New Source Four Parnels not dimming

jbennett

Member
Any ideas on why 3 out of my 4 new Source Four Parnels are not dimming? The give off a "clicking" sound when they go on at full, and then shut off around 14% without dimming.
I have checked the patch on our ETC Element control board and the dimmer info at the CEM+ rack. The 3 that don't dim seem to have the same set-up/parameters as the one that will dim. They are the only 4 parnels I have so I can't compare them to anything else in my system except the one that does dim. All 4 fixtures are on the same electric and have replaced old Altman fresnels that barely threw any light. Thanks for the help!
 
Have you tried to plug one of the ones that aren't dimming, into the circuit for the one that does dim, and vice-versa? It sounds like you have some type of curve set, or the circuit's mode is set to behave like a relay (if you're hearing a click, I'm leaning toward the latter).
 
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Have you tried to plug one of the ones that aren't dimming, into the circuit for the one that does dim, and vice-versa? It sounds like you have some type of curve set, or the circuit's mode is set to behave like a relay (if you're hearing a click, I'm leaning toward the latter).
I have not tried that yet...if it is set to relay, how do I remedy that?
 
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What kind of dimmer modules do you have feeding the circuits that aren't dimming? On the right side of the dimmer, do they say something like "D20" or "R20"?
 
What kind of dimmer modules do you have feeding the circuits that aren't dimming? On the right side of the dimmer, do they say something like "D20" or "R20"?
Ok, bear with my ignorance...on the rack itself the slot label that matches the addresses (41 and 42) has R20AF. When I go into the rack menu and look at About Dimmers, the Position for 42 is 78, which has D20E. I'm guessing I should go with the slot label?
 
There's a few different ways your rack could be configured, but the odds are high that yes, your label number matches your "dimmer" number. R20AF means that that module is a 20A Relay. Relay modules are power on / power off only, and are not capable of dimming even if you're ramping the channel up and down at the console. You could verify this by looking at the green signal light going on and off as you turn the circuit on and off at your console.

If you want those particular circuits to dim (say 41 and 42) then you would need to change that module out to be a dimmer module of some sort (D20 - Dimmer, 20A). Be cautious with this because if you have a scenario where you want one of the two circuits in that module to dim, but the other one needs to remain a relay, that complicates matters. Some devices should not be powered from a dimmer, even if it's set into a mode where it mimics a relay. But if you want both 41 and 42 to dim, then a qualified person could swap out* that module for one that dims.

*WARNING:
DE-ENERGIZE THE DIMMER RACK BEFORE SWAPPING MODULES.

A possible easier solution:
Do you have any other circuits in which you could plug these lights into, that are fed from a non-relay (D20 usually) module?

If you need any step by step help on how to nail this down further or how to swap out the modules, the wonderful folks at ETC Technical Support could talk you through the process. 1-800-688-4116 - ETC USA
 
Okay just to clarify, did the old fixtures "not dim" when connected to the same circuits and dimmers?

And yes generally there is a 1:1 relationship between CIRCUIT and DIMMER, and often enough a 1:1 relationship between DIMMER and ADDRESS (DMX).
Of course this is not always the case.

Only reason I point this out is that the old fixtures would not of dimmed when plugged into the same circuits.

Ideally if you are having issues troubleshooting this you should bring in someone more familiar with these systems.

I imagine someone installed the relays for a very good reason, and not to power altman fresnels.
 

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