DMX Questions....

I'm slowly getting into my first fixtures. Got a great deal on four (4) Chauvet Intimidators 1.0 and have them here and hooked up. I have Tyrone's book and after reading it a few times, I'm confident that I'll be able to create some nice light shows as soon as my controller arrives.

I'm sure as I begin I'll need to ask some of the resident experts some advise. I'll try to search around for those that have been asked, so not to bother anyone to much.

My first question pertains to my set up and the controller.

I run two t-bars - two (2) Intimidators on each bar.

How would you set up your controller? Run it to one t-bar (say the left side) and then daisy chain all of them together, having to run a longer dmx cord to the other t-bar (right side) from the 2nd unit on the left side to the 3rd unit on the right side? Or, is there a splitter of some sort that would all me to run one longer dmx cord to each t-bar and then daisy chain the 2nd unit on each t-bar.

Maybe I have no options. I don't really know until my controller arrives. But, thought I'd try to get a jump on it.

Contray to what others may say, you do not want to use a splitter cable for DMX runs.

Instead number your fixtures left to right (from either audience or your POV) run out of your controller to the first fixture, then go to 2, 3, and finally 4. Hopefully it will work correctly, if the lights start doing effy things you might need a terminator.

What controller are you using?

I'm starting out with just a simple,12 fixture 192 channel controller.

Randy I am not sure if this will work, but I think Tyrone might know. Wireless DMX from one T-Bar to the other. Run your long cable to one T Bar plug your lights after addressing them correctly, then on the last light on the bar attach the DMX transmitter and put the receiver on the other T Bar and plug the next set of lights. Like I said I don't know if this will work so I'll let Tyrone and the other DMX experts chime in.

Not interested in wireless at this point, but thanks for the suggestion.

well.... i agree with wireless...if you have 700+ laying around

In That case I would do as Travis suggested run one cable to the first T Bar connect the lights you'll be controlling with the DMX controller then from the last light run another cable to the other T Bar.

I recommend using DMX specific cable specially for long runs. Your basic mic XLR cable does not provide the correct impedance for the DMX data and your light may get screwy. If you cannot get the specific cable or on very long DMX cable settings (100+ feet use a terminator (Chauvet calls it a "primer") basically it's a male XLR connector that goes to the DMX output of the last fixture. What you need to do to this connector is solder a 120 Ohm 1/4 watt resistance between pin 3 and pin 2.

...will work. Everything can be connected with one cable from each fixture to the next, then terminate the last fixture. Use the length of cable you need to get the job done.

Depending on where you are setting up the controller, you MAY use a DMX splitter. Controller to splitter, the splitter to each bank of fixtures. You can pick up a splitter from Ben for ABOUT $100 or less.

Make sure to get two terminators if you use a splitter, since the splitter originates the signal just as a controller would to each of the two signals going out (instead of just one).