How in the world do I address this light?

[Les]

First mistake was buying these cheap generic LED lights, but they seem popular enough and this is a cheap little effect that can't have a large fixture inside it and quality doesn't matter much.

Here's the fixture we're dealing with; four of them inside pendant lights. No doubt they look a little familiar as they're a dime a dozen all over the place. I'd like for them to be addressed individually, but we can't figure out how to get them to listen to DMX (ETC Element) at all.

Here is the back of the fixture and the "manual". The DIP switches are a little unusual in that they also select operating modes. I'm just a little (or a lot) unclear on how to get the fixture in to DMX mode and then how to set the starting channel.

So far, I'm thinking it basically comes to setting the DIP switches and then bringing up an intensity channel before individual color control can be achieved (and of course creating a simple RGB LED personality in the console, which is easy enough). I read a comment on YouTube that seemed to state a similar point:

"I believe channel 1 is actually intensity/blink, and 2-4 is Red,Green,Blue. ... If channel 1 is set to 0-127 it is the intensity of the whole fixture, and 128 and above changes blink rate. If you set the fixture to channel 1 and move the channel 1 slider to about 50%, then you'll probably see that channel 2 controls red just fine, 3 is green, and 4 is blue. Maybe not what you're expecting compared to other fixtures, but that's the way it's stated in the manual, and the way my cheap-off-of-ebay lights work."

Other than that, any advice from those who have dealt with similar things in the past? I'm bad enough with regular DIP switches...

 

[techieman33]

If they're like the ones I got to play with then switch 10 needs to be on to put the light in dmx mode, then you address them like any other fixture. If you have trouble with dip switches then there are apps that will translate a dmx address to dip switch settings.

 

[Colin Bishop]

If they're like the ones I got to play with then switch 10 needs to be on to put the light in dmx mode, then you address them like any other fixture. If you have trouble with dip switches then there are apps that will translate a dmx address to dip switch settings.

That sounds about right, I set up 10 of these for a room in my church for DMX, very inexpensive light, we paid $110 for 10 of them but they look good as effects wash lights how we are using them. Once you set switch 10 to on it should address as normal, if I remember correctly.

Address 1 is indeed intensity and strobe, leaving that at full allow the next 3 channels to be used as RGB normally. However one of ours turned out to be RBG for some odd reason, had to make him another profile. Also when there was no DMX being sent, no console connected, they would flash occasionally so we have to unplug them when not in use.

They are the lights on the walls and truss in this picture

 

[EdSavoie]

they would flash occasionally so we have to unplug them when not in use.

Uh, Is it just me, or does it sound like manufacturer did something fairly bad to the DMX daughter board? I wonder if they tried referencing DMX shield to mains neutral...

 

[JChenault]

Suggestions

Step one. Before you write a profile, figure our how the light works by just addressing each dmx address as a regular dimmer., and play with it till it makes sense


Don't forget that the manufactuer's idea of on and off in dip switch position may be opposite of yours.

Don't forget that to get light out of the fixture, the RGB values AND the intensity need to be at some level.

 

[derekleffew]

"How in the world do I address this light?"

Confidently and cheerfully step toward the luminaire with right hand extended.
In a friendly, comforting voice, say "Hello light."

(Apologies to Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.)
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FF to 2:10.

 

[lwinters630]

First mistake was buying these cheap generic LED lights, but they seem popular enough and this is a cheap little effect that can't have a large fixture inside it and quality doesn't matter much.

Here's the fixture we're dealing with; four of them inside pendant lights. No doubt they look a little familiar as they're a dime a dozen all over the place. I'd like for them to be addressed individually, but we can't figure out how to get them to listen to DMX (ETC Element) at all.

Here is the back of the fixture and the "manual". The DIP switches are a little unusual in that they also select operating modes. I'm just a little (or a lot) unclear on how to get the fixture in to DMX mode and then how to set the starting channel.
View attachment 14359

View attachment 14360

View attachment 14361

View attachment 14362

So far, I'm thinking it basically comes to setting the DIP switches and then bringing up an intensity channel before individual color control can be achieved (and of course creating a simple RGB LED personality in the console, which is easy enough). I read a comment on YouTube that seemed to state a similar point:

"I believe channel 1 is actually intensity/blink, and 2-4 is Red,Green,Blue. ... If channel 1 is set to 0-127 it is the intensity of the whole fixture, and 128 and above changes blink rate. If you set the fixture to channel 1 and move the channel 1 slider to about 50%, then you'll probably see that channel 2 controls red just fine, 3 is green, and 4 is blue. Maybe not what you're expecting compared to other fixtures, but that's the way it's stated in the manual, and the way my cheap-off-of-ebay lights work."

Other than that, any advice from those who have dealt with similar things in the past? I'm bad enough with regular DIP switches...

bring the light next to your board and plug it into DMX out 1, start a new show then try setting dip 10 on, then set your open dmx address (IE dip 1). Next on you board patch channel to address 1 chose type and pick elation opti tri par, then 4 ch. It should now work. (i hope)

 

[JD]

Two suggestions:
1) Meter the power input connector (H&N) to pin 1 and the frame. Just ran into some frightening info on how bad the cheap Chinese switch-mode supplies are at losing isolation between the mains and the secondary, usually right in the high-freq transformer itself.
2) Use an Opto-isolator between these lights and the board so you don't end up cooking the board.

 

[MarshallPope]

I've used a variation of these, and IIRC, the dip switches were the exact opposite of the manual - as in 1=10 and on=off.

 

[StradivariusBone]

I second (or third or fourth) the switch 10 engaging DMX mode, but the documentation seems to indicate that 1 and 10 have to be on, which I guess then gives 2-9 for your 8 bit address?

We've got a couple of older ADJ fixtures that work in a very similar manner. As far as addressing them, it's kinda nice that they give you the binary place values there, haven't seen that before. If you can do the mental math that will help, but there are a couple apps for the phones that give you the DIP switch settings if you punch in a number.

 

[Les]

Thanks for all the help, everyone! I programmed the show last night, but we were in a bit of a time crunch so I just set the lights to an internal color change program, which will work okay if all else fails. Since I'm out of the woods with setting cues, I may revisit this and try the advice here.

For inquiring minds, the show is Sister Act, and the lights are inside these "church pendants". The lights themselves actually came from a movie theatre that hadn't been renovated since the 80's. The stenciled crosses are actually gaff tape. For most of the show, they are lit using an incandescent A-lamp, but for Sunday Morning Fever, they go a little crazy with the LED color changes.

And there may be some electrical anomalies with these fixtures - when we first set them up, I took the DMX from the outputs of our Elation SixPars. The weird thing was, whenever we'd give power to the cheap LED's, the SixPars would turn off. That was before we even attempted addressing the lights. I was thinking it was possibly a leakage issue where the cheap lights are feeding voltage back in to the SixPar's DMX Out, but I'd have to meter it. I just ended up isolating them from the signal chain for the time being.

 

[Van]

A: "Hello, Light."

 

[StradivariusBone]

A: "Hello, Light."

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[Chris Pflieger]

I second (or third or fourth) the switch 10 engaging DMX mode, but the documentation seems to indicate that 1 and 10 have to be on, which I guess then gives 2-9 for your 8 bit address?

8 bits isn't enough.

The "manual" indicates that 1 & 10 need to be on for DMX control. This makes sense because you can't set the start address to 0. So, 10 sets it to console control via DMX and 1-9 are the addressing bits; at least one of those nine switches will be engaged for any possible address. You've got to read between the lines to determine that switch 1 itself doesn't have to be on.

 

[SteveB]

"How in the world do I address this light?"

Confidently and cheerfully step toward the luminaire with right hand extended.
In a friendly, comforting voice, say "Hello light."

(Apologies to Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.)
-----

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Accept third party cookies

FF to 2:10.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !, for posting this.

I do this all the time at work. NOBODY gets it.

We be old farts.

 

[StradivariusBone]

8 bits isn't enough.

The "manual" indicates that 1 & 10 need to be on for DMX control. This makes sense because you can't set the start address to 0. So, 10 sets it to console control via DMX and 1-9 are the addressing bits; at least one of those nine switches will be engaged for any possible address. You've got to read between the lines to determine that switch 1 itself doesn't have to be on.

Whoops, math brain wasn't fully engaged. You are exactly right it does need another bit to get to 512. In that case it is exactly the same as other DIP switch setups I've seen.

 

[JohnD]

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Of course, the grumpy old geezer response would be "Why, I remember when a computer was a person, not a machine!"*
*It should also be noted that when computer referred to a person who computes, they could also be called a computist.

 

[ALT2870]

I used those exact fixtures the past couple years on an Element myself. Cheap but they did a great job.

Used here in "Anything Goes" to light up portholes.

 

[Les]

I used those exact fixtures the past couple years on an Element myself. Cheap but they did a great job.

Used here in "Anything Goes" to light up portholes.

What's the secret? We ended up using them with their internal color-changing program since we only needed them for flash-n-trash. But I'd really like to get them working properly.

 

[ALT2870]

I didn't use them this year since the show didn't demand it. (We had all moving sets with projections.) I'll take a look tomorrow to remember exactly how I did it. But if memory serves correctly, 10 needs to always be on as that regulates whether it is controlled via DMX or not. Then use the sheet you posted that is labeled DMX console address. The actual DMX address is achieved by flipping or not flipping each switch down the line. On that sheet right side are the only numbers you can address the fixtures to if I'm not mistaken. If you read across that row you'll see which ones you need to flip. So for example if I want address 99 I need to flip 1, 2, 7, and 8. which is 1, 2, 32, and 64 respectively. I could be wrong and you can flip any combo you like and just do the math. Hopefully that makes some sense and I'll double check tomorrow. I'm 99.99% sure 1 does not need to be flipped down to make DMX work. I can also tell you what custom patch I used to make them work with the board if needed.