One Channel always is always on

[salighie]

I have 4 LOR1602W - Hardware utility reports firmware version CTB16D Ver 4.40.

one of the channels seems to be always on.

using the hardware console i was not able to shut the channel off.

the funny thing is that it seems as though the channel is on at 50% intensity because when i turn the channel on from the hardware console to 100% the lights are brighter... move the dial down to 0 and the lights dim down to what seems like 50% intensity.

i've unplugged the unit, powered it off and on again.. shutdown the LOR control panel, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

i've also unplugged the lights off of the channel and waited a few seconds before plugging it back in... but they go on.

any help is greatly appreciated.

[salighie]

So, i've looked around in the forum and it seems that i'm not alone with this issue.

it sounds like i need to reset... but i've looked at the HW guide for my controllers and cant find the procedure.

is there a doc somewhere where the reset procedure for a LOR1602W are detailed?

Thanks

[Mark h2o]

Turn the controller off,
set the Unit ID switches to ‘00’ and turn it on
for 10 seconds. Then turn it off and reset the Unit
ID switches to the original value.

[Mark h2o]

It isn't by any chance a channel with LEDs is it?

[salighie]

Mark h2o: thank you for your reply.

I wish I had LEDs... so far only incandescent.

thanks for the procedure i'll try it out later.

[Guest guest]

Got the same problem with one of my CTB16PC controllers, and resetting it did not solve the problem either.

If a reset doesn't fix it, chances are that channel has a bad Triac that needs to be changed out.

I have one controller where channel 5 will not turn off, does the same as yours, won't turn off, reset controller(several times), still would not turn off, incandescent or LED, same thing.

So I would say I definitely need to get a new Triac to change the one on Channel 5 in mine, yours may be the same issue.

After the season, I'm just going to pack it up and send it back to LOR for repair as I can no longer do any of this kind of repair myself due to extreme vision problems.

So I have to send mine back, if you can solder and desolder the Triac, if that's what it turns out to be (pretty sure that's what it may end up being), you could repair it yourself by asking LOR for the Triac to replace the bad one and fixing the controller.

Good Luck.

[Mark h2o]

If it is a bad triac I hope you have a spare channel. A lot of people on here always recommend leaving a spare channel or two on ea controller for such events. I for one am an offender of this advice. What can I say, i live on the edge. LOL....

[salighie]

I opened a case with support and here is what they had to say:

How odd... it's either a suspicious string of lights or the triac controlling that channel is in the process of going bad. Let's hope it's the first because it's easy to fix.

Some quick tests. Power off the controller and plug a different light load into the stuck channel. Power up and run your tests again. We've seen too many lighting products that behave out-of-the-normal because they weren't designed for animation environments.

Another trick is to 'reverse the polarity' of the lights. Where the lights plug into the extension cord or power dongle, turn the light plug around 180 degrees and plug it back in. AC power is non-polarized but some light strings will act normal again by turning the plug around.

One more trick used by the pros is to put a small incandescent light load on the troublesome light channels, usually at the end of the light string. Typically one incandescent C7 bulb does the trick... LEDs will then take on most of the dimming characteristics of the incandescent.

If the problem is still there, let's do a board reset:

If it's a 1600 series Generation 1 or 2 (metal enclosure and no LED display inside)), disconnect the power, set the unit ID switches to 0-0, and reapply power. The status light will blink very fast. Wait a few seconds, remove power, change the Unit ID switches back to where they were and reapply power. You've reset the board.

If it's a 1600 series Generation 3 (metal enclosure with LED display inside), disconnect the power, press the up and down buttons simultaneously and reapply power. The display will show '0000.' Wait a few seconds, release the up and down buttons, the controller will be reset and return to normal operation in about two seconds.

Now, run your tests again.

If that doesn't work, they say, it's probably a bad triac.

[Guest guest]

salighie wrote:

I opened a case with support and here is what they had to say:

How odd... it's either a suspicious string of lights or the triac controlling that channel is in the process of going bad. Let's hope it's the first because it's easy to fix.

Some quick tests. Power off the controller and plug a different light load into the stuck channel. Power up and run your tests again. We've seen too many lighting products that behave out-of-the-normal because they weren't designed for animation environments.

Another trick is to 'reverse the polarity' of the lights. Where the lights plug into the extension cord or power dongle, turn the light plug around 180 degrees and plug it back in. AC power is non-polarized but some light strings will act normal again by turning the plug around.

One more trick used by the pros is to put a small incandescent light load on the troublesome light channels, usually at the end of the light string. Typically one incandescent C7 bulb does the trick... LEDs will then take on most of the dimming characteristics of the incandescent.

If the problem is still there, let's do a board reset:

If it's a 1600 series Generation 1 or 2 (metal enclosure and no LED display inside)), disconnect the power, set the unit ID switches to 0-0, and reapply power. The status light will blink very fast. Wait a few seconds, remove power, change the Unit ID switches back to where they were and reapply power. You've reset the board.

If it's a 1600 series Generation 3 (metal enclosure with LED display inside), disconnect the power, press the up and down buttons simultaneously and reapply power. The display will show '0000.' Wait a few seconds, release the up and down buttons, the controller will be reset and return to normal operation in about two seconds.

Now, run your tests again.

If that doesn't work, they say, it's probably a bad triac.

I didn't open a support ticket, but that is basically what I did to test my CTB16PC, the problem never corrected itself after doing everything to try and correct the issue.

So I'm pretty sure I have a bad triac in mine.

Hopefully yours won't be.

[Max-Paul]

Just some info. A Triac is a solid state bi-directional AC switch. What has happened to yours is that one half of the switch is always on. So you will always conduct half of the wave. And when you increase the intensity you start to see the lamps on more till they are at 100%. So, yes half of the triac has failed and will need to be replaced. Contact LOR for help.

[musicman130]

I had a similar problem with a channel but not sure if I need a new triac or not and this is why. Was stuck on about 50% or so and so I redid all my sequences to an unused channel so it would work. I checked it the next day and lights were off, just used a regular string plugged in, went to hardware wizard and turned it on and it came on, went off with no problem. So... do I need to replace that triac or did it just get wet and maybe that's why it was doing it but fine now? I just don't want to have issues next year again.

[Max-Paul]

Musicman,

What do you think? Does your situation sound like salighie's?
Just trying to teach you to fish..

[musicman130]

I would GUESS that mine is ok now.

[Max-Paul]

Musicman,

A small story to help out. I have one controller sitting in one of those plastic battery box. After each rain, one of my channels stays either half or full on. Either the next day or a few days later it works just fine again. I tell you this, I am not worried that I have a bad Triac. My good man, guess not. You know the answer. Now, try to find out how water is getting on your board. This could lead to a burnt board that will be a much bigger head ache than a bad Triac. I know I am getting rid of the battery box and getting a true demarc box like the ones the LOR sells.