Control/Dimming Name that board

[Tex]

I'm voting Decor too.
We had one at SHSU that looked VERY similar. It's been years, but those boards are hard to forget...
Before it was replaced, there was a jumble of mis-matched equipment in there with the Decor board sitting proudly at the top of the junk pile!

 

[zddh13]

ok
so I actually know this answer

however I too have forgotten the name

I am however going to the theatre today that STILL is using this board, and dimmer rack, I will take some pics for everyone to see.

The version that I have is a 13 dimmer board (3 or 4 are non dims)
there are some other dimmers that are the house lights

the dimmer rack is about 10 feet tall and blue with a breaker box on the front, as well as a board mounted below it. there is a button that allows each of the 2 boards to take control of the system.

all switches for the dimmer packs are on the back of the rack.

its interesting and annoying
and I always tell it to please die already so I can get a new system that actually has all the dimmers that work (only 5 or so work).

I come in and do lights for my high school as a favor to my old teacher, this is my 7th year, and every year it never fails that somehow they loose another dimmer. I just power the whole rack down for 24 to 48 hours and a new dimmer pops back up.

Today is the first time I will have seen that beast in around a year. any final word for it?

 

[zddh13]

so here is the patch panel on the rack

@lekogirl @jimonlight wanna patch some? on Twitpic

 

[JChenault]

The only manufacturer that I ever saw with that kind of patch was Aerial Davis / Electro Control. ( Probably misspelled - a long time ago).

 

[avkid]

That looks like TTI blue.

 

[dramatech]

It is a Decor, we have one exactly like it here in Winter Haven, Florida.
I have installed and used many of the Ariel Davis "Quick connects", later to become Electro Control.
While the Decor and the Ariel Davis patchs are similar in design, The Decor has much larger slider knobs. Oh and by the way, I have worked with the same type of patch by a third manufacture, located in Provo, Utah. I have been told, but can't verify, that it was by a company started by Ariel Davis, after he sold his company, in Salt Lake, to Electro Control. If so, it must have very sort lived, as I have only ever seen one product from that company. It was in the library auditorium in Williamsburg, Virginia.

 

[derekleffew]

Was the third manufacturer Rual Industries, perhaps? See this and subsequent posts.

 

[dramatech]

Yes, Derek, you are correct. The link for the previous posts was very interesting, and answers many questions that have been lingering in my mind for many years. Thank you.

 

[gordonmcleod]

Decor as did Major and several other repackaged the Sweet Sixteen Memory system which I think was a Van Buyrn design but am not sure

It is a Decor, we have one exactly like it here in Winter Haven, Florida.
I have installed and used many of the Ariel Davis "Quick connects", later to become Electro Control.
While the Decor and the Ariel Davis patchs are similar in design, The Decor has much larger slider knobs. Oh and by the way, I have worked with the same type of patch by a third manufacture, located in Provo, Utah. I have been told, but can't verify, that it was by a company started by Ariel Davis, after he sold his company, in Salt Lake, to Electro Control. If so, it must have very sort lived, as I have only ever seen one product from that company. It was in the library auditorium in Williamsburg, Virginia.

 

[derekleffew]

Decor as did Major and several other repackaged the Sweet Sixteen Memory system which I think was a Van Buyrn design but am not sure

George Van Buren. See Memory Lighting Control Systems, History - ControlBooth . Van Buren Industries where David Cunningham happened to get his start.

Mr. Leffew... thank you for the inquiry to George. He had been very ill for the last few years with a very rare disease that caused memory loss. Last April we did go thru interviews with Ed Raymond for the ESTA History of Theatre and I believe that if you contact him at: Local #16 in San Francsico, he will be able to give you more info.
I am able to assist you in the earlier history of Van Buren Industries (The first 16 Memory controlled dimmer board) as I was a part of that company, but am not conversed in techncal terms. We do have copies of the patent George was awarded for the first memory controlled board, but that too, is part of the Theatre History book that is presently being complied.
If I may be of further assistance please do let me know...
Most sincerely,
Myrna Van Buren

For more see, ESTA Protocol Spring 2010.pdf, page 50 ff.

Sicodim was sold to Century Lighting in 1971, without a noncompete
clause. George immediately founded Van Buren Industries
which invented and manufactured the Sweet Sixteen, the first real
computer lighting control system. (George used the then new Intel
processor chip and received the patent for his board before Intel
had the patent for the chip!) They followed shortly thereafter with
System 128 (a 128 channel computer lighting control system) and
the Compuset 2000 Board. ...
George sold Van Buren Industries in 1976 and decided to leave
show business. He spent a number of years helping to design and
install the first Global Positioning System. He worked on and off
at the North Pole erecting and installing the relay stations. But
George’s heart was always in the theatre.

 

[StNic54]

That board may have a different classification than listed above - I know there is an old line of lighting consoles called the POS-5000 - it's a 2-scene preset that tends to not work and makes you want to throw that POS into the ocean.

 

[BOB FOREMAN]

http://insidebobforemansbrainpart2.blogspot.com/2013/09/van-buren-memory-lightboard-at-atlantas.html