Can a dimmer be made binary on/off?

[hiroo]

I bought some DMX dimmer packs (MATRIX DMX PRO 4 Channel Double Output Dimmer Pack https://www.bulbamerica.com/products/ma ... immer-pack) on the basis that the manual specified that each output channel could be individually configured to be either Switching (on/off) or Dimming (variable voltage). My setup has a mixture of halogen and LED lights, so I wanted to use the Dimming to control the halogens and the Switching for the LED lights.

However, when I got the units, I found that the Switch/Dim configuration process listed in the online manual does not exist in the unit itself. (The printed manual deletes that config process). I contacted support and they confirmed that the Switch/Dim function has been removed from current units.

From my understanding (I'm new at this), LED fixtures should be given full voltage and then use DMX to the fixture to control dimming. If you feed the LED fixture less than full voltage, they may turn on and off.

So my question is: can these dimmer packs still be used in my setup? I would like to be able to configure them in QLC+ so that, for the channels going to LED's, the dimmer slider becomes like a binary switch, either 0 or Full. Is there a way to achieve this in QLC+?

I want to idiot-proof this from a future operator who may try to dim the LED's using the dimming slider.

[Baer]

You definitly shouln't connect your LED-Devices to a dimmer.

Connect the Halogens to the Dimmers and the LED Fixtures direct to 230V (or if you outside Europe 110V accordingly) and use the DMX line as intended to control them.

Some LED fixtures can be damaged/destroyed if used on a dimmer....

[hiroo]

The reason I wanted the dimmer/switcher pack was so the LED lights could be turned completely off when not needed. They have fans that run regardless of the dimming level, so in certain situations (funeral), it would be nice to be able to turn them off completely. I could kill power to the entire circuit, but that disables the halogens as well.

Unfortunately, the silent spec change for this unit threw a total wrench in that plan. I was hoping to make a fixture definition in QLC for the dimmer channels going to LED like: 0 = 0, >0 = max. Only two levels. Or if that was possible, would that still be dangerous to the fixture?

[plugz]

Hello,

It is possible to do this in QLC+, BUT I wouldn't recommend it.

A configuration mistake, a DMX transmitting issue, or a software error could burn your fixtures.

[Baer]

Why not using something like this:



for switching your leds on an off?

[GGGss]

My advice: DO NOT use thing configuration

Even at 100% a badly filtered dimmerpack does produce spikes with low impedance on the output.
Your led-fixtures use 30-40W /unit? Your dimmerpack is capable to switch 600W (4.5A @110V).

In the spec's no further indication on weather it is a resistive or capacitive loads... (Dimmers are made purely for bulbs and a bulb is 100% resistive - your led-fixture will show a capacitive/inductive load-profile)

And since the spec's are changed from advertised (no switching possibility) -> send it back

my 2 cents

[hiroo]

Why not using something like this:

(powerstrip image)

for switching your leds on an off?

All the lights are on a single electrical circuit, so I can only turn them all on or off at the same time.

The lights are also located up in a location that requires a ladder to get to, so I can't exactly use your powerstrip solution.

The whole idea of the dimmer pack was to get a DMX controlled powerstrip for the LED fixtures, plus gain dimming for the halogens.

I will take the advice of most on this board and return the current ones. Although, it's surprisingly hard to find a DMX-controlled pack less than US$150 that allows individual configurability of 4 channels between switching and dimming.

[janosvitok]

Let's start again:

- what model are the LED lights (link to manufacturer/page/specs)? Are they DMX capable? Are they dimmable?
- you have one circuit to some high place and all the lights and dimmers are located there? (i.e. it's not that dimmers are down and only lights are up?)

With all the warnings previous posters said, channel modifers could do what you need.

[Baer]

I don't get it...

If all the Lights (LEDS and Halogens) are on the same circuit how would you be able to dim the halogens without dimming the leds?
If you can put them on several dimming channels you already need to have different circuits...

[hiroo]

Let's start again:

- what model are the LED lights (link to manufacturer/page/specs)? Are they DMX capable? Are they dimmable?

I just posted fixture definitions for them so easier to link there.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10726
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10725

They are DMX capable and they are dimmable via DMX. However, I'm not trying to use the dimmer pack to dim them. I want a dimmer/switch pack configurable between either dimming or switching on a per-channel basis so that I can put the LED fixtures on a switched channel so that I can shut the LED fixtures completely off to reduce fan noise when necessary. These LED fixtures run the fan even when they are completely dimmed.

- you have one circuit to some high place and all the lights and dimmers are located there? (i.e. it's not that dimmers are down and only lights are up?)

Yes, all the lights and dimmer/switch packs are located in the high place. Since I only have on/off control of the power circuit going to that place, I wanted to use the dimmer/switch pack to get control of individual lights. For the LED's I want switching (as described above) and for the halogen, I would like dimming capability.

With all the warnings previous posters said, channel modifers could do what you need.

What is a channel modifier?

[hiroo]

I don't get it...

If all the Lights (LEDS and Halogens) are on the same circuit how would you be able to dim the halogens without dimming the leds?
If you can put them on several dimming channels you already need to have different circuits...

I think you're thinking of a different type of dimmer setup. If you look at the link I included to the dimmer pack in question, the way it works is that it plugs in to mains power and then provides 4 channels of power output. Each channel can be controlled via DMX. The original design of this unit allowed configuration of each channel to be either Switching (a relay physically switches the power on/off to that circuit) or Dimming (the voltage provided to the channel can be varied).

So the way this would work is the dimmer/switch pack plugs into the main power circuit. The power channels going to LED fixtures would get configured to Switching (on/off only) and the halogen would get configured to Dimming. Then I use DMX to control the dimmer/switch pack to turn on/off LED fixtures as needed and dim the halogen as needed. The LEDs would also be on the same DMX chain so DMX dimming and color changing could also be done via DMX.

However, the problem arose in that they changed the design of this unit to eliminate the configurability between switching and dimming and only kept dimming. (a change that doesn't make sense given the rise of LED stage lighting)

I'm looking at another dimmer/switch pack unit (https://www.amazon.com/Eliminator-Light ... tag=519-20) that does retain both dimming and switching. However, the compromise there is that it only allows configuration in pairs of channels, so I could set Ch 1+2 to switching and 3+4 to dimming, but not 1-3 switching and 4 dimming.

[GGGss]

In previous replies you stated that you only wanted to switch of the led fixtures due to the existance of a fan... So basically you ONLY need 1 channel for ALL you led fixtures. I see no other reason why you would switch each led-fix seperately.

(In real venue's of all sorts - you'd kill the mains at the switchboard when finished, ergo: the first thing you'd do when entering a venue is looking for the switchboard and enable mains to different circuits - this is general practise (fire-risk, risk of short circuits, lowering energy consumption, ...) -> so in your morgue you'd kill the mains at the switchboard when you leave it overnight f.i.)

I'd suggest you have an electrician to have a look at your situation. I'm afraid you make things way to complicated. Changing led-fixtures to led-strips rules out the need of fans also ...

Just my toughts

[bssmusic]

Hi,
what you need, is actually a switchpack. So why do you not buy a cheap DMX switchpack (solid state relay) from a store like Thomann? You should get it for ~ € 100. At least that would not break your devices. Or look on the "Digital Enlightenment" page or the "DMX4All" page for a DMX to relay device. As mentioned in an earlier answer, you will not need a separate channel for each fixture, as a typical switchpack can handle at least 5, 10 or 15 A per channel.
Peter

[hiroo]

I was hoping to get bonus dimming for the halogen's with a switchpack/dimmer combo unit. I've ordered a different unit that does that so hopefully that works.