Control/Dimming Please Help a Beginner with no DMX experience

reidf

Member
Hi Forum,

I have just bought two qtx light PB-1 - it is basically for a LED PAR Bar that is suitable for small venue use.
To control it I have also bought a Light and Easy 0408.

The manuals for both don't give much info, I am fairly sure that I am using the controller properly. I am able to control each of the Bars to do their own thing but am not able to control the light individually, ie have one green, one blue etc. I'm sure that this is possible as the sales person demoed this to me

I'm fairly sure that the problem is the DMX address of the two PB-1s
Can anyone shed and light (excuse the pun:lol:) on this?

Thanks

Frank
 
Looking at the manual (which is not an easy one to read!) You have different levels of DMX control, anywhere from 4 channels to 14. If on the back panel you choose option "CHND" you can decide how many channels you want to be able to control. If you want individual control you have to use the 14 channel option.
In the manual on pages 10 and 11 is a table that tells you what channels control what, and at what level.

To use this system set the first unit's address at 1 and the second unit's address at 16 then anytime you send a command to address 5 at 255 (100%) the first fixture, second PAR has the green at 100%. And do something similar for the rest of the fixtures. To use the second unit just add whatever address you want to get to from the start address. To get the same effect from the second unit as the first set address 20 at 255 (100%) Of if you want both units to operate the same, you can set them at the same start address and they get the same commands.

That's clear as mud I'm sure but if you need more help feel free to ask! :)
 
Sounds like all the bars are on the shame adress, make sure they each have their own start address and none overlap addresses.
 
Looking at the manual (which is not an easy one to read!) You have different levels of DMX control, anywhere from 4 channels to 14. If on the back panel you choose option "CHND" you can decide how many channels you want to be able to control. If you want individual control you have to use the 14 channel option.
In the manual on pages 10 and 11 is a table that tells you what channels control what, and at what level.

To use this system set the first unit's address at 1 and the second unit's address at 16 then anytime you send a command to address 5 at 255 (100%) the first fixture, second PAR has the green at 100%. And do something similar for the rest of the fixtures. To use the second unit just add whatever address you want to get to from the start address. To get the same effect from the second unit as the first set address 20 at 255 (100%) Of if you want both units to operate the same, you can set them at the same start address and they get the same commands.

That's clear as mud I'm sure but if you need more help feel free to ask! :)


Thanks for the reply!

That does make perfect sense...just to clarify I set the units to 14/15ch and the address of the first to one and the second to 16 or higher. Makes sense, however when i tried this i get a seemingly random display of lights on the Par bar, compared to what I do with the controller.

Does it make a difference if the units are set to master or slave or do any other settings possibly have an impact?

Thanks again.
 
I have never used these particular lights, but from using similar lights I would guess that it would not matter what the Master/Slave configuration was. If you are still getting weird stuff, try moving the address of the second unit higher (say 20) and try that. If it works then slowly move the address down to where it still works without interference.
 
Does it make a difference if the units are set to master or slave or do any other settings possibly have an impact?

On some fixtures, the Master/Slave setting doesn't do anything if the fixture is receiving DMX. However, on some fixtures it needs to be set one way or the other, usually all to slave or off. This could explain randome behavior.
 

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