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Mini MP3 Director


JF1993

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I just purchased a Mini MP3 Director during the Spring Sale. I have one question that I'm hoping someone can assist me with. I read an article exclaiming that the Mini MP3 Director has no internal timer and has to be triggered by an external source. My question is basically, can you plug the Mini MP3 Director into a outdoor timer to start/end the show? I also read somewhere that it is usually powered by the closest LOR Controller. Does that mean it only plugs in via CAT5 cable? I guess an easier way to ask this is what are the inputs/outputs on the Mini Director?

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I don't own one of the units, so verify this before you treat it as gospel, but my understanding is yes, you would plug it into an outside timer.  Timer on = show running.  Timer off = show stops.

 

I do know that it gets its power over a CAT-5, so yes, you would plug it directly into a controller, and the controller into the external timer.

 

Per the manual, the connections are just audio out (1/8" stereo, headphone-size jack), LOR network (RJ-45), and there's a terminal block with 3 interactive inputs (start show #'s 1-3 -- use for interactive shows).  There are also pins for 5-volt output, and a 9-volt rail, which you can use to supply power to the player (read the warning, there is a jumper to change it looks like), or power something else nearby (eg, motion detector, which would then get its power from the nearest controller as well, so probably not a lot of current).

 

Hope this helps,

 

-Matt-

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Your best bet would be to put a timer/relay in the input pins, so it can finish whatever sequence it has going.

 

You might have some lingering commands that would keep some elements of your display lit.

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The mini director is really easy to use,

 

you have 2 choices to power it firstly threw cat 5 cable connected  to the light controller box or you can use a walwart. Having used it for a couple of shows the easiest way is to plug it into the controller with the cat5 cable. Have your light controllers hooked up to a timer and once the timer powers on the show will automatically start up.

 

Basically when the power comes on to the  controller the mini director (connected to No1 light controller because it has the spare cat5 socket as the rest are daisy chained down the line) will start up so in that sense you do not need a specfic trigger to turn it on as the power to the light controller itself acts as the trigger. (now am confused lol). The downside you have no control at the end the show will just turn of when the timer turns off,  but this is only a minor setback.

 

You could have it timed to cut of  in between songs and the end of the evening  but this would require a pretty acurate timer, remember this director does not have an internal clock its plug and play,  power on show starts,  power off show ends.

 

To answer your question  yes it has only one cat5 juction on the back, along with the electricial terminals for using a  external power source (walwart) and connections for an external trigger PIR etc. The front is were the sd card loads and the audio out to provide sound.

 

It is real easy to setup with SIMPLE SHOW BUILDER (lor software)  to load the show onto the sd card use and since i do a small show for Trunk or Treats it means i dont have to haul a computer around.....

 

If you click on the support files from the LOR website you can download the pdf file for the mini director to start reading before it shows up.

Edited by martinmc
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I hook my mini-director to a digital timer power strip (7 day programmable -- I like a digital one so it is more accurate).  I plug my director, FM transmitter, and radio frequency sign all into the timer, so they all come on at once, and leave my controllers plugged-in/powered 24/7.   I prefer not to power over cat5 so I don't have to worry about the distance between the director and first controller (must be less than 50' if powered via cat5).  Seems to provide more flexibility. 

 

The manual shows how to hook up the power cord on page 10 of the manual (pg 5 of the pdf):

http://www.lightorama.com/Documents/mDM-MP3_Man_Web.pdf

 

You may even have an old DC power supply laying around from an old phone or some small electrical device that meets the specs (50 milliamps, 9 volts DC).

 

I prefer to build my shows in the Hardware Utility since it provides more options (such as a single play first sequence -- I do a countdown at the beginning of the show, that only plays once and doesn't replay as the show loops). 

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You need to put all the controllers on a timer if you use cat5 to power the unit because any powered controller will power the mini director.

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That's interesting. I'll have to see if I can find a power adapter for the director itself. It sounds like a lot of work trying to hook all the controllers to a timer. Thanks for the input on the issue everyone. Oh and one last thing. Anyone know where to find a power adapter designed for the specifications of the mini mp3 director?

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Go to your local flea market, they have bunches for less than $1 ea , just make sure to read the specs on the adapter, you may have to buy 2-3 to get what you want and one that works.

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That's interesting. I'll have to see if I can find a power adapter for the director itself. It sounds like a lot of work trying to hook all the controllers to a timer. Thanks for the input on the issue everyone. Oh and one last thing. Anyone know where to find a power adapter designed for the specifications of the mini mp3 director?

 

I agree to find one used, but if not, online or radioshack would work.  The 9V part is the critical part of the specification.  It just has to exceed 50mA (which most do). 

 

Something like this should work:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-LED-Desk-Lamp-Router-Switching-Router-Power-Adapter-Supply-9V-1A-5-5-2-1MM-/281084166392?pt=US_Surveillance_Cables_Adapters_Connectors&hash=item4171ec00f8

 

Like I said, you probably have one laying around.  You will end up cutting the plug off the end of the wire, so the size of that doesn't matter.

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One thing to remember is the LOR protocol is a change only protocol, meaning the controller only shuts lights off or turns them on from the sequence signal, so just unplugging the mini director may not shut off the lights. I really can't remember whether the lights shut off or not as it's been about 3 years since I've used the mini director, but if IIRC, they didn't shut off, I had to unplug the controllers to shut the show down.

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One thing to remember is the LOR protocol is a change only protocol, meaning the controller only shuts lights off or turns them on from the sequence signal, so just unplugging the mini director may not shut off the lights. I really can't remember whether the lights shut off or not as it's been about 3 years since I've used the mini director, but if IIRC, they didn't shut off, I had to unplug the controllers to shut the show down.

 

No, the lights shut off when the director is powered down.  The lights pause for about 1 second, and then goes dark.  Again, I leave my controllers powered 24/7. 

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I like things simple .......I just used a radio shack digital timer and power supply, timer plugged into the power supply...............         (Approx $12.00)

timer ON show goes on timer OFF show goes off.

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I'll have to take a look around the house to see if I can find an adapter with these specs. Otherwise I have a local resale shop that has bins of these things, so with luck I might be able to find a cheap adapter.

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No, the lights shut off when the director is powered down.  The lights pause for about 1 second, and then goes dark.  Again, I leave my controllers powered 24/7. 

 

I stand corrected.

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No, the lights shut off when the director is powered down.  The lights pause for about 1 second, and then goes dark.

Useless trivia: A LOR director, like a PC or a MP3 Director, sends a "heartbeat" periodically. If a controller doesn't hear this heartbeat for about a second, it turns off all its channels and starts flashing its status light.

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