Using a cool light in the USB slot: Jester 24/48

K

kenneth

Member
Hi everyone
I know that the Zero 88 Jester 24/48 has a USB port for saving on to. I have an USB desk lamp work on it? On Vista, the PC never notices it and it just draws power, I presume.
Would it cause any damage to plug it in and have a shot? The lamp itself mimics a fresnel, with barn doors, with a small LED which would be superb for low-level lighting for shows.
It's the school's new board, so I don't wanna screw it up.
Cheers in advance,
K :grin:
 
When in question, don't. Especially if the board is not yours. That being said, hopefully the folks at Cooper designed the USB port to the USB specification, which means anything that can be powered on a computer USB port should work in the board's port.
 
epimetheus said:
When in question, don't. Especially if the board is not yours. That being said, hopefully the folks at Cooper designed the USB port to the USB specification, which means anything that can be powered on a computer USB port should work in the board's port.
Click to expand...
Sorry - got a reply over on blue-room, and they gave me this:
USB Lamp - Zero 88 Support Forum
Thanks anyway :)
K
 
Be careful - USB toys like lights are usually cheap, and twice now I've seen bad things happen to PCs from cheap USB lights. In theory, if it's a powered USB slot, it shouldn't matter, but boards are expensive, and I'm starting to distrust some USB items.
 
Works fine on mine :)
 
Generally the reason that USB accessories like lights and fans break what they are plugged into is their weight. The USB ports on your computer or console are not designed to support the weight of a light. So, over time, use of these lights can bend things out of whack and sometimes can even work solder connections loose between the USB port and the logic board. Other than that, if the accessory is built to comply with USB standards it should work fine.
 
icewolf08 said:
Generally the reason that USB accessories like lights and fans break what they are plugged into is their weight. The USB ports on your computer or console are not designed to support the weight of a light. So, over time, use of these lights can bend things out of whack and sometimes can even work solder connections loose between the USB port and the logic board. Other than that, if the accessory is built to comply with USB standards it should work fine.
Click to expand...

Kind of like your car's ignition switch. I know that some of us are very proud of the amount of keys we may carry, but did you know that this can create costly expenses in the future due to premature wear on the ignition switch due to heavy key rings? Something to think about!
 
Les said:
Kind of like your car's ignition switch. I know that some of us are very proud of the amount of keys we may carry, but did you know that this can create costly expenses in the future due to premature wear on the ignition switch due to heavy key rings? Something to think about!
Click to expand...

Good point Les, and one that the average Joe may not really understand. The electrical contacts within any connector (or switch - as in 'ignition switch') are designed to operate under certain side pressures and torque. The USB connector certainly is built for use, but with the slender and slight size of the intended device, it could be easily stressed to the point of failure (read $$$$).

Now then, my grandma's key chain would likely buckle most industrial switches back in the day...
 
I've seen heavier USB sticks in my time. Thanks for the concern anyway guys :)
 
Since the lighting situation on my new Ion seems to be the latest pet peeve, I have been using a two led usb light to light the programing area of the console. Seems to work just fine. Its not the sturdiest of usb ports though, so I would be very carefull of what light I would use.

Also, as a completly side note, the thumb drive supplied by ETC seems to be the largest 4g drive I have ever seen, and I am leery of having it stick out of the top or back of my console I found these micro drives that seem to work really great!

http://http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=27552
 
Not trying to start a Strand vs ETC war here but on my Palette I can pop the top open and inside there is a set of USB ports. This is where I installed my show backup drive. I'm not even sure if Ion is meant to be opened like Palette is. Can you do something similar on Ion without violating the warranty or doing anything bad to your system?
 
gafftaper said:
Not trying to start a Strand vs ETC war here but on my Palette I can pop the top open and inside there is a set of USB ports. This is where I installed my show backup drive. I'm not even sure if Ion is meant to be opened like Palette is. Can you do something similar on Ion without violating the warranty or doing anything bad to your system?
Click to expand...

Most likely...not.
 
With AC-USB power supplies available for $3-20, why is this even an issue?

One example, after five seconds of searching:
proxy.php

DealExtreme: $2.46 Universal AC to USB Power Supply (110V~220V)

Add a $5-10 USB hub, and plug all the toys/fans/coffee cup warmers/chargers/etc. you want into that. Leave the ports on the actual console for external media and input devices.
 
My point was that the Ion has bad little lite placement and a usb port right on the top of the console. By using a usb light you get better placement of lighton the console, and it is connected directly to the console. With a power supply you would need to plug it in and situate it somewhere near the console. You might as well just us a little lite with a base.
 
Wow, those are cool as well. I also like that they still have protection of the traces.
 
I was programming on a jester or leapfrog, or whatever that little mediocre moving light console is today for an install and usb lights work on either the top port of the one on the back of the console.
 
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