iank99

You also need to ensure that the primary partition on the USB drive is marked as "Active" as from experience that can also cause unusual issues Use something like Paragon Partition Manager to do that - Windows format will quite happily format a drive and not make it active

@arocknamedjc I know it sounds like a silly question but are you certain that you had control of your lights before the update i.e. you weren't updating to fix a problem? It might be feasible that the grandmaster has failed at zero so the desk doesn't output anything - you need to run a front panel test on the desk to check it's working perhaps? It's also possible that if you have fixtures connected to your desk i.e. LED's or moving heads that there might have been changes in the fixture definitions since your early version - I can't remember how ZerOS handles that situation I'm afraid but I would expect it to make a decent go at leaving you with useable fixtures. Contact Keith on the number above as suggested & be ready to eMail a showfile for him to look at - he'll also talk you through accessing the built in front panel test so you can check the desk is working as it should.

@Techie_v2 Tricky call to be honest - there's no certainty that the desk isn't badly damaged by water ingress or not (whether inspected or not) but just as a "for instance" - say the processor & mainboard needs replacing - that's £600 plus VAT, if the screen needs replacing - that's £690 plus VAT before it's even been established that the rest of the desk is OK. A new FLX S is around £1700 plus VAT and comes with a 3 year warranty. The processor & display would be a gamble to buy & use for spares/repair - the fader board might have some value but then replacement faders can be bought separately as can encoders & buttons. I also don't get asked for FLX spares but I do get asked about FLX S screens (and they don't swap over sadly) so whoever considers buying the desk won't want to take a chance on spending more than carriage on a desk they can't be certain is able to be made work or can be used as a reliable spares source - they're taking on a chassis with some knobs potentially that might sit on the shelf (like my old Sirius 24's) to give up a fader cap once in a while. Sounds harsh but I think honest

@Techie_v2 It all depends what's corroded to be honest - as @kgallen says - much of the vital stuff is mounted to the front panel, it's only the processor & PSU mounted on the base of the FLX so it's feasible the unit might be OK. If you want someone to look at it & give you some reassurance about it then I offer an inspection service which costs £25 plus return carriage & I'll give the unit a good going over & check the state of the PCB's. Being honest I'd expect perhaps a couple of faders to need replacing but otherwise the buttons & encoders are sealed so shouldn't have suffered much - especially if the unit was given chance to dry out. I have some spares around for FLX including fader boards & encoders but not things like processors & displays but they're still obtainable from Zero but probably more costly than you'd want to spend for having a working spare desk. I don't have a loan/slave FLX either & having one would be handy - depending on the state of yours and what you're looking to get for it should an inspection not bring good news.

Morning @tiffayo123 @Davidmk is correct - it's unusual that your dimmers are powered on 24/7 - it's not good for the leccy bill or the dimmers themselves. It's possible that one of three things has happened Unless the front of the Chllli dimmers is physically locked (or they're locked in a cupboard) - little fingers might have been poking at buttons Because the units are on 24/7 - they've had a mains spike which has corrupted the internal patch tables - cycling power might solve this Because the units have been on 24/7 - the processor might have components failed - the most common failure is a dead unit though not channels flicking randomly with no desk connected. Don't rely on Keith @KWR88 responding here - he doesn't check very often - it's best to ring Zero88 and talk to him in person, he will also be able to recommend someone local to you to have a look (it might be a dealer or a customer he deals with). I can't stress that you should do this quickly - I found out from Keith the other day that Chilli's are now discontinued which means some spares for them will become rare simply because parts of the unit weren't built by Zero themselves but by external companies. If you get them looked at now then there's a good chance they will last another 10 years or more. If you can get someone to look at the unit & diagnose a fault (and they can't repair the unit) then I can help with the repair - I'm Zero authorised and the processor board is eminently easily removed and sent via a carrier. I'm in Coventry so not local enough to offer to come have a look sadly but I'll help as much as I can once you get the issue diagnosed.

Oooooh "Mr Knight" .... do I owe you some money? LMAO

Sorry to hear you're having hassle with your Jester ML - Keith will be along soon with a better solution but for the time being... 'Bad Product ID' is usually because the battery has failed - once the battery is replaced then selecting 'OK' should boot the desk - first thing to do before all else is to a Clear/Reset in SuperUser before doing anything else so the desks internal processor tables can be set to a default vale - this often resets the 'Bad Product' message. Daft question but was the new battery inserted correctly ii.e not upside down? It does happen - I had a customer do this earlier this year & swore blind the desk was corrupted until he realised someone else had replaced the battery and put the new one in the wrong way. (To be honest - in my experience Jesters have proved as reliable as the old Sirius) What happens if you remove the update flash drive and just power the desk on with no buttons held down? I can't say for definite but the presence of a flash drive as the desk boots might be skewing things - it shouldn't but it might. I've had it happen to me, the USB bus is initialised early in the boot process to ready a keyboard or it might simply be trying to 'size' the flash drive - this might be upsetting the boot process? If all else fails - I have a couple of processor boards in stock, along with an ML front panel and fader boards - I'm sure we can get you sorted but it's likely to be something simple.

Yep - works for Mk1 & Mk2 versions of the Alcora/Elara - the software version number displayed on the LED's will vary of course because the MK 2's offered patching. It's also worth noting that if there's an analogue output card(s) fitted then the analogue outputs will track fader movements whilst in test mode too. Also worth adding that when testing, give the power in DIN a little waggle to see if power drops off - I've seen a few MK1's where either tracks lift on the PCB from physical movement of the desk with the PSU plugged in (back and forth to storage for example) or dry joints have developed. I have genuine spare faders in stock for these desks, compatible PSU's for DMX only output desks, buttons/mechanisms, fader caps and knobs and some case corners (shameless plug I know but some folks assume that spares for these desks are like unicorn droppings!!)

@AlRamsay - there isn't a voltage regulator for the output rails per se - the voltage is derived from a D to A convertor that feeds an op amp (IC39) who's output voltage is set by a small resistor network selected by the output voltage selector link. The op amp is supplied from one of the internal 5v rails which is regulated by a conventional voltage regulator that's located near the battery, the 5v rail will need checking. There's a possibility that the battery has leaked at some point & whilst the initial corrosion as cleaned - some of the battery chemicals have run along the PCB tracks & damaged them - I've repaired a couple of Sirius with similar corrosion issues, the stuff can spread like crazy. You're going to need a schematic to fault find and I'm happy to send you one but I won't post it here - if you'd like to eMail me ian at serviceguy.co.uk then I'll send you a copy.

It's also worth noting - it looks like your desk might have some dirty faders, the values shown are what I typically see when servicing Solutions/LeapFrogs & so on. It's a relatively easy job to do unless faders need replacing - Servisol Super10 is the 'go to' fluid but don't use much per fader

Has that setup worked before? The fader control looks like it may be of chinese origin & sometimes the DMX they output isn't 'standard' & can cause erratic behaviour. To check the dimmer properly you need a small analogue desk of some flavour i.e a Level 6 or Level 12.

It's a damaged track on the PCB after the battery was slow in being replaced & it's going to take ages to find it... How do I know? I just repaired a Sirius Mk1 (in fact two - their own & one I sold them as a 'spare') for a drama group in Blackpool that was doing the same thing & it taught me a lot of new swear words You're looking for continuity on the track between pin 7 of IC21 and Pin 1 of the DIN slave socket & to check the solder joints on the components on that line. The damage is likely to be localised around the PCB tracks where the battery is - ensure the tracks are cleaned, the old battery acid neutralised & any suspect areas linked over with some hookup wire. It's going to be painstaking - if you're lucky, then you might strike lucky quickly. I note that you've swapped chips already (I did the same to no avail) which also suggests it's track damage. If you don't have Sirius main board schematics then please DM me here or contact me through my website & I'll eMail both versions (I will NOT attach them here to a topic).

A bit reminiscent of the Avolites website (I had a customer bring me a Pearl 2008 to checkover last week) - I spent ages wandering the Avo website for some sort of manual and eventually Google found it for me under some obscure link - I sense a common theme amongst American companies 😉 It was bad news for my customer though - the desk needs someone a tad more knowledgeable than me to check it over & there seems to be no one except Avo themselves who will admit to repairing the darn things (or even having spares for them!) - I'm still waiting for a response to the contact form I filled in asking them if they knew of anyone in the Midlands. I guess to a degree, Zero users should be counting their blessings (for the moment certainly) that there's a relatively decent (compared to Avo) support 'structure' in place in the UK.

As far as I can see, it's still available as a spare part so your local dealer might have one on the shelf or might be able to order one from Signify. Be aware though that lead times for ordering spares (when in stock) is about 10 working days because treasury/accounts functions seem to be 'off shored' to India (I've been waiting 10 days for payment to be acknowledged for an order placed 5 weeks ago!). I have some on the shelf (as 'new old stock') along with some Frog 2 PSU's that will also work however, exporting from the UK to the EU isn't cheap these days - they screw us at every turn

I like nice easy fixes like cleaning contacts

Yay!! Nice one I'm glad it was something easy to fix - well done!!

It looks like you're using a GoTek Floppy Emulator on that desk - I'm not sure how the Zero firmware update calculates checksums but it might well be that the emulator isn't returning the correct values to create the checksum - so the routine will always fail I would try a boot with a conventional floppy disk if you can find one - there's nothing special about the disk & if you're careful it needn't be screwed in to the chassis, you might get away with resting it on some cardboard alongside the mainboard (the cardboard is for insulation). If you can get the Zero upgrade disk to boot and upgrade then you should be able to revert to using the GoTek for show files as you have been doing.

All that I can suggest is to remove the RAM module - clean the gold connectors with something slightly abrasive then refit it and try again. Your Leap Frog is the early type wth the STMain motherboard so there's nothing repairable on that mainboard - unfortunately it might also mean that the mainboard has died which does happen with the STMains Keith might be able to suggest a dealer in Italy who might have salvage spares to try and rescue your desk but I suspect you might find it's time to replace the desk

Solutions (and Orbs) will meet you partway as they run ZerOS but obviously don't have built in touchscreens whereas Jester ML & Fat Frog use older software to control movers and LED's. Their main 'advantage' is availability as people upgrade to larger consoles (often for features they won't use but because it's new) - you don't need bells & whistles to operate a 24 channel rig of conventional tungsten (yes - there's still lots of tungsten around) that used to be controlled by a now dead Strand MX or Sirius 24 and people still don't have £1400 plus 6 weeks or more to buy a replacement console that looks nothing like the desk that died during the pandemic. I've just sold a Sirius 24 Mk1 to a church drama group & repaired their own Sirius 24 (also a MK 1) because they don't have money to update their dimming to DMX (they don't have money at all - I suspect what I'm being paid is coming out of the pocket of the lighting man - who's in his 60's) or even to buy a cheap DMX Fader desk & demux. They're not unique or alone - I regularly service Lightmasters & so on because people don't want/can't afford FLX or FLX S and all the implications of that brings. - Tungsten isn't dead yet but I suspect if the current supply issues with spare lamps continues then a lot of these smaller groups will simply stop lighting creatively as they can't afford £200 or more per lantern to replace with LED.

Sadly the FLX series is at the end of a very long supply chain that originates in the Far East so it's subject to the same issues affecting other electronics manufacturers e.g. long wait times for processors & display panels, long shipping times when stock is available and interminable chinese factory city lockdowns at the slightest sniffle by a worker (can anyone say covert economic warfare?). You only need to try and order a Raspberry Pi to see this at work - lots of places list them but very few have stocks (hence eBay does a roaring trade in Pi Zero's) because the processor supply chain is strangled in the Far East. Sadly it's all a result of Europe & the USA deciding that they could offset their carbon & manufacturing costs by having processors fabricated in the Far East rather than on 'home' soil - I suspect it's also part of the reason for renewed hostility toward Taiwan by China, they simply want to control the chip fab plants there too. @kgallenCTS might list the FLX but they don't have them 'on the shelf' - when I last spoke to them about this, they'd got 3 on back order since last August with a long projected delivery time. They've stopped spec'ing the FLX for many of their installs apparently in favour of desks they can actually get hold of but even the alternative manufacturer they chose has supply chain issues based around processors I've currently got a FLX S from a customer that needs a new display panel - projected delivery time of 6-8 weeks (which I suspect is to Holland & then another week or so before it gets to me...). Folks wonder why Fat Frogs, Solutions & Jesters sell for silly money on eBay - for small rigs, they're available, reliable & just as worthy

I too now have an enchanted floppy disk of changing - I've had to muck out the unicorns & scrub the dragon down to get it (and no - that's not code for anything @kgallen )

I think you'll find any newer fan will be quieter because the bearings are new. The important thing is to match the overall size of the fan & it's voltage - there's probably a label on the noisy fan that will have a part number that can be googled. You will probably see listed as accessories for the new unit - the wire grill that Keith showed - some decent side cutters will remove your old grill & the existing screws will hold the grill and fan in place or replace with suitable nuts & bolts

Yep - it's the same board - if you want to use the printer interface you need to solder a connector in place - it will also need it's system ID setting so it knows that it's in an Illusion - Keith will know the magic buttons to press to do that

Justin - I PM'd them too about me paying carriage for the two Frogs as 'last resort' but I suspect if they can get them out the door without faff - they'll take your hand off I'd certainly be interested in the Frogs for spares - the 520i's not so much (I have 3 already!!) and would be happy to have you drop them off at my workshop - drop me an eMail ian at serviceguy dot co dot uk to arrange that (you can probably ignore the post I just made on The Blue Room about this)/ If you want to take a reclaimed floppy drive with you to experiment - I'd be happy to do that too.

Sounds like an Illusion 120 - the first iteration of the series - if it has a MemPac, so very likely an STMain 1 motherboard. From experience, it's darned hard to corrupt the onboard ROM and the desk should boot however, as Keith says it might be that the battery has leaked and eaten some of the PCB or it could just be that the STMain has died (it does happen). If you have access to a Frog or Jester - try the PSU from that - I have seen weirdness with failed PSU's where you get power but it's got AC waveforms on the output or the output never really initialises (they're switch mode PSU's). The desk doesn't need a Floppy to boot - only to save shows or update the operating software so try leaving the floppy disconnected initially. I have spare floppy drives about that came from Zero desks (so there shouldn't be issues with initialisation on the Bios) if you need one, I'm not sure I have a working STMain 1 from an Illusion though - but being honest, it's a 20 odd year old desk - I wouldn't spend much effort on it, it might be handy for some spares reclamation though.