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What kind of box do you use for your iDMX1000?


DownTown

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I'm using a plastic, outdoor box for my iDMX, and it's been ok for a long while... but I recently have been having problems with the contoller losing connection to the PC running LOR. When I investigated, I found that the RJ45 connector had some corrosion on it. My best guess as to what happened is this:

The controller will not fit in the enclosure horizontally, so I put it in in the vertical position. I did this with the RJ45 connector on the top end of, and the DMX connectors on the bottom. What I believe is happening is that there is a little condensation collecting on the cat 5 cable that plugs into the top end of the controller, and it drips down the cable into the connector, where things corrode. My guess is that if the enclosure were wide enough, I could mount the controller horizontally. I could run the cables out of the connectors (JR45 and XLR) on both sides of the controller, angling them down, so any condensation would drip down, away from the connectors. This should eliminate the problem that I'm having. But I can't find a reasonably priced outdoor box to keep them in. I am looking for a typical gray plastic outdoor box with a hinged cover, something that will keep the rain (and sprinklers) out. Any suggestions on where to obtain such an animal? Any specific box suggestions?

Thanks a lot.

D.T.

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Dave, Your answer may be as simple as a Tuperware type container. I know it's not beautiful, but they do work. Also some small vent / weep holes for air circulation. (?)

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Thanks Dan... I am looking for something a little more permanent, as my lights are normally on 365 days a year. I want a box that meets code. Tupperwaer isn't gonna cut it.

D.T.

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I have mine in the basement. It is the first device on the LOR string and powered from a 12v wall power suppply. I have 2 RJ45 jacks in a WP box on the side of the house 1 for LOR network and 1 for DMX. The standard for DMX on cat5 is wht/org + (xlr pin 3) org.wht - (xlr pin 3) and brown pair ground (xlr pin 1).

http://www.tmb.com/Pdf/CpointXLRJ45-A4-web.pdf

Have a good day



KEN

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  • 1 month later...

Just finished building a DMX-only self contained controller for the 2011 California State Fair; an iDMX1000 driven by a DC-MP3 card. included in the same box is a 12v power supply, DMX four-way distro and a 5v voltage regulator. Four XLR connectors at the bottom, along with a 1/8 inch stereo jack for the audio. Programmed for 8 PAR 64 RGB lights, 4 AccuScan 250 moving mirrors, 3600 watts of theatre lighting strips, Rosco fog machine and a DMX controlled variable fog fan. It's on display in the Rock-and-Roll exhibit.

Attached files 254439=13936-S9DMX15.jpg

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Ken Benedict wrote:

Just finished building a DMX-only self contained controller for the 2011 California State Fair; an iDMX1000 driven by a DC-MP3 card. included in the same box is a 12v power supply, DMX four-way distro and a 5v voltage regulator. Four XLR connectors at the bottom, along with a 1/8 inch stereo jack for the audio. Programmed for 8 PAR 64 RGB lights, 4 AccuScan 250 moving mirrors, 3600 watts of theatre lighting strips, Rosco fog machine and a DMX controlled variable fog fan. It's on display in the Rock-and-Roll exhibit.

Nice install Ken! :dude:
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zman - you might see this display at the Yakima Fair in Washington in a few months. It will be on tour through Washington and several locations in Canada.

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Ken Benedict wrote:

zman - you might see this display at the Yakima Fair in Washington in a few months. It will be on tour through Washington and several locations in Canada.


Get me dates. Yakima is a little over 2 hours from me, and I got all kinds of reasons to be in that area from time to time.
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