My brilliance may have hosed me. Snubber wiring help. Nope, still brilliant!

[lonewolf41]

All the neutrals on the express board are linked together Channels 1-8 then 9-16. The snubber resistors just need to have the neutral attatched to both sides of the board to be in circuit, there is NO current involved, the neutral for the lights is fine the way you have it, thats how i do mine also so all the current goes through the wire to the GFCI, not the express board. The snubber resistor is not connected to anything on one end unless the neutral is in place. Just take a link to the other neutral terminal from the GFCI, its only one piece of wire and that should fix the problem and because there is no current any size wire will do so long as all your outlets remain connected to the GFCI as you have them now.

So if I reconnect per my latest diagram above, that will work.  Is that what you are saying?

OK, after re-reading, I think you are saying that I just need to run one more neutral wire from the GFCI to the neutral on the right side (channels 9-16) of the board.  Is that correct?  So it sounds like my channels 1-8 are being "snubbed" right now...correct?  Maybe that explains why only some of my channels are displaying this behavior.  They are probably on channels 9-16.  I think it is starting to sink in.  Sorry to be so thick-headed, just trying to understand and get it correct...well and not blow anything up.  I did not have any fireworks or smoke planned for this year's show.   

Thanks again,
-Keith

[lonewolf41]

Hi,

From the picture, if you are not using the DMX OUT (different from the DMX OUT 2) then you need to jumper the terminate pins as this will be the last controller in the chain. This may cause flicker in the DMX data stream.

As a rule, when you are not using the DMX OUT (again, not the DMX OUT 2) connector to feed the next controller you must put the terminate jumper.

Hope this may be of help.

Leo

For each group of 4, i have the first one wireless, and the rest use wire since it is only a 24" run.  The last LE in the series has the terminate jumper on.  All the other do not.  I think I am using the DMX2 out for all the controllers.  i thought that no matter which output you used, only the last in a series was to be terminated.  Maybe i am wrong about that.  If so, let me know as i need to correct it. 

Thanks,
-Keith

[lortiz]

Hi,

The DMX OUT 2 starts a new stream of DMX data. It is basically a signal splitter.

I recommend that you use the DMX OUT in all controllers and then terminate the last one in the chain. Use the DMX OUT 2 when you need to feed more than 1 controller (once again a recommendation).

If you use the DMX OUT 2 and the controller shuts down, then the rest of the controllers wont receive the DMX signal. By using the DMX OUT you will likely avoid this problem.

Leo

[comporder1]

You got it Keith. Just make sure you supply neutral to both Express inputs. The output receptacles neutrals can connect to you mains input (GFCI as you put it).


Sent with Tapatalk/iPhone. Xcuse the spelzing!

[rm357]

Do NOT connect things like in the second diagram.

As long as you are using LEDs, you would be OK, but if you loaded up a few channels with power hungry devices, you could exceed the current rating for the channel 1 neutral terminal (the input terminals are larger so that they can carry more current than the output terminals, also you would be grounding all channels through that terminal, which is not fused - the fuse is on the hot side with the assumption that only current that flowed through that fuse would be returning through the channel neutrals on that side).

You do need to hook the neutral to the input terminal on the right side. Not only are those snubbers not performing their intended function, without the neutral they could be allowing current to flow from channels on that side of the board that are "on" to the "off" channels.

On the board, if you flip it over and look at the back, you can see the heavy copy trace that directly connects the input terminal neutral to the 8 output neutral terminals on that half of the board. Whether you use the output neutral or not should not make any difference as long as the neutral you use for the strings is connected back to the same neutral that feeds the input terminal on the board.

RM

[lonewolf41]

Just wanted to give a resolution post.  I ran a jumper from the left neutral connection to the right on the LE and my flickering went away. 

RM357 - Thanks for the feedback.  I thought hooking it up that way was bad, but everyone kept saying that there was no current, but I couldn't figure out how that could be...again, electrically challenged.

One final note...I moved my output wire from DMX OUT 2 to DMX OUT per lortiz's suggestion and I lost my DMX stream. The lights went dead and the data stream light quit blinking.  I thought it might be isolated to the first board, but when I changed it back, the next one in line would still not pass the data stream.  I don't know why that was happening, but I could not use the DMX out connections on my boards.  I moved them back to DMX OUT 2 and everything is good again.

Thanks for all the help and feedback,  My display looks better than ever.

-Keith

[lightguy]

Pleased to be of help
Happy Flashy Holidays

[memphislights]

One final note...I moved my output wire from DMX OUT 2 to DMX OUT per lortiz's suggestion and I lost my DMX stream. The lights went dead and the data stream light quit blinking.  I thought it might be isolated to the first board, but when I changed it back, the next one in line would still not pass the data stream.  I don't know why that was happening, but I could not use the DMX out connections on my boards.  I moved them back to DMX OUT 2 and everything is good again.

Did you check that the "remove for wireless" jumper is in place?

[lonewolf41]

Yes, they were all on except for the first one which had the EX/RX attached.

Thanks,
-Keith

[lortiz]

Hi,

Since first Express is receiving data through wireless, cable will have to go on DMX OUT 2 and the termination jumper should be ON.

You should be able to use the DMX OUT in the middle 2 Express units with no problem. The 4th one will then be 'terminated' as it is the last in the group of 4.

Otherwise if you use all of the DMX OUT 2 ports, then all units should have the terminated jumper ON.

Leo