Desklight

[aholland]

Hi,

 

I purchased a Bull Frog early December and have done 3 shows with it. The desk works really well however I do have a problem - which I suspect will lead to it being returned however...

 

The first 2 shows I did not need to use a desklight for - the 3rd I did. I used the same desk light that I have used for years (it works fine on my Avolites Azure 2000). When I push the light all the way into either socket the light will not work - if I withdraw it sligtly and "wiggle it a bit" it will work - however the slightest knock and out it will go. The worst thing about this is that sometimes the "wiggling" will force the desk to re-set completely. Fortunately it didn't do it during the show - but I can make it happen any time. Any ideas??

 

Thanks.. Andy

[PSLX]

Hi Andy,

 

Not much help I know, but I had exactly the same problem with a LeapFrog quite recently.

Perhaps there is a common problem with them?

 

Kev

[Paul]

It sounds like your problem is to do with the wiring of the desk light. We recommend Littlites, which have the bulb connected between pins 2&3 of the XLR. Pin 1 and the Chassis are unconnected.

 

However we have seen other brands of desk lights where various pins on the XLR are linked to each other and/or the chassis. It appears there is no consensus among desk light manufacturers as to how their lamps should be wired.

 

On the desk pin 2 is 0V and pin 3 is +12V. If you're unlucky enough to have a desk light with pin 3 connected to the chassis, then you'll be shorting out the +12V, with only the paint around the chassis of the desk light plug to protect you!

 

Stick a meter on your desk light and try and figure out how it's wired. You then have the choice of buying an alternative desk light, re-wiring your desk light, or opening the desk and rewiring the XLR socket.

 

Hope this helps!

[Kresten Bager]

Hi,

 

I had the same problem with a BullFrog. I just changed the desk lights and every thing works fine now.

 

Best Regards

Kresten.

[aholland]

Thanks all,

 

I'll meter my light out and see - I guess it probably is time that I invested in a new light anyway!!!

 

Andy

[sam.henderson]

Ok,

 

I haven't actually tried this but I am pretty convinced that it will work!

This is a cheap way of making a gooseneck light for your desk.

 

Firstly you need a keyboard with a USB port in the back, if you have got one great- if not then you can get them quite cheaply but it will make the process slightly more expensive for you. This One Here for example has two USB ports on the keyboard and is only £23.74 inc. VAT. Then you need to get yourself a USB>PS2 adaptor. so you can plug it into the FROG. Next for the lighting Bit. You need to get yourself a USB Light like this one. They are only £2.11 inc. VAT!. If you have 2 USB ports on the back of your keyboard then you can get two!

 

So wollah you now have 2 very cheap gooseneck lights (if you already have a Keyboard) and if you haven't you have got a cheaper gooseneck lights and a brand new keyboard!

 

Tell me how it goes if you try it,

 

Sam

[Prox-]

I bought a DJ version desklight for my Fat Frog. It cost me only £12. It has the 3-pin XLR on it. All was required was to re-wire the XLR for the desk. (when first placed in created a dead short) one simple common resolder and it works a treat!!

[Haytech]

Very good idea sam !

I was searching a way to get extremly expensive LED goosneck light for my desk. But I put a XLR to the USB - gooseneck and it works fine without buying a new keybord ... the only thing to think is the USB need´s about 5V 2W and XLR provides 12 V !!

[felixgeiger]

hello everybody

 

i just had a strange crash of one of our frogs:

the frog was running without gooseneck lamp, then we clipped it on, pushed the three buttons memory - submasters - output and the frog completely blocked. we restarted it, then during booting up it stopped during "loading...", next try it stopped during "running...". removing the lamp changed nothing. i even couldn't put a new software on it (we already have 9.6.1, just wanted to put the same on it again). it was on a freshly formatted disk but after some sounds of the disk drive, it started as usual from memory.

we opened the desk, pushed all the plugs of the ribbonwires firmly into the sockets, removed the memory battery, but the same one back in. and now everything works fine.

but somehow this doesn't make me happy. i'd rather have found a clear problem and solved it. but like this i have no idea what the problem is.

 

anyone had a similar accident once?

 

greetz from switzerland

felix

[KWR88]

OK we have had a few problems with the lamps casuing the desk to crash. It has to do with the type of lamp that is being used. The lamp is supplied by the 12v dc rail via a transistor.

We use pins 2 and 3 of the lamp socket and reccomend that the lamp has 2 wires with isolation from the lamp chassis.

We have seen some lamps that only use a single wire and the chassis as the 0v. This is ok as long as it is 0v that is connected. If it is the 12v rail then it will drag this down which can shut the desk down.

This can casue the thermal cut out in the PSU to trip which will take a little while to reset. It can also casue the internal protection to cut in and again this takes a little while to reset.

We looked at several lamps and found that they could be wired to either pin.

If you do have a two wire lamp then it may be that the lamp caused a short as it was pushed in an had the same sort of effect.

[Ian_p]

OK, I got a DJ type lamp, but what is the actual pin-out of the lamp? It's not in the manual.

 

Cheers

[Paul]

We did add the desk light pinout information in the latest issue of the Frog manuals. Have a look in the back under 'Technical Specification'. You can download the latest manuals from HERE.

[Ian_p]

Great, thanks, I've re-soldered the wiring in the plug, I'll try it out tomorrow.

 

Cheers

[Ian_p]

OK, That worked! Thanks all.

 

In summary

 

Pin1 No connection

Pin2 0V (strapped to XLR shell as lamp had 1 wire connection)

Pin3 12V

 

Brilliant! and only £8.95!

[supertrouper]

Is there any particular model of Goosneck light that is OK. All the light specs for sale that I can find use the XLR plug case as the 0V. Is there any manufacturer that makes one that is OK? :?

[Paul]

Littlites are OK.

[compynei]

Hi guys.

 

We own both a Fat Frog and a Frog in our amatuer theatre.

 

Recently we bought to lamps for the desk (12v, 5w) so that scripts could be read easily etc etc. However, the connections on these have become lose (I am trying to resolve this issue with the supplier), but it seems they are making the desk restart (It did it twice during a show tonight - Arrrghhh!!).

 

I notice if you plug them in while the desk is booted it restarts also.

 

Is this a problem with the desk? Perhaps something could be done about it?

 

Thanks very much

[ice]

If you get a generic adaptor you could ofcourse leave the console power entirely out of this. That way these problems won't exist, and you've got an option for a second desklight which could come in handy when you've also got scripts to read and stuff like that. Just mount some sockets in convenient places in your flightcase.

[Frog Genius]

can you get replacement bulbs, myschool wont pay the 75:00 for a new lamp????

[Paul]

I'm sure your local dealer would be able to sort you out with a spare bulb. Try the handy dealer-finder on our website...

 

http://www.zero88.com/en/distributors

 

edit: fixed link

[GLX]

You can pick up 12v bulbs in all car accessory shops

[Frog Genius]

thanx guys!!!

[Kresten Bager]

This is in response to the post by Sam Henderson,

 

If I understand you correctly you suggest the following: PS/2 --> USB --> Keyboard --> USB light

 

Although it may work for a while I think it is a very bad idea. The PS/2 port in general is not designed to deliver any, or very little power. If you connect a 5 W lamp you are drawing 1 amp (PS/2 is 5 V on pin 4) which I think is beyond the ability for the driver circuit.

 

Best regards

Kresten

[sp]

Incidentally, I have a PS/2 splitter lead (few pence off ebay), the kind you can use with laptops. Then, a simple PS/2 to USB adapter (again, very cheap) gaffered to the back of the desk allows me to plug in a USB light, and still retain my old PS/2 keyboard simultaneously.

 

Works a treat.

 

sp

[dmxeater]

Hi there.

 

I've had my bully for about 3 years now and i've just invested in some desk lights. I can sometimes get them to work if they are loosly balenced in the back, but as soon as the XLR clicks, you get nothing. They are very tempremental. They were about £30 each and i have checked them over and all seems well. Also it sometimes resets the desk when wobbling the connecter.

 

Any ideas ?

 

 

Kind Regards,

Stuart