Author Topic: 3-Phase Power System  (Read 5952 times)

Offline Iced

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3-Phase Power System
« on: November 28, 2014, »
Hello all, I have a question about the Freestyle and SSR4's.  Is there any special consideration for connecting the FS and SSR4's to a 3-phase Power System?  I'm noticing some sets of 4channels (SSR4) are dimming incorrectly.  By incorrectly I mean when Testing-All-Channels in Vixen 2, the range from approximately 100 down to maybe ~60 seems to be about the same brightness.  Then it dims down to 1, but it's a very obvious "on/off" from 1 to 0.

I guess I'm wondering due to clock timing, if the FS and the SSR4's need to all be on the same circuit phase or if there is some other trick to the setup?
« Last Edit: November 28, 2014, by Iced »

Offline n1ist

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2014, »
In a 3-phase system, the three phases have their zero-cross points at different times.  If the freestyle is on one phase and the ssrs are on a different phase, they won't dim correctly.

You don't see them on the standard split-phase system we have in most homes as both legs have the zero cross at the same time.

The only thing you can do is to make sure the freestyle and all ssrs connected to it are plugged into the same phase.
/mike

Offline Iced

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2014, »
Thanks for confirming Mike.  My follow-up question is whether I will be ok with 1 set of FS+SSR4's on one phase with another FS+SSR4's on a second phase in the same DMX universe?  (I also have a few Express's to throw in as well)

Offline caretaker

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2014, »
Short answer, NO.  Three phase as Mike said is three distinct phase of power and the zero cross setup for the Lynx equipment is set for only single phase (read home use) situations. I have a 6 channel DMX dimmer pack that can be used with either 3 phase or single phase supplies but that is because of how the zero cross setup is designed for that situation.
Jeff Squires
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Offline Iced

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2014, »
Are there any solutions to my dilemma or am I just stuck with a system I'll never be able to use correctly?  I'm open to anything.


Offline tbone321

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2014, »
Actually, the freestyle's should work just fine on different phases in the same DMX universe as long as any SSR4's are on the same phase as the freestyle they are connected to.  You may see the slightest of delay between freestyles on different phases but otherwise, you should be ok. 
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Offline n1ist

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2014, »
I agree.  As long as each freestyle and ssrs connected to it are on the same phase, it will work fine.  As for sharing a DMX universe, or even sharing the same channels, that's not a problem since the DMX side doesn't care about the AC line.

/mike

Offline rrowan

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2014, »
What kind of lights are you controlling with the FS - SSR4?
Incandescence?
LEDs (full wave or half wave)?

Rick R.
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Offline Iced

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Re: 3-Phase Power System
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2014, »
Thanks guys for confirming sets of FS+SSR4's on same phase will work!  caretaker almost became undertaker because I almost had a heart attack :D

@rrowan C9 incandescents

Offline Iced

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3-Phase Power System
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2014, »
I've confirmed everything works on the 3-phase system as long as the set of SSR4's is on the same phase as the FS controlling them. 

Multiple FS's on different phases in the same DMX Universe is not a problem.  It's when you mix'n'match FS and SSR4's on different phases that the dimming is problematic for reasons mentioned earlier in this post.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2014, by Iced »