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Thread: Maybe a stupid question...

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    Default Maybe a stupid question...

    Concerning ILDA connections. Of course, I could just try it but, thought I'd ask first. Three of my RGB lasers have ILDA in and out connections. I'm currently using Pangolin's LD2000 with the QM board. If I daisy chain two or even three projectors together, going from the QM to projector one, then run an ILDA cable out of the first projector to a second or even the third projector, will it ouput the show to each projector? Is there something I have to do with the software? It seems to me, it's supposed to be able to do this.

    Actually, come to think of it, I have five projectors with ILDA connections in and out come to think of it. Humm... this could get interesting. I've been thinking I need to get some sort of cable splitter or, network arrangement or, multiple QM boards to accomplish this.

    Thanks!

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    If all your projectors have high-impedance inputs, you can daisy-chain them all together and they will all project the same image. But remember that the QM-2000 can only source about 20 ma of current. So it only takes a few medium-to-low impedance inputs to use up that small amount of signal current.

    In practice, you often get flaky results if you try to daisy-chain more than three projectors together, because the combination of medium-impedance inputs and signal loss through all that ILDA cable causes problems as you add a 4th projector.

    The solution is to buffer the signal so that you can run more projectors. The "MatILDA board" that Stanwax sells is an off-the-shelf buffer solution to this problem.

    Still, there's nothing wrong with trying to hook up a few of your projectors and seeing how they perform. If you only have three of them on the same controller, chances are good that they'll probably all work.

    Adam

    PS: Not a stupid question by any means.

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    Thanks Adam! I know what I'M doing first thing tomorrow morning when I get to work...(and should be working!) I only have two ILDA cables so, I can only hook up two to try it. I have kind of a matched pair of CR-Tec System 7's I'd like to run together. One is a little more powerful than the other but, basically they are the same. If it works well, I'll be grinning a little more than usual tomorrow!

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    Let us know how it works out!

    Adam

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    OH... HELL YEAH!!! (Does that answer your question??)

    I may be able to do a mini SELEM now!

    The only issue I have though is independently adjusting the size of the output to match. It's not software... it's a hardware thing. Someone screwed up the ILDA board on one of the projectors before I received it and, we had to do a little soldering to fix the problem. There are independent X Y size adjustment pots on each projector and, they don't work on one of them. I can probably adjust the projector that has the working controls to make the image smaller to match the other. Glad the phones have been quiet at work this morning - and... time to buy some more ILDA cables! Since I have Moncha 2.1 with a DAC on another laptop and, Quickshow on it's way with an FB3, I should be able to run stuff like this on about 5 projectors at the same time. More grins!

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    HAHAHA! Like a kid on Christmas morning! Glad it worked for ya buddy...

    Re: the size difference: If you can't adjust it with the controls on the other projector, you could adjust the input gain on the scanner amps to tweak the sizes until they match.

    Make up a third cable and see if you can run all three projectors. That should look pretty darn cool!

    Adam

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    I was right. I was able to adjust the x y size on the one projector to match the other. I got them spaced just right so that there was about a 1 foot gap on the wall between the beams/graphics and, since one is giving me an inverted image, it's like having a giant mirror and doubling the size of everything. VERY COOL!

    Part of the inverted image problem on the one projector stems from the broken control board I previously mentioned but, It's actually working out quite nice! The correct image is on the left, the inversed image is on the right so, for example, during "America", two eagles are flying towards each other or, when they pan over Mt. Rushmore, the faces begin in the middle and roll towards the outside edges.

    I don't have my still camera or video camera here at work today but, think I need to bring it tomorrow!

    Definitely opens up a whole lot of new ideas for creativity!

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    Hey Bradfo69,

    Glad to see at least one Delawarean shootin lasers at something....

    Wish I could get off my lazy butt

    Mark

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    Hey Mark! Yeah, I've been playing again recently. Things slowed down enough at work that I haven't been too tired at the end of the day to drag eveything out and experiment for a bit. That won't last too much longer with the holidays coming but, I'm getting a lot further along figuring out LD2000 and how best to incorporate lasers and club lighting into events down here. That, and sorting out some quirks with some of the units I've picked up. This is a sick, sick hobby....within about 10 months time, I'm up to (I believe) my 15th laser. (plus all the other crap.)

    I'm anxiously awaiting my new projector to make it's way across the pond and then spend some quality time in Connecticut before coming down here. It's the real deal and a number of the other, more "mortal" things will be sold once it arrives........ Maybe.....

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