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Chauvet D-Fi USB momentary blackouts
Chony Milecki:
I'm using 2x Chauvet 4Bar Tri USBs and 4x Chauvet SlimPar Pro H USBs, and they are controlled by trolled by a Chauvet D-Fi FlareCon.
I have everything connected properly and operating well. Sometimes the wifi signal gets interrupted. This is of course to be expected especially in a room or city with lots of wireless traffic. When this happens, the lights stay on the same color and the USB flashes slowly.
THE PROBLEM IS that when the wifi reconnects (the USB flashes rapidly), the light BLACKS OUT for a split second. This makes the light impossible to use in professional settings.
I've complained to Chauvet and even sent the equipment back to them, but they claim they don't understand the problem, or that there is no problem. (They don't seem to know their own products very well.)
Has anyone here experienced something similar? Is there any way around this?
Thank you,
Chony
PS: And once I'm here: I'm looking to buy 60 uplights with reliable wireless control. What are my options. Haven't found anything great online. Not a fan on the Chauvet freedom pars.
LINKS:
SlimPar USB: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SlimPARProHd1?gclid=CjwKCAiA_ojVBRAlEiwAOLRxIyEhPyhuJgL5T7ZDAPC8A42SJ62C-GjKVrDn8Zm2Mv_ImJh1WqPsLBoCXOsQAvD_BwE
4 Bar Tri USB: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/4BARFlexTUSB--chauvet-dj-4bar-flex-t-usb-4-by-rgb-par-system
FlareCon: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FlareConAir--chauvet-dj-flarecon-air-wireless-dmx-d-fi-transmitter-receiver?gclid=CjwKCAiA_ojVBRAlEiwAOLRxIx7xDZ8pl6rQ1clkEUWuNv3qsHFIKv-DbNvdz4k8PvC9TEB8mT6k0hoC63AQAvD_BwE
Callan Browne:
Have you tried using different channels on the USB dongles? Your problem seems to be interference and how the lights recover when dmx is restored. If the 1 second dropout is an issue, I'd look to cable your lights.
I have 2x tri par LT's & USB dongles, bigger gigs I use dmx cables, smaller gigs sometimes one light goes black for a moment from time to time. Nobody but me notices it.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
Allen Smith:
This is not exactly a defect, it is a limitation in the technology. Wifi is getting very crowded. I use the Dfi units for my system. In general it works very well. I do have one club where it was more glitchy than others although the steps below make it work flawlessly.
My solution was to do the following:
-move my wifi system for my X32 mixer to a different bandwidth to eliminate congestion in my own rig
-make sure my Dfi transmitter is in the on top of a rack with no physical obstructions between it and the lights receiving the signal
These steps make it work pretty flawless. I am transmitting on a stage so not across a room.
Another step you can consider is using a small USB extension cable to make sure there is line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver dongle. Again, line of sight is best for distance transmitting.
-
Chony Milecki:
--- Quote from: Allen Smith on March 11, 2018, 11:14:29 PM ---This is not exactly a defect, it is a limitation in the technology. Wifi is getting very crowded. I use the Dfi units for my system. In general it works very well. I do have one club where it was more glitchy than others although the steps below make it work flawlessly.
My solution was to do the following:
-move my wifi system for my X32 mixer to a different bandwidth to eliminate congestion in my own rig
-make sure my Dfi transmitter is in the on top of a rack with no physical obstructions between it and the lights receiving the signal
These steps make it work pretty flawless. I am transmitting on a stage so not across a room.
Another step you can consider is using a small USB extension cable to make sure there is line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver dongle. Again, line of sight is best for distance transmitting.
-
--- End quote ---
I do all these things and although it helps I still get occasional drops. It's okay when I'm doing a band on stage, but not okay if I'm backlighting a person speaking and it's being videoed or broadcast.
Chauvet should have designed the lights not to flash off. They could still fix it with a firmware update, but when I spoke to them they just refused to admit that its a problem.
:-(
I've seen cheaper Chinese versions do a more reliable job.
Jeff Lelko:
--- Quote from: Chony Milecki on March 13, 2018, 01:22:38 AM ---I've seen cheaper Chinese versions do a more reliable job.
--- End quote ---
And I've seen a $5 DMX cable from Amazon do an even more reliable job. I don't mean to sound blunt, but this is the type of thing that goes along with using wireless products.
The same can be said for mixing sound from a tablet. It's a neat trick when it works, but it's generally ill-advised to rely on such equipment for production critical functions. If you're doing professional work with professional expectations and absolutely need to have wireless, be prepared to pay a professional price for a professional product.
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