Open Forum

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

What is the name/type of light board do you have?

Looks like you've already done this step, but first I'd start with a dimmer check, which means I would turn on the dimmer, just in case the channel and dimmer don't have the same number and got rearranged weirdly.  If your case, things seem to be patched 1 to 1.

Next, when I have lights that aren't behaving correctly, I test them in non-dim circuits, just to see if it's the lighting instrument itself.  Sometimes the sockets get corroded, or the lamp got shaken (so the filament fell out).  If you test it in a non-dim circuit, and it's not working, unplug it, and remove the lamp.  Look inside to see what the socket is like.  If it's dull and dark, and the lamp has corroded pins, it's time for a new socket.  I've had mine replaced at our local lighting company, and they work much better now.

If the light itself is working when plugged in by itself, I'd be wary of how your cables are dressed (tied up).  I have my own crazy story of designing, where a cable was not dressed properly, and it ended up melting against the side of a fresnel.  The cable was a data cable, so all of the lights on either side of the melting went out.  Once the data cable was replaced and dressed properly, the lights worked again!

------------------------------
Sydney Thiessen
Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator and Technical Director
Reynolds High School
Troutdale OR
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Leprecon LP 1500

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 02:07
From: Sydney Thiessen
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

What is the name/type of light board do you have?

Looks like you've already done this step, but first I'd start with a dimmer check, which means I would turn on the dimmer, just in case the channel and dimmer don't have the same number and got rearranged weirdly.  If your case, things seem to be patched 1 to 1.

Next, when I have lights that aren't behaving correctly, I test them in non-dim circuits, just to see if it's the lighting instrument itself.  Sometimes the sockets get corroded, or the lamp got shaken (so the filament fell out).  If you test it in a non-dim circuit, and it's not working, unplug it, and remove the lamp.  Look inside to see what the socket is like.  If it's dull and dark, and the lamp has corroded pins, it's time for a new socket.  I've had mine replaced at our local lighting company, and they work much better now.

If the light itself is working when plugged in by itself, I'd be wary of how your cables are dressed (tied up).  I have my own crazy story of designing, where a cable was not dressed properly, and it ended up melting against the side of a fresnel.  The cable was a data cable, so all of the lights on either side of the melting went out.  Once the data cable was replaced and dressed properly, the lights worked again!

------------------------------
Sydney Thiessen
Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator and Technical Director
Reynolds High School
Troutdale OR

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Good Morning,

I would troubleshoot to make sure the x y crossfaders are set properly. Also, some boards have a button that needs to be depressed to go beyond 16 channels. Hope it works out!


------------------------------
William J. Eyerly, Ph. D, Ed. D
Director of Theatre K-12
The Village School of Naples
Executive Director
Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts
Fort Myers, FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

I did play with the x y crossfaders and it did not help the problem.  I'm not sure I've always set them right, but I was reading about that in the manual and it doesn't seem to fix the problem. 

Thank you all for trying to help me!

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 07:20
From: William Eyerly
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

Good Morning,

I would troubleshoot to make sure the x y crossfaders are set properly. Also, some boards have a button that needs to be depressed to go beyond 16 channels. Hope it works out!


------------------------------
William J. Eyerly, Ph. D, Ed. D
Director of Theatre K-12
The Village School of Naples
Executive Director
Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts
Fort Myers, FL

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

I would suggest a "hard reboot" to your board.  Without knowing the specific brand, most boards have a feature that restores all to factory presets... it could be possible that there are some errors in the patch, etc.  I would try that as the next step and go from there.

The other question that comes to mind right away, is-- are the dimmer packs "daisy chained" together with short DMX cables-- one could be bad or loose, etc.  Sometimes, a cold solder joint will fail, but not completely, resulting in DMX errors.

------------------------------
Michael Johnson
Trinity NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

It's a Leprecon LP 1500.  It's old.  For the past six years I only could use channels 1-12 and just last week learned how to get channels 13-24 to work.  Slider/Channel 3 has never work, which is odd.  Within a half hour, my lights went from working to not all working.  I don't have lights hooked up to every channel, but these are the channels that did work at the beginning of my rehearsal. 1, 2, 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,15,19,22,23,24 then, after a student was trying to record presets channels 1,2,4,7,8,10, &19 wont work.  There is no reasonable explanation to this that I can think of.  The bulbs did not blow, the cables did not get moved.  It has to be something the kid did to the board.  

I was trying a few things.  I used the erase all button, which I believe is like a factory reset, but it didn't work.  I did go to record a preset with channel 4 and the lights came back on, but then a few minutes later after moving the sliders up and down a few times, they went back out.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 07:24
From: Michael Johnson
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

I would suggest a "hard reboot" to your board.  Without knowing the specific brand, most boards have a feature that restores all to factory presets... it could be possible that there are some errors in the patch, etc.  I would try that as the next step and go from there.

The other question that comes to mind right away, is-- are the dimmer packs "daisy chained" together with short DMX cables-- one could be bad or loose, etc.  Sometimes, a cold solder joint will fail, but not completely, resulting in DMX errors.

------------------------------
Michael Johnson
Trinity NC

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Have you checked the wattage of your new lamps against the rating for the dimmer? You could be hitting the limits of the dimmer and a safety is shutting it down to protect the instrument and wiring.

------------------------------
Robert Smith
VA Co-Chapter Director
Retired
Centreville VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Is it possible one side of several dimmer packs are overloaded?  You mentioned that you'd replaced lamps (lightbulbs).  Did you by any chance replace 575w lamps with 750w lamps?  What type of dimmer packs do you have - it will say on the side the brand and model.  If you could send all of us out a full diagram with what instrument is plugged into what dimmer on what dimmer pack, and also the wattage of each instrument's lamp, and then what dimmer goes to what channel (I know you've already told us some of this, but a full diagram of your system would help), then I'll bet someone here will come up with some more ideas to shed some light...

------------------------------
Beth Rand, EBMS
Educational Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
www.PRESETT.org

- NEW! Chase Sequence Programming Tutorial
presett.org/litt

- HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS ONLINE COURSE
presett.org/tmt

- ION, ELEMENT, EXPRESS & COLOR THEORY - ONLINE MINI COURSES
presett.org/litt

-HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS and LIGHTING BASICS BOOKS
presett.org/helpful-books

- THE ECLECTECH SHOPPE
presett.org/eclectech

beth@PRESETT.org
Westminster, CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

I will check the wattage and brands of the dimmer packs this afternoon.  I feel like that's not it though, because the breakers weren't tripped.  I'll see if I can take some pictures of what I have after school today

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 09:08
From: Elizabeth Rand
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

Is it possible one side of several dimmer packs are overloaded?  You mentioned that you'd replaced lamps (lightbulbs).  Did you by any chance replace 575w lamps with 750w lamps?  What type of dimmer packs do you have - it will say on the side the brand and model.  If you could send all of us out a full diagram with what instrument is plugged into what dimmer on what dimmer pack, and also the wattage of each instrument's lamp, and then what dimmer goes to what channel (I know you've already told us some of this, but a full diagram of your system would help), then I'll bet someone here will come up with some more ideas to shed some light...

------------------------------
Beth Rand, EBMS
Educational Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
www.PRESETT.org

- NEW! Chase Sequence Programming Tutorial
presett.org/litt

- HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS ONLINE COURSE
presett.org/tmt

- ION, ELEMENT, EXPRESS & COLOR THEORY - ONLINE MINI COURSES
presett.org/litt

-HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS and LIGHTING BASICS BOOKS
presett.org/helpful-books

- THE ECLECTECH SHOPPE
presett.org/eclectech

beth@PRESETT.org
Westminster, CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

It's possible for the fuse to blow on the dimmer backs, without blowing your breakers.  Some (most?) dimmer packs have two fuses, one for each side/run of outlets.  One side can blow while the other can keep working.  Just another option to check... ????

------------------------------
Beth Rand, EBMS
Educational Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
www.PRESETT.org

- NEW! Chase Sequence Programming Tutorial
presett.org/litt

- HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS ONLINE COURSE
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beth@PRESETT.org
Westminster, CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 10:18
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

I will check the wattage and brands of the dimmer packs this afternoon.  I feel like that's not it though, because the breakers weren't tripped.  I'll see if I can take some pictures of what I have after school today

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 09:08
From: Elizabeth Rand
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

Is it possible one side of several dimmer packs are overloaded?  You mentioned that you'd replaced lamps (lightbulbs).  Did you by any chance replace 575w lamps with 750w lamps?  What type of dimmer packs do you have - it will say on the side the brand and model.  If you could send all of us out a full diagram with what instrument is plugged into what dimmer on what dimmer pack, and also the wattage of each instrument's lamp, and then what dimmer goes to what channel (I know you've already told us some of this, but a full diagram of your system would help), then I'll bet someone here will come up with some more ideas to shed some light...

------------------------------
Beth Rand, EBMS
Educational Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
www.PRESETT.org

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presett.org/helpful-books

- THE ECLECTECH SHOPPE
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beth@PRESETT.org
Westminster, CO

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Do you have a lighting equipment vendor near you? I'd suggest you ask if he can swing by to help you troubleshoot.
It's a good investment for him to develop a relationship with you, and you get some expertise on site to help solve the problem.

------------------------------
Douglas "Chip" Rome
Theatre Consultant
Educational Stages
Burke VA
http://bit.ly/EdStages
http://bit.ly/RWTEOview
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

He was just here a few weeks ago and helped me learn how to get the rest of my dimmer packs and channels working as I have been operating on just two dimmers and 12 sliders for 5 years.  He told me to check the patches.  I did and from what I understand, the board looks like it should be working.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 11:14
From: Douglas Rome
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

Do you have a lighting equipment vendor near you? I'd suggest you ask if he can swing by to help you troubleshoot.
It's a good investment for him to develop a relationship with you, and you get some expertise on site to help solve the problem.

------------------------------
Douglas "Chip" Rome
Theatre Consultant
Educational Stages
Burke VA
http://bit.ly/EdStages
http://bit.ly/RWTEOview

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Did the student in some way affect the dimmer patch? ​

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

I feel like he must have but I don't know how to fix it.  I feel like it has to be something to do with the board because nothing changed in the light loft (where the dimmers are).  I am working with an old system and I can use this experience to help me in my fight for new lights, but I still need to try to fix this issue since half my scenes are not lit properly without these (now 3 channels) not working.  The other strange thing is that some more appear to be working today that were not working yesterday and all I did was turn everything off overnight.  I got slider 19 to work somehow this morning.  I went up in the loft, unplugged it, plugged it into another channel to test the light, then put it back in 19 and tested it again and to my surprise when I went to the board it worked.  Does this make sense to anyone?

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2019 12:08
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

Did the student in some way affect the dimmer patch? ​

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School

Original Message:
Sent: 10-21-2019 19:43
From: Catherine Leavitt
Subject: Help! Lightboard issue cannot figure out

This past weekend I had rearranged some lights on my light board. To be more specific I replaced some bulbs and hung some new lights and rearranged the plugs into my dimmer boxes. Today I showed my students the new lighting arrangement and went through all the channels (24) and they all worked. Later on while I was not in the light booth I had a student trying to record presets and after he had done that I realized that some of our lights were no longer working. And I don't know why.

Now I know that channels 1 through 6 are on dimmer box 1 and channel 7 through 12 are on dimmer box 2 and so on. It would make sense to me if all the lights on one dimmer box stopped working but that is not what happened. I have random channels that don't work all of a sudden. The lights did not blow out. Channel one for instance no longer works so I went up into the loft and took the plug to that light and tried it in a different channel and the light turned on so I put it back. I checked all the breakers to see if anything changed  and nothing changed... everything was on. I shut everything off and turn it back on again to see if that would work. That did not work. I then went to the board and took out my manual and I erased all the presets to see if somehow that would bring the top channels back, but it didn't. I looked at all the buttons and knobs to see if they had touch some other buttons but as far as I can tell, they didn't and they nor I have any idea what they did. I checked the patches on the board, which I'm new to. I just learned it in the manual today, so maybe I did it wrong?  It looks like dimmer one is on channel 1 and number 2 is on channel 2 and dimmer 3 is on channel 3 and so on up to 24. I am at such a loss right now that I want to cry. I just had my stage nearly lit up perfectly for the first time in 6 years and all of a sudden 6 channels don't work, which is about half my stage in no particular pattern. I don't know what to check next and I'm not great at the terminology but please can someone tell me something else to check.

------------------------------
Catherine Leavitt
VPA Department Head, Art & Theatre Teacher
Waterboro ME
------------------------------