Abstract Twister 4 problem.

[super-hero]

Ok, I have 4x twister 4 lights and all seemed to be working perfectly. Today I was programming a lightshow with them and I notices one does not blackout completely.

On closer inspection I have found that when the light is powered up for the fist time, it goes through its setup sequence, and the gobo/colour wheel moves round to its stop. Then, and heres the problem, just before the light goes active, the gobo/colour wheel rotates back a couple of mm. This takes the light from blackout and just exposes a bit of the next gobo.

So from then on, you cant get complete blackout.


To try and solve the problem I have swapped the gobo/colour motor and the circuit boards, but the problem still persists. I thought it might be the lamp lighting up causing a drop in voltage, but ran it without the lamp and the problem is still there. The only thing I have not replaced is the transformer, but I can't see how thiis could be the problem. I have checked its output and it seems fine.

It's one of those things that no-one else will probably ever notice. But it's bugging me. Any ideaa on what else I can check or how I can fix this will be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[One Vision]

Hya mate I don't have any info for you sadly; but how much are the lights to buy new now?
I have seen some for sale on ebay recently too, may be worth considering buying a second hand one and putting the new parts in that, that's assuming you still have trouble solving the problem and as a last resort.

The best of luck

[groovy-nights]

Switch the unit on let it reset.Then on the colour/gobo wheel there is a little allen key grub screw loosen this and move the wheel so its in blackout then tighten the screw back up.

[super-hero]

I will try the allen key, but like I said I have replaced the wheel and motor with a working one and it still does it.


The problem itself is not too noticable to the public, but it will cause me sleepless nights.

Cheers for the replys so far.

[super-hero]

@ groovy-nights, that's only gone and fixed it. But how?

When you suggested this, I thought I would have to do it every gig, which is a bit impracticle to say the least. But I have powered the light up 10 times and it seems to be cured.

Previously I had rotated the gobo wheel on the shaft while the light was unplugged, just in case there was a flat spot, then replaced the whole wheel and motor assembley.

So do you know what the fault was or is it going to be one of lifes mysteries.

Thanks for the help.

[spin mobile disco]

It is just caused by the gobos wheel slipping a little on its spindle. This happens on most lights at some time or another. You may find it slips again aftre some time but as you have done this will fix it every time. If It continues to slip you could try a little threadlock on the spindle and retighten.

[super-hero]

But it still did it with a different motor and gobo wheel, so that's what I don't understand.

[One Vision]

Glad you got it sorted, maybe put a bit of lock tight on so its harder to move in future

[super-hero]

I hear what you are saying, but the problem was not caused by the gobo wheel having slipped. When the wheel had positioned itself against its stop, the motor then rotated it back a few degrees. As if the circuit board was telling it to do it.

Like I said, I replaced the circuit board and motor and gobo wheel, and it still did it. So it can't be the wheel slipping.

It's not a problem, as it is now fixed. I am just curious as to what caused it to behave like this.

Thanks again everyone. It would have driven me mad not getting it sorted.

[spin mobile disco]

The motors are stepped. The stepping is in place on certain points of its rotational spin. When the unit takes it to the first stop that just tells it where the maximum adjustment is. Not where the first gobo is. The gobos have to be turned to fall where the stepper motor rests in its first rest point. And depending on how many gobos are on the wheel depends how many rest points the motor has.

[super-hero]

But why did it do it with 2 different motors. Thats the bit I don't understand.
When I swapped the motor and wheel assemblies between the two lights. The same light had the same problem, and the "faulty" motor and wheel worked fine in the other light.

I know what you mean about the motors being stepped, and it must have been that I just needed to move the wheel around once it had found it's stop. I just don't see how I would need to do this with 2 different motor and wheel assemblies.

Thanks again for taking the time to try and help me with this. Like I said earlier the problem is now sorted, and maybe the only problem now is me.

[spin mobile disco]

I think it is because the motors just happened to be aligned to the same point, when you changed the gobos over did you fit the gobos wheel to the same point on the spindle it came from the old motor? If so you would have replicated the missalignment. Unfortunatly these lights are not inteligent so They do not know where the gobos are, just the stop marker. As such no matter how many times you chaneg the motor over it will nevre align unless done manually the first time.
Anyone who has ever owned a Source lighting effect like the celebration will know all about this.

[super-hero]

I took the motor and gobo wheel out of a working light. I did not seporate the motor from the wheel. So it was lined up correctly.
I then put the complete assemble into the faulty light, and it behaved the same as the other motor and wheel assemble.

I then put the faulty wheel and motor into the good light and they worked fine. This is why I don't think it was the motor and wheel allignment.

To make matters worse a friend has just dropped round a Abstract gladiator for me to look at. And I cant get to the bottom of that fault either.

[super-hero]

Gladiator now fixed as well. Just a blown capacitor.

[spin mobile disco]

Capacitors are a bit of a headache of mine at the moment had to replace a few broken ones over the years but had to replace 4 this month on some old lights. Still I suppose as they are over 15 years old its my own fault lol.