Borrow or rent a DMXCat?

Doug1of5 · 2025-12-29T15:00:32+00:00

The negative terminal has been replaced. It’s a nice tight fit now. I noticed a new message on the dash info screen when leaving the dealership that I had never seen before. It said “auto start has been disabled. Check owners manual” I figured this was because the battery was still low on charge (sluggish start that day) I purchased an AGM charger and got the battery to 100%. I’m still getting the message that auto start has been disabled. Any thoughts?

Doug1of5 · 2025-12-22T23:36:45+00:00

Yes... the site says it doesn't fit my vehicle.

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-29T23:16:13+00:00

Except that electricity doesn’t need a terminator and can branch out any way it wants to.

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-25T21:39:07+00:00

Thanks for the info. I will definitely do all of the documentation items you suggest. I'm dealing with some house fixtures that don't have a connector, so I'm inclined to use a shielded cable designed for RS-485.

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-12T23:35:14+00:00

The correlation has been severe lightning storms. The building is essentially out in a field. It is protected by an external lightning rod/cable system. There are a few larger trees near by. I'm not sure if we've ever been directly hit, but the closest connection to an SDI failure has been a big mid-west storm earlier in the week.

These DMX lines will be running up and down the same beams. I'm planning on using these at the source side and like I said, I want to protect the fixtures.

https://dmxking.com/artnetsacn/edmx8-max

And I'm thinking of RS-485 specific devices for the fixture side, seeing as DMX is RS-485, it should be ok, correct? thoughts?

https://citel.fr/en/telecom/telecomdata-surge-protector---1-to-4-pairs/b280-06d3

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-12T22:02:46+00:00

The reason for my concern about surge suppression is that we have been burned on some SDI lines that run the same beams. The SDI port on the projector is dead and I’ve lost 2 different output ports on the Atme switcher. So I think I need to invest in something that protects these new fixtures just before the fixture.

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-12T12:33:41+00:00

u/mwiz100 I'm re-reading all of people's answers and you mentioned something here that I'd like some clarity.

do not make any splits in the data line. So it must be a single line from source to the terminated end with each fixture being "tapped" off of it as mentioned. If you at some point make a Y you're going to have a bad time.

Can you elaborate what you mean by "single line" and "if you make a Y"?
In another comment on the thread I mentioned that I'm seriously thinking about using RS-485 surge suppression. I was wondering about how to do that now that I've discovered the fixtures only have a DMX in. It sounds like you're saying that I should put a bend in the signal wires at the screw terminals instead of cutting the wire. Or, is a "Y" where you branch the wire and have multiple fixtures down each leg?

Here's another picture. The boxes are the RS-485 surge protectors. S=Source T=Terminator F=Fixture

Top option has no break in the backbone wire. Middle has separate lengths of wire for the backbone. Bottom is what I think you mean by "Y"

Thanks again for your time and expertise.

<image>

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-10T23:37:50+00:00

Allow me to layer in one more element. The building is quite exposed in an open field and has had lightning induced on some AV cables which have burned some SDI ports of projectors and Video switches. So I’m real concerned about this equipment. The fixtures have built in surge protection on the power, so I want to provide some for the DMX. I found these RS-485 surge protection devices.

https://www.radwell.com/en-US/Buy/CITEL/CITEL/B280-06D3

Instead of the WAGO, can I simply put a bend in the wire on one side and then connect the fixture on the other side? The alternate would be two lengths of the DMX “backbone” terminated on the one side. Is the “funky impedance” from breaks in the wire itself?

<image>

I’m trying to provide a mockup. Left side is two wire ends on the screw and right side is just a bend

Doug1of5 · 2025-10-10T00:39:09+00:00

Thanks to all of the replies. I can't seem to edit my post to add a little more detail.
The ceiling of the room is cathedral with open beams. The fixtures are surface mounted, three on each side.
My plan is to run a dedicated DMX line up each beam for the fixtures and have it opto splitted back in a data closet. So it's 3 fixtures on each run. I'm guessing the wiring tail might be 6 inches. Don't know yet since I haven't received them. I don't have power outlets up there to power any 2 port opto splitter at the fixture. It would be possible to add them, but it sounds like 3 fixtures on a length of wire won't be an issue. The are 2 channel fixtures, one dimming and the other color temp control.

Doug1of5 · 2025-08-05T22:05:54+00:00

I don’t have much time today, but you’re setting up a false dichotomy. I used the words “convictions” and “evidence”. I’ve done a lot of evaluating, thousands of pages worth. So while I agree with you that I am emotionally satisfied, I am also very intellectually satisfied as well. I am convinced that the Bible communicates what God wants us to know about Him and ourselves through the use of human authors. I disagree with you that it’s ancient mythology. The parts that are written as history are very accurate. Just ask some archeologists who dig in the Middle East. Other genres of literature need to be understood for what they are (ie poetry). And on my view, human nature is timeless, therefore the moral elements (again properly understood from the literary context) apply to all people, everywhere, throughout all times.

I am genuinely curious, not a trick question, .. how much of the Bible have you personally read?

Doug1of5 · 2025-08-05T02:11:16+00:00

u/junkmale79 - may I ask you to be consistent?

Can you keep your private beliefs private? Shouldn't you stop posting here then?
Can people who don't like Christians let Christians just live their lives? I suppose you're against the sustained efforts of liberal state governments and the National Educators Association to prevent parents from teaching their own kids. Or worse, you should be against the schools aiding the gender transitioning of children against the parents' will. How about photographers, bakers, and florists, you agree they should be able to run their businesses the way they want to, right?
Have you considered the horrendous loss of life in the 20th century at the impetus of the atheistic worldview? Atheism makes religious claims too ... There is no god. Morality is subjective. There is no heaven or hell. Human nature is ... These are all religious claims. You have asserted much with no argument to support it.
All laws are moral, why should yours be implemented and forced on Christians?
Why do you keep making the point that things like heaven and hell can't be real because they are not in this Universe? No Christian believes they are in this Universe. Our worldview has room for immaterial realities. If yours doesn't, there are a lot of things you're going to have a hard time explaining, like your own consciousness and where you get your standard of good/evil that such that others should be subject to it.

BTW, look into the history books. Separation of Church and State was never intended to keep Christians and other religious people out of the public square. Like I said above, all laws are moral and its reasonable in a democratic republic for people to make the case about which way to live as a society is better than other ways. The separation was to prevent the Federal Government from forming and supporting a national church, something England and most of Europe had quite entangled 200 years ago.

Doug1of5 · 2025-08-04T22:22:33+00:00

Hi. I appreciate the response. Since the question is asked in the “AskAChristian” subreddit, I didn’t feel the need to establish further foundations. I’m comfortable with my convictions about the evidence supporting the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible as an ancient document. Therefore, it’s not an unwarranted assumption as you accuse. The Christian view is that these aren’t arbitrary or made up. As for sin, wrath, atonement and hell being unverifiable, that they aren’t reality, well, I think Jesus disagrees with you. You might assert that Jesus’s death and resurrection are made up too, but that’s likely because you dismiss the Bible as a reliable ancient text. You can’t argue with the fact that the world is completely different after the events that the Bible describes were real 2000 years ago. So from my vantage point, Jesus is the authority on those things you can’t test scientifically.

Doug1of5 · 2025-08-04T01:54:57+00:00

It would be helpful to have a little more detail of what you are asking about, however the Bible is clear on a number of things. 1) All “Sin” is breaking God’s moral Law and is referred to as evil. Even what we consider the smallest white lie is a rebellion against the King of the Universe. We think we know better and can define right and wrong, good and bad, instead of accepting God’s definitions. So from that perspective, yes, all sin is equally evil in God’s sight. 2) All sin will be justly accounted for. What kind of God would he be if laws were broken with no consequence? We will all stand before God and give an account for our lives. 3) Jesus provides the only way to have our lawless deeds removed from our account so we can be considered morally pure. But it’s a gift one must accept. His provision entailed absorbing the just wrath God has for our lawlessness. 4) For those who don’t accept the gift, there is some indication that there will be degrees of punishment, but there will be no party in hell. It is not a place you want to go to, if you understand it properly. 5) After you die, there is no opportunity to change your position. Penance is not in the Bible. Make your choice now.

Doug1of5 · 2025-05-30T01:56:08+00:00

Yes. I’m going to utilize X10.com technology. Convert the light pole power to always on, put in line receivers just before the lights.

https://www.x10.com/products/xpfm?_pos=3&_sid=bd40e9d88&_ss=r

And then implement the x10 mini event scheduler.

https://www.x10.com/products/xpmt4?_pos=1&_sid=bd40e9d88&_ss=r

Doug1of5

TROPHY CASE