eh16dmxfaq

Q: DMX CONTROL IS AN EXPENSIVE CONTROL SYSTEM USED IN LARGE THEATERS AND STAGE SHOWS, RIGHT?

A: NO! DMX is a simple and easy to use technology adopted by many industries to control lights and other equipment where ease of use, reliability, and cost were factors. more to come on this soon.

Q: How many lights can you attach to an EH16DMX?

A: each channel can support ~100mA. Each of the standard Ether-Lights uses ~20Ma. This means that you can safely put 5 standard Ether-Lights on each of the 16 channels for a total of 80 lights.

Q: What happens if I plug too many lights into the EH16DMX?

A: each channel can support ~100mA.  If that current draw is exceeded the red "error" light for that channel will light. After the excessive load is removed the "error" light will turn off and the circuit has reset itself.

Q: How long can my RCA cable runs be?

A: As the cable length increases the light will begin to dim. The point at which it is too dim to be effective depends on your use of that particular light. We have run 1000ft extensions and still used the light but it is a bit dimmer than a short run.  For runs over a few hundred feet I would recommend using DMX cable for long runs and locating the Ether-Hub closer to the area in which you need the light, this also serves to remove excessive connectors and cables for troubleshooting purposes.

Q: How many EH16DMX units can you daisy chain together?

A: As many as you would like.  Using DMX 512 the protocol allows for 512 addresses each a channel of control. That means that you can daisy chain 32 x EH16DMX and be able to have independent control over each channel.  However boxes can share an addresses and they will respond to the same commands (i.e. two EH16DMX boxes each addressed 1-16 will fade the first RCA port on both boxes if you move the slider associated with channel 1). In addition, There are DMX controllers out there that allow for multiple "universes". Each universe is capable of 512 new addresses. 

Q: I don't want my lighting to change throughout the show but I want to set the levels for each channel, do I need a DMX unit and controller?

A: If you need static lighting throughout a show and don't want to use a controller you can use the "hi" and "lo" switches for each channel.  This allows each channel's intensity to be set to 100% or 50%. If a greater flexibility of control or a finer touch is needed you must connect some form of DMX controller. After you set all your levels using the controller, set the address switched to zero (all down). This saves all the levels to the EH16DMX for future use. The box may be unplugged and stored indefinitely without losing your levels. With the levels saved, you may unplug your DMX controller until you want to adjust the levels further.

Q: Can I use my Ether-Hub outside?

A: While the Ether-Lights are very happy being exposed to the elements, the Ether-hubs would best be kept dry.  If you need to put it outside find an enclosure or place that would keep the unit dry and safe. For those of you spreading lights all over the great outdoors, the EH16 and EH16DMX are shunted to provide a fighting chance of surviving a near miss lightning strike, and should that not work there is a fail safe chip inside the enclosure that can be replaced for a few dollars. We design everything to protect your lighting investment but make no claims that we can stand up to mother nature at it's ugliest.

Q: Can I use my EH16DMX to trigger other props or effects from a DMX controller?

A: Yes you can.  This is something that should probably be left to those with some electronics background but if that's you, read on. The EH16DMX is capable of being used a bridge between a DMX control system and just about anything that can use a 12vdctrigger.  If you do this please be aware that the DMX controller should not be allowed to fade the channel you are using as a 12vdc trigger and should simply be on or off.  If you have further questions regarding this use of the EH16DMX I reccommend checking out the materials related to prop control on the classroom page, e-mail us, or check out EFX-TEK products as they are very useful for this purpose.

additional content coming soon!