Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 i recently purchased the fm transmitters. now here is my problem. i hooked them up and played a sequence, nothing happened. i walked out to where the light controller is located and the red light inside is blinking. i hooked my laptop directly into the controller and now it still blinks and will play no sequences. if i open the hardware manager up the red light on the controller goes solid. i can test the lights make them blink or what ever, as soon as i exit the hardware control panel the light goes back to flashing and it will not run the sequences. the sequences run its just the lights do nothing. i have not changed anything other then plugging in the fm transmitters. that laptop is solely for my shows. i toke it to the convention this year and some lights to show my brother who was meeting me there. everything worked fine. ive added some sequences since then but have not done anything else or even checked to see if it was working because it still should. i have to start running my show the 14th every night for 2 weeks i need some help fast please. thank you so much in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Are you talking about a FM Broadcast transmitter or the Easy Light Linkers from LOR?If the ELLs, how/what do you have them connected? You cannot plug them in to your laptop unless you have the USB-RS485B with booster.http://store.lightorama.com/uscoadwivobo.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Welcome to the forum Phillip.Did you check to make sure you have the "Control Lights" checked on under the play tab? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 i have usbrs485b, i used to be able to control the lights, but now without the fm transmitters even hooked up i cant control the lights anymore. the only thing thats changed is that i plugged in the easy light linkers. thanks for the welcome. the main problem seems to be once i exit the hardware programm the light controller stops seeing the computer again, im sure if i can solve that problem and at least get the sequences working, then i can tackle the linkers or send them back ill try and look for that check box, although i dont know what would uncheck said box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 For testing, unplug the ELLs and use Cat5 until you have it working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 From my past experience, the loss of comunication to the controller is normal when you exit the HU. When you schedule a show or play a sequence, the led should be solid (again, using my memory from the past). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 yeah its not going solid when i play a show or sequence, only when the hardware window is open, dang thing worked great till i hooked up the transmitters, but i wouldnt think they would change configuration on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 They shouldn't have. I have been using the ELLs since 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Phillip W wrote: i have usbrs485b, i used to be able to control the lights, but now without the fm transmitters even hooked up i cant control the lights anymore. the only thing thats changed is that i plugged in the easy light linkers. thanks for the welcome. the main problem seems to be once i exit the hardware programm the light controller stops seeing the computer again, im sure if i can solve that problem and at least get the sequences working, then i can tackle the linkers or send them back ill try and look for that check box, although i dont know what would uncheck said boxYou were able to control the lights with the ELLs, or with a cat-5 connection? I'm assuming you mean just with a cat-5 connection.Get your controller working first (use HU to test, verify com port is correct, software is "seeing" the controller, you can control via the console, etc).The run a sequence ensuring "control lights" is checked.You can also verify the setup on the ELLs via the HU...if you haven't done that, that would be the first step towards testing them; verify channel setting, etc. Would also recommend doing a test in a location with the two ELLs in the same place, to verify they are talking and you can run your sequence.Then, finally, do your test from where your computer will be, to where your controller will actually be located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 In the HW utility, make sure you note what com port it is using.Then, in the sequence editor on that machine, edit/preferences/network, and be sure it is set to the same com port. Also make sure that it is set to medium range/speed.If either of those was off, exit out, disable shows, and enable shows, and you should be back in business.I'm guessing that either you are not using the exact same USB adapter, or you may have it plugged into a different root hub on your computer. Either one of which might wind up with it assigned to a different com port number than in the past. Or, if both are the same, I have occassionally experienced driver updates causing the com port numbers to shift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 thanks for those notes, comport is the same as i used to use, all of this eq is new, got the controller and software about april, im using the same usb adapter that came with the set up back then. i ran the check for comport just to verify and it again saw com3. the only other thing i can think of was i downloaded someone else's sequence and matched it up, now if they had their com differant would it change it for all the sequences? ill check the edit/preferences/network and see if i see anything in there. that might be what happened, i cant remember if i tested the lights after that.edit/preferences/network on sequence says regular network comm 3 as port, so that isnt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Did you check the speed/distance option as well? The ELL have to be programmed to run either low or medium speed, and match each other, and the network settings. The fact that the lights work in hardware utility suggests that the ELL match each other, and my recollection is that for everything but firmware upgrade the hardware utility uses medium speed...Even if your sequences wound up with incorrect controller ID numbers, and/or controllers on aux networks, as long as your regular network is set correctly, you should get solid status light on the controllers when a show is running... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 DonFL wrote:You were able to control the lights with the ELLs, or with a cat-5 connection? I'm assuming you mean just with a cat-5 connection. Just the cat5 i can control in HUGet your controller working first (use HU to test, verify com port is correct, software is "seeing" the controller, you can control via the console, etc). that worksThe run a sequence ensuring "control lights" is checked. ok where is this located at?You can also verify the setup on the ELLs via the HU...if you haven't done that, that would be the first step towards testing them; verify channel setting, etc. Would also recommend doing a test in a location with the two ELLs in the same place, to verify they are talking and you can run your sequence. ill work on this after i get it to run normallyThen, finally, do your test from where your computer will be, to where your controller will actually be located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Phillip W wrote: The run a sequence ensuring "control lights" is checked. ok where is this located at?Sequence editor, about half way down the Play menu. It only applies when playing out of the sequence editor. But playing sequences out of the sequence editor will check that the network settings in sequence editor are good, and that the com port is working correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Phillip W wrote: DonFL wrote:You were able to control the lights with the ELLs, or with a cat-5 connection? I'm assuming you mean just with a cat-5 connection. Just the cat5 i can control in HUGet your controller working first (use HU to test, verify com port is correct, software is "seeing" the controller, you can control via the console, etc). that worksThe run a sequence ensuring "control lights" is checked. ok where is this located at?You can also verify the setup on the ELLs via the HU...if you haven't done that, that would be the first step towards testing them; verify channel setting, etc. Would also recommend doing a test in a location with the two ELLs in the same place, to verify they are talking and you can run your sequence. ill work on this after i get it to run normallyThen, finally, do your test from where your computer will be, to where your controller will actually be located.Ok, so you only have a problem running a sequence? Sorry..missed that. (and yes, its right there in your first post..doh..:shock:)You can test your ELLs/controller via the HU...just set them up and use the console to confirm they work, and you can control via the ELL. But definitely check their setup on the HU first, and agree, get the controller running with the sequence first.Definitely check to make sure play->control lights is checked, can't recall if the LED will flash without that checked when you are working in the sequence editor, and as much as I'd love to spin my chair around and test it, I'm supposed to be "working"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 10, 2011 Author Share Posted October 10, 2011 well as an IT professional i always believe in the healing power of rebooting, all though i had tried this twice, this third time it seems to have worked. now my other problem. the ELL's are not working, is there a certain way to run them? it says should work right out of the box. i read the manual and yet they are not working, is there any special set up in the HU that needs to be done? and thanks to all of you for your suggestions on getting this working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 -klb- wrote: I'm guessing that either you are not using the exact same USB adapter, or you may have it plugged into a different root hub on your computer. Either one of which might wind up with it assigned to a different com port number than in the past. Or, if both are the same, I have occassionally experienced driver updates causing the com port numbers to shift.Sorry off topic for just a minute. THANK YOU klb. I just stated this in a different thread in the past day or two. And all of the experts shot me down. I am so glad to see that someone else has had the same experience as I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoore60 Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Phillip,You have stated that if you take the computer to the controller and use the hardware utility the LED on the controller goes solid and you can control the lights. Can you then run the sequence while connected to the controller at this point?Second, With everything hooked up as you plan on running. Can you use the hardware utility to control the lights as you can in the above mentioned test?If the first thing works and you cannot get the second scenario to work, then i think your ELLS are suspect. Most likely configuration of the ELLs. Also, in the past the distance of the cable between the ELL and the first device it attachs to had been determined to be critical to keep down on line loss and low voltage.Is your set up like this?computer---usb cable---USB458B----cat 5 cable----ELL ELL----cat 5 cable-----controller(s)The more details you provide the better we can understand and offer ideas to remedy.Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Phillip W wrote: well as an IT professional i always believe in the healing power of rebooting, all though i had tried this twice, this third time it seems to have worked. now my other problem. the ELL's are not working, is there a certain way to run them? it says should work right out of the box. i read the manual and yet they are not working, is there any special set up in the HU that needs to be done? and thanks to all of you for your suggestions on getting this working.Ok, so just to confirm:1. controller is fine being controlled by HU via cat-5.2. controller is working fine when running a sequence with cat-5?If so, we can check that off...Re the ELLs...Yes, there is setup in the HU. Refer to pages 6 and 7 in your ELL manual.You can get your current configuration on that tab, and can verify if you had a speed or channel mismatch.You'll want to verify you have matching frequency and speed set in the devices. Be sure to "update configuration" when finished.While "works out of the box" and "plug and play" are popular selling points, i never trust either of those statements... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip W Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 i can finally run sequences, dont ask what was wrong as im used to trouble shooting and following steps, its one of those the 3rd reboot finally worked, i can control the light now through cat5. MAX-Paul just hang in there. my question now at this point is do i need a booster usb458 adapter as someone stated earier? as i just have the one that came with my starter pack, so maybe thats why they arent working? and would have been nice if they would have shipped that when you buy the two together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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