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Thread: Wireless DMX.....where do I start?

  1. #1
    Imagine's Avatar
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    Default Wireless DMX.....where do I start?

    OK - simple enough question, but I just know it's going to be a complicated and expensive answer.....

    My current set up/tear down time is around 30 minutes of which around 10 minutes of that is running cables. I can't help but think that wireless DMX is the way to go. I'm getting fed up of wrapping cables up at the end of a long night (or being completely lazy....chucking them in a plastic box and sorting them out the next day).

    Now - I've been looking around t'interweb and have to admit....I'm completely confussed at the moment.

    None of my fixtures have wireless capability (otherwise I wouldn't be asking this question). I can see there's a plethora of dongles available which plug into existing fixtures....so far so good. I understand I need a transmitter plugged into the Open DMX dongle on the laptop and a receiver on the other end.

    So...onto the questions....
    1. Do the receivers really all have to have some sort of power adapter connected? It seems like an awful lot of plugs to add to the PAT schedule let alone plug in every time I set up
    2. Will a single receiver daisy chain into a pre-wired bar which has the rest of the fixtures connected by old fashioned XLR cable (i.e. dongle in fixture 1 and the rest linked by copper)? (I can't see any reason why not - but there may be a reason for this not to be possible)
    3. What's the best option/brand to go for?


    Not too many questions, but anyone who's got any experience....your input would be well and truly appreciated before I invest in this. I'm getting ever closer to my goal of a 20 minute set up at the moment....and this could help me to achieve just that

    ......and on a similar vein.....(sorry - didn't see the point in starting a separate post)

    I have a set of acrylic LOVE letters. Now don't get me wrong, in the right setting these look fantastic (see video below). BUT....they work in S2L mode and my OCD doesn't like it one little bit. I want to do clever things with them rather than have them randomly flashing during the main event.



    I haven't had them open yet, but as far as I can tell, they're illuminated by the run of the mill LED strips that you can buy online and control with an IRC. Is there anything I can do to make them DMX addressable (I have basic electronics knowledge and I'm not too bad with a soldering iron), or is there some sort of LED strip you can buy which you can get a DMX kit for? I need to control these things to make them fit with the rest of the show.

  2. #2

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    Hi,

    I use the ADJ wifly equipment which I have built up over time and found it really good.

    Have some wifly fixtures and a few of the battery tranceivers to add to non wifly products - they are battery powered so just need to remember to charge them up.

    The system works really well for me and its never played up, so in my experience is very reliable.

    I've just added the wireless tranceiver so I can use an ipad to control it all, as well meaning I don't need a DMX laptop.

    The Ipad software is a work in progress but is still fully functional so you can still do scenes, shows and all that stuff. The DMX programming actually works really well on the ipad as you can wander round with it and you get all the faders on the screen which is quite intuitive.

  3. #3

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    I've considered wireless DMX, but because of the nature of the light fixtures requiring power, by the time I've run the power cable down, the DMX cable adds no extra time. Plus, it's another power supply - and annoyingly, not IEC powered, so can't be daisy chained in. I've seen battery powered ones, but I fear there's then too many chances of something going wrong!

    The reason I don't think I'll save much time with wireless DMX, is that the top bar is pre-wired. I hook on the lights, plug them in, and the DMX and power cable run to the ground and I plug them in. Takes seconds.

    As for wireless sound to the speakers - now that is more useful to me. Often there is a power supply by the speakers, so nice and easy to power, but I still have to run a separate lengthy XLR cable that also requires tapping down to the ground - and that's where my time is wasted.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobKennedy View Post
    Hi,

    I use the ADJ wifly equipment which I have built up over time and found it really good.

    Have some wifly fixtures and a few of the battery tranceivers to add to non wifly products - they are battery powered so just need to remember to charge them up.

    The system works really well for me and its never played up, so in my experience is very reliable.

    I've just added the wireless tranceiver so I can use an ipad to control it all, as well meaning I don't need a DMX laptop.

    The Ipad software is a work in progress but is still fully functional so you can still do scenes, shows and all that stuff. The DMX programming actually works really well on the ipad as you can wander round with it and you get all the faders on the screen which is quite intuitive.
    I've got to admit - that's the system I've been looking at.

    First stupid question.....I'm assuming it just replaces the cable, i.e. it doesn't HAVE to be an ADJ fixture connected to it and doesn't need their own software? It's just literally relaying the DMX signals it receives, yes?

    Looks like I might be about to spend some pennies

  5. #5
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    This is my system now (I have been through al manner of systems now).
    I looked at the ADJ unit and prefer this one for various reasons.

    I used to use sender boxes, but find that just using the light as a master in the booth is easier now. Its basically what you see below. That sends the signal to all the other lights. Not had a problem with range (better than the sender boxes) but I have a larger arial is required. Marquees, for example. The little router for example only stretches about 10 metres clear space, so you could opt for a box router if you want to control it from a distance from the cutey box.

    All you need is:

    1: Cuety box: £220
    2: router: £20
    3: iPad & sender/light.

    I have put a wireless receiver in one of my bar lights, there is a separate thread on that.

    Last edited by yourdj; 26-04-2016 at 09:47 AM.
    Your DJ - Mobile DJ The New Forest, Southampton & Hampshire. Toby
    https://yourdj.co.uk/

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post

    I have a set of acrylic LOVE letters. Now don't get me wrong, in the right setting these look fantastic (see video below). BUT....they work in S2L mode and my OCD doesn't like it one little bit. I want to do clever things with them rather than have them randomly flashing during the main event.
    You can get loads of controllers for led strips. It's a bit of a maze to navigate though!

    You might need an R G B + connection or a + Data ground connection. There are possibly more variables haha I had to open up my led bulbs to get the part number.

    They're a bit if a pain in the bottom of you ask me, you can dmx them (I've not tried) I think it's a dmx sli controller you need... But I'd find the led strip model then ask somebody as all the controller types etc look the same.

    I just got a new controller as I wanted mine to dim and the old controller didn't, works fine but is loads more complicated for if I leave the letters with clients and they want to change colours.

    Dorset DJ - Dorset based DJ service
    11:11 EVENTS LTD - 11:11 EVENTS LTD

  7. #7
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    Your DJ - Mobile DJ The New Forest, Southampton & Hampshire. Toby
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  8. #8

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    I went for a much more guerilla approach & modified my lights to include wireless dmx adapter PCBs. See my blog for pointers. Basically all you have to do is find a 5 volt power rail in the lights which isn't hard if you have basic electronic know how. Www.justinhornsby.co.uk

    It's vastly reduced my setup & teardown time, not to mention made tidying up cables much easier. Each wireless board costs less than a decent dmx cable.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    I've got to admit - that's the system I've been looking at.

    First stupid question.....I'm assuming it just replaces the cable, i.e. it doesn't HAVE to be an ADJ fixture connected to it and doesn't need their own software? It's just literally relaying the DMX signals it receives, yes?

    Looks like I might be about to spend some pennies
    You're right - you can create your own profiles for your own fixtures so you are not tied to ADJ

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by juski View Post
    I went for a much more guerilla approach & modified my lights to include wireless dmx adapter PCBs. See my blog for pointers. Basically all you have to do is find a 5 volt power rail in the lights which isn't hard if you have basic electronic know how. Www.justinhornsby.co.uk

    It's vastly reduced my setup & teardown time, not to mention made tidying up cables much easier. Each wireless board costs less than a decent dmx cable.
    Ahhhhh wow!!!!
    Steampunking the lights - likey likey.
    Off to investigate getting some boards now.....no batteries, no external wiring/power supplies....brilliant

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