Lex 6KW User manual

6KW,12KW and 24KW
Portable Dimmers
User Guide
REV009
www.lexproducts.com
[email protected]
800.643.4460
Lex Products Corporation
15 Progress Drive
Shelton, CT 06484
203.363.3738
203.363.3742 Fax
Lex West
11847 Sheldon Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818.768.4474
818.768.4040 Fax

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Safety Notice............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Installation ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Set-Up and Operation............................................................................................................................................ 5
Maintenance ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Technical Support ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Additional Resources ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Extra Notes................................................................................................................................................................. 7
This user guide is furnished exclusively to support installation and operation of the Lex 6KW, 12KW and 24KW
portable dimmers. All concepts and ideas are the sole property of Lex Products and are not to be duplicated or utilized in
any manner without written permission.
LEX User Guide
2
6KW, 12KW and 24KW Portable Dimmers

www.lexproducts.com 3
Introduction
The 6KW, 12KW and 24KW portable dimmers comprise a unique portable dimming solution that can be used
individually or as part of a dimming system. This product range is ideally suited for:
• MotionPicturesets
• TelevisionProduction
• Studios
• On-location
Features and Benefits of the 6KW, 12KW and 24KW portable dimmers
• Worksasadimmeroron-offrelay
• Fullydigital,pushbuttonlevelsettingcontrolaswellastraditionalslider
for setting control level
• DMX512-Acontrolthrough5-pinXLRinputandoutput
• Digitaldisplayshowstheselecteddimmerlevelfrom0-100%,lamppre-heatlevelfrom0-25%,
 relayassignment/functionandDMX512-Aaddressfrom001-512
• SeparateLEDsindicateoperatingmodesandpresenceofDMX512controlsignal
• LEDindicatorsshowstatusofcircuitbreakerandoutputvoltage
• Powerfailmemory–retainsdimmerlevel,pre-heatlevel,operatingmodeandDMX512address
• Modularpanelincorporatingmicroprocessor-basedcontrolelectronicsforprecision
• 100%solidstatedesignforreliability
• 8-bitresolutionallowsfull256-stepdimmingcontroltoensureexactlevelrepeatability
• Circuitbreakerprotected
• Voltageregulationmaintainsdimmeroutputwithin2%despiteuctuationsininputvoltage
• Panelmountstagepinconnectorsforinputandoutput
Safety Notice
EquipmentmanufacturedbyLexProductsisbuiltandtestedwithsafetyasaprimaryconsideration,howeverelectrical
equipmentmustbeusedwithcareandinstalledbyqualiedpersonnel.Observeallnormalprecautionswhenoperating
this unit.
• Reviewallinstructionsbeforeuseandsaveforfuturereference
• Thisproductmustbeproperlygrounded
• Thisproductisforuseindrylocationsonly
• Ifoperatingthisunitlyingonit’sside,ensuretheheatsinksidefacesup
• Unplugunitfrompowerbeforeservicing
• Donotmodifydimmerorhousinginanymanner
• Do not drop dimmer
Lex Products hereby disclaims any and all liability for any injury or damage caused by the faulty installation or improper
operation of this product, including damage from mishandling.
Note: Canadian versions of the Lex FD1 film series dimmers are also available. These products differ only in the use of
CanadianindustrystandardJoyandSeries18Cam-typepowerconnectors.

Installation
Location
Place the 6KW, 12KW and 24KW portable dimmers in a ventilated area free of excessive humidity or condensation and accessible
only to authorized personnel. Typical ambient temperature should be between 0° and 32° C.
Connecting Power and Control Wiring
TheFD1-6Kdimmerisratedfor6,000Wattsat120VAC.Itequippedwitha60AmpStagePin
plug for power input (60 Amp Joy pigtail in Canada) and is protected by a 50 Amp magnetic
circuitbreaker.TheFD1-12Kisratedfor12,000Wattsat120VAC.Itisequippedwitha100
AmpStagePinplugforpowerinput(Series18Cam-typepigtailinCanada)andisprotected
bya100Ampmagneticcircuitbreaker.
TheFD1-24Kdimmerisratedfor24,000Wattsat240VAC.Itisequippedwitha100AmpStagePin
plugforpowerinput(Series18Cam-typepigtailinCanada)andisprotectedbya2-pole,
100Ampmagneticcircuitbreaker.
Turn the circuit breaker labeled “Mains Power” off
before making any connections to the dimmer.
Line:ConnecttheFD1-6KorFD1-12Kpanelmountedpowerinputplugtoabranchcircuitprotected120VAC,60Hz
power source using a cable that is properly grounded and appropriately rated.
Theacceptableinputvoltagerangeforthisunitis95-130VAC.
ConnecttheFD1-24Kpanelmountedpowerinputplugtoabranchcircuitprotected240VAC,
60Hzpowersourceusingacablethatisproperlygroundedandappropriatelyrated.Theac-
ceptableinputvoltagerangeforthisunitis190-240VAC,soa208VAC,60Hzpowersource
may be used.
When the power connections are secure, the dimmer may be energized by turning on the
MainsPowerbreaker.Shouldthebreakertrip,checkthepowersourceandcablesbeingused
before resetting. Do not power any of the units from a dimmed circuit.
Load: The 6KW, 12KW and 24KW portable dimmers can control incandescent and inductive
loadsincludinglamps,fansandmagnetictransformersinthedimmode.Intherelaymode,
itprovidesafullsine-waveoutputandcancontroladditionalloadtypes,howevercaremust
betakentoassurethatnondimmableloadsareonlyoperatedintherelaymode.Besureto
include transformers in load calculations.
Forsafety,andtoavoidthewearandtearassociatedwithhotpatching,theMainsPowercircuit
breakershouldbeswitchedoffbeforeconnectingtheload.Toprolonglamplife,setthecontrol
outputtozeroorapre-heatlevelbeforeenergizingtheload.Plugload(s),uptothecapacityofthedimmer,intothepower
output receptacle using properly grounded and appropriately rated cables.
Control:ForcontrolusingUSITTDMX512-Adataprotocol,plugcontrolcablesconstructedforthisuseintothe5-pin
XLRconnectorslabeled“DMX512In”and“DMX512Thru”(ifcableruncontinuesbeyondthisunit).DMX512rules
requiretheuseofaplug-interminatoronthelastunitinaDMXdaisychain.Theterminationplugshouldbepluggedinto
the“DMX512Thru”receptacle.
Note:FD1unitsarenotself-terminating.
TheLEDonthecontrolpanellabeled“DMXData”willIlluminatewhencontroldataispresent.
LEX User Guide
4
6KW, 12KW and 24KW Portable Dimmers
MAINS POWER INPUT
MAINS POWER
OFF ON
DIMMER OUTPUT

Set-Up and Operation
The control panel will be operational once main power is present to the dimmer, regardless of the position of the main
circuitbreaker.Thisfeatureenablesoperatorstosetappropriatecontroloutputparameterspriortoenergizingthedimmed
load.
The6KW,12KWand24KWportabledimmersoperatorinterfaceconsistsofathree-digitLEDdisplay,threemomentary
pushbuttonsandfourLEDindicatorstoreporttheset-up/operatingmodeselected.Modesare:Manual,Relay,DMXand
Pre-heat.Eachmodeisexplainedbelow.
Mode selection:Toselectamodepressthecenterpushbuttonlabeled“Function.”TheLEDindicatorsabovethedisplay
will incrementally illuminate to indicate the mode selected. Press the button again to step to another function.
Manual: The manual mode allows the unit to be used as a
selfcontrolleddimmer.Whenthe“Man”LEDisilluminated,usethe“Inc”and
“Dec”pushbuttonstoraiseandlowerthelightingtothedesiredlevelfrom0to
100%outputvoltage.A60mmsliderisalsoprovidedtosetadesiredoutput
level.The%outputlevelwillbereportedonthedisplayover-ridinganypre-set
(pushbutton)level,toincrementby1%usepushbuttons(highesttakesprior-
ity).
DMX:TheDMXfunctionallowstheunittobeoperatedremotelyusingUSITT
DMX512-Adataprotocol.Whenthe“DMX”LEDisilluminated,usethe“Inc”
and“Dec”pushbuttonstoassignaDMX512address(001to512).Theaddress
willbedisplayedandheldinmemoryuntilchanged.Thedimmer’soutputwillbeasquare-lawdimmingcurvepropor-
tionaltotheDMX512controlsignalbeingreceivedatanymoment.Ifthecontrolsignalisremovedorinterrupted,theunit
willholdthelastlevelreceiveduntilthecontrolsignalisrestoredoruntilpowerisreset.TheGreenDMXDATALEDwill
illuminate with the precence of data at the input connectors.
Relay: Therelaymodeallowstheusertoswitchany120VAC(FD1-6KandFD1-12K)or240VAC(FD1-24K)xture
or device (up to the capacity of the unit) on and off. The relay function may be controlled locally by the pushbuttons or
remotelyviaDMX512.Toactivatetherelaymode,whenthe“Relay”LEDisilluminated,pressthe“Inc”pushbuttononceto
turnthefunctiononandenableremotecontrol.ThedisplaywillindicatetheDMX512addresstowhichtheunitis
assignedtorespond.Toswitchtherelaylocally,pressthe“Inc”pushbuttonagain.Thedisplaywillindicate“ON”andthe
loadwillimmediatelyturnon.Toswitchtheloadoff,pressthe“Dec”pushbuttononce,returningtotheDMX512address.
Pressthe“Dec”pushbuttonagaintoturnofftherelayfunctionentirely.Whenturnedoff,thedisplaywillbeblank.
Pre-heat:Thepre-heatfunctionallowstheusertowarmthelamentofalargeincandescentlampby
providingasmallACvoltagefromthedimmeroutput.Thelevelforthisfunctionmaybesettoavalueof0-25%ofthe
inputlinevoltage.Whenthe“Pre-heat”LEDisilluminatedusethe“Inc”and“Dec”pushbuttonsto
assignthepreferredpre-heatlevel.Thenreturntheunittomanual,DMXorrelaymodeforoperation.The
Pre-heatlevelwillremainattheprogrammedlevelunlesschangedbytheoperator.ThePre-heatLEDwillremainillumi-
natedtoremindtheuserthatthereisaPre-heatlevelisassignedinmemory.Toremovethislevel,
visitPre-heatmodeonceagainandusethedecreasebuttontosetto0.
Operating:Beforeoperatingthedimmer,checktoseethattheMainsPowercircuitbreakerison.Whenthedimmerisin
manualmodeitwillignoreanyDMX512signalthatmaybepresent.Forremoteoperation,besuretheunitisinRelayor
DMXmodeandthatavalidDMX512controlsignalispresent.Thedimmerisdesignedwithpower-failmemory.Whenthe
unit is powered up, it will return to the last mode of operation and will retain previously programmed information.
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Maintenance
The 6KW, 12KW and 24KW portable dimmers are designed to be low maintenance; however, several precautionary steps will
prolongthelifeoftheelectroniccomponents.Wheneverpossible,limittheunit’sexposuretohighambienttemperatures.Take
carenottodropthedeviceandalwaysprotectthecontrolsandconnectorsfromdamage.Donotallowliquidofanykindtoenter
the unit.
Allscrewsandconnectionsshouldbechecked,andtightenedifnecessary,onaregularbasis,especiallyinrentalandlocation
applications.Iftheunitaccumulatesdust,disconnectitfrompowerandcleanitusingcompressedair.Alwaysdisconnectdimmer
from power before performing any maintenance operation.
Troubleshooting
Iftheportabledimmerdoesnotoperateasexpected,checkthepowersourceandcheckallcablesandconnectors.Besurethe
MainsPowercircuitbreakerison.Conrmthatthecontrolledloadoperatesfromaconstantpower
supplyandconrmthatanyremoteconsoleissendingvalidDMX512-Adata.
Control indicators do not illuminate: Confirm that power is present to the unit.
Inc and Dec buttons do not raise and lower the lighting level:MakesurethedimmerisinManualmode
(pressandholdFunctionbuttonuntilManualLEDilluminates).
Unit does not respond to remote DMX512 input:CheckallcontrolcablingandcheckthatDMXDataLEDis
illuminatedtoindicatepresenceofcontrolsignal.MakesurethatdimmerisinDMXorRelaymode(pressandholdFunction
buttonuntiloneoftheseLEDsilluminates).
Connected load switches on and off instead of dimming:ConrmthatRelaymodeisactivated.PressandholdFunction
buttonuntilRelayLEDilluminates.IfaDMX512addressisdisplayed,Relayfunctionisactive.TodeactivateRelayfunction,press
Decpushbutton.Displayshouldgoblanktoindicateareturntodimmingoperation.
The dimmer does not respond to the user controls – Inc, Function, Dec:ResettheelectronicsbypressingtheReset
button on the rear of the unit.
Connected load is ghosting and will not shut off:Apre-heatlevelhasbeensetandisretainedinmemory.
CycletheFunctionbuttonuntilthepre-heatLEDilluminatesandusetheDecbuttontoresetthepre-heatleveltozero.Usethe
FunctionbuttontoreturntoManualorDMXmode.
Load is stuck on and does not dim or switch off:ChecktoseeifRelaymodeisactivatedandtherelayhasbeenturned
onmanually.PressandholdFunctionbuttonuntilRelayLEDilluminates.Ifthedisplayshows“ON”therelayhasbeenturnedon
manually.PresstheDecbuttontoturntherelayOFF.Iftheloadremainson,thepowerdevicemayhavefailed.ContactTechnical
Servicesat1.855.LEX.1002
Technical Support
ThestaffatLexProductsiswillingandavailabletohelpinanywaypossible.Ifyouhavequestionsorneed
technicaladviceorsuggestionsregardingthisproduct,pleasecontactLexat1.855.LEX.1002ore-mailLexat
[email protected].BusinesshoursareMondaythroughFriday,8:30am–5pm.Inaddition,TechnicalServices
is available 24/7 via phone.
LEX User Guide
6
6KW, 12KW and 24KW Portable Dimmers

www.lexproducts.com 7
Additional Resources
ForadditionalinformationregardingtheDMX512controlprotocol,properlyknownas“ANSIE1.11-
2004EntertainmentTechnology-USITTDMX512-A-AsynchronousSerialDigitalDataTransmission
StandardforControllingLightingEquipmentandAccessories”visitthefollowingsites:
• ANSI(AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute),www.ansi.org
• USITT(UnitedStatesInstituteforTheatreTechnology),www.usitt.org
• ESTA(EntertainmentServicesandTechnologyAssociation),www.plasa.org
Extra Notes

1-800-643-4460 • www.LexProducts.com • [e-mail] 8
Lex Products Corporation
15 Progress Drive
Shelton, CT 06484
203.363.3738
203.363.3742 Fax
Lex West
11847 Sheldon Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818.768.4474
818.768.4040 Fax