Blizzard Lighting Blade RGBW User manual

Blizzard Lighting, LLC
www.blizzardlighting.com
Waukesha, WI USA
Copyright (c) 2012

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Blade™ RGBW 1
1. Getting Started 3
What’s In The Box? 3
Getting It Out Of The Box 3
Powering Up! 3
Getting A Hold Of Us 3
Safety Instructions (Don’t Stick Your Hand In The Toaster!) 4
2. Meet The Blade™ RGBW 5
Features 5
DMX Quick Reference 5
The Blade™ RGBW Pin-up Picture 7
3. Setup 8
Fuse Replacement 8
Connecting A Bunch Of Blade™ RGBW Fixtures 8
Data/DMX Cables 8
Cable Connectors 9
3-Pin??? 5-Pin??? Huh? 9
Take It To The Next Level: Setting up DMX Control 9
Fixture Linking (Master/Slave Mode) 10
Mounting/Rigging 10
4. Operating Adjustments 11
Navigating The Control Panel 11
Control Panel Menu Structure 12
Address Mode - DMX Channel Selection 14
Run Mode - DMX Mode, Auto and Sound Active 14
Test Mode 14
Setup Mode 15
DMX Channel Values In-Depth 16
Troubleshooting 18
5. Appendix 18
A Quick DMX Lesson 18
Keeping Your Blade™ RGBW As Good As New 19
Returns (Gasp!) 19
Shipping Issues 19
Tech Specs 20

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
1. GETTING STARTED
What’s In The Box?
 •1 x Blade™ RGBW Moving Head Fixture
 •AnEver-So-HandyPowerCord
 •ASweetMountingBracket
 •ThisLovelyUserManual
Getting It Out Of The Box
Congratulationsonpurchasingoneofthecoolest,fastestLEDxtures
anywhere! Now that you’re the proud owner of a Blade™ RGBW (or
hopefully,BLADES!),youshouldcarefullyunpacktheboxandcheckthe
contents to ensure that all parts are present and in good condition. If
anything looks as if it has been damaged in transit, notify the shipper
immediately and keep the packing material for inspection. Again, please
savethecartonandallpackingmaterials.Ifaxturemustbereturned
tothefactory,itisimportantthatthexturebereturnedintheoriginal
factory box and packing.
Powering Up!
Allxturesmustbepowereddirectlyoffaswitchedcircuitandcannot
be run off a rheostat (variable resistor) or dimmer circuit, even if
the rheostat or dimmer channel is used solely for a 0% to 100%
switch.
AC Voltage Switch -Notallxtureshaveavoltageselectswitch,soplease
verifythatthextureyoureceiveissuitableforyourlocalpowersupply.
Seethelabelonthextureorrefertothexture’sspecicationschartfor
moreinformation.Axture’slistedcurrentratingisitsaveragecurrent
drawundernormalconditions.Checkthextureordevicecarefullyto
make sure that if a voltage selection switch exists that it is set to the
correct line voltage you will use.
Warning! Verify that the voltage select switch on your unit
matches the line voltage applied. Damage to your xture may
result if the line voltage applied does not match the voltage
indicated on the voltage selector switch. All xtures must be
connected to circuits with a suitable Ground (Earthing).
Getting A Hold Of Us
If something is wrong, just give us a call or send an email. We’ll
be happy to help, honest.
Blizzard Lighting
W220N1531JerichoCt.SteE
Waukesha, WI 53186 USA
www.blizzardlighting.com
414-395-8365

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•PleasekeepthisUserGuideforfutureuse.Ifyouselltheunittosomeone
else, be sure that they also receive this User Guide.
•ALWAYSmakesurethatyouareconnectingtothepropervoltage,andthat
the line voltage you are connecting to is not higher than that stated on the
decalorrearpanelofthexture.
•Thisproductisintendedforindooruseonly.
•Topreventriskofreorshock,donotexposexturetorainormoisture.
•Makesuretherearenoammablematerialsclosetotheunitwhileoperating.
•Theunitmustbeinstalledinalocationwithadequateventilation,atleast
20in (50cm) from adjacent surfaces. Be sure that no ventilation slots are
blocked.
•ALWAYSdisconnectfromthepowersourcebeforeservicingorreplacingfuse
and be sure to replace with same fuse size and type.
•ALWAYSsecurextureusingasafetychain.NEVERcarrythexturebyits
cord. Use its carrying handles.
•DONOToperateatambienttemperatureshigherthan104°F(40°C).
•Intheeventofaseriousoperatingproblem,stopusingtheunitimmediately.
NEVERtrytorepairtheunitbyyourself.Repairscarriedoutbyunskilledpeople
can lead to damage or malfunction. Please contact the nearest authorized
technical assistance center. Always use the same type spare parts.
•NEVERconnectthedevicetoadimmerpack.
•Makesurethepowercordisnevercrimpedordamaged.
•Neverdisconnectthepowercordbypullingortuggingonthecord.
•Avoiddirecteyeexposuretothelightsourcewhileitison.
Caution! There are no user serviceable parts inside the unit. Do not
open the housing or attempt any repairs yourself. In the unlikely event
yourunitmayrequireservice,pleasecontactBlizzardLightingat
[email protected].

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
2. MEET THE BLADE™ RGBW MOvING HEAD
MAIN FEATURES:
•36x5-wattR/G/B/WCREE®LED’s
•Userselectable11or15DMXchannels
•Razor-sharp1.1°beamangle+attachable8°diffuserlens
•Fullcolormixinginstandalone,master/slaveandDMXmodes
•Built-inautomatedprogramsviamaster/slave
•Built-insoundactivatedprogramsviamaster/slave
•Userselectable16-bitdimming
•Defeatablepan/tiltcorrectionwithtrimadjustment
•AutostandbyafterDMXsignalloss
•FixtureIDaddressing
•3-pinmaleinputand3-pinfemaleoutput
•PowerCon™compatibleACpowerIn/Outconnectors
•Compact,highqualityhousing
OPTICAL:
•BeamAngle:1.1°(8°withdiffuserlens)
•LightSource:36x5-wattR/G/B/WCREE®LED’s
CONTROL:
•USITTDMX-512(11/15Channels)
•3-pinInput/Output
•4-buttonmenuwithLCD-TFTicon-baseddisplay
DMX Quick Reference (11-Channel Mode)
Channel What is does
1Pan
2 Tilt
3 Pan Trim (16-bit)
4 Tilt Trim (16-bit)
5 Pan/Tilt Speed (Fast <--> Slow)
6 Red Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
7 Green Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
8 Blue Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
9 White Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
10 Dimmer (0% <--> 100%)
11 Custom Color (0% <--> 100%)

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
DMX Quick Reference (15-Channel Mode)
Channel What is does
1Pan
2 Tilt
3 X-Axis Trim (16-bit)
4 Y-Axis Trim (16-bit)
5 Pan/Tilt Speed (Fast <--> Slow)
6 Red Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
7 Green Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
8 Blue Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
9 White Intensity (0% <--> 100%)
10 Custom Color (0% <--> 100%)
11 Strobe (Slow <--> Fast)
12 Dimmer (0% <--> 100%)
13 Built-inPrograms+SoundActive
14 Built-in Color Macros
15 Fixture ID Address Selection

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
High Power 5-watt
CREE®LED’s
DMX Out
Power In Power Out
DMX In
Figure 1: The Blade™ RGBW Pin-Up Picture
Figure 2: The Rear Connections
Head/Arms
Carrying
Handle
LCD Readout
Control Panel

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
3. SETUP
Fuse Replacement
CAUTION! The Blade™ RGBW utilizes a high-output switch-mode power
supply with an internal fuse. Under normal operating conditions, the fuse
shouldnotrequirereplacement.Thefuseiseldreplaceable,however
itisanadvancedproceduresuitedtoqualiedindividuals.Shouldyour
Blade™RGBWfuserequirereplacement,pleasecontactBlizzardLighting
for instructions, or to return your unit for service.
Connecting A Bunch of Blade™ RGBW Fixtures
You will need a serial data link to run light shows using a DMX-512
controllerortorunshowsontwoormorexturessettosyncinmaster/
slaveoperatingmode.Thecombinednumberofchannelsrequiredbyall
thexturesonaserialdatalinkdeterminesthenumberofxturesthe
data link can support.
Fixtures on a serial data link must be daisy chained in one single line.
Also,connectingmorethan32xturesononeserialdatalinkwithoutthe
use of a DMX optically-isolated splitter may result in deterioration of the
digital DMX signal.
The maximum recommended cable-run distance is 500 meters (1640 ft).
Themaximumrecommendednumberofxturesonaserialdatalinkis
32xtures.
Data/DMX Cabling
Tolinkxturestogetheryou’llneeddatacables.Youshouldusedata-
gradecablesthatcancarryahighqualitysignalandarelessproneto
electromagnetic interference.
Forinstance,Belden©9841meetsthespecicationsforEIARS-485
applications. Standard microphone cables will “probably” be OK, but note
that they cannot transmit DMX data as reliably over long distances. In
any event, the cable should have the following characteristics:
2-conductor twisted pair plus a shield
Maximum capacitance between conductors – 30 pF/ft.
Maximum capacitance between conductor & shield – 55 pF/ft.
Maximum resistance of 20 ohms / 1000 ft.
Nominal impedance 100 – 140 ohms

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
Cable Connectors
Cables must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR
connector on the other end. (Duh!)
CAUTION: Do not allow contact between the common and the
xture’schassisground.Groundingthecommoncancauseaground
loop,andyourxturemayperformerratically.Testcableswithan
ohm meter to verify correct polarity and to make sure the pins are not
grounded or shorted to the shield or each other.
3-Pin??? 5-Pin??? Huh?!?
If you use a controller with a 5 pin DMX output connector, you will need to use a 5 pin to 3 pin adapter.
They are widely available over the internet and from specialty retailers. If you’d like to build your own,
the chart below details a proper cable conversion:
Conductor 3-Pin Female
(Output)
5-Pin Male
(Input)
Ground/Shield Pin 1 Pin 1
DMX Data (-) Pin 2 Pin 2
DMXData(+) Pin 3 Pin 3
Not Used. No Connection. No Connection.
Not Used. No Connection. No Connection.
Take It To The Next Level: Setting Up DMX Control
Step 1: Connect the male connector of the
DMX cable to the female connector (output)
on the controller.
Step 2: Connect the female connector of
theDMXcabletotherstxture’smale
connector (input). Note: It doesn’t matter
whichxtureaddressistherstone
connected. We recommend connecting the
xturesintermsoftheirproximitytothe
controller, rather than connecting the lowest
xturenumberrst,andsoon.
Step 3:Connectotherxturesinthechain
from output to input as above. Place a DMX
terminatorontheoutputofthenalxture
to ensure best communication.

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Blade™ RGBW User Manual Rev. A Copyright (c) 2012 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
Fixture Linking (Master/Slave Mode)
1. Connect the (male) 3 pin connector side of the
DMX cable to the output (female) 3 pin connector of
therstxture.
2. Connect the end of the cable coming from
therstxturewhichwillhavea(female)3pin
connectortotheinputconnectorofthenextxture
consisting of a (male) 3 pin connector. Then,
proceed to connect from the output as stated above
totheinputofthefollowingxtureandsoon.
A quick note: Often,
the setup for Master-
Slave and Standalone
operationrequiresthat
therstxtureinthe
chain be initialized for
this purpose via either
settings in the control
panel or DIP-switches.
Secondarily,thextures
that follow may also
requireaslavesetting.
Check the “Operating Adjustments” section in this manual for
completeinstructionsforthistypeofsetupandconguration.
Mounting & Rigging
ThisxturemaybemountedinanySAFEpositionprovidedthereis
enough room for ventilation.
It is important never to obstruct the fan or vents pathway. Mount the
xtureusingasuitable“C”or“O”typeclamp.Theclampshouldbe
ratedtoholdatleast10xthexture’sweighttoensurestructural
stability. Do not mount to surfaces with unknown strength, and ensure
properly“rated”riggingisusedwhenmountingxturesoverhead.
Adjusttheangleofthexturebylooseningbothknobsandtiltingthe
xture.Afterndingthedesiredposition,retightenbothknobs.
•Whenselectinginstallationlocation,takeintoconsiderationlamp
replacement access (if applicable) and routine maintenance.
•SafetycablesMUSTALWAYSbeused.
•Nevermountinplaceswherethexturewillbeexposedtorain,
high humidity, extreme temperature changes or restricted ventilation.