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johnny pockets
New Member
33 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Mar 2010 : 09:02:14
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| Can I plug a fan into a dimmer pack? And control it to come on and off in light Jockey? Also what different things have you plugged into a dimmer pack, and made it work? |
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liav
Junior Member
Israel
80 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2010 : 09:32:29
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NO!!
dimming actualy cut sine wave
fan work on motor engine an to cut sine weva of motor can destroyed the engine but......
you can use dimmer pack in HYBRID electricity tech. like BOTEX DPX620II on any fan that his engine his in the same electricity tech.
look in: http://www.ebmpapst.us/
hope its help you
:) |
Liav Kovalio
Light Show Designer & Senior Programmer
liavkovalio@gmail.com
liav@nextplay.co.il
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guitarist
Junior Member
Israel
70 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2010 : 22:00:43
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| its the same thing with a fog machine pump? |
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MPJ-A
Average Member
Japan
472 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 00:27:35
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What does it say in most equipment's user manuals?: NEVER plug to a dimming system.
Why, because a dimming system is meant for dimming lamps only. So any other electric device, such as a motor, will break eventually.
If you want to get more technical then yes, the sine wave and blah, blah, blah, but if you already knew this and were able to understand it you wouldn't be asking this question to begin with I guess. |
Alfonso Zarate Takano |
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truth
Junior Member
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 08:28:05
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quote:
Originally posted by johnny pockets
Can I plug a fan into a dimmer pack? And control it to come on and off in light Jockey? Also what different things have you plugged into a dimmer pack, and made it work?
I guess not.
http://www.etcconnect.com/Community/forums/p/3305/12578.aspx
The full quote is at the bottom of the post. This excerpt answers the question though.
"Parked Dimmers and Dimmer Curves: Everyone should be very careful in the use of Parked Dimmers and Dimmer Curves. ... Parking a dimmer to full on a console is by far not the same as setting a dimmer to an unregulated output. ... the dimmer is then receiving a 100% on DMX ... but the dimmer is likely still dimming (ie regulating) to its top configured voltage output. On CEM and CEM+ this defaults to 115V. Anytime one wishes to have full, unregulated output from a dimmer then this must be done as a dimmer function."
I was thinking that you could but apparently not. I'm Glad I looked it up and found out why I was wrong. Whether I am learning this new or have forgotten, it is good to know. Thanks.
Given the above, is there a way around it? Maybe by using a voltage booster (Automatic Voltage Regulation box, e.g., Tripplite) would work. But I don't know if they work with small discrepancies as low as 5 volts (using the above example from the link). I haven't tried many. I plugged in one to a house outlet at 117 volts. It didn't boost the voltage from 117 to 120 volts but showed no change. Perhaps a newer AVR device would keep the output at 120 volts.
If the voltage output is metered as correct then the following would be true.
First, a reminder warning. If you fade through the voltage then it could cause damage. In that case, be wary of what else has an effect on the level of the DMX channel you put the fan on. One way to do this is by using a the statics. But don't fade the channel. Just click the button of the assigned static after making sure the static fader is at 100%. Another way to do this is to use a sequence. But again, set it to snap to full, not fade.
The full quote is bellow:
"In doing some research David North here at ETC gave me this posting to describe the differences between using a curve on a console and setting the firing mode at the dimmer racks. This covers both cem+ and cem.
On a CEM+ system: "Always On" and "Switched" are unregulated but that does not mean the SCR is bypassed it just means it is turned on and not PWM fired. However, as there are chokes in the dimmer module and minimum current requirements to fire a SCR, you are not going to get a 100% complete sinewave output and therefore should cautiously use these settings for movers, et al. Read that to be, do not do it; use R20s or CC20s.
On CEM systems (v3.x and greater): "Switched" is unregulated, "Non-Dim" is regulated, and "Always On" is a control function separate of the two. Basically, "Always On" is a choice you could make in the Threshold which defined where in control input percentage the dimmer is then allowed to start its dimming or switching function. Make sense? Threshold of 50 and Mode of Non-Dim means that once you reach 50% control, the dimmer regulates at the Scale Voltage setting. A Threshold of Always On and Mode of Switched would mean that the dimmer is set to full output all the time no matter what control levels are given. So many options......
Parked Dimmers and Dimmer Curves: Everyone should be very careful in the use of Parked Dimmers and Dimmer Curves. Many consoles have a Park feature in which the control output is set to a defined level each time the console is turned on. Parking a dimmer to full on a console is by far not the same as setting a dimmer to an unregulated output. When parking a dimmer to full or using the non-dim curve or creating your own curve on a console, the dimmer is then receiving a 100% on DMX (or sACN or ECMUX or whatever) but the dimmer is likely still dimming (ie regulating) to its top configured voltage output. On CEM and CEM+ this defaults to 115V. Anytime one wishes to have full, unregulated output from a dimmer then this must be done as a dimmer function. Hopefully I haven't made things less clear.
Final word: Non-dimmable power supplied devices, which may include scrollers, moving lights, opto-splitters, strobes, scanners, LED fixtures, mirror ball motors, water-effect projectors, fog machines, video projectors, etc, should be on solid power which is either a relay or circuit breaker. A dimmer might work, but it might not.
Let me know if anyone needs more information. |
"The task is arduous but every effort brings strength and joy" Raghavan Iyer. |
Edited by - truth on 08 Mar 2010 09:49:48 |
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hoochie
Senior Member
Chicago IL USA
999 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 20:49:39
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Depending on how much you care or have invested in the equipment, a fan plugged into a small shoebox dimmer SET AS A RELAY might do the job. However, there's no guarantee you won't damage/destroy something, and you should still RTFM on both products before doing so. Even so, any dimmer/relay won't really give you the effect I assume you're looking for, which is to control fan speed via an external controller.
If that's the end goal, why not just spend the money and rent a true dmx-controlled fan. They are out there, although not cheap. |
Any event, any time, any place. http://www.chicagolightingdesign.com |
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ishowcebu
Senior Member
Philippines
635 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2010 : 03:01:55
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There is an IC which replaces the original dimmer IC that makes the dimmer pack into a power pack. I have a dimmer pack now that I bought 2nd hand and two channels never dims but just switch on and off. And I went through the boards and saw the replacement IC. So I am still waiting for the original IC to arrive so that it could dim again.
I have seen "diablos", those fire look a likes, that are plug into dimmer packs. It works fine with the halogen bulbs and fan. |
Fil
www.ishowcebu.com
there's always a solution. |
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Can I plug a fan into a dimmer pack?
