overtemp line?
- Thread starterw3st0n21
- Start date
palettejockey
Member
Overtemp was a method of indicating at the console that the temperature in the dimmer rack had exceeded a certain limit. It was pretty common in Strand CD80/ Mantrix/ LightPalette systems, as well as in older Teatronics installations (and probaly a few others).
A contact closed on a thermostat in the dimmer rack, which sent a signal up a dedicated control line. The console that connected/ connects to these dimmers had both a control output & cable (usually AMX) and an overtemp line.
As I recall the system works with or without Overtemp connected.
What sort of dimmers and console do you have?
A contact closed on a thermostat in the dimmer rack, which sent a signal up a dedicated control line. The console that connected/ connects to these dimmers had both a control output & cable (usually AMX) and an overtemp line.
As I recall the system works with or without Overtemp connected.
What sort of dimmers and console do you have?
we have a strand CD80 AE (right on!), and a strand lightboard m. (i hate it, i hate it, i hate it!). as far as im concerned the overtemp isnt connected at the dimmers (i know its not connected at the board). so my question is could i send a DMX signal through this line (making a 3pin to 4 pin adapter only using 3 of the 4 pins) to avoid running 150+ feet of DMX?
Maybe.
Under qualified supervision and endorsement, pull the faceplates so you can see what kind of wiring was/is used. Then post exactly what is printed on the cable.
IF it meets all the requirements for DMX transmission (a big if!): rather than building adapters, I'd recommend replacing the connectors in the faceplates with D5M/D5Fs; and relabeling as "DMX Tie-Line" or similar.
Is the female onstage located adjacent to the dimmer rack? Or adjacent to an alternate DMX input? The fact that both are females might mean that the other ends are connected to the dimmer rack, and thus its not a "dry line." So before continuing with the above, be sure to verify no voltages are present, and continuity across the jacks.
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i have never seen an any cables other than the AMX line going to the dimmers. and the way the dimmers are aranged are as follows: they are on a raised contrete platform (around 15ft high) in the SL wing. the platform is over one of the dressing rooms, and next to the dressing room door there is a little black box mounted on the wall that has an overtemp (f) and an AMX 1 output (secondary output? i guess ill have to do some tracing.)...i think ill take pics in 6th period (stagecraft!!) and try to put them up to help explain the setup. thanks for the help.
waynehoskins
Active Member
I want to say it was recommended to use the same type of cable for the overtemp line as the AMX line. In practice, the overtemp line needs only two conductors total and doesn't care if they're twisted, untwisted, backwards-twisted, or a barbed-wire fence. So the chances of (relatively expensive) RS-485 cable being used for this are very slim.
waynehoskins
Active Member
The Strand CD80 series of racks are very solid and still in use in many theatres in the US. Most have either been converted to DMX, use an AMX to DMX convertor or were made with both AMX anc DMX input capability. I havn't had any dealings with the CD AE, but I believe there were some recent threads on this forum that covered the models with the DMX inputs. I have converted them using the Strand conversion, the Johnson system conversion and one that I developed using circuit boards from Lightronics. All of them worked great. Just get an affordable console that outputs DMX and do the least expensive conversion on the rack. You maynot even need to convert the rack.
