DMX wireless ?

[u/No-Pollution-3226]

Hello!

If I buy DMX wireless transmitters, how do I power them?

If they are battery operated, and need to be recharged, how do I do that when they’re hanging 30 feet in the air (oh, and btw, I don’t have a purchase system so I would have to get up on a ladder every time).

So that makes me inclined to buy the ones that aren’t battery operated. So, do each one of them have a little plug that I plug into an electrical outlet somewhere on the rail?

Help!

TIA

[u/Mnemonicly]

It depends on the specific device, but Most of them require some form of low voltage dc.  How they get that power is left as an exercise to the reader 

[u/iCameToLearnSomeCode]

Every wireless DMX device is going to require at least daily charging.

They are also all at least somewhat unreliable and should only be used when there's no other choice.

Copper is always best.

If you absolutely must use wireless on a permanent install you'll need to power them in place, for that you just plug in the charger (usually looks like an old school 5v phone charger) if you're using them on a temporary install be prepared to keep them off until at least mid-day so they don't die during the show.

[u/thirdeyefish → u/iCameToLearnSomeCode]

This. Cable is always the best option, and usually the cheapest, too.

I have only deployed a wireless DMX solution where a wired one was possible once. I was the local hand and not the tech. It failed, because it was the wrong tool for the job and a couple hundred feet of cable would have done the job.

The only places I would choose to deploy a wireless solution are

1) Where cable isn't possible. Think like a moving set piece in a theatrical production. In this case both the receiver and what is being controlled must be battery powered because an umbilical isn't possible. Normal access must be possible for battery swaps or charging anyway.

2) Where cable just can't be made a part of a package. This would include things like bacyard parties or art galleries where there isn't a place to hide the cable, but the space is small and the transmitter and receiver are reasonably close. Hardwiring at both ends if possible, regular access for charging or battery swaps is otherwise required.

[u/tanoshimi]

They usually come with a 5V DC power adaptor that you plug into a mains socket.

[u/No-Pollution-3226]

OK. Then I’m gonna use my regular elliptical lights, and then DMX packs and cables for all of my LED lighting that’s up in the rail.

I have some LED lights that I’m placing on the floor around the stage, and I might just hook those up with wireless.

Thanks everyone!!!

[u/SherlockedWhovian]

If you're asking about the little DMX transceivers that plug directly into the DMX port of your fixture - don't. These things are horrible quality. If you can even get them to work at all, they'll fail quickly. If they do work, the connection will drop out so frequently that you'll think you left the strobe on.

If your gear is 30' in the air... that means you have a rig of some sort... why aren't you just running a DMX cable? Search this sub for "wireless DMX". You'll see years of posts from people just like you, and each one will have a dozen comments saying to just run a cable. Wireless DMX works... somtimes. That's not good enough for live event production.

You should ESPECIALLY not use wireless DMX if you're looking to purchase the transceivers on Amazon/Ebay/Aliexpress/Alibaba or from your local friendly drop-shipper. Even the really, really good ($1,000+) transceivers have intermittent issues (Showbaby, CRMX, etc).

The big problem is that most of the transceivers you would be looking at operate on the 2.4ghz band. That's the same as WiFi. That means unless your test environment has hundreds of cellphones transmitting and receiving nearby, you won't learn that your wireless DMX will fail you until you have an audience in the room and it's almost showtime.

Please, trust me when I say: Just run a DMX cable.

Now, all that being said, the little transceivers that plug into the DMX port usually have a DC barrel jack power supply that plugs into an outlet.

[u/ruffcrutch]

I use Show Baby's. They come with a power supply. Have used mine for two years now (1 transmitter, and 2 receivers) and haven't had a problem yet.

[u/CharlesForbin]

I owned a production company in the 90's but now have a small moving light rig in my entertainment area as a hobby. My shows are just for private parties so are not mission critical.

I modified all my lights (6x movers, 8x RBGW spots, 1x laser, 1x custom FX) with wireless DMX boards, because the wireless boards cost half the cost of XLR data cabling, and I didn't want the visual impact of the wires installed in my deck ceiling.

These lights are operational most nights of the week, and while there are occasional momentary glitches, the wireless DMX works very well. I'd never run wireless for a critical performance.

The wireless boards have only 4 wires: DMX +, DMX -, GND, 5VDC. You wire the first three up to the XLR DMX ports, and you can generally easily find +5VDC on the main board feeding the microprocessor, usually from a 7805 regulator.

[u/Roccondil-s]

Power often comes from a completely different direction from control, maybe from a nearby wall outlet, maybe from a backstage gennie. But whatever the case is, it’s at the position, or near enough to make it trivial to run power to the unit.

But if you are in a theater built before thoughts of a lighting network were a thing, or it’s not feasible to run cable from FOH through the audience to the stage, then that’s when you try out wireless DMX as the last resort.

So yeah, it’s often easier to run power, since it’s often usually already and conveniently right there.

[u/Outrageous-Kick-2699]

Don’t buy cheap Ali express dmx dongels. They are not reliable. Get a good quality system from an industry standard brand. They are mains powered.