MA2 console being restricted on an ETC system

Okay!!!! So I've got this problem again on an entirely different system this time. So I'm looking at basically the same setup. 3x sensor 3 racks, all nodes are single port, paradigm is still involved, and I'm running an Ion (windows 7) as my house desk.

So the visiting company has an MA2 Light, not the *newest* software release, but less than 6 months behind.

This time I have basically the same problem. MA was able to control virtually any dimmer that's programmed into looks in paradigm, but anything outside that (moving light power, stage wash, etc) would not go through.

Just like last time I look in sACN view and see that MA is supposed to be the winning console, but the dimmers disagree.

What's more! MA refuses to control anything in dimmer world if my Ion is not connected to the system AND operating as a primary console, even if nothing is patched in the Ion. 

Now, the LD had control of enough of the stage wash with my console connected that we were able to get to work, so we ran with it, but this morning after running a different show from the Ion the night before, MA lost control of our stage wash, but still had house lights.

I don't have a real solution but I did find that sending a DMX hard line from MA to an ETC node going into the system worked splendidly.

Unfortunately despite following the last post and setting the priority and final version in MA, we still didn't have control.

is your whole system network based, is there hard line DMX? what is the signal path from Ion to the dimmers, how is the path from MA to the dimmers? are there different signal paths into the dimmer (e.g. network and DMX)?

is your whole system network based, is there hard line DMX? what is the signal path from Ion to the dimmers, how is the path from MA to the dimmers? are there different signal paths into the dimmer (e.g. network and DMX)?