ToddH Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Ok my brain is mush over these last few weeks and I am either not getting it or missing it entirely so please help out I have a Mini Director w/ MP3 that I want to use with my 1st controler. I want to attach it to an external power supply that has a built in timer so that I can control when it starts/stops an that I don't have to have wires running in and out of the house to my PC an the such but I can not for the life of me figure out what I need to get extra or what to do in order to get an external power supply connected to it? Please help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Page 10 of the manual. 9 vdc 50 ma power supply. and change the jumper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddH Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 thats what I was thinking.... so any place to get those other then Online? Lowes/HD carrys only 12vdc an higher. Not sure about radio shack...but any suggestions?Btw thanks for the reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBullard Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 You might try Radio Shack or even the electronics section of Walmart. Doesn't matter what tip it has, you will cut it off anyway. Just be sure of the proper polarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisquit476 Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Why not put a timer on the controller, and just cat 5 to the mini director? The controller will power the director, and will start playing sequences after the controller is powered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 bisquit476 wrote: Why not put a timer on the controller, and just cat 5 to the mini director? The controller will power the director, and will start playing sequences after the controller is powered.Todd: I agree with the above in your scenario. Much simpler and no worries about damaging the power supplies in controllers or the mDC unit. Make sure you read the cautions in the manual (page 10 I beleive) tells that if the cat5 is connected to the mDC unit and any controllers and incorrect polarity is connected, it will damage the controllers and other items power supplies connected to it. So before connecting any DC supply to it, be sure you have all other connections disconnected from it!Now this is why I spent the EXTRA $$ on the DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit, it has an EXTERNAL power jack for a 12vdc supply(which I took in leu of the SD Card Reader as I already had several Card Reader/Writers and didn't need it, but wanted the external adapter in case I ever needed it), it also has an INTERNAL clock WITH battery backup, so I just put the shows on my SD card with the days and times I want my show to run and the DC-MP3 Showtime Director takes care of my controllers, lights and start/stop show times, my overnight operation of 25-50% random display lights going off and on (slow fades) and then runs my daytime NON-lit sequences for the Halloween themed music I play during the shows off hours! Lots of folks say it's a waste of money, but to me it's more than paid for itself several times over. I just set my shows and leave it alone unless I want to add or change something. And it also gets its power from the controller it's daisychained to.My Halloween set up goes like this with the DC-MP3 Showtime Director:Sunday - Thursday 7am-6:59pm Daytime Halloween Music / 7:00pm-10pm Showtime duration / 10pm-7:00am Overnight slow fade of display elements.Friday and Saturday: 7am-6:59pm Daytime Halloween Music / 7:00pm-11pm Showtime duration / 11pm-7:00am Overnight slow fade of display elements.So basically with the unit I am running 3 seperate shows: Show 01 (main show): is the 7pm-10pm Sun-Thur/7pm-11pm Fri & Sat. Show 02 (overnight): Sun-Thur 10pm-7am/11pm-7am Fri & Sat Show 03 (daytime FM radio broadcast): 7am-6:58pm Sunday-SaturdayThat's why I will always recommend the more expensive DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit over the mDC unit and having to use an external timer, I just like the fact everything is right there in one small package and was able to be mounted in the same control box with my FM Transmitter, and the fact it does have the internal clock with the battery backup that the mDC unit lacks. Andthat LOR sells the 12VDC adapter for the DC-MP3 Showtime Director unit. Although the manual states they have an optional 9VDC power supply for it, I didn't see it in the accessories area. So you might want to ask LOR about the adapter via e-mail to go that route.But that's just my opinion, but again, it's been worth every cent I paid for the DC-MP3 Showtime Director! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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