Please help, weird things going on

[cetacea]

Ok here is my problem. I had the same type of problem during Halloween and never did figure it out. I have most of my display up and connected and was doing some testing tonight. My 4th arch is doing very strange things. The last 4 channels of the 7 channel arch come on at random and quite often, making the arch sequence look like crud. I thought maybe a bad network cable, so I isolated just the one controller using a known good cable and still the same issues. Now here is where it gets strange. The 4th arch is using channels 6-12 of this particular controller. Channels 13-16 are being used by 4 north poles. If I disable the 4 north poles by assigning them to a different controller, all works well with the arches. If I just add one north pole, or any other element from my display for that matter to any one of the remaining 4 channels, the arch is screwed up and the channels come on when they please. Again, I replaced the entire controller and the exact same thing happens. As long as I dont' use those last 4 channels everything works. But I NEED those 4 channels.

Has anyone experienced any of this? It isn't with just one sequence either, the channels mess up with all sequences.

The only thing that is a common denominator at this time in the USB-RS485 Communications adapter. Could this be going bad or cause the problems? I am trying to have this up and running by this weekend, but not so sure right now. I guess if I must I can not use the north poles, but that kind of stinks.

Any help would be greatly appreciated....

[iresq]

By chance are you using cfl's in your north poles?

[-klb-]

How close to 100% certain are you that you do not have two channels in the sequence assigned the same controller and channel? If not in the same sequence, in a combination of a background sequence, and your musical sequence?

[cetacea]

I'm not sure what CFL's are, but I'm using those spiral looking energy saving bulbs. Is that a CFL?

[cetacea]

I'm pretty darn sure I don't have duplicate channels assigned. I just checked the config one more time and there are no two alike.

[-klb-]

cetacea wrote:

I'm not sure what CFL's are, but I'm using those spiral looking energy saving bulbs. Is that a CFL?

Yes, Compact Fluorescent Light...

They and LOR do not remotely get along...

[cetacea]

Ok, so after a little googling I guess I am using CFL's. Could this be the problem? I didn't disconnect the north poles, just assigned them to a different controller not connected and it worked. But if I assigned any one back to the controller it will go crazy.

Also, now that I think about it I had a florescent black light in my Halloween display when I was having the same type of problems. Do you think this is the problem? If so then that is an easy fix as I can just replace the bulbs.

[-klb-]

CFL's are only a problem when they are on... CFL's that do not mess up LOR controllers appear to be extremely rare...

[-klb-]

From last Halloween, I knew that CFL's would easily cause a controller to go into on/off mode for other channels. This Halloween, I put my CFL's on a dedicated controller, plugged into the same circuit as another controller, and still had issues on that other controller... The 4 black lights only quit impacting the rest of the show once they were on a circuit by themselves... I want some affordable LED black lights for next Halloween...

[cetacea]

Ok, thanks guys I will try replacing the bulbs. I hope that is the problem. I have a feeling that it is.

[iresq]

If you were really committed to the CFL's, you could always use relays. $8 pop at radio shack, cheaper online + delivery and time.

[-klb-]

I will also comment that the CFL's should not be turned on or off that frequently.. Two Halloween shows, each two weeks long killed 4 of my CFL blacklights. I try not to have on or off events less than 5 seconds long, and still had that fatality rate on them... One or two of this year's sequences had them on the full lenght of the song, so the total number of cycles was somewhat limited.