Proper Sequence Turning On Everything

[Christmas.joe]

Assume everything is hooked up; Computer to Dongle, Dongle to LE, but nothing has any power and computer is turned off.

Is there a preferred method to energize everything, or can I just start powering up in any order?   

 

[jnealand]

I have never had any plan to this.  My lights are plugged in to expresses which are plugged in and powered as soon as I set them up and never powered off until I take down the display.  Same for the computer it is probably up and running (a dedicated show computer) long before I put up the first display element.  I don't turn it off until I put it away after the season.  So just get out there and get things working.

[lightingboy82]

i have my computer outputing a simple crossfade while i finish everything up, it runs all the time, with the express being powered off durning the day, when it is powered up, it does not output to the lights.  I have to unplug the express then unplug the dmx, power up the LE and wait for it to boot, then plug in the "DMX and it works fine. Is this correct- the LE needs to boot before it gets DMX?

[rrowan]

Is that wireless?

If wired then it doesn't sound right. I know when I was setting up the lights I had a simple 50% brightness on all channels running then I powered up the roof le and as soon as the boot up process was done it started working. I am all hard wired.

Rick R.

[lightingboy82]

i am also hard wired, i am waiting on mouser to get the wireless in stock, and the 2 TX/RX i have arnt working either, but thats another issue. Maybe the PIC in that LE needs re-flashed?

[caretaker]

I fire up the show computer and turn on the FM transmitter when I get home from work then about half hour before my show turn on the main breaker which fires up all my controllers and then go back in and start X-Lights and just do a quick check at show time to make sure everything is A OK.

[pk]

I have power to my Expresses 24/7.   My show computer runs 24/7.  I have timers on my FM transmitter and blowers for the inflatables that come on about 1.5 hours before the show starts.

XLights is set to play Christmas music for about an hour before my shows starts.

[jnealand]

I have successfully turned off my computer and restarted it while all the controllers were powered and I have successfully powered off controllers to work on them even when the show was running.  When powered back up they just come on so I don't think there is any sequence needed to any of this powering up.