DMX moving head lights

Yes, the Alphapix has 3 DMX universes independent of the 16 outputs. You still need a dumb RGB controller to control the dumb RGB lights. It has the XLR in/out which is an easy connection to the moving lights.

In your case you could cut one end off the XLR cable and use it on one of your 682 outputs (make sure you cut the right end:happy: ). I could have done the same with one of my DMX outputs but since I already have the controller with XLR outputs it was easier.

I overlapped all three on universe one since I have room. If I add any more moving lights I will clear the pixels from universe 1 but that would mean remapping my mega tree. I might end up doing it now so it doesn't hurt as much later.
 
I am updating this post. Last weekend we had a Luau in our back yard for our 8th anniversary.

I built a 8 x 12’ stage, a tiki bar, a 96” rear projection screen. My wife setup tables with personalized water bottles and more. We had plenty of Tiki torches around the yard as well. We hired a group of hula dancers with an authentic drummer which left all of our guests amazed.
After the Hula dances and the video slide shows on the rear projection I had one sequence I had made for the event.

I used the song Pina Colada. I had a 50 x 12 spaced 2 ¼” apart (My mega tree on its side). Two 20 x 8 meteor light grids. 4 rows of 300 dumb RGB lights and the two disco (moving lights).
I started the sequence with just the main panel moving to the music but when the main rif came on the side grids came to life as well as the moving lights.

I heard so many people hooting and hollering when that happened that I knew it was worth my time.

I will order two more for my upcoming Christmas setup.

luau_034.jpg

The main grid and moving lights in the background

luau_035.jpg

Main grid in the background

luau_061.jpg

Side lights in the background

luau_057.jpg

Unfortunately I didn't get any pics or video of the moving lights but they worked perfectly.
 
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That luau party looks fun. :yeah: I wish you has some pics or videos of the moving head lights in action. :blush:

Did you use any smoke, fog, or haze? I got one of those lights last year for testing. I'm pretty impressed with it, but its not powerful enough to see beams in the ambient air without some additional haze.
 
I had a fog machine but didn't need it. We had 6 tiki torches going and they provided enough smoke to see the lights. I have tried to get some video of just the main lights but so far with my gopro it was all washed out. I still have it out back covered with a tarp. I will try again until I get it looking better.
 
I ordered two more of these lights. They are also fun at parties. You can set them to move and change colors to the sound. It helps that the price has gone down.
 
To resurrect an old thread... Question about the DMX wiring aspect of this and an E682;

If the DMX wire is three wire (+, - and GND), do you use all three when plugged into the board or are you just looking for the data signal since the DMX unit is already powered?
 
Popo-B-Trippin said:
To resurrect an old thread... Question about the DMX wiring aspect of this and an E682;

If the DMX wire is three wire (+, - and GND), do you use all three when plugged into the board or are you just looking for the data signal since the DMX unit is already powered?
Click to expand...
just use POS and neg no ground I run all my dmx devices from a f16v3 with no issues.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
tucsonlights said:
just use POS and neg no ground I run all my dmx devices from a f16v3 with no issues.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Tucson,
I actually messed up my question... The output on the board is, as we all know, +, Data and Ground (not +, - and Ground as I had previously asked about). There are 3 wires from the DMX cable. How does that translate to our controller boards, meaning, which wire goes to which output on the board and do we use all of them or not.

Sorry for the double question.

Chris
 
DMX is a balanced transmission line. The + is the main signal. The - is the inverse of the main signal. Ground is ground. The idea is that any noise on the line can be eliminated by cancelling it out at the other end. If your device needs to see a proper balanced DMX signal, then that's what you need to send it.
Some devices will work without it. If you have one of that type, then you'd just use + and Gnd, and skip the - signal.

The different controller do it differently. Some only send single wire unbalanced DMX. That is, it doesn't give you a - signal. If this is your case, and your device needs a properly balanced signal, then you need a serial to RS485 converter board. You can find these on amazon and ebay.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014QNI0B...t=&hvlocphy=9021603&hvtargid=pla-319901615408
 
jchuchla said:
DMX is a balanced transmission line. The + is the main signal. The - is the inverse of the main signal. Ground is ground. The idea is that any noise on the line can be eliminated by cancelling it out at the other end. If your device needs to see a proper balanced DMX signal, then that's what you need to send it.
Some devices will work without it. If you have one of that type, then you'd just use + and Gnd, and skip the - signal.

The different controller do it differently. Some only send single wire unbalanced DMX. That is, it doesn't give you a - signal. If this is your case, and your device needs a properly balanced signal, then you need a serial to RS485 converter board. You can find these on amazon and ebay.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014QNI0B...t=&hvlocphy=9021603&hvtargid=pla-319901615408
Click to expand...

I don't know why I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this...

I have an E682. It's my understanding from earlier posts that you can control DMX elements directly from that. I am struggling with how exactly the 3 wire DMX cable gets connected to, for me specifically, an E682. The output from the E682 is +, Date and Ground whereas the DMX cable is +, - and Ground. Which one of those 3 is the data line?
 
Oh, that's where you're confused. Let's expand the labeling on the connectors. That should clear it up.

682
Voltage +
Clock
Data
Ground (power and signal ground)

DMX
Data + (the main data signal)
Data - (inverse of Data +)
Ground (signal ground)

There is no power on a DMX line. V+ from a controller would never be connected to a DMX line.

So before even consulting a manual. We can see we have two matching signals. 682 Ground matches DMX Ground. 682 Data matches DMX D+ So now the remaining question is if the 682 can do balanced DMX or not. I don't have one on hand, so I'll check the manual for the specifics. On the last two pages of the manual, there's a section called "2-wire balanced Outputs" Here's there's a pinout diagram. It shows that in this mode, the Clock (C) terminal is repurposed for DMX Data -. You also do need to install the jumper correctly on a per-output basis in the J22 jumper section.
(having the jumper wrong won't break anything, but it won't work either)
 
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