transformers and delays in on/off

[aussiecree]

G'day from Australia,

First time user - First time poster - SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!

ok so heres the low down........ Just got my first 2 controllers (CTB16PC) and connected a few strings to a few of the channels in the first controller just to show my wife how impressive and clever I am.......however, within the first 10 seconds I realised that there was an issue.....

 

1/ The lights didn't turn on and off when they should. There was a delay by about half a second with the turn on and well over a second on the turn off.

2/ most of the strings I own don't shimmer and only very slowly twinkle.

3/ They do not fade at all !!!!!! when I have the faders turned down to 1% they are as bright as if I had them at 100%.

4/ I have spent the last 2 months preparing songs for the show using my previously purchased lights and it appears as though they aren't going to do the job AT ALL!!!!!!!!

 

So as I sit here typing this out i am thinking the timing will be completely out and half the show wont be usable anyway.

 

So, what am I asking???? how the hell can I get these light to work as they do in everyones videos that I have seen on youtube?????? Cause it sure as hell isn't happening here. If I was to turn on one of the lights and try and have it turn off exactely when I want I will have to program it to turn on before I want it too and turn off in some cases before I have asked it to turn on.

 

PLEASE HELP cause right now it all looks like its going in the bin and the wife AINT HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

CHEERS.

[chandalen]

Off the cuff,  are the boards set to 220v or 110v?

[Geoff Harvey]

Hi from a long time Aussie LOR user.

Sounds to me that the power packs you have on your lights are DC with filtering to reduce the flicker. These will never respond quickly to switching because of the inherrent delays in the power packs. Test the response by plugging straight into a 240V outlet and switch on/off.

 

Another delaying possibility is that the controller has memory. Switching a controller with memory will also result in delays. Depending on the type of power pack you have, it may be possible to disable the controller by opening it and bridging some of the internal connections. 

 

In Australia, most serious lights control enthusiasts have gone the DC route because our lights are low voltage. This means discarding the power packs and controllers that come with the lights and connecting directly to DC controllers (which are cheaper than the AC controllers) and providing a separate DC power supply to run the controller(s). This approach requires a bit of a learning curve, but is a much better and safer approach.

 

Note that there is an Australian Christmas Lighting forum at http://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php . While there is a lot of help available here and a lot of LOR users, the emphasis is more on the RGB and DMX control of lights. Feel free to contact me direct - I am in Brisbane.