Not all
DMX is compatible with each other. A number of years ago, I was doing a hang in an ampitheater at Busch Gardens (Williamsburg). This particular theater gets all of the stuff that is left over from the the other venues in the
park. We had
dimmer racks that were
ETC sensor,
Strand CD80 packs modified to
DMX with Lightronics drivers,
LMI 48
channel and some unknown brand that was Analog with an
ETC Response
unit. There was also 12
Wybron Forerunners. The board was a
Strand LP90. The
DMX was a continuous
daisy chain. Bottom
line, the scrollers and the
LMI rack went crazy and wouldn't follow correctly. After a few well placed calls to knowlegeable folks, we were directed to
Doug Fleenor. DR.
DMX immediatly
identified the problem as the board was the original
DMX of 1986, and several of the pieces of equipment wanted the 1990 version or later. He overnighted to us one of his combiners. We used just one of the inputs, and everthing was just as happy as it could be.
Lesson learned, the older 1986
DMX is not compatible with all
DMX receiving equipment.
There is a cheaper way to accomplish the same thing as the
Doug Fleenor device. Northlight systems sells a Eight
channel encoder with
DMX merge for about $100. It is just the circuitboard complete, and will require connectors and a
power supply. It must be the one with merge as he also sells an
encoder without merge for about $50. Just
plug your old
DMX board into the merge input and use the
DMX out from the Northlight
circuit and it will be
DMX USITT 1990. Northlight Systems can be found with a google search. They are in Tempe AZ. The guy who owns it is James Cart and he will answer any questions you have, and will many times make some modifications for nothing.