Multiple Problems

[Shubb]

I am having multiple problems. I upgraded from 176 channels to 368 (however I am only using 320) this year. Several channels will stick on, some will not come on at all. I can run the same sequence several times and get different results.

Then, I tried to run the sequences in a show... the show will play 1/2 the song, then stop and start the next song, the last song will stop 1/2 way (or so) and then whatever lights were on stay on.

I tried 2 different computers and get same results. I tried disconnecting some of the controllers, but the others still screw up.

I have checked the channel config and that is not the problem. I can run the same sequence twice and it will screw up at different times. Sometimes as much as 10 channels will stay on/ not light up in 1 minute, and on as many as 4 controllers at a time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have taken the last 2 days off work to try to resolve this, but it's not getting any better.

I am using XP on both computers, LOR 2.0.16, I have 2 CTB16D (ver 3.01 and 4.01) and 18 CTB16PC (ver 4.02) all were pre-assembled. The 9 from last year, computer, cables are exactly like they were last year. (Mounted on the wall year round)

Scott

Update: I tried changing the USB adapter, used both the 485 and the booster. No difference.

I did notice that during the "high traffic" points of the sequence channels will delay.
I have a 10 channel chase that goes from 1-10 then 10-1 in .9 second (.10 timing grid) it can only make it to channel 7, it hangs and then starts over at 1.

[Guest wbottomley]

Your problem sounds like the same one Robin is having.

[cmoore60]

As mentioned earlier in Robin's case, Dan had him to set 100% events to 99% every few seconds. This causes the software to send out more commands and thus keep the network updated.

Chuck

[Shubb]

I tried both of those, with no luck.

I did find a part of the sequence that would "screw up" the same each time. I copied that part and pasted it into a new blank sequence, and it worked fine. So I started cut/copy each display item and tested after each one. I finally found the section that was causing the "delay"

(Ironically, it was the section that I sequenced but had not run extension cords to yet)
Anyway, the section was 16 mini tree's that mostly just chased back and forth with up and down fades. After I deleted it, the rest of the sequence would work. I started the show played each song complete. I still had a few delays and missed commands on the channels that were on the ELL, but it was very slight.

I received an e-mail from John at LOR, and he said he thinks he knows what the problem was and the have a fix in the works. I kept both copies of the sequence so I can recreate the problem again.


Scott

[Al in Raleigh]

Scott, I am experiencing the exact same problem with my minitrees. I use a few ELLs in my display. Last night I removed the ELL and ran a piece of cat5 to the controllers and the problem went away. I've had 2 ELLs do the same thing this year.
Al

[Robin]

Let,s start this from the top.

Do you have any channels that you have programmed to stay on for every song the entire length of the song?

If yes then try the following.

Go to the channels that stay on the entire sequence. If you have them set at 100% then go back and set your intensity at 99%. Then click on one or two cells every second for the next two or three seconds. Then just copy and paste that to the end of the song. Do that for every channel you have constantly on.

If you have one set on at 50% then set intensity at 49% or 51% and then do the copy and paste.

Now here is another question for you. Are you using a laptop or PC for your show. I changed from laptop to my PC and have not had a problem sense. I think when I starting shooting out the commands it was using too much RAM and caused the PC to run slow.

I have no problems now. Except for bad sequences on my part.