coasterbp Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 I use all LEDs. Last year I had to add some snubbers because I was having flickering on channels during fades. Only the channel fading was flickering.This year, I've changed my setup a little bit and I'm still using all LEDs and now I'm getting flickering across channels that aren't even commanded on when fading a different channel. Is this still a snubber fix or am I encountering something else?Thanks everyone and have a safe Thanksgiving!-=CoasterBP
-klb- Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 Most likely you still need phantom load on the channels.
CKSedg Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 coasterbp wrote: I use all LEDs. Last year I had to add some snubbers because I was having flickering on channels during fades. Only the channel fading was flickering.This year, I've changed my setup a little bit and I'm still using all LEDs and now I'm getting flickering across channels that aren't even commanded on when fading a different channel. Is this still a snubber fix or am I encountering something else?Thanks everyone and have a safe Thanksgiving!-=CoasterBPI'm having the exact same problem with only one channel. I tried plugging those lights (1 strand only) into another channel and I still have the same problem with those particular lights---coming on when other channels on other controllers are on. I plan to make a snubber tonight to see if that solves it. Any other thoughts, anyone?
DSolmes Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 I had some ghosting on off chanels on an off controller. The problem was that I had 2 controlers running off from one extension cord with a T at the end. The signal was backfeeding through the power cord from the on unit to the off unit. Added a designated power cord and it went away completely.
vvolf27 Posted November 29, 2011 Posted November 29, 2011 I am having the same issue. I put on snubbers and it did not doi it, someone told me to try a nightlight, so I am trying that tonight.I also had the same issue with a controller T'd off of another controller, had to run a separate cord.Really wish I can find a solution to the ghost flicker going on.All of my LEDs are full wave, 120V.
Greg Young Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 DSolmes wrote: I had some ghosting on off chanels on an off controller. The problem was that I had 2 controlers running off from one extension cord with a T at the end. The signal was backfeeding through the power cord from the on unit to the off unit. Added a designated power cord and it went away completely.Interesting I have multiple controllers off of one cord (4 for my megatree) and have never encountered an issue with a signal coming back via the ground side....With electronics you never know....
heystew Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 I have had this issue to some extent for 3 years now.. i've finally this year nailed it down to particular LED strings (usually cheap variety). Not all strings of a certain type will do it, but 1 or 2 random ones will. I've had some luck resolving it in several ways..- Upgrade to latest firmware on Gen2 controllers- use Gen3 controllers on channels that are really bad- use an X10 noise filter on the channel that is causing the interference (note this is on the channel side, not the power inlet)- eliminating fades all together on these channels- i've had no luck with snubbers, but plan to try some larger incandescent loads.once i have a few minutes to breathe i plan to post some more info on what i've learned.dave
vvolf27 Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 heystewI might have to eleminate fades, because it does not do it all the time, I will have to take some time and watch one song and get some timings down to see when it does or does not.Greg Young are you using LEDs? I did not have any of these issues on my halloween show using incandecents.
heystew Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 vvolf27,I spent one night going controller by controller fading each channel individually to nail down exactly which channels it was. As you said it does not do it all the time although the worst ones are pretty consistently bad.
vvolf27 Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 In LOR hardware ultility, when I do a chase it does not do it, have not tried to do a single channel fade, but I completely changed out the controller and it does it in the same spots, so I think it is a software issue at this point bleeding channels. I am wondering if it is a Lightshow pro issue. I went through last night and edited sequences and added off where it was supoosed to be just in case. Going to see tonight. Next I will try to take out fades and see if that is it, but channels on the opposite arch come on when they should not, so I am somewhat at a loss.
heystew Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 what i did to narrow it down to a power issue vs. a data issue was to find a channel that caused the issue. then find other channels (on other controllers) that would flicker because of the first channel. I would then disconnect the Data line from the affected channels completely. They would still flicker even though that controller was off the network.
vvolf27 Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Sounds like a plan. I figured out #6 was flickering due to the extension cord being T'd off of #1. Ran a new cord and fixed that. Although many people who visit will not know, it still bothers the heck out of me, to have this flickering. I went LED this year because I did not have a lot of power options, but a month ago I decided to have a 100 amp sub panel put it, I might just go incandescnets next year.
vvolf27 Posted November 30, 2011 Posted November 30, 2011 Well the edit did not work so I am going to edit the my fades out. I notice when the lights just come on I do not get the flicker on other channels. It does it when my lights fade up or down though. If that is the problem then I can deal with out fades because it is not as noticeable with LEDs as with incandescent.
vvolf27 Posted December 1, 2011 Posted December 1, 2011 Problem solved, I edited my THX intro and Carol of the bells, I removed my ramp effects, no more flicker across channels. Now I just have to edit my other 8 songs. What a relief, at least now I know the cause and clean up my show.
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