old Colortran ENR 96 Dimmer rack that flashes when it receives DMX from the lighting board. Viewpoint works fine but any intensity over and above the View point setting causes the lights to flash. This is an intermittent problem (of course).
I have swapped out lighting boards, Viewpoint module as well as both controller modules…twice. Just today the flashing started when the lighting board was plugged in and not sending ANY intensity out (faders at zero, grand master at zero, black out button of doom engaged). Unplugging DMX stops the flashing. The cable is true DMX, shielded and has been working for 9 years so I don’t think that’s the problem
Not sure where to go from here. It’s almost like the DMX interpreter chip is getting through when it’s not supposed (like two boards “Y” cabled together) to but with 6 controller modules and 2 viewpoint modules replaced I don’t know what to say. The ONLY thing in common is the EPROM that has to remain with the racks since the rack in question is phased balanced and the donor racks are sequential, but I can’t see how that would be an issue. The donor racks were is good working order when we replaced them 5 years ago, but since the problem remains the same I doubt each rack suddenly broke the same way.
And Ideas?

 

[BillESC]

Have you contacted Leviton Service Department? 800-736-6682

 

[Zel]

Have you contacted Leviton Service Department? 800-736-6682

I'm waiting for a call back. The only thing in common now are the rack, push button stations, cabling...what else, local power company, the ether, moon...

 

[RikkiHands]

Nine-year-old cable?Definitely worth at least putting in a new cable! Do the dimmers have a DMX pass-thru? If so you might try putting a DMX terminator at the end of the line.A DMX-ter is good thing to have on hand as well if it's within your budget -- hand-held device that outputs DMX.If it's all still screwed up, remember the words of many doctors: "Sometimes, people die, and we just don't know why." i.e. your Colortran system may have simply bit the dust

 

[Zel]

Fortunately there is a cable break I can plug into (we extended the DMX run when we moved that position). I heard back from Colortran/Leviton/NSI/et.al. and it apprears we are down to cable/back plane/contacts/whatever.
This has been long overdue for an upgrade and to paraphrase the doc. “Sometimes racks die and I don’t care why”.
I’ll let you know what I find, if anything. I was hoping for an “Ah ha” moment somewhere.
Thx,

 

[Zel]

OK, so the problem is fixed. It finally failed long enough and early enough for me to trouble shoot the problem. Up until now it always failed 10 minutes before our Wednesday night service leaving me to grasp at straws.
The answer you ask??? A stupid DMX splitter that was put inline about 6 years ago when High School had that room so they could run DMX to the stage. It started failing slowly at first and so randomly we could do little more than “Know about it” for two years. Very frustrating but finally solved.