Thread: DMX Dimmer pack to watch out for

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for those who are building a DMX based system, you may want to keep your eye open for this 12 channel dimmer pack, here in the Uk that are often half the price of the 4 way packs but with 3x the channels

NJD 12 CHANNEL DMX DIMMER PACK on eBay, also, Lighting, LEDs Strobes, DJ Equipment, Consumer Electronics (end time 24-Aug-08 10:11:15 BST)

This one is a 240VAC version, but having looked at the circuit board it is also available in a 120VAC version, in fact it looks fairly easy to convert.

Is that a UK based company? It looks like that's the only one listed on Ebay, and thats in the UK.

Phoenix, i don't know if this will interest you or not, but here's a site i've been following (a christmas site) that is running "coops" to get a circut board to make your own Solid state relays. With a couple extra parts you can make this into a stand-alone DMX dimmer pack. Look under the SSR4 link. Also some info in the wiki link on top. It loos like they can b built for around $30 each (don't know how much that would be over there...)

Do It Yourself Computer Controlled Christmas Lights - Index

I don't know if its a UK company, I doubt it, its probably chinese, Ill look again tomorow and see if there are any clues to origin

Actually I already have some home made dimmer packs..... the problem to remember is that whilst its relatively easy to make a circuit board, you still have the problem of dealing with 240VAC (or 120VAC), sometimes we get all to happy playing with live DC circuit boards that we forget that when your playing with 240VAC you need to take a lot of special care.

For this reason I really prefer getting factory made units which have decent cases, by the time you have made a home-made unit safe it stops looking cheap.

i will keep an eye out for this one 12ch is alot for that price although it does appear to be a company out of the uk


in case any one is looking for some. i ordered mine from bulbamerica's ebay store right now they are asking 50 but will usually accept around 40. the company is great, got them to me in 3days. the dimmer packs are very nice, heavy, solid, easy to use.

oops, as it turns out they are a UK company

NJD 12DIMMING NJD DPX12/4 12 Way DMX Power Pack NJ942

interestingly they use 5 Pin XLR connectors and send +12VDC down one of the spare pins, not really sure what I think about this idea, but it does raise some interesting possibilities

Originally Posted by Phoenix_UK

oops, as it turns out they are a UK company

NJD 12DIMMING NJD DPX12/4 12 Way DMX Power Pack NJ942

interestingly they use 5 Pin XLR connectors and send +12VDC down one of the spare pins, not really sure what I think about this idea, but it does raise some interesting possibilities

i like this idea as it would power the board from the 12v keeping the main power isolated from it. i don't like this idea because of the voltage drop which could make the device un-reliable over long cable runs with out a repeater, could also cause an issue if another manufacturer was using those pins for something else.
hmmmmm

Originally Posted by guitarist155

i like this idea as it would power the board from the 12v keeping the main power isolated from it. i don't like this idea because of the voltage drop which could make the device un-reliable over long cable runs with out a repeater, could also cause an issue if another manufacturer was using those pins for something else.
hmmmmm

And the whole thread just went over my head....

Dang! And I held on for so long!

Don't worry about it, it looks like the +12VDC is for their add on devices, they do a pendant that plugs into the DMX port to control their units and this probably needs the 12VDC power