is 240v spotlights to dmx possible?

[nicky]

basically, im looking for some sort of lighting (spot lights for behind our amps) so that it can be programmed to our backing track instead of using footswitch..

is it possible?
and also would it need to be dmx or would there be some sort of way of using normal 230V spotlights somehow?
or possibly 12v LED spotlights?

cheers!

 

[nicky]

i am currently trying to make it so i can have my 3 spotlights i have behind my amps on stands plug into my laptop/desktop somehow so i could control it with either dmx or midi..

am i being stupid? or could this actually work?

please get in touch!
i need and appreciate your help!

nick!

 

[SteveB]

i am currently trying to make it so i can have my 3 spotlights i have behind my amps on stands plug into my laptop/desktop somehow so i could control it with either dmx or midi..

am i being stupid? or could this actually work?

please get in touch!
i need and appreciate your help!

nick!

You can use a dimmer designed to respond to DMX control. You need to find out the wattage of the lamp and power the individual lamps off a dimmer, or dimmers if you want individual control. Typical of a dimming system might be a portable pack with 4 to 6 dimmers, such as http://jands.com/dimmers/

Only issue becomes if these spotlights have internal fans, which would then need the fan power isolated from the lamp and run on constant power.

 

[nicky]

Theyre just normal security spotlights, think theyre 150watt.. I currently have them set up with a footswitch so when i stand on the footswitch the lights come up then when i release they go off..

Im hoping to automate the light somehow with our backing track..

I wouldn't mind converting to 12v if this isn't possible at all.. Thank you for the reply

You can use a dimmer designed to respond to DMX control. You need to find out the wattage of the lamp and power the individual lamps off a dimmer, or dimmers if you want individual control. Typical of a dimming system might be a portable pack with 4 to 6 dimmers, such as http://jands.com/dimmers/

Only issue becomes if these spotlights have internal fans, which would then need the fan power isolated from the lamp and run on constant power.

ust normal

 

[SteveB]

Theyre just normal security spotlights, think theyre 150watt.. I currently have them set up with a footswitch so when i stand on the footswitch the lights come up then when i release they go off..

Im hoping to automate the light somehow with our backing track..

I wouldn't mind converting to 12v if this isn't possible at all.. Thank you for the reply

ust normal

It's a common item, a 240 dimmer pack. I'd check a club/disco supply company for something inexpensive that can read DMX. Chauvet makes some stuff, not sure about 240 volt though. Where are you located ?

 

[nicky]

What outputs do 3 pin and 5 pin dmx boxes give out? Like do they give power an stuff?

Why sort of voltage can they handle?

 

[len]

I don't think it carries much "power" like a power cord does, if I understand your question (which I'm not sure I do). Since any electrical signal is electrons moving back and forth, dmx is technically "power" (from my HS electricity class which was several millenium ago) but the amount is so low that it really isn't considered such. It's "power" in the same way that any computer signal flowing through a wire is a "power."

The official standard for dmx is 5 pin xlr cables. (There's much more and I am oversimplifying but it's up to you to seek out the USITT standard and read up on it) I forgot which pin is which, but in most cases only 3 of the 5 do anything. The other two were originally designed to carry feedback information from the fixtures to the console, but that really hasn't been implemented by too many manufacturers. The 3 pin xlr cable carries the same dmx signal data and many fixture and console mfg. have 3-pin data ports, likely because 3-pin data cable is cheap, plentiful, and in many cases microphone cable can be substituted.

If that doesn't answer your question you might want to explain what it is you're trying to do so that a more accurate answer can be provided.

 

[nicky]

hi len, thanks for replying! basically what i'm trying to set up is, i have 240v spotlights,like standard security ones, and im currently running them to a footswitch for live shows so if i push the switch the lights come if i let go they go off (push to make switch) and im bascially trying to get it so i can use some sort of program on my computer to automate them.. bit like programming them?

thank again mate
nick

 

[Bubby4j]

To control any standard incandescent bulb, you need a dimmer, controllable by DMX. (Or relay, if you just want on-off functionality)
To control the dimmer, you'll need something that can output DMX, such as a USB to DMX converter.

Then you'll need the software on the computer to output to the converter, and DMX cable & a terminator to connect the dimmer(s) up with.

 

[nicky]

does the dimmer have to be dmx controllable? so basically i could get a so called 'dimmer' i have no clue what this is.. and then plug a usb to dmx cable into it and my computer would recognise the dimmer?

 

[Bubby4j]

does the dimmer have to be dmx controllable? so basically i could get a so called 'dimmer' i have no clue what this is.. and then plug a usb to dmx cable into it and my computer would recognise the dimmer?

It's a bit more involved, you have to set the dimmer to use a specific DMX address, and then in the DMX software you'd tell it where the fixture is addressed.

Technically no, it wouldn't HAVE to be DMX controllable, you could use some other protocol, but I wouldn't recommend anything except DMX because it'd the most widely used lighting protocol and everything else is usually older, legacy protocols.

I highly suggest you read up on how DMX & stage lighting works in general before just diving in.

 

[nicky]

would something like this work? is this what your talking about?

http://www.liteputer.com.tw/product_detail.asp?id=366

 

[Bubby4j]

would something like this work? is this what your talking about?

http://www.liteputer.com.tw/product_detail.asp?id=366

Theoretically, yes. That is a DMX dimmer, specifically rack mount.

I've never heard of that brand so I don't know if it's a cheaper or nicer one.

You need to make sure that you get a dimmer which satisfies your wattage needs.

If you're going to be dimming a lot of channels, it'd be best to get a large rack system, such as ETC sensor.

Otherwise, smaller "shoebox" dimmers may be the best choice. There's many companies that make these, such as NSI.

Generally, shoebox dimmers are limited to standard circuit sizes, in the US it'd be 20A @ 120v, plus each channel is even less than that.

 

[nicky]

my lights are basically 3.77amp or something each.. i have 3 of them.. and lookign to throw a strobe in one of the channels too.. so you reckon a 4 channel one would do?

 

[Bubby4j]

my lights are basically 3.77amp or something each.. i have 3 of them.. and lookign to throw a strobe in one of the channels too.. so you reckon a 4 channel one would do?

A strobe light likely would have it's own DMX control, you wouldn't connect it to a dimmer.

3.77amp @ 240v is 904.8W. So you'll need a hefty dimmer pack. That's 2.7kW total, you might need to run them on 2 different circuits. I'm not aware how much a 240v circuit can usually take, in the US our's max out at 2400W usually, but sometimes 1800W.

It really depends how you're going to be using them, are you going to be installing them somewhere permanently? Or are you going to be taking these to gigs and stuff?

 

[Les]

I agree about avoiding strobes on dimmer channels. The main reason is because dimmers output a "preheat voltage" even when at zero, which can do weird things to strobes (the capacitors can charge and fire the strobe tube at random intervals). But if you use a DMX strobe, you can connect it to the DMX out on the dimmer pack. Plug the strobe's AC input in to a wall outlet.

 

[JD]

Ok, a few thoughts in no particular order:

1) There are two types of strobe circuits. One type discharges a capacitor across the flash tube, the other fires the flash tube right off the AC line. Neither play well with dimmers, in fact, the cap type often use a voltage doubler circuit which can go into extreme over-voltage when powered with a reverse sawtooth waveform, such as what comes from a dimmer pack.

2) DMX is a control protocol. You can get USB/DMX adapters (called a Dongle) and run your show from a laptop. You cannot use the DMX itself to power something. The control signal would control a dimmer pack (for standard lights) or an LED par, or a moving light. In each case, the power comes from a separate AC connection.

3) Something is off on the power calculations on the floodlights. Are you located in a country where your AC outlets provide 240 volts? If so, each of your 150 watt floods would only draw a bit over a half of an amp. (0.625) Three of them would still be under 2 amps. Most "shoebox" dimmers can handle about 5 amps per channel. The dimmer would have to be able to work off of a 240 volt outlet. Not all do.

4) 12 volt lamps at 150 watts would not be practical as they would be drawing 12.5 amps each.

 

[nicky]

Hi JD,
notes taken on the strobe dmx thingy! my country is 240v, live in england UK.. i've found a few different dimmers that work on 240v and around 5A.. you reckon it'd be safe to do it?
will my pc detect the dimmer if i plug it into the usb slot with the aforementioned cable? does most dmx software work with most dimmers also?
thanks for the replies guys/gals!

 

[MarshallPope]

Without seeing the dimmers that you mention, it sounds like that should be what you are looking for. Any (for the most part) dimmer will work with any source of DMX signal. What you will have to double-check will be that whatever USB-DMX thingamajig you get will be compatible with the software that you want to use. Your computer will not know what dimmers are in the DMX chain. It will just know that there are 512 potential channels that it can send data to. You will have to set the dimmer to the channels you want it on and then tell the software which channels to use.

 

[JD]

To expand on the laptop subject a bit: You need to buy/download light board software. Some of the programs out there are pretty complex, but as this has been going on for a few years, my bet is by now there may be some DJ type software, maybe even freeware, but you will have to look around. If you go this route, the next step would be to buy the dongle (USB to DMX interface device). Some software only works with some dongles, so check first with the source of your software. The dongle will probably come with drivers to install in your computer so that your computer recognizes it. You will also have to check to make sure your light board software is communicating with the dongle driver. Once you are at that point, you are ready to start setting up dimmers, pars, movers, whatever.

DMX 101 lite: DMX is one way communication, so your computer will not know what is connected to it. Set your dimmer address to 1 (or 001) and then set your software to know channel 1 goes to DMX 1. If it's a 4 channel "shoebox" dimmer, it will now be on board channels 1,2,3, and 4. If you add something later, set it's address to 5 and so on...