first show a bust

[minkhill]

Started planning for my first show thanksgiving, got controler and lights ordered and started installing. Worked 8 hours today in the snow, sleet and waited for dark. The show ran through the first set (2 songs) then I decided to play with the settings (fade and both intensity) and lost 1/2 my lights. After getting over my mad spell got to checking and found 1 of the fuses bblown in the controler. Can Maxing these settings do this or do I have mosture in one of the cords? Help Grandkids will be up tommorow and only have 1/2 of lights running.

[Victory402]

How many strings of lights (and what kind) do you have on the side that blew the fuse?

You may have a short circuit on the side that blew the fuse.

[minkhill]

I have 500 C-7 bulbs, my eve lights that is about 300 ft of mini lights and additional 700 ft of mini's scattered among the other 6 circuit's. My Wife says it was fine until I started playing with the settings.(ran about 10 min before blowing) I am going out today to get fuses and start disconnecting one channel at a time. Do you think one side is over loaded? We have 4 inches of snow and is still snowing this is not going to be fun.

[Victory402]

Your on the right track by isolating the problem channel.

Another way to check them is to bypass the controler by pluging each string directly into an extention cord to see if it reveals the problem string.

Hope this helps,

[ainsworth]

If you have LED bulbs then the issue is a short. If they are incandescent bulbs then;

Your C-7 lights are pulling about 30 amps alone. (500 x 7)/120 assuming 7 watts per bulb. You have to have them all on at the same time at full intensity to get this usage. So in answer to your question, by playing with the intensities you may have caused the fuse to blow.

If you have only 1 controller (which is the way it sounds) you have exceeded the capacity of it with your lights.

[JBullard]

Suggest while you are out getting the fuses, to also pick up a Kill-O-Watt tester, you need to know how many amps you have on each channel and bank of 8 channels.

I agree, it does seem you are drawing too much current.

[minkhill]

Can anybody give me the normal setting for the fade and intensity settings so I can return these settings back. Thanks, I have been on other support forums but have never gotten replies this quick once again thanks.

[Max-Paul]

Fades are 0-100% and I think the intentisty is 50%. yes most important tool is a Kill a watt. Might go by different name but it is a device that you install between the wall outlet and the load. it will tell you how many amps and watts your device is drawing. You need to do this for each and every circuit. And While you are buying those fuses you might want to get at least 8 or 10 of them. Sometimes you can go through a hand full while troubleshooting. But the suggestion of plugging it into an extension cord will save you a lot on fuses.

[JBullard]

I don't think the fade / intensity settings are a major concern at the moment, and doubt they contributed to the shut down. Over current draw for approx 10 minutes probably was the culpert.

Balancing the amp draw on the channels would be the biggest priority in my opinion.

[ainsworth]

The default fade and intensity settings reset every time you start the sequence editor. I'm not sure there is such a thing a "normal" in anything we do ROFL!


Do you run Excel? There are 2 spreadsheets I got from people on the forum that track power usage. One is max power per channel and per controller. The other tracks a specific sequence with time and graphs the power usage. Both take a little bit of time to understand and setup, but they will give you a good indication of your power use. You can use them to play with fade and intensity settings to keep your load down.

If you want them PM me your email and I will send them out to you.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

OK this happened to me last year the kill o watt meter will be your best friend I tried everything except that meter untill I was at my witts end all these people on this forum have done this that is why they are smarter than the rest of us it is called experience once you get your meter go out to your controller and start by unplugging the first light string on your controller labeled #1 on unit #1 plug the kill o watt meter in and then plug in the light string in your meter will give you an amp reading, make sure you have a pen and a paper, write that amp reading down when you are all done with the first eight plugs tally up your amp #s if it is over 15 amps you will continue to blow fuses in your controller remember you can not be over 15 amps on any given side of your controllers (unless you have upgraded to the 20 amp controllers) I felt like an idiot when I discovered my problem I was using some of my grandfathers old lights popped the fuses like popcorn in a microwave

good luck and let us know.

[lightzilla]

Don Gillespie wrote:

OK this happened to me last year the kill o watt meter will be your best friend I tried everything except that meter untill I was at my witts end all these people on this forum have done this that is why they are smarter than the rest of us it is called experience.

Are you saying you are not smart? Don't belittle yourself. All these fellows had to learn that the hard way themselves, or they read about it.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

Lightzilla wrote Don't belittle yourself

Thanks Scott I guess I have a little smart in me

[minkhill]

Thanks everyone surprised the grand kids with the show and they had no idea what I have been working on for the last week. With every ones help and a couple of hours trial and error. I found that by moving plugs around I fixed the problem. I looked in town for a meter but in my small town was a waste of time. I will go tomorrow to Bristol (45 min drive) and purchase one i think I will still need one as I have 2 plugs empty and afraid to install any more until I know what the loads are. I watched the video on LOR's site and they said to start in one location and work your way across and install in that order I should have asked the forum instead. Once again a big Thank-you and maybe in 5 or so years I can help someone out like you-all have done for me.

[Guest Don Gillespie]

Glad it worked and welcome to the madness Merry Christmas