VL3000 Delayed Shutter Response

[deoLux587]

Hello all,

I have an issue where, occasionally, and randomly, some my VL3000 spots are delayed in opening the shutter when they’re told to open. Usually by 2-3secs (seems like eternity). Sometimes it happens with a fade up, sometimes with a snap on. It’s almost never the same couple fixtures. Eventually they open up.

At first I thought it was a DMX speed setting coming out of my IonXe, but other consoles still yield the same problem. I have two electrics of these fixtures, fed from an opto-splitter. Everything is terminated and cables have been checked.

These are older lights, but I’ve inspected the shutter modules and they seem to be freely moving and are not sticky.

Any ideas? Thanks

 

[RonaldBeal]

Typically, the dimmer wheels are getting lost... sometimes just by a step or two. When the fixture detects this, it keeps the shutter closed until the wheel has re-calibrated. Could be dirty dimmer wheel sensors, or the wheel motor step is not exactly aligned with the sensor. or the driver failing/getting weak. Pretty common in the older fixtures.

One workaround is to ghost the intensity to 3-5% in the cue before they are needed, so that the re-cal has already happened.

Good luck.
RB

 

[deoLux587]

RB, never thought of that. While I have cleaned the color/dimmer wheels themselves, I probably overlooked the sensors. Will take another look at your suggestions.

Thank you!

 

[deoLux587]

Following up here - upon closer inspection, lots of this thermal paint was either completely missing or patchy on some of the color wheels. Applied new stove paint and the problem has been solved! Thanks again. D