Lights dip to zero randomly using an ION Board and Show Baby DMX

[gaffer1]

Okay. So i've been using a brand new Ion board connected through show babes rigged on a motorized truss systems in a corporate environment. I'm hooked up to 26 new ETC Source 4 LED Ellipsoids. We use this rig which is permanently hung. Usually once or twice a week. Last week the show got started and the rig seemed to randomly dip to zero without anyone touching the board. Nothing on the monitors indicated that the board was being manipulated in any way. It was a static cue that is looped to itself and it's a simple fade to only the backlights. Cue is run in the normal way in a cue stack. We have one fader wing wing attached. The fader wing was not active but had some things stored in it.

I did not notice the backlights and side lights dip to black the first time. The second time it happened it did the whole rig first the backlight truss then the front light truss. This randomly happened for the hour the show ran and as you can imagine everyone was screaming about the lights changing during the important corporate event. After the show was over and everyone calmed down I rebooted the board and could not get the random dip to black to re-occur.

When the dipping to black happen we did not see any flicker or power issues with the show baby wireless DMX. The LED's stayed steady and no power was loss.

Questions: Will a backup solution from ETC RPU prevent this from happening?
Should I tell the LED Source 4's to hold the last dmx value and stay on in the menus on the fixture to prevent this?
Does this mean our board is bad or failing?
Could it be a DMX termination thing? And how does that work with the show baby's? The funny thing is that this is the first time any weirdness has happened since this rig was installed.
Ideas to suggest a fix? Love to figure it out this week.

Thanks
Bill D.

 

[KLM]

The only time I've personally had showbaby weirdness happen was when we accidentally had two Showbabies transmitting the same universe. The lights got confused by the latency difference, and they would dip like that, or I'd lose control entirely. Just had to find the accidental extra transmitter and strike it. It sounds dumb, but maybe check for that?

 

[RC4Wireless]

The only time I've personally had showbaby weirdness happen was when we accidentally had two Showbabies transmitting the same universe. The lights got confused by the latency difference, and they would dip like that, or I'd lose control entirely. Just had to find the accidental extra transmitter and strike it. It sounds dumb, but maybe check for that?

This is precisely why RC4Magic DMXio wireless DMX provides unique digital IDs for each individual user. We maintain a database of users, so you can add gear to your system anytime, easily. But no RC4 system will *ever* interfere with another. We've done this since the introduction of RC3 in the mid 1990s.

Back to the original post, it sounds to me like you're suffering rf connectivity problems. We would be happy to loan you a pair of RC4 Wireless DMXio units to see if they are better. I'm betting they will be a lot better. Since I design the products, I have a pretty good idea why. Please -- try it out.

Sorry, again, for the apparent self-promotion. Really, I only want to help. I mean that sincerely.

Jim
RC4 Wireless

 

[derekleffew]

I'm far from a wireless DMX expert (more like an adversary actually) but I'll take a shot at your questions.

...Questions: Will a backup solution from ETC RPU prevent this from happening?

No. It's not (highly unlikely) a control problem; it's a data distribution problem.

...Should I tell the LED Source 4's to hold the last dmx value and stay on in the menus on the fixture to prevent this?

Chances are the interruption is too brief a duration to trigger the "data loss behavior" mode on the fixtures. I'm not sure what an appropriate hold last look duration would be? Immediate; 1-998 seconds; infinite? [EDIT: S4-LED data loss behavior choices are: Instant; HLL-2Min; HLL-4ever.] Under normal operation, one should never notice whether this was enabled or not.

...Could it be a DMX termination thing? And how does that work with the show baby's?

Source Four LED fixtures have a switch in the DMX out receptacle that switches in the terminator. Move on.

...Ideas to suggest a fix?

The two posts above, in the order in which they were given.

 

[icewolf08]

So, this is a PERMANENT rig that is used regularly? I would say the simplest solution is to run hardwire DMX to your fixtures from your desk. Using a wireless system in a situation where it is likely not needed is just adding an additional point of failure into your system. Wireless is great when you need it, but should only be used where needed. In a permanent install situation it is always best to go hardwire.

 

[robartsd]

Could it be a DMX termination thing? And how does that work with the show baby's?

I have no experience with wireless DMX, but I imagine that the transmitter has wired DMX thru which should be terminated and that the chain that each reciever starts also needs termination (just like you would terminate each line from a splitter). It does sould like this is much more likely a wireless problem than termination.

 

[rsmentele]

I agree with Icewolf08, if this is a permanent rig, always choose to run copper first! that will be your most reliable option. I have a good amount of experience with the show babys and the only issue I've had is in heavy WiFi environments (only and issue once). Again, as long as it is a permanent install, it is usually worth the effort.

 

[rsmentele]

As far as termination is concerned, no termination is needed on the transmitter, direct from the manual:

Connect the DMX cable from the console/controller to the DMX IN. The SHoW DMX SHoW Baby will be configured as a transmitter and the Tx LED will light. The DMX IN will be automatically terminated, and the DMX OUT will be available as a DMX pass-thru. If you also connect a cable to the DMX OUT the termination is lifted.

 

[TheaterEd]

As far as termination is concerned, no termination is needed on the transmitter, direct from the manual:

Connect the DMX cable from the console/controller to the DMX IN. The SHoW DMX SHoW Baby will be configured as a transmitter and the Tx LED will light. The DMX IN will be automatically terminated, and the DMX OUT will be available as a DMX pass-thru. If you also connect a cable to the DMX OUT the termination is lifted.

According to Derek, the S4 LEDs have the same type of Terminator in them. So that shouldn't be the issue.