Mini Director WiFi Question

[bwolcott]

Hello all. Question? I want to run a wireless setup with the mini Director. I made generic diagram below of what I was thinking and would like to know if it was posible somehow.

 

Here is the standard setup

 

What I want to do is get rid of the hard wire between the mini director and the controllers. like this

[Surfing4Dough]

Page 4 of the ELL manual indicates you can attach a director to the ELL to transmit to your controllers.

 

www.lightorama.com/PDF/RF-V4_Man_Web.pdf

 

Unless you have a very specific reason why you can't run cat5 to the controllers (such as having to cross a street), this seems like an expensive option though.

[bwolcott]

Nice thank you... Yes I have the director in a spot that would requir a cat cable to be run over 200 feet and there is lots of foot and automotive traffic in between. The extra expense would be much cheaper than a lawsuit. Again thank you.

[bwolcott]

Hummm just read page 4. So it looks like i will also need the LOR USB485B adapter?

"The USB485B USB-to-RS485 adapter has a power supply in it for the transceiver"

 

So a cat5 would go from the ELL to the USB485B adapter then another cat5 from LOR USB485B adapter to the Mini Director?

[Orville]

Hummm just read page 4. So it looks like i will also need the LOR USB485B adapter?

"The USB485B USB-to-RS485 adapter has a power supply in it for the transceiver"

 

So a cat5 would go from the ELL to the USB485B adapter then another cat5 from LOR USB485B adapter to the Mini Director?

Sounds right to me.

[Dave Pursel]

According to your pics you posted your going to be running your show from a MP3 director and not directly from the computer.  If this is correct you won't need the USB485B adapter.  That adapter is used when you want to attach a ELL directly to your computer.  Your controller will provide the power for the ELL transmitter/receiver.   As I have recently discovered the USB port does not have enough power to power the ELL transmitter.  That is why this adapter is needed.  It's cold outdoors these days (9 degrees F last night)  I had plans on taking my laptop out to the car at the end of the driveway to make modification to my sequences.  That's when I discovered I needed the USB485B adapter.

[Dave Pursel]

Just so there's no confusion.  The pics show the MP3 director attached to a controller.  My previous post does not apply if your attempting to attach the MP3 director by itself directly to an ELL.  The MP3 director does not have a USB port on it.  Normally the MP3 director has to be attached to a controller in order to receive power.  There is the ability to provide external power to the MP3 director.  I do not know if that's enough to provide power to the ELL though.  Someone else will have to chime in on that one.

[a31ford]

I might have missed something here,

 

Could you not simply place the Mini With the first controller ?? (this would require you going TO the mini to change SD cards). I realize this might not be an option (if running 2 separate houses on the same mini).

 

I have about 1200 feet of Cat5 cable (strung in the trees) over our driveway to our controllers some 1000 feet from our house.

 

I do understand this might be an issue if crossing a street or such.....

 

Just trying to help with options.....

 

Greg

 

Oh, BTW if you have a Cat5 Crimper and are not bad with soldering, you can power the ELL with a wall-wart type AC adaptor with a slight MOD on a Cat5 cable or build a special cable. can show you what I did, if you need.

Edited January 18, 2014 by a31ford