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3rd light o rama box not working please help


jasoncampbell83

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I have 3 CTB16PC  light o rama boxes. 2 of them I've added on this year my #1 and #2 box are working my #3 box is blinking red when I try to sync all of them. Now if I hook my #3 box straight up it will have no problems it turns on and off without a hitch. #3 box old unit use to be 2 I switched it to #3 my #2 box use to be #27 I switched it to #2. I have the CAT 5 running to #1 middle plugin and then another CAT 5 in the right plugin to #2 middle plugin then another CAT 5 from #2 right plugin to #3 middle plugin. What am I doing wrong?

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Just supposing you have a lic that is good for more than two controllers. You say that you can connect directly to the #3 box and all is well. That leaves me to think of three things. The Cat 5 cable between #2 and #3 is bad. Or there is a problem with the #2 controller's right hand connector. First try changing out the Cat 5 cable. Did that fix the problem? If NO, then look at the middle and right hand connectors. Are all the wire like fingers align straight? Are they the same height as the ones on the middle connector? If any of the ones on the right are not like the ones on the middle connector. Try to bend them to look the same. Then there is the possibility that the connector has been partially pulled loose or bad solder joints on the board. BTW was this a kit that you built?

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And I know the upgrade took or I wouldn't been able to add my #3 box into my sequence editor.

 

For what it's worth, you could add 32 controllers in the Sequence Editor with a basic license. Or 64, or 128. The SE won't limit you based on license. Just the software will not play the events tied to the higher numbered controllers.

 

A quick glance at the original post has me thinking cable issue, or bent pins inside the RJ45 jacks.

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I doubt the problem is the license level, because the license level shouldn't prevent the unit from receiving comm (which is what the blinking light means).  But just for future reference, regarding how to tell what license level is in use:

 

Make sure to check what the Sequence Editor actually says the license level is, rather than just relying on the fact that you know you've purchased a certain license level.  The blue bar at its top will say something like "Light-O-Rama Sequence Editor v3.12.0 Basic Plus".

 

If it doesn't actually say "Basic Plus" (or whatever license level you expect), then go to the "Help" menu, and select "Upgrade Light-O-Rama", then enter your license name and key (if they're not already there) and click on "Register".  This is necessary to let your computer know that you have purchased an upgrade to a new license level.

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How do I go about reseting the controller. The unit use to be #2 and I change the ID to #3 but like I said if I hook it straight up and works no problem its just not syncing with 1 and 2.

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What happened when you ran the program Don provided?

 

From the Light-O-Rama faq page.

 

How do I reset my light controller?

 

If it’s a 1600 series Generation 1 or 2 (metal enclosure and no LED display inside), disconnect the power, set the unit ID switches to 0-0, and reapply power.  The status light will blink very fast.  Wait a few seconds, remove power, change the Unit ID switches back to where they were and reapply power.  You’ve reset the board.  If it’s a 1600 series Generation 3 (metal enclosure with LED display inside), disconnect the power, press the up and down buttons simultaneously and reapply power. The display will show ’0000.’  Wait a few seconds, release the up and down buttons, the controller will be reset and return to normal operation in about two seconds.  If it’s a CTB-16PC series Generation 1 or 2 (typically in a plastic enclosure, red status light and has a jumper block to the right of the data cable connectors), disconnect the power, remove the jumper next to the data connectors (usually in the second position (or J2)) and reapply power.  The status light will blink very fast.  Wait a few seconds, remove power, replace the jumper on the J2 position and reapply power.  You’ve reset the board.  Go into the Hardware Utility and make sure the board is assigned to the correct physical location where it was before the reset.  If it’s a CTB-16PC series Generation 3 (typically in a plastic enclosure, green status light and has a jumper block to the left of the data cable connectors), disconnect the power.  On JP3, counting from the left, move the jumper on pins 4 and 5 over one notch to pins 5 and 6.  Reapply power.  The status light will blink very fast.  Wait a few seconds, remove power, move the jumper pack to pins 4 and 5.  Reapply power.  You’ve reset the board.  Go into the Hardware Utility and make sure the board is assigned to the correct physical location where it was before the reset.  If it’s a CTB-16 series controller board, disconnect the power, set the unit ID switches to 0-0, and reapply power.  The status light will blink very fast.  Wait a few seconds, remove power, change the Unit ID switches back to where they were and reapply power.  You’ve reset the board.  If it’s a CTB-32 series controller board (typically with a green status light), disconnect the power from the controller.  On reset header JP3 (just to the lower left of the data cable connectors), counting from the left, remove the jumper between pins 4 and 5.  Power up the controller and  the Status LED should flash rapidly.  Disconnect the power from the controller and put the jumper back on between Pins 4 and 5 of the reset header JP3 (MAKE SURE OF ITS LOCATION).  Power up the controller.  Now, run your tests again.

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 if I hook it straight up and works no problem its just not syncing with 1 and 2.

 

Then your problem is the electrical connection; a reset won't fix that. The problem could be the right socket in the #2 controller. To test that, switch the cables on the middle and right sockets. (There is no difference between the middle and right sockets; either can be used as either "in" or "out".) If the right socket is bad, then the #2 controller will stop working.

 

The problem could also be the cable that connects from #2 to #3. If the cable is easy to move, try swapping it with a known-good cable. If the cable is installed deep in your display so you can't get access, then invest in a cat5 cable tester. If it's bad, cut off the connectors and re-crimp some new ones.

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Steven I did what you said about pulling the middle cat 5 in box #2 and put it in the right socket and my box #2 did not work. So it must be my right socket in box #2. If that's the case I should switch box#2 for box #3 since I want need the right socket in box #3 and see if that solves my problems.


And how do I go abouts fixing the right socket in box#2

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Option 1: Put the box with the bad connector at the end of the line (as you suggested above switching #2 and #3). Remember that the boxes don't have to be connected in order, so if #2 is close to #3, you can run the cat5 cable from #1, to #3, then to #2.

 

Option 2: Get a RJ45 splitter and a very short(!) cable to connect the splitter to the good socket.

 

Option 3: Take the controller apart and replace the bad socket by de-soldering the bad one and soldering a new one in its place.

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I had this problem too... I bought 4 controllers in 1 box... when I added them to the system, Controller 4 would power on, but would not control any lights. :(

 

Found out 1 thing... I had to reprogram the Controller #'s. I had 2 controllers that were #2. Light O Rama does not tell you when there is a controller conflict (kind of like an IP Conflict in computer terms). I disconnected all of the controllers from the LOR Network, Ran a 100 ft cable from the PC to each controller, Ran the hardware utility to change the controller #. Once that was done, all worked. I hope that this is also your problem as it is an easy fix.

 

Kip

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Kiplorenzo yeah that was the first thing I did when I got the two new ones but thanks for the info. Steven I will try to move the boxes today and see how that works out thanks for everything.

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