Vari-Lite VL500D DMX control not working.

[RedGreenBlue132]

Just got a vari-lite vl500d, I've run through all the self test, everything works mechanically, the dmx channel is set to the correct channel, and I am in 8-bit mode, but when I try to control it from my board (smartfade 48/96) it wont respond, and when I go check the dmx level on the light, it wont acknowledge an intensity increase. I've checked the continuity of the dmx leads to the control board, no broken connections everything appears as it should. What could be the issue? could it need a software update? Thanks in advance.

 

[malsell]

I don't think it would be a software issue as the light performs it's self test and functions. I would first look at the DMX import board and then then connection to the main PCB. We had some Elation Platinum Beam 15 R Pro's out on a rental, that took 120Vac across the DMX thanks to a light from China that had been abused and the DMX had been abused and gotten into the input of the 24Vdc power supplies. All three lights had the DMX decoder cooked so we had to replace the main boards. Thankfully, the boards were cheap...lol. Just doing a quick google search, I found the service manual for the VL500 series here: http://www.neuhauslighting.com/Varilite Downloads_files/VL500 Service Manual.pdf

 

[RedGreenBlue132]

looked at the dmx input board, it doesn't seem to be the original. The light mfd is 2006, the dmx board date is 2010 and says vl1000. Can both lights use the same board? and this seems to have another capacitor that the service manual doesn't have on the factory installed board. not sure if this really means anything but its the only thing that I can find that seems wrong.

 

[Wood4321]

looked at the dmx input board, it doesn't seem to be the original. The light mfd is 2006, the dmx board date is 2010 and says vl1000. Can both lights use the same board? and this seems to have another capacitor that the service manual doesn't have on the factory installed board. not sure if this really means anything but its the only thing that I can find that seems wrong.

I just checked my service manuals, and the VL500 and VL1000 do indeed use the same DMX Board.
And according to the drawing, both also have a Capacitor.

Do you have any other fixtures you can swap parts with to test it?

I just want to double check that you have no control of the fixture via dmx? Your original post only talks about intensity, and I want to make sure you aren't able to pan and tilt, or control the color flags.

 

[RedGreenBlue132]

I've checked through all the channels and I don't get anything, the light says that the level is at 0 even though I have it up to full. The only other fixtures I have are a vl1000ts and a vl1000t, the drawing has only one capacitor, the board I have has 2, not sure if that matters though.

 

[malsell]

Qwe don't have any vari*lites at work for me to really do any digging, but from a controls standpoint, generally an additional capacitor would be a "noise" filter. If your cable and console are working on another lamp, I would say it is issue with the dmx decoder. Woodj is stating the dmx board is the same for the 1000 so I would check and swap and see if that works first, if not it sounds like an issue with the main board.

 

[RedGreenBlue132]

I'll go ahead and try that and see if it works.

 

[RedGreenBlue132]

UPDATE: so after looking over the main board a second time I noticed that the wires labeled "DMX" were plugged into the fan input with the same size socket and the wires labled "FAN" were plugged into J6 (where the DMX should go) lo and behold this fixed the problem. Thank you malsell for the service manual, was definitely needed.

 

[malsell]

No problem. Glad it helped.

 

[Erik456]

Random note for the future:

All Vl's (the modern series at least) use the same DMX board. Very convenient.