Thread: Did I buy the wrong DMX pack?

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Another DMX question....

Did I buy the wrong DMX pack? I need it to do two things. Control one pneumatic cylinder and continue the DMX daisy chain (DMX IN DMX out). So I bought this at Cheaplights:

Matrix DMX
136-DMXDP4-08
$99.50
4 channel DMX dimmer pack for use with 3 pin DMX controllers or as a stand alone controller with 16 built in chase patterns, programmable speed and dimming. 10 amps per channel. Pack has a max of 20 amps on at one time unless you remove the power cord and hard wire the unit. 2 sockets per channel. 2.75x7.5x10.25. 8 lbs. Fuses (4) ea. 156-F10-S

All I need it to do is turn my cylinder off and on. But, I'm thinking that it can only dim. I assumed that all dimmer packs can also be a switch. But, since there are no instructions on how to have it change from being a dimmer pack to a switch, I'm thinking I bought the wrong DMX pack. The Chauvet DMX-4 specifically says it is a Dimmer/switch pack but this does not.

I set the device on VSA to be a DMX relay but nothing is working. But, when I set the device to DMX dimmer it works (dims my test lamp).

Did I buy the wrong thingy?

To save me the bother of buying yet another DMX relay pack, could I set the dimmer device to act like it's just switching on and off? Like Full on and Full off?

no. yours is fine. i don't have mine in yet to check vsa but there should be a way to set the values in relay mode in vsa as off = 0 on = 254 this should keep the dimmer from ever doing anything in between. the dimmer pack argument is sort of complex a dimmer can be a switch but a switch cant be a dimmer. the reason behind using a relay only is a fail safe of it being only on or off and nothing in between where as with a dimmer you have to make sure to program it to be on or off.

hmm i am getting some conflicting views on this with the use of a triac dimmer causing the a relay to osilate but at full power a dimmer should not cat a wave form so i will have to get back to you on this

yes this should work fine, just make sure to not dim what you want to turn on and off also are you using a 120v solenoid or a low voltage solenoid and a relay?

Thanks for getting back to me.

I'm using a 120 v solenoid.
So, to get this right, I use the DMX dimmer on VSA but set on and off 0 and 254 in the shortest time frame possible?

i have not gotten into programing in vsa yet but i but i believe the highest value for dmx in vsa is 254 so you would want to use that and as for time i am not really sure how that works i thought you would set a command and however long it was on was how long the relay was on but now i think it might be that you give it an on command in a short time frame and then an off command when you want it to go off. i am just learning vsa as well. so this is probably a question for phoenix

Al of my dimmer packs have an option to switch it to a relay o the pack itself, so even if you do mess up and send the wrong value it still wouldn't dim. Check your user manual when you get yours.

My recommendation for controlling with VSA are as follows

In Setup set the channel as a DMX dimmer min 0, Max 255, default 0



In the routine you have two options to switch this on/off

Option 1 (Linear Bars)

to turn on create a very short Linear Bar just 1 frame long with a start position of 0 and a stop position of 255

to turn off create a very short Linear Bar just 1 frame long with a start position of 255 and a stop position of 0

Option 2 (Pulse Bar)

Create a bar as long as the duration you want the relay to be on for, make sure you select "Pulse Bar" for the event type, give the bar a Pulse value of 255

My user manual describes no such ability. So for giggles I checked the Chauvet DMX-4 manual and it does allow you to. You hit the menu button until the option comes up. On my dimmer pack, when I hit the menu button, all it switches between is the choices of relays (1 or 4).

Originally Posted by Phoenix_UK

My recommendation for controlling with VSA are as follows

In Setup the channel as a DMX dimmer min 0, Max 255, default 0



In the routine you have two options to switch this on/off

Option 1 (Linear Bars)

to turn on create a very short Linear Bar just 1 frame long with a start position of 0 and a stop position of 255

to turn off create a very short Linear Bar just 1 frame long with a start position of 255 and a stop position of 0

Option 2 (Pulse Bar)

Create a bar as long as the duration you want the relay to be on for, make sure you select "Pulse Bar" for the event type, give the bar a Pulse value of 255

Thank you Phoenix! I knew you'd come through. I will go back to my regularly scheduled programming and let you guys know how this will work.

I guess the lesson I've learned from this latest episode is to pay attention when buying dimmer packs to be sure it has the ability to be a switch or a dimmer. Lesson number 245 I've learned on this project.