Will this DMX dimmer pack control 8-10 PAR64 (1kW)?

[stonehedge99]

Hi Guys,

Plz see link :
New Chauvet DMX 4 LED DMX4LED 4 Channel Relay Dimmer Switch Pack | eBay

Im looking to buy this to control between 8 to 10 Par64s of 1000w each.
Is this sufficient and can it handle that many pars.

If yes then how do i supply the input of power ? Vie the three pin power slot at the back ? But isnt that the kind of pin thats normally used in computers etc, so the power cord that comes for that slot is the normal domestic type right ? Will that cable and plug bear the load for 8 pars without melting out ?

Sorry that im pretty naive in this. Plz explain to me as you would to a child .

Thanks

 

[techieman33]

That won't even power one par with a 1000w lamp. Each channel is limited to 5 amps, so at most you could use a 600w lamp. So your options become using 500w par lamps, or a ray kit with a 600w dys. The whole unit is limited to 15 amps, so you could only power 3 lights per pack.

You need to look for something that will support at least 10 amps per channel to use 1000w lamps. With something like this you could power 4 pars with 1000w lamps. It uses 2 wall circuits to provide power, so you would have 2 pars on each wall circuit. Even then that will work if you only have true 20 amp breakers, a lot of places only have 15 amp breakers and would only allow you to use 1 par can per wall circuit. When you plug the packs in you'll have to be sure that the power cords are plugged into circuits that are on different breakers. So to power 8 lights you would need at least 2 of those packs and 4 circuits. To power 10 you would need 3 packs and 5 circuits. The product I linked to is just an example there are other models out there with similar capacity.

 

[jglodeklights]

This pack will not be sufficient. Each dimmer on that pack is only capable of supporting 5 Amps of draw. Watts being drawn by the lamp / voltage of supplied power = number of Amps drawn. 1000watts/110Volts=9 Amps. 1000watts/220Volts=4.5Amps. Your profile says 230Volts so you would only be able to use 3 of your PARs on it as the total load rating on the pack is 15Amps. If using it in a 110/120Volt situation you will need to find 500watt lamps for your PARs to even begin to use them. Lamping down to 500watts at 230Volts would allow you to use 6 of your PARs on it.

Power appears to be via a standard IEC cable, likely supplied with the pack. Its male end is likely an Edison connector based on its shipped from location.

 

[BillESC]

For your application, you'd need at minimum Leviton's DS-12-12E which offers 12 channels of 1.2kW dimming.

 

[JD]

For your application, you'd need at minimum Leviton's DS-12-12E which offers 12 channels of 1.2kW dimming.

Yes, look for something that has a 1200 watt (1.2kw) per channel rating. Stay away from packs that rate the output in amps. (Ex- 10 amps per channel) One could do the math and say it is the same thing, but I have found when amps are the listing, it is more the failure point of the pack as compared to the operational rating. Often, a "10 amp per channel" pack will use a 15 amp triac for control (especially in "Shoebox" dimmers), whereas a "1.2kw per channel" pack will have a 25 or 40 amp triac on each channel. Rule of thumb is that the triac should be at least twice as large as as the expected load, if not more. Rule does not apply to SSR based packs as SSRs are often rated at their operational level as compared to their failure point.

 

[len]

None of us know the application, the skills of the other people involved in this project, etc. However, given the OP's apparent lack of knowledge of electricity, I'd suggest taking a shorter step and going to work/interning for someone else for a while. Calculating the load for a certain number of lamps is pretty basic. If he can't do that, I wonder how he would connect power to a rack dimmer that is sufficient to do the job.

 

[stonehedge99]

Len !! Ah, i was wondering, because for every few good helpful posts theres always one like you, who hardly does anything helpful, but criticizes.

I perfectly knew about adding up 1000 watt lights x 10 units etc. But only had a question specific to the dimmer pack.

Go and intern ? Work for someone ? .

Why do you assume i work in the lighting industry/ that this is my full time job,

I produce and help with a show, just 1 show, and only one performing artist who has invested in all the lighting and sound etc.
Even if i wanted to waste a few years just to just learn to run one show there are no institutes that teach you all this in my country.
The best guys out here have just learned it out of experience and from asking good people like the above posters.
Yes i hardly know anything about these things. But ive successfully run a couple of shows now in 2000 seater halls with about 20 moving heads and
a huge bunch of 1000 watt dmx based pars with color mixing. But they were impractical for my purposes and i wanted to switch to normal pars.
hence this question. Who says you cant learn some simple ideas from the forums and implement them. Maybe you cant.

But my half baked knowledge WORKS and thats what matters.
Im running a succesful show with the knowledge ive accumulated on my own with others help. No need to go and formally learn all this
for what im using it for.

Do you study avioinics to fly in an airplane ? Even the pilots know a LITTLE of how everything works. Thats enough. He doesnt build planes.

 

[len]

But my half baked knowledge WORKS and thats what matters.

It works, until it doesn't. There was another thread around here (and I can't locate it, unfortunately. I'm sure someone else can) involving photos of a truss cantilevered over the crowd, and held together with load straps, etc. That kind of crap will eventually get someone killed. The old saying "we've never had problems before" should always be followed up with "there's always a first time." I would post links to many of the big disasters that have occurred in this industry over the past 10 years, but I assume you're one of those "can't happen to me" or "but my show is too small to have anything serious happen" types. Please keep me posted as to your whereabouts. I want to stay as far away as possible.

 

[Amiers]

Hi Guys,



Sorry that im pretty naive in this. Plz explain to me as you would to a child .

Thanks

you said you were naive.... don't hate on len because hes trying to be safe for you, having said that I have a ton of these and I ripped them all out because the previous person that installed them tried to do exactly what you want to do. I currently use them for bench tests and projects. They won't do what you need them to do they will melt the fixtures, the pack, the outlet, and possibly the building. Now if you buy 10 of them and run 1 par per then you will be fine if not well you might have to beef up to what was suggested.

 

[Dover]

Len's post could probably be less blunt but it does cut right to the heart of the matter which is that you currently demonstrate a level of electrical knowledge too basic to be safely helped along by an internet forum.

In regard to your response the problem is that you can half-bake lighting design, props , consumes and sound, no one has ever been killed by feedback or ugly fabric. However rigging, pyro and electrical distribution can kill people if done wrong which is why independent experimentation is not encouraged. There is a reason that pilots and electricians are both licensed.

The dimmer pack Bill posted would work fine but it would require an licensed professional electrician to come and hook it up to building power.

Stay safe
Dover

 

[Sean]

They won't do what you need them to do they will melt the fixtures, the pack, the outlet, and possibly the building. Now if you buy 10 of them and run 1 par per then you will be fine if not well you might have to beef up to what was suggested.

Um, no. They will not work at all, even one light per dimmer pack. The overcurrent protection on each circuit will trip. The pack in question is 600w/channel. The PARs in the OP's question are 1000w.

 

[Les]

I also don't see a way for the light to melt away -- unless of course the building burns down around it.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

If one was was in America, To run 10 1000 watt PARs one would need a minimum of FIVE Leprecon ULD 340 HP (personal preference chosen to illustrated required capacity) dimmer packs and TEN dedicated 15 amp circuits.

stonehedge99 by no means are trying to insult your experience, knowledge or position. It's just that your original post implied that your knowledge of electricity is so minimal that we do not feel comfortable advising you over the Internet. We can certainly point you in the right direction but itd be best to find an experienced individual to help you face to face. We would be more than happy to help you find such a person.

Where are you located. We have members all over the country (and world).

 

[derekleffew]

Line voltage in stonehedge99's country is 220V, 50Hz. So let's be cautious about telling him how many amperes required, what will fit on a dimmer pack, and refrain from product recommendations that may be geographically inappropriate.

When in doubt, always consult a qualified professional, in person.​

.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Sorry Derek, I seemed to have missed to part where OP clearly stated their location. I'll edit my post.

 

[JD]

Sorry Derek, I seemed to have missed to part where OP clearly stated their location. I'll edit my post.

Actually wasn't part of the post, but his profile specs 230v. Using that info, you would be able to run one par on each channel, but limited to the overall pack rating of 15 amps, or the limit of the power connector on the pack, whichever is lower.

Still a question in my mind as to if the inrush would take out that GMA5 fuse. No headroom.

 

[jglodeklights]

Can I make the suggestion that voltage of our location shows up somewhere very visible when we post? In any event, this showcases some of the... challenges... resultant from living in an internation world wide web, and this forum serving an international audience (which I feel is a great thing). Derek, as usual, nails it with the cautions one should take when receiving advice here, and that a local professional who can be available physically is the best route to take when possible (although I usually recommend attempting to consult at least two as one could offer up a solution that is still wildly off-base). This also points to the need for us to take care to read previous replies, as my first in this thread, the second reply, shows calculations for 110V and 220V draws and comments on the OP listing 230V as what they work with.

 

[techieman33]

Can I make the suggestion that voltage of our location shows up somewhere very visible when we post? In any event, this showcases some of the... challenges... resultant from living in an internation world wide web, and this forum serving an international audience (which I feel is a great thing). Derek, as usual, nails it with the cautions one should take when receiving advice here, and that a local professional who can be available physically is the best route to take when possible (although I usually recommend attempting to consult at least two as one could offer up a solution that is still wildly off-base). This also points to the need for us to take care to read previous replies, as my first in this thread, the second reply, shows calculations for 110V and 220V draws and comments on the OP listing 230V as what they work with.

It would be much simpler for people to list their location. Just listing the country helps a lot when trying to recommend things.

 

[bishopthomas]

Sorry, but the truth hurts. Although, it doesn't hurt as badly as getting electrocuted or burned alive. Playing with electricity is a SERIOUS endeavor and should not be taken lightly. You said to explain it as if you were a child, so maybe you should have read Len's post in baby talk. Let me explain it as if you were a dog: NO! Bad! No playing with electricity when you know nothing of it. Bad little ignorant techie!

Also, yes, you will probably need some sort of rack dimmer rated for 1.2kw or higher. But PLEASE do not attempt to install this yourself. If you can't apply Ohm's law then you will get seriously killed or worse trying to provide single or three phase power into a dimmer unit. Why does everyone have this DIY approach to electricity? No, pilots do not always know every little detail about what's "under the hood" of the airplane, but they certainly know enough to operate the aircraft. Your DIY attitude is equivalent to a baby trying to fly a commercial jet across the Atlantic; people would die. Please hire a pilot if you're trying to fly a dimmer rack.

 

[len]

Sorry, but the truth hurts. Although, it doesn't hurt as badly as getting electrocuted or burned alive. Playing with electricity is a SERIOUS endeavor and should not be taken lightly. You said to explain it as if you were a child, so maybe you should have read Len's post in baby talk. Let me explain it as if you were a dog: NO! Bad! No playing with electricity when you know nothing of it. Bad little ignorant techie!

Also, yes, you will probably need some sort of rack dimmer rated for 1.2kw or higher. But PLEASE do not attempt to install this yourself. If you can't apply Ohm's law then you will get seriously killed or worse trying to provide single or three phase power into a dimmer unit. Why does everyone have this DIY approach to electricity? No, pilots do not always know every little detail about what's "under the hood" of the airplane, but they certainly know enough to operate the aircraft. Your DIY attitude is equivalent to a baby trying to fly a commercial jet across the Atlantic; people would die. Please hire a pilot if you're trying to fly a dimmer rack.

This showed up in my e-mail this morning:

"Moving quickly to reinforce the state's electrician-friendly image, lawmakers in Texas gave final approval today to repeal a law that has caused confusion for electricians in their state, especially in the Bryan-College Station area.



Ohm's Law, which says that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance, was repealed in the Texas House and Senate. By removing it from the books, the hope is that their electricians will no longer have to comply with the laws of nature while in Texas.



The Senate voted 38-0 to repeal the measure, which also passed the House last week. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.



Senate Leader Macon Sparks, R-Useriousville, said law enforcement officials have trouble enforcing Ohm's Law, and that electricians have trouble following it. "I don't know how this law got on the books in the first place," Sparks said. "There's no congressional record of it, which makes it unconstitutional."



Sparks added that since they use a different voltage and frequency outside of Texas, the law is discriminatory. "We wanted to make sure that foreigners from outside of Texas wouldn't be confused about the issue," Sparks said.