Tenball
Member
Please forgive me it's been years since I did any lighting design or theatrical lighting. The last time I did it was mid to late 1990s. I know a lot has changed and trying to educate myself on all the changes, that being said, I know enough to be dangerous, but hopefully smart enough to ask for help, suggestions, and advice. I have spent the last 4 days here in the forums trying to find answers for what I'd like to do and not really finding them. Maybe I'm not searching for the right things. Feel free to school me, just be somewhat gentle with the 2x4 please.
I'll try not to be too long winded but hopefully supply all the info needed for your input and suggestions.
The building is a prefabricated 60' x 100' steel building, current lighting is 8' fluorescent 2 bulb fixtures. The fixtures were installed when the building was built about 20 years ago and now a good number of the ballasts are failing, not surprisingly, and we are looking to completely replace the existing lighting. There are some additions to the building that we would like to change in the future, so the system needs to be able to handle that when we get the funds to make them.
Members of the museum have traveled around the country looking at what other model train clubs, museums, and attractions are doing so that we might be able to create similar experiences. The consensus is that the lighting should make a transition from dawn to dusk and back to dawn again in a given timeline, say 30 minutes. There is also a need for lamps to be turned on and off over walkways, preferably dimming them as the environmental lighting makes the changes from dawn to dusk and back. We also need to be able to have bright white light for working on the layouts or maintenance when the museum is closed to the public. The system needs to be complex enough to control all the instruments but also simple enough to control once programmed that people with no knowledge can flip a switch or push a button to control. Most of the membership is 60s+.
On to the hair brained ideas I have come up with and for you to tell me how far off base I am. I have been looking at the Interactive Technologies CueServer 2 mini for controlling the instruments. To create the main environmental lighting my thought is to use DMX controlled RGBAW+UV PAR instruments focused mainly down to wash the layouts, but also adding in some washes both up walls and across the ceiling. The layouts will also have mini "lipstick" LED spots to highlight buildings or other points of interest. I'm planning on using a DMX dimmer to control them as the environmental lighting changes. Lastly we want to have old fashion warehouse lights with dimmable LED bulbs that will dim opposite of the environmental lighting.
Using the CueServer 2 mini and modules to run the DMX PAR instruments seems rather straightforward and to control the system with the push button pads for simplicity of use. I have also found the DMX driver dimmer for the single color LED spots (PX24606). What I haven't found is a DMX dimmer or relay to control the 120V old fashioned warehouse lights. I think a dimmer pack for a few lights is overkill and not needed.
Thoughts and suggestions?
Thank you in advance for reading and any help or suggestions you have.
Russ a volunteer way over his head!
I'll try not to be too long winded but hopefully supply all the info needed for your input and suggestions.
The building is a prefabricated 60' x 100' steel building, current lighting is 8' fluorescent 2 bulb fixtures. The fixtures were installed when the building was built about 20 years ago and now a good number of the ballasts are failing, not surprisingly, and we are looking to completely replace the existing lighting. There are some additions to the building that we would like to change in the future, so the system needs to be able to handle that when we get the funds to make them.
Members of the museum have traveled around the country looking at what other model train clubs, museums, and attractions are doing so that we might be able to create similar experiences. The consensus is that the lighting should make a transition from dawn to dusk and back to dawn again in a given timeline, say 30 minutes. There is also a need for lamps to be turned on and off over walkways, preferably dimming them as the environmental lighting makes the changes from dawn to dusk and back. We also need to be able to have bright white light for working on the layouts or maintenance when the museum is closed to the public. The system needs to be complex enough to control all the instruments but also simple enough to control once programmed that people with no knowledge can flip a switch or push a button to control. Most of the membership is 60s+.
On to the hair brained ideas I have come up with and for you to tell me how far off base I am. I have been looking at the Interactive Technologies CueServer 2 mini for controlling the instruments. To create the main environmental lighting my thought is to use DMX controlled RGBAW+UV PAR instruments focused mainly down to wash the layouts, but also adding in some washes both up walls and across the ceiling. The layouts will also have mini "lipstick" LED spots to highlight buildings or other points of interest. I'm planning on using a DMX dimmer to control them as the environmental lighting changes. Lastly we want to have old fashion warehouse lights with dimmable LED bulbs that will dim opposite of the environmental lighting.
Using the CueServer 2 mini and modules to run the DMX PAR instruments seems rather straightforward and to control the system with the push button pads for simplicity of use. I have also found the DMX driver dimmer for the single color LED spots (PX24606). What I haven't found is a DMX dimmer or relay to control the 120V old fashioned warehouse lights. I think a dimmer pack for a few lights is overkill and not needed.
Thoughts and suggestions?
Thank you in advance for reading and any help or suggestions you have.
Russ a volunteer way over his head!
