Automated Fixtures I-cue issues and alternatives.

[LXkat]

I have been using i-cues for years, and the past couple of seasons the company I work for has had increasing issues with the i-cues holding their correct position. Or more accurately homing to a consistent position. Causing either the programming to be off position (as it did not home correctly at the start of a long day of tech and writing cues) or the run of a show to be off position. I know I-cues are not always the most reliable accessory, but this has become a more common issue. The same issue presents itself with the units that are a few years old, as well as in the units purchased just last season. In conversations with another theatre company that had similar issues, they made a macro that pushed the motors to their extreme pan and tilt positions, thus resetting the parameters on the unit and correcting the issue. This works much of the time, but is not a 100% solution.
Has anyone else come across the issue of an icue not homing correctly causing the light to be off by several feet through the whole show? I am wondering if it is a network issue as our network is about 25 years old. The console is an ETC ion.

As we typically use the i-cues in combination with a DMX iris, we are creating a low-end, low-profile moving light. What other fixtures would be good for a similar low-profile and low-cost moving light?

 

[RonHebbard]

I have been using i-cues for years, and the past couple of seasons the company I work for has had increasing issues with the i-cues holding their correct position. Or more accurately homing to a consistent position. Causing either the programming to be off position (as it did not home correctly at the start of a long day of tech and writing cues) or the run of a show to be off position. I know I-cues are not always the most reliable accessory, but this has become a more common issue. The same issue presents itself with the units that are a few years old, as well as in the units purchased just last season. In conversations with another theatre company that had similar issues, they made a macro that pushed the motors to their extreme pan and tilt positions, thus resetting the parameters on the unit and correcting the issue. This works much of the time, but is not a 100% solution.
Has anyone else come across the issue of an icue not homing correctly causing the light to be off by several feet through the whole show? I am wondering if it is a network issue as our network is about 25 years old. The console is an ETC ion.

As we typically use the i-cues in combination with a DMX iris, we are creating a low-end, low-profile moving light. What other fixtures would be good for a similar low-profile and low-cost moving light?

@LXkat When we chose our DMX Irises, we selected a Rosco Iris that permitted a DMX value of zero to be either wide open or fully closed.
We chose the option for DMX zero to equal wide open and here's why:
All too often board operators will grab all channels and take them to zero for either a dead black out and / or a new starting point.
Many / most DMX irises assume a DMX value of zero equals fully closed. By having the iris interpret a DMX value of 100% as fully closed and zero as fully open it eliminated the problem of operators taking all channels to zero and then inadvertently calling the lamp behind the iris and I-Mirror up to some level and inadvertently cooking the iris without ever realizing the I-Mirror's projecting a tiny dot of primary blue onto the FOH ceiling or floor or back of a patron's head. With a DMX value of zero equating to wide open, the I-Mirror was far more obvious if / when inadvertently lit in error.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[LXkat]

@LXkat When we chose our DMX Irises, we selected a Rosco Iris that permitted a DMX value of zero to be either wide open or fully closed.
We chose the option for DMX zero to equal wide open and here's why:
All too often board operators will grab all channels and take them to zero for either a dead black out and / or a new starting point.
Many / most DMX irises assume a DMX value of zero equals fully closed. By having the iris interpret a DMX value of 100% as fully closed and zero as fully open it eliminated the problem of operators taking all channels to zero and then inadvertently calling the lamp behind the iris and I-Mirror up to some level and inadvertently cooking the iris without ever realizing the I-Mirror's projecting a tiny dot of primary blue onto the FOH ceiling or floor or back of a patron's head. With a DMX value of zero equating to wide open, the I-Mirror was far more obvious if / when inadvertently lit in error.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Not sure how that addresses the issues I described with the i-cues. So far, we have not had any issues with the DMX irises, and have not mistaken iris control with intensity. No errant spots of light onto architecture or audiences. Only the desired light coming up sometimes 5 feet away from the intended target.

The issue is the consistency of position when the light comes on several feet from where it was programmed. This has happened days (even a week) after programming, and we have had to re-cue entire productions to correct it. Just to have it be off again the next day.

 

[JChenault]

Can’t help you with the ICue issues, but if you start looking for alternates, I would suggest trying Apollo’s Rt Arm.

I have a pair that are now about 6 years old. The only issue I have seen is when they are out of weight ( a loose yoke bolt ) or when it got cought on something. I run a S4 with scroller and iris. One other advantage is they work well with 50 degree lenses.

 

[macsound]

I used to design at a church with a funky sloped ceiling that at the top corner above the stage, 3 18" gluelam beams converged. So essentially it was a triangle split in half.
In that little triangle were 4 Source4's with iCues, 5 more source fours and 2 source four pars. Lots of heat getting trapped by those beams.

The stepper motors on the iCues would get hot and then the magnets inside would start get worn a little by the heated shaft movement. Over time, the magnetic dust would literally clog up the shaft. They would move in large jumps and eventually stop moving all together.
Instead of buying official parts, I googled (and this was with 2005 internet) the part number to find replacements from a vendor or source that wasn't theatrical. Ended up being able to get parts for $14 instead of $250 from a theatrical vendor.
While I waited for them to ship from china, I took the motor apart to figure out the cause.
This is when I noticed the wear and magnetic dust. I took a toothbrush and cleaned the magnet and shaft and reassembled. That lasted about 8 months. Then I replaced the motor.

 

[Chris Pflieger]

Profile movers have come a long way in the last two years...

 

[microstar]

Then there are the Meteor Elipscan, Flexscan, and Puppeteer units. Unfortunately they are all too noisy for most of the applications one uses an I-cue for, but they do work. Look under Theatrical Products.

Meteor Light and Sound Company for Discotheque Lighting and Disco Effects - Theatrical Lighting

Meteor Light and Sound Company - Innovators in Entertainment Lighting and Theatrical Special Effects.

www.meteor-global.com

 

[Lextech]

You mentioned that both your new and old units were acting up. I would suggest you look at your power supply as a possible problem. Low power output or a data issue could both cause the problems you report.

 

[Dionysus]

Most of the time a little service work or just a second hard reset to re centre has generally done the trick for years. I have two I-Cues of my own (5 years old now) and several in venue inventories.
I exclusively use mine with either Source-4s with 19 or 26 degree barrels and 575w lamps, or LED source-4s (Lustr+ or TungstenHD mostly), I can imagine some fixtures with additional heat may be an issue. Also (I don't think this NEEDS mentioning) make sure that they are FIRMLY INSERTED into the CORRECT SLOT of the frame holder, and the fixtures are proplerly "locked down" so they don't move slightly over time.

I always build a preshow "check" cue that focuses I-Cues on something that one can easily double check that the I-cue is still in its proper location and is centred properly.
This way when I flash though with the cue up I know they are good to go for the show.

Just like anything that moves, you need to perform periodic maintenance checks, and repairs. Things get loose and things wear out... Heck I've found things caught in my I-Cue before.

Cheers!

 

[Lextech]

I mentioned this thread to a coworker and he mentioned having i-cue problems if they were NOT the first thing in the chain when using with a DMX iris. Just a thought.

 

[Dionysus]

I mentioned this thread to a coworker and he mentioned having i-cue problems if they were NOT the first thing in the chain when using with a DMX iris. Just a thought.

Interesting. I use PS-02 power supplies so one power supply does an I-Cue and an iris with only a single 4' piece of 4-pin cable. I did not mention this earlier but BE SURE THEY ARE GETTING ENOUGH POWER. Check the output on your power supply and then compare to your load (and don't forget losses in the cable!!)

 

[Gobokat]

Out of curiosity, are you power cycling the power supplies for the iris/ICue units or just leaving them on between shows? I have had issues with the ICues losing home position if they were not power cycled between performances

 

[LXkat]

Out of curiosity, are you power cycling the power supplies for the iris/ICue units or just leaving them on between shows? I have had issues with the ICues losing home position if they were not power cycled between performances

The units are powered off at the end of the night and back on during pre-show prep. They are never left on without the console also on. Sometimes power cycling is the only way to get them to home again.