Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft
Subject: Re: SwitchPack
References: <[email protected]>
"Glenn"  writes:

> Hi All,
> 
> I am looking for somthing I can put between a dmx dimmer pack/dmx line and a
> fan to allow me to control the fan from the lighintg console. I want to be
> able to turn the fan on and off, no dimming. What is the cheapest
> alternative to achieve this? besides having the stage manager turning it on
> and off.
> 
> I have heard talk of such thing as a swithpack to achieve this, what sort of
> price are these units?

You have already a dimmer pack and lighting desk that talks DMX-512. 
Try checking if any of your dimmer channels has option to 
turn it to switch pack mode. In this way it would be just switch on/off 
and not dim (switches on when input dim level exceeds some preset level). 

If your existing dimmers cannot do this, then another option 
is to biy a small DMX-512 dimmer that can be turned to  
switch mode. Something like small one channel dimmer could 
be propably useable. Just plug it to the DMX-512 bus, 
set to right DMX-512 channel, set to switch pack mode and let it go. 

Those are the options using ready made products. 
If you know how to safely build some mains operated 
circuits, then there is always option to build 
some electronics that takes in the wanted signal 
(DMX-512 signal or output from existing dimmer) 
and uses it to switch the output relay that switches 
the mains power to the fan on and off.

-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/