iank99

I'd be tempted to try another power supply, there's not a great deal in the desk itself to cause random power downs so I'd be suspecting the PSU. However, if the PSU can't deliver the current at the right times, the desk will likely power off yet the voltages will look OK. Battery low/failed is usually shows not being remembered when the desk is powered off, so it's not likely to be that.

I've just had a quick mooch in the manual because you're question intrigued me (we've never sold Jester ML's with wings) and my reading is that you would need to be in Chans+Subs mode ideally as this would likely give you the fader movements needed to do memory editing. I'm guessing (and Jon or Keith will say if I'm wrong) that Snapshot only grabs the current value of a DMX channel and doesn't "sense" any change in values.

Try swapping the battery first, the internal RAM runs off the battery which is where all the patch tables and show files are kept. The RTC is likely on a separate chip with it's own internal supply so may not be affected. The internal battery is easy enough (and cheap enough) to try first of all - so I'd do that and see what happens.

We try

I'm not an ML expert - I've only trained folk on the base Jester but it sounds like a 'tagging' issue whereby values you set for gobo's and colour end up tracking in to subsequent cues. Essentially, you need to tell the desk explicitly what you want onstage for the cue where you want a plain strobe, without 'tagging' you'd see a lot of unnecessary movement on fixtures as values changed between states that didn't really need to. Have a read of the Jester ML manual around page 36 it might cause you to have a 'lightbulb moment'.

If you look at the right hand end of the flash buttons for "Preset B" you'll see a "Page B" with two LED indicators next to it. In Preset Mode - by default (I think) the indicator labelled "1-24" should be lit which shows that Preset B is operating channels 1-24, if you press the button once, then the indicator changes to "25-48" which shows that Preset B is now controlling channels 25-48. In Program Mode, you use the "Page A" button to the right of the Preset A flash buttons to select the channels controlled by the faders in the same way. The "Page B" button in Program mode selects which page of submasters you will save in to i.e Page 1 of 1-24 or Page 2 of 25-48 if you're recording scene/submaster memories. When you're in Program Mode, if you have scenes recorded on to faders then when you move the fader up on Preset B - any channels recorded in that scene will get added to the outputs of the desk alongside whatever you set using the Preset A faders. It's also worth remembering that the highest of the two levels for a channel will take precedence e.g. if you have channel 6 recorded at 65% in submaster 6 and then set Fader (A)6 to 45% - moving submaster 6 will cause channel 6 to go higher if you move it to "full". In some respects - this part of trying the desk needs to be done with a dimmer and a couple of lanterns connected. Hopefully that makes sense? The manual is a bit obtuse around this side of things but from bits I hear - it's on the list of "To Do's" at Zero.

*nods sagely* As I was once married to a stage manager - she used to get VERY upset at the slightest suggestion of renumbering cues... I spent a weekend in the dog house when we started using point cues in the prompt copy instead of letter cues e.g. LX10a became LX10.1

You could try using 'Insert' memories in between the memories you already have programmed? You can have upto 9 inserted memories (from x.1 to x.9) which should give you enough leeway to do what you need. How to do the Insert is on page 22 of the manual I think.

If you're using the Orb and iPad on an existing network (which can complicate things) then you need to check the following... A. The IP addresses (the 192.168.010.xxx) part will have to be an allowable range on your network otherwise the network itself simply won't let the messages passed. B. The iPad will need to know in it's network settings the Gateway address for the network i.e. the routers address so it can send the stuff it needs to send to the Orb via the Gateway to the network. Similarly - the Orb will also need the Gateway address setting. In many respects - if you're in a performing area where you don't need to use the internet whilst you're controlling the Orb then one of the small TP-Link wireless nodes (something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR702N-Wireless-Extender-Set-top/dp/B006PYGWG6/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1391444716&sr=1-2) would do the job - sorry the TPLInk site was down. With the Nano router - it will probably self power from the Orbs USB and sit on the back of the Orb with some BluTak - I don't know what the router uses in term of current for it's supply but it could just as easily be run from a USB plugtop charger too.

You just set the state and record it - it's one of the nice things about the Jester and Solution (and the Frog range before them) that you're not constrained to using a specific preset to program memories. The only thing you need to aware of is that the Faders always affect the output of the desk, so if you have a memory playing back - then the faders will also affect what you see on stage.

No, the desk actually outputs 48 distinct DMX addresses, which (unless you've repatched) are usually 1-48 which correspond to the faders on the front panel. In 'normal' mode - the faders control 1-24 over two presets but in wide mode faders 25-48 control channels 25 upwards. I don't believe (but Jon will leap in and correct me if I'm wrong) that there is a way of reducing the channel count on screen. In theory - you might still have channels running off DMX 25-48 via an aux, so it would be nice to see them running?

The DMX Cards are the same card, except on the Fat Frog there are a couple of links to make it output the same DMX universe on the two connectors (on the LeapFrog there are two universes of course). If there isn't any DMX coming out then the problem is on the mainboard itself, the good news is that the board is possibly repairable/replaceable being a LeapFrog.

That's good news!!! Glad I could help.

If you know the battery on the mainboard is ok then it might be bad news, the mainboard itself might have failed. However it would be worth swapping the battery to see if that makes a difference (but usually the desk will power up and simply not retain memories) so I suspect it may be more than that. If you have one about, try swapping PSU's (or if you have a Jester PSU then it should power a Fat Frog).

It's being unpredictable which is usually a sign the battery needs swapping - a 10 minute job to open the case and swap. The onboard battery preserves the data in the RAM which is setup parameters and show memories plus fixture data - when the battery voltage drops, the RAM behaves weirdly. The battery is non-rechargeable, so depending on the overall temperature in the room it's being stored in and the make of the battery - its "life" is around 18months to 2 years.

You're allowed to use any connector that meets a British Standard - the one that covers round pin plugs is BS546. If you're designing/installing a new installation then those connectors must meet a current British Standard - the Standard was withdrawn from the 2A & 5A round pin connector a few years back which is why new work usually involves lots of plug tops being swapped. However, it's not illegal to use 5A plugs if your installation still has them - we still sell plugs but trailing and wall sockets are nigh impossible to source new these days. To answer your original question - "Yes - you are allowed to use South African plugs" and you will probably find them marked with the BS above as they're still very much a current connector there. . I believe the lumex/snappers/grelco's we sell are made in South Africa but I'm not sure about the Duraplug 15a plugs & sockets we sell. The only real caveat is - be more observant when fitting them/using them as sometimes the build quality can be VERY variable.

Send me an eMail to iank'at'centraltheatresupplies.co.uk and I'll send you the ones I have.

I'm guessing that it's because you've defined a speed parameter for the fixture, the software/desk adds the offset parameter for doing fans of moving heads as it tries to be helpful. Can you delete the Speed parameter and see what happens? (Happy New Year by the way!)

If you've swapped IC's and checked switches then there's not a lot else on those boards to go wrong, however having just looked at the circuit diagrams - each switch connects to the data lines of the 373's via a diode (probably a small signal diode like 1N4148) mounted alongside the switches. It would be worth prodding the diode's to see if all are being diodes and not gone open circuit. The Led's for those switches are not operated directly by the switch but via another 373 circuit depending on a code from the processor - if the LED isn't lighting then the processor isn't sensing the switch closure, which points back to the switch and it's diode.

The iPad and the console have to have separate IP Address's so that they can 'know' each other is on the network, if they have the same address then it becomes unpredictable as you've discovered. They should be on the same subnet though (usually something like 255.255.255.x or similar).

Yeah - the displays do have a lacquer on them for some sort of glare control I think. The sad news is that you can't replace just the window that's damaged as it's all part of the transfer that labels the front panel. I had a similar thing on a Frog then scrapped one for a customer about 4 weeks later - the front panels got transplanted!

That'll be you and your other 'hobby' crossing over in to Lighting then? P.S. I've known Kevin since I started at CTS and he used to sit outside the shop waiting for me to open up at 7:30 looking for extra bits and pieces.

It might be worth trying the Windows 7 compatibility troubleshooter on it and see what that reports (from memory - right click then Properties and in Compatibility). It sounds like some like there may be a memory leak or a port being accessed that does something else in Win7. Jon will be along in a while and give a full technical explanation I'm sure

http://zero88.com/forum/forum/90-fixture-library-fixture-editor/ seemed to have the right sort of name

Chris - glad we could help - another Sirius lives on!