Author Topic: Channel Stuck  (Read 2139 times)

Offline UncleBuck

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Channel Stuck
« on: December 21, 2012, »
I'm running 128 channels all incandescent lights using LOR and a usb dongle all are wired with cat5. I've been running since November 23 with no problems. Tonight I have one channel that is stuck on and is very dim. When I run a test it comes on at full power but then goes dim and stays on. I reset the LE and nothing and also unplugged the LE and let sit for awhile and plugged it back in still the same channel stays on dim. Any thoughts?

Offline rm357

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Channel Stuck
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2012, »
Check you power cords and make sure the connections are dry - especially the ones going to your display elements.
Also, make sure there are no bugs camping out on the controller boards.

Since the channel still seems to work, my thought is that you are either getting some leakage current or false triggering of the triac.
Robert
Warner Robins, Georgia, USA

Offline Dennis Cherry

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2012, »
I have one doing that right now, been that way for the last 3 weeks.

Mine is the triac and still is working anyway.

You can verify if the triac is allowing a small AC voltage by disconnecting the lights from that channel, then with a DVM set for AC Volts put the probes across the 2 terminals for that channel and read the voltage, it should be almost zero volts if it is working correctly. Anything else mat be the triac is bad.
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Offline UncleBuck

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2012, »
Well now I have another channel not working at all. It is a different LE then the one with the dim lights. I ran a test and the LED does not light. Strange that everything has been running great and on the same day two channels start acting up. We have not had any power outages or weather changes just rain, rain and more rain.

Offline jnealand

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2012, »
Rain will do it.  Cold will also do it if you have shaky solder joints,  I have had this happen in past years.  Replacing triacs and reheating solder joints has worked for me.  I have one now that sometimes stays on after the show ends and sometimes not, but it seems to work great during a show.  I have bigger (higher priority issues to work on so I've just left it for now.  I do have a spare LE if gets really annoying to me, but I'm to lazy to even go out and unplug everything to put the spare LE in place.  Replacing a triac is not difficult, but be sure to read some of the posts that talk about the best way to do.  Some people remove the heatsink and some do not.  I have always removed the heatsink just because it seems easier to get to the bad triac even though you should unsolder from the bottom of the board, but next time I do it I am going to try it without removing the heatsink.  I have some better cutter now to cut the triac off at the legs before doing the unsoldering.
Jim Nealand
Kennesaw, GA

Offline UncleBuck

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2012, »
Well it must be the end of world!! Now my dongle went out!! I did have a backup and so far the show is running less one dead channel and one that stays dim. What's next.

Offline duane.mosley

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2012, »
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Well it must be the end of world!! Now my dongle went out!! I did have a backup and so far the show is running less one dead channel and one that stays dim. What's next.
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you'll get it worked out. if it is a triac, it took me about 15 minutes to replace the one i had go bad once i had it up on the bench. probably take longer to unplug all of your elements and stuff like that. a de-soldering iron will make things a lot easier, the cleaner you get the holes, the easier it will be to insert the new triac.



duane
Florence, KY


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Offline UncleBuck

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2012, »
One more channel now that stays on dim and never shuts off. That's one dead channel, two that stay dim and a dead dongle.  <fp.

Offline caretaker

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Re: Channel Stuck
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2012, »
Try taking a hair dryer and drying out the Express that is dim (and the other one that is out for that matter) moisture has a funny way causing those types of problems. If it helps Corrision X or other moisture barrier product is a good fix on your boards.
Jeff Squires
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