hey! I have an ION board and I need to power lights on a moving set peice. I need to DMX and power the lights without having a trail of cable behind it. What would be the best way to do this and most cost effective. A car battery?
hey! I have an ION board and I need to power lights on a moving set peice. I need to DMX and power the lights without having a trail of cable behind it. What would be the best way to do this and most cost effective. A car battery?
For power, depending on what fixtures you have to power, one or more 12V batteries (car type, lithium-ion, ...) along with a 12VDC - 240 AC inverter will do.
For dmx: wireless solution (wirelessdmx.com) or lumenradio are reliable options.
An easy option for the power would be a UPS like you would use to keep a computer running when the power goes out. It can be left plugged into the mains until the piece needs to move. Probably less to go wrong than making one yourself.
I ve used the cheap donner wireless dmx sender receivers you can get on amazon and they seem to work fine. (Used them on my daughters wedding a couple of months back where I wanted to get dmx through a concrete floor at the reception venue - don’t ask!! )
ETC makes the ColorSource Relay with a wireless receiver. The relay will give you a remote on/off switch so you don't drain your batteries so much.
Check out RC4 products as well. Have used them with great success in the past.
I use Li-po batteries because they are small and powerful. also wireless DMX units from ebay (budget constraints) and they work well.
I have also used car battery with an inverter for a small (400w) smoke machine on a portable prop.
www.etcconnect.com