Elation DP-415 DMX Dimmer Problems‏

first, your LED strip needs a dedicated power source, if you run it through the dimmer it will burn out the components inside of it. The "flash" you are seeing is the light trying to power up but does not have enough power to do so. The dimmer pack should ONLY have conventional lights plugged into it (par cans, source 4s, etc) anything with computer components needs a constant power supply (power at all times) then your DMX signal will tell the light to turn the LEDs on or off
If it was a blown fuse, you wouldnt even get a flash from the light.

Okay, thanks. I've now plugged the LED strip into my wall socket as per your suggestion, still nothing. A flash when plugged in and then nothing.

It is hard to tell from your post whether you are having a problem with the DP-15 or the LED RGB strip, or both.

First a side note: Jeffery gave you the official (and surely the safest) advice not to plug an LED fixture into the DP-415. I've seen that recommendation on this forum, but I saw it after I had been controlling LED fixtures with my DP-415s for a long time. [So I still do it, and have had no problems.] I ALWAYS, however, put the DP-415 into "switch mode." Even in that mode the power supplied by the DP-415 is not as clean as the power from the wall, but it has been good enough for my LED fixtures. Proceed at your own risk.

While you can dim a light bulb with a DP-415, you absolutely cannot dim an LED fixture with the DP-415. All you can do is turn the LED fixture on or off (supply power to the socket on the DP-415 or turn the power off to that socket).

I can't make any sense of your statement that the LED is really a 12V unit. If you somehow plugged a 12V unit into a 120V A/C wall socket, I can't understand how you can say that the LED "works fine." I'll proceed on the assumption that your LED fixture is a standard 120V fixture.

Test whether the DP-415 is working by plugging a regular house lamp into its outlets. If you have the foot controller for the DP-415 use it to control the light (power to the various sockets). If that works, see if you can get your computer to control the lamp. [I don't know anything about the Enntec USB Open except that it looks like you've got to program it as well as set up your DMX program, i.e., it looks very complicated.)

If you are trying to control an LED with a DP-415, then you must not be using the LED in DMX mode. So, was the LED doing what you wanted it to do (when plugged into the wall socket) before you tried controlling it with the DP-415? If so, then you probably fried the LED by plugging it into the DP-415 when the DP-415 was not in switch mode (you sent the LED too little current).

If you've never gotten the LED to do what you want it to do when the DP-415 gives it power, read the manual for the LED and figure out how to get it to do what you want it to do when you plug it in.

Then, and only then, should you expect the computer program to talk to the DP-415 and tell it to turn on the power to the LED to get it to do what you want it to do.

I know for sure that the LED RGB strip still works (turns on in my old configuration, below). I am looking to control the RGB of the LEDs, so I believe switch mode is not needed. Using my desk lamp connected to the DP-415 did not do anything (flash than nothing). I don't have a "foot controller", unless it was included with the DP-415, sorry I'm unfamiliar with these parts and the terminology. I've read DMX 101 and my manual several times.

Regarding your statement that "you absolutely cannot dim an LED fixture with the DP-415", how do other things like light strip/LED par cans work? As far as I know, it should be possible.

Here's a parts list of my previous set up that works:
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/...-type-110-240v-15989
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/...t-strip-dc-12v-14965
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/...t-strip-dc-12v-14964


And here's the new part replacing the old control driver with remote control:
http://www.holidaycoro.com/product-p/361.htm

Hope this is enough information.

OOOH, ok, i see what you are doing here...a little confusion on my end of what you were doing...
OK, so here is what is going on, assuming im seeing the correctly i know how to fix the issue. You are using the DP-415 to power the transformer that powers up the 3 channel RGB controler. You power it up, but do not get any output. Correct so far? If so, here is what you need to do...

First, the little 3ch DMX led box you bought IS your dimmer pack for the LEDs...The DP-415 does not need to be used AT ALL in your set up (atleast for your LEDs) you have the Transformer wired into this box, plug the transformer into a constant power source (AKA: the wall or like source) Now, the part that i believe got confusing is the DATA. On the 3ch PSU is a DMX in and DMX out pair of terminals. In order for you to have data control over the lights, you need to hard wire a dmx cable into the DMX IN terminals. I attached a photo (forgive it, im not an artist) on what the entire layout should look like.... Power into transformer into DMX PSU to the LED Lights. DMX data hard wired into the DMX PSU. Does this make more sense? Once you get this done, all you will need to do after is to set the DMX address on the PSU and your LEDs will work perfectly. Hope this helps out... Let me know how it goes
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/89841837/IMG_7384.JPG

Yes, that's exactly my setup!

Except, following your directions the RGB LEDs still don't turn on. I'm guessing the only possible thing here is that the 3 channel controller is defective.

Is there anyway I can somehow directly connect the RGB lights to the DLP-415? I plan on buying some LED PAR lighting and I'm pretty sure those will require a unit like the DLP-415. If it's possible to connect the RGB LED strip to the DLP-415 somehow then I can at least return it and save some cash.

You should be able to turn the LED strip on and off (supply power to your 120v adapter or deny power to it) with a DP-415 when you get the DMX communication right. The intensity of your LED strip is designed to be controlled by the Control Driver that comes with the system. It is HIGHLY unlikely the intensity can be controlled by varying the current to the Control Driver. I don't believe you will be able to dim the LEDs with the DP-415 under any circumstances.

You will have to control their intensity with the remote control that comes with the Control Driver.

Because you plugged your desk lamp into the DP-415 and could not get your controller to control the light intensity of the lamp, either the DP-415 is defective or (more likely) your communication set up between your controller and the DP-415 is not correct.

You can see if the DP-415 is receiving any DMX signals by watching the "DMX Indicator" while you attempt to send signals from your controller. If the DP-415 is getting DMX signals, then its a matter of getting the two units to send and receive on the right channels.