American DJ Rainbow 250 User manual

American DJ
4295 Charter Street
Los Angeles Ca. 90058
www.americandj.com
User Instructions

®
Figure 1
© American DJ Supply - Los Angeles Ca. 90058 - www.americandj.com Rainbow 250™ Page 2
Introduction:
Thank you for purchasing the Rainbow 250™ color changer from American DJ. To optimize the perfor-
mance of this product, please read these operating instructions carefully and familiarize yourself with
the basic operations of this unit. The American DJ® Rainbow 250,™ is a dual channel, DMX, intelligent
color changer. This unit has been lamped and tested at the factory before being shipped to you. There
is no assembly required.
The American DJ® Rainbow 250™ has sound active capabilities so you can use this unit without a
controller. This unit can also be controlled via a standard DMX controller such as the American DJ Show
Designer,™ or the American DJ® DMX Operator,™ giving the user independent control over the color
wheel and dimmer.
Customer Support:
American DJ® provides a toll free customer support line to provide set up help and answers to any
question should you encounter problems during your set up or initial operation. You may also visit us on
the web at www.americandj.com for any comments or suggestions.
Service Hours Monday through Friday are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacic Time.
Voice: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Set Up:
Power Supply:
Before plugging your unit in, be sure the source voltage in your area matches the required voltage for
your American DJ® Rainbow 250.™ The American DJ® Rainbow 250™ is available in a 115v and 230v
version. Because line voltage may vary from venue to venue, you should be sure to plug your power
supply into a matching wall outlet before attempting to operate you controller.
Data Cable (DMX Cable) Requirements:
Your xture and your controller require a standard 3-pin XLR connector for data input and data output
(Figure 1). If you are making your own cables, be sure to use standard two conductor shielded cable
(This cable may be purchased at almost all pro sound and lighting stores). Your cables should be made
with a male and female XLR connector on either end of the cable. Also remember that DMX cable must
be daisy chained and can not be “Y”ed or split.
Notice: Do not use the ground lug on the XLR connec-
tor. Do not connect the cable’s shield conductor to the
ground lug or allow the shield conductor to come in con-
tact with the XLR’s outer casing. Grounding the shield
could cause a short circuit and erratic behavior.
Special Note: For excessive cable runs totaling 100ft. or more, we recommend using a terminator

XLR MALE SOCKET
1 EARTH HOT 2
3 COLD
XLR FEMALE SOCKET
1 EARTHHOT 2
3 COLD
XLR Pin Configuration:
Pin 1 = Shield
Pin 2 = Data Compliment (negative)
Pin 3 = Data True (positive)
3 HOT
2 COLD
3 HOT
2 COLD 1 GROUND
1 GROUND
of 80-100 ohms/.5w. Long cable runs can sometimes cause erratic behavior. Using a cable terminator
will decrease the possibilities of erratic behavior by completing the data circuit. To make a terminator
simply jump a 80-100 ohm/.5w resistor between pins two (2) and three (3) on a male XLR connector.
Plug the terminator in to the female data connector on the last xture in the line.
Operation Modes:
For best results use fog or special effects smoke to enhance the beam projections.
Stand-Alone Operation (Sound Active):
1. To operate as a stand alone unit via its internal chases and microphone, turn all dip switches off
(See page 6/gure 5).
2. Adjust the sensitivity knob on the rear of the unit so the unit will react to sound.
3. Turning the sensitivity knob in the clockwise direction will increase the sensitivity to sound. Turning
the knob in the counter clockwise direction will decrease the xture’s sensitivity to sound.
4. The American DJ® Rainbow 250™ will now react to the bass sound of music via the internal
microphone.
Master-Slave Operation (Sound Active):
1. This function will allow you to link up to 16 units together. The units will run as a synchronized light
show.
2. In Master-Slave operation one unit will act as the controlling unit and the others will react to the
controlling unit’s program. Any unit can act as a Master or as a Slave.
3. Daisy chain your units via the XLR connectors on the rear of the units.
4. Use standard XLR microphone cables to link your units together. Remember that the Male XLR
connector is the input and the Female XLR connector is the output.
5. The rst unit in the chain (master) will use the female XLR connector only - The last unit in the
chain will use the male XLR connector only.
6. Turn the master unit’s dip switch 10 to the on position. Be sure all other dip switches are set to the
off position (See page 6/gure 5).
7. Turn all dip switches to the off position on the slave units. Please see the chart on page 6 for all
slave dipswitch settings. Note only one xture may use the master units dip switch settings (See
page 6/gure 5)
8. After all the units’ dip switch settings have been set, plug the units in.
9. Adjust the sensitivity knob on the rear of the master unit to make them react to sound.
DMX Operation:
1. Operating through a DMX controller gives the user freedom to create his/her own programs
tailored to their own individual needs. This function also allows you to use your xtures as spots.
2. This operation will allow you to control each xture’s colors and dimmer with a standard DMX 512
Figure 2
© American DJ Supply - Los Angeles Ca. 90058 - www.americandj.com Rainbow 250™ Page 3

controller such as the American DJ Show Designer™ or the American DJ® DMX Operator.™
3. The American DJ® Rainbow 250™ uses two DMX channel to operate; Channel 1 is the color and
channel 2 is dimmer.
4. To run your xture in DMX mode, plug in the xture via the XLR connections to any standard DMX
controller. - Follow the set-up specications that come with the controller.
5. Use the chart on page 6 (gure 4) to set the DMX values for up to 16 units to be controlled by a
DMX controller.
Lens Focusing:
1. To focus a American DJ® Rainbow 250 DMX,™ it is best to rst turn down the music sensitivity knob
to its minimum position. This will prevent the color wheel from changing during focusing.
2. Adjust the focus by manually turning the lens in and out (clockwise & counter-clockwise), until the
outer edge of the beam is a sharp clear image.
Lamp Replacement:
Caution! Never open the unit when in use. Always disconnect the main power and allow the unit
ample time to cool before attempting to replace the lamp. Remember always replace with the same type
lamp and fuse.
1. Be sure to follow the proper procedures when handling halogen bulbs.
2. Lay the xture at on a stable surface.
3. Remove the three Phillips located on the top of the unit.
4. Remove the cover.
5. Remove and replace the bulb.
6. Reassemble.
Always be sure to replace with the exact same type lamp and fuse unless otherwise specied by autho-
rized American DJ® service representative.
Cleaning:
Due to fog residue, smoke, and dust, cleaning the internal and external optical lenses must be carried
out periodically to optimize light output.
1. Use normal glass cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe down the outside casing.
2. Use a brush to wipe down the fan grill.
3. Clean the external optics with glass cleaner and a soft cloth every 20 days. If used heavily in clubs
with lots of fog, cleaning may be required more often.
4. Clean the internal optics with glass cleaner and a soft cloth every 30-60 days.
5. Always be sure to dry all parts completely before plugging the unit in.
REMEMBER: Cleaning frequency depends on the environment in which the xture operates (i.e.
smoke, fog residue, dust, dew).
Warranty: The American DJ® Rainbow 250 DMX”™ comes with a 1 year limited warranty. We
recommend lling out the warranty registration card that came with your xture to validate your war-
ranty. For service contact your American DJ® dealer.
© American DJ Supply - Los Angeles Ca. 90058 - www.americandj.com Rainbow 250™ Page 4

DMX Traits:
Channel 1: Channel 2:
DMX Value: Color: DMX Value: Trait:
0-16 Blackout 0-39 Blackout
17-33 SLOW Strobe 40-55 Full Intensity
34-50 White 56-255 DIMMER
51-68 Red 255 Full Intensity
69-84 Blue
85-101 Yellow
102-118 Dark Orange
119-135 Green
136-152 Magenta
153-169 Light Orange
170-179 Light Green
180-255 Color Scroll
255 Fastest Color Scroll
© American DJ Supply - Los Angeles Ca. 90058 - www.americandj.com Rainbow 250™ Page 5
Use your controller’s slider to adjust
the DMX value to reach your desired
setting
HALOGEN LAMP WARNING!
This fixture is fitted with halogen lamps
which are highly susceptible to dam-
age if improperly handled. Never
touch lamp with bare fingers as the
oil from your hands will shorten lamp
life. Also, never move fixture until
lamp has had ample time to cool.
Remember, lamps are not covered
under warranty conditions.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Model - Rainbow 250™
Weight: 16 Lbs
Dimensions: 12.75” x 11.75” x 8.5”
Fuse: 4 Amp
Voltage: 120v 60Hz
Bulb: ELC-3 24v/250w Long Life
Duty Cycle: Several Hours
Colors: 8 Colors plus white
• Fan Cooled
• Sound Active
• DMX 512

© American DJ Supply - Los Angeles Ca. 90058 - www.americandj.com Rainbow 250™ Page 6
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Rainbow 250™ Universal DMX Settings for the rst 16 xtures
(If you will not be starting from channel one please follow standard DMX protoocol for binary addressing)
Rainbow 250™ Master/Slave Settings
Please note: You may connect up to 16 units together in master/slave mode. All off for the master and all
slave units will have dip switch one on)
Fixture 1 - Address 1
Slave 3 etc...,Slave 2Slave 1Master Unit
Fixture 16 - Address 31Fixture 12 - Address 23Fixture 8 - Address 15Fixture 4 - Address 7
Fixture 15 - Address 29Fixture 11 - Address 21Fixture 7 - Address 13Fixture 3 - Address 5
Fixture 14 - Address 27Fixture 10 - Address 19Fixture 6 - Address 11Fixture 2 - Address 3
Fixture 13 - Address 25Fixture 9 - Address 17Fixture 5 - Address 9