Control/Dimming Sticky Dimmers

[newspire]

I have a Sensor+ Dimming System dimmer rack with an ETC control module & ETC Express board.

Today I notice that several channels seem to stick on above a certain dimmer level. As I move the slider from 0 upwards everything works fine until I reach about 40%. Then the light goes to full on. When I move the slider back down it stays full on until I reach 0% and then it goes off. The control board is not behaving abnormally. It show a smooth increase in % as I move the sliders up and down.

I've reset everything and problem continues. The only thing I haven't done is power cycle the whole dimmer rack.

Does this mean I've got some bad dimmer packs or does this suggest something else.

Thanks!

 

[lightingguy1]

In the patch display(on the console), Are there any dimmer profiles assigned to any Dimmers? I doubt it could be a Profile gone rogue, but I guess it could happen.


I have never worked with a Sensor Rack(I have three crappy Strand CD80sv racks ), so if its something wrong w/ the Rack, I can't help you there. Sorry!


Hope this helps
-lightingguy1

 

[SteveB]

I'm assuming the Express is one of the two-scene models whose faders are channels ?, if so first thought is it sounds like a sticky fader, or dirt in the fader slider.

Some thoughts and tests:

- When a dimmer allows any fading, chances are the dimmer is fine. Typical dimmer failure modes are Full On with no control, or nothing outputting even with breaker re-set. Dimmers don't usually fail in the mode you've described, so my initial thought is console. Note that there can be issues within the Control Electronics Module of the dimmer rack, but that's not where I'd go looking initially.

- Try those channels in manual via the keypad, I.E. typing "Channel, XX, At," and try fading those channels up and down on the trackpad to determine if the problem occurs in manual mode.

- If it's a submaster only version, 125 or 250 channel versions, then sounds like it might be a sticky sub fader. If you record the problem channels to another sub, can you duplicate that problem on the new sub ?.

- Confirm it's a two-scene model, 24/48, or 48/96 or 72/144 were the 3 models, and find out if the problem occurs in the 2nd scene faders. If no, bad or dirty faders in that scene. If it happens on same fader number in both scenes something else is going on.

- Have you tried a system re-set ?. It's on the Setup section, Clear and is Softkey 1. Make sure you've backed up to disk anything vital !.

 

[MNicolai]

Hey newspire:

There are a few different things that could be causing the symptoms you've described but the most likely culprit I can think of is that your control module is treating your dimmer as a relay module. I do not believe this is a dimmer profile issue in the Patch because you have a different response increasing from 0->100 as you do decreasing 100->0.

The first question I have for you:
Do you know if you have a CEM or a CEM+ control module?

As always, if the problem you're experiencing is show-critical and needs attention immediately, call ETC's 24hr pager @ +1.800.444.8825. If it can wait and persists beyond the troubleshooting steps outlined in this thread, call that same number during their normal business hours.

 

[newspire]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! The control module is a CEM+. The board is a 24/48 two scene. This is in a church and we rarely use the sliders or make any changes at all really. We mostly run off of queues. We noticed the problem this morning when certain lights would not dim from queue to queue. We switched to using the sliders to try to regain control of the lights and found the odd sticky dimmer behavior.

Another thing to note is that there are 3 or more dimmers patched into each of the sliders that are having the problem. Only one of dimmers on each slider gets stuck on. So, I don't think there is anything mechanically wrong with the slider. Otherwise all the dimmers on that slider would get stuck.

Tonight I tried the suggestion of using the scene B sliders. The stuck channels worked fine on scene B. I switched back to scene A and now they work fine too. All the queues are working too. I'm glad it's all working again, but I don't know what fixed it or what went wrong in the first place.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[derekleffew]

Glad the problem is "fixed," newspire. Let us know if the problem recurs.

Just FYI:
A queue is a line.
A cue (also written as Q) is a lighting state or action.

Now I suppose one could have a queue of cues, or one could cue the queues. That's not confusing at all.

 

[chausman]

Well it is good it is fixed. I guess it just had a little panic attack and didn't know what to do with itself.

And Derek, Q could also be a magazine in the UK. Or be Quarter 2!

 

[SteveB]

I was reminded once by a British LD that "Cue-8" is a country in the Middle East, with "Cue-80" being a person from that country. I got to use that line on every British sounding LD since.

 

[church]

I was reminded once by a British LD that "Cue-8" is a country in the Middle East, with "Cue-80" being a person from that country. I got to use that line on every British sounding LD since.

you can also use a cue to play snooker or pool!

 

[FatherMurphy]

And if you were asking your Japanese sound board operator to get ready to playback a sound effect, would you say "Queue cue Q, Kyu"?

 

[cpf]

And god help you if you had to tell that to someone who only spoke Ojibw--