Blizzard Lighting SkyBox EXA User manual

Blizzard Lighting, LLC

www.blizzardlighting.com

Waukesha, WI USA

skybox

Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SkyBox™ EXA 1

1. Getting Started 4

What’s In The Box? 4

Getting It Out Of The Box 4

Powering Up! 4

Getting A Hold Of Us 4

Safety Instructions (Don’t run with scissors!) 5

2. Meet The SkyBox™ EXA 6

Features 6

DMX Quick Reference 6

The SkyBox™ EXA Pin-up Picture 7

3. Setup 8

Connecting A Bunch Of SkyBox™ EXA Fixtures 8

Data/DMX Cables 8

Using Skywire™ Wireless DMX 8

Using The Intelion™ Battery System 9

Cable Connectors 10

3-Pin??? 5-Pin??? Huh? 10

Take It To The Next Level: Setting up DMX Control 10

Fixture Linking (Master/Slave Mode) 11

Mounting/Rigging 11

4. Operating Adjustments 12

Navigating The Control Panel 12

Control Panel Menu Structure 13

DMX Mode 14

Set the Starting DMX Address 14

Select the DMX Channel Mode 14

Slave Mode 14

Auto Mode / Static Colors 14

Speed 14

Fade 14

Strobe 15

Manual Color Mixing 15

Sound Active Mode 15

Dimming Mode 15

Auto Mode / Static Colors 15

Set the Wireless Group ID 15

Auto Mode / Static Colors 15

IR Remote Control Mode 15

Power Output Mode 15

Using the IR Remote Control 16

DMX Channel Values In-Depth 17

Troubleshooting 17

5. Appendix 19

A Quick DMX Lesson 19

Keeping Your SkyBox™ EXA As Good As New 20

Returns (Gasp!) 20

Shipping Issues 20

Tech Specs 21

Dimensional Drawings 22

Page 3

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY WARNINGS & INFO

1. CAUTION! TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY AND/OR

EQUIPMENT DAMAGE, DO NOT TAMPER WITH THE CHARGING CIR-

CUITRY IN THIS FIXTURE. The use of other types of chargers may result

in personal injury or equipment damage. Under no circumstances attempt to

connect the battery pack to any power supplies or other equipment that is not

specically and expressly designated for use with this model

battery pack.

2. USE THE LITHIUM ION BATTERY PACK ONLY WITH EQUIPMENT SPE-

CIFICALLY AND EXPRESSLY DESIGNATED FOR USE WITH THIS MODEL

BATTERY PACK. Use with other equipment may result in re, electric shock,

personal injury, and/or damage to equipment.

3. AVOID DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS. Do not

charge the battery pack in damp or wet conditions. Avoid using the pack in

direct exposure to rain or snow. Do not use the battery pack or charger in the

presence of explosive gases or ammable materials.

4. AVOID USING OR STORING THE BATTERY PACK IN EITHER

EXTREME COLD OR EXTREME HOT TEMPERATURES. The battery pack

will disable itself under conditions of extreme heat (above 60 °C) and may not

function to full performance under conditions of extreme cold (below –20 °C).

Storage at elevated temperatures (above 25 °C) will shorten the life of the bat-

tery pack.

5. DO NOT BURN OR INCINERATE BATTERY PACKS. Battery packs

may explode causing personal injury, re, and/or damage. Fumes

resulting from burning of battery packs may be toxic.

6. DO NOT DROP, CRUSH, IMPACT, OR MECHANICALLY ABUSE

BATTERY PACKS. Cease use of xtures that have suffered a sharp

impact, been dropped, run over, or damaged in any other way. Such

impacts may cause internal damage that is not externally visible and

that, over time, may cause short circuits, battery cell leakage, or other

events that may lead to re, personal injury, and or equipment damage.

7. DO NOT DISASSEMBLE BATTERY PACK. There are no user

serviceable parts within battery packs. Disassembly may result in short

circuiting or other damage that may cause re, personal injury, and/or

other damage.

8. AVOID CONTACT WITH BATTERY CHEMICALS. If a battery pack

leaks battery chemicals, avoid any contact with skin, eyes, or mouth. In

the event of contact with skin, wash immediately with soap and water

and rinse with vinegar. For eye contact, begin ushing with clean water,

immediately call for medical help, and continue ushing for 20 minutes or

until medical help arrives.

exceptions.

11. STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE. Avoid leaving the xture in direct sun-

light, vehicle cabs, compartments, or unventilated storage buildings during hot

summer conditions. Under extreme temperature conditions damage may occur.

Elevated temperatures in general shorten the life of your battery pack.

Page 4

1. GETTING STARTED

What’s In The Box?

• 1 x SkyBox™ EXA Professional LED PAR Fixture

• This Lovely User Manual

Getting It Out Of The Box

Congratulations on purchasing one of the most rocking box-shaped PAR xtures

anywhere! Now that you’ve got your SkyBox™ EXA (or hopefully, EXA’s!), 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

N16 W23390 Stoneridge Dr. Ste E

Waukesha, WI 53188 USA

www.blizzardlighting.com

414-395-8365

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: The information and specications contained in this document are subject

to change without notice. Blizzard Lighting™ assumes no responsibility or liability

for any errors or omissions that may appear in this user manual. Blizzard Lighting™

reserves the right to update the existing document or to create a new document to

correct any errors or omissions at any time. You can download the latest version of this

document from www.blizzardlighting.com.

Author: Date: Last Edited: Date:

J. Thomas 2/18/2014 J. Thomas 2/26/2014

Page 5

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 this unit. Do not open

the housing or attempt any repairs yourself. In the unlikely event your unit

may require service, please contact Blizzard Lighting via email at support@

blizzardlighting.com.

Page 6

2. MEET THE SKYBOX™ EXA LED PAR

CONTROL FEATURES

• RGBAW+UV color mixing via 7x 15W 6-in-1 LEDs

• 2.4Ghz built-in wireless DMX receiver

• 512 auto-assigning frequencies in 7 groups

• Ultra Long-life intelion™ lithium-ion battery system

• Variable electronic dimming & strobe

• Built-in color & chase macros via DMX

• Built-in automated programs via master/slave

• Built-in sound active programs

• RGBAW+UV color mixing ability in standalone mode

• RGBAW+UV (6-Ch), RGBAW+UV/Strobe (7-Ch), RGBAW+UV/Dimmer/Strobe

(7-Ch), & Extended w/32-bit Dimmer (11-Ch) DMX Proles

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

• Rugged and well-built (It hits the gym regularly)

• Super-quiet variable-speed internal Fan Cooling

• Dual mounting brackets for positioning exibility

• Flicker-free constant-current 400hz LED driver

• 3-pin male input and 3-pin female output

• PowerCon™ compatible AC power In/Out connectors

DMX Quick Reference - 11/8 Channel Modes

Channel 11-Channel 8-Channel

1 Dimmer Dimmer

2 Red Intensity Red Intensity

3 Green Intensity Green Intensity

4 Blue Intensity Blue Intensity

5 Amber Intensity Amber Intensity

6 White Intensity White Intensity

7 UV Intensity UV Intensity

8 Strobe Strobe

9 Static Colors + Auto Run ---

10 Built-in Programs ---

11 32-Bit Dimmer ---

DMX Quick Reference - 7/6 Channel Modes

Channel 7-Channel 6-Channel

1 Red Intensity Red Intensity

2 Green Intensity Green Intensity

3 Blue Intensity Blue Intensity

4 Amber Intensity Amber Intensity

5 White Intensity White Intensity

6 UV Intensity UV Intensity

7 Strobe ---

Page 7

Figure 1: The SkyBox™ EXA Pin-Up Picture

Figure 2: The Rear Connections

AC Power Out

DMX

Out

Menu ButtonsAC Power In

LED Display

High Power 15w 6-in-1

RGBAW+UV LEDs

Heavy-Duty Steel

Enclosure

Dual

Mounting

Yokes

Antenna

Power Switch

RF-ID Indicator Charge Status LED

Locking

Adjustment

Knobs

Page 8

3. SETUP

Connecting A Bunch of SkyBox™ EXA 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

Using Skywire™ Wireless DMX

In addition to the unbridled thrill you already received the rst time you turned on

your xture, you’ll be delighted to know that the SkyBox EXA’s wireless Skywire™

DMX system is designed to work seamlessly with all Blizzard Lighting wireless DMX

products.

The SkyBox™ EXA is equipped to release you from the crushing chains of cable-fed

DMX lighting! It features 512 auto-assigning frequencies in 7 groups allowing up to

7 systems to run simultaneously in the same space, completely free of interference!

It’s capable of reliable wireless communication for over 1000 feet, line-of-sight!

So rst, you’ll either need a Blizzard wiCICLE®

transmitter, Lightcaster™ wireless transceiver, or any

Blizzard Lighting controller that has a built-in wireless

transmitter (such as the Kontrol 5 Skywire™) to act

as a transmitter for your lights. The 7 DMX receiving

frequencies in the SkyBox™ EXA are designed to

match up perfectly with the 7 frequencies of all Blizzard wireless DMX products.

If you’re using a Blizzard Lighting controller with built-in wireless DMX transmission,

please refer to the instruction manual of that controller for specic information.

Page 9

Ready to move on? Well alrighty!

1. If you’re using an external wireless DMX transmitter like our wiCICLE® transmitter or

LightCaster® transceiver, plug it into the “DMX OUT” connector of the controller and verify it

is receiving power. If you are using a DMX controller with a built-in DMX transmitter like our

KONTROL 5 SKYWIRE™, enable the DMX transmitter on that unit. Please refer to your transmitters

user manual for specic instructions on enabling wireless DMX output and/or its changing its

channel group selection.

2. Set the wireless channel group to match the transmitter group ID number/color code.

a.) Press the <MENU> button until the display reads RF-ID. (See p. 12-13)

b.) Use the <UP/DOWN> buttons to select number 1-7.

c.) Press <ENTER> to conrm the setting.

Note: The 7-Color Status LED will change color to indicate the current channel group:

· GROUP 1: RED

· GROUP 2: GREEN

· GROUP 3: YELLOW

· GROUP 4: BLUE

· GROUP 5: VIOLET

· GROUP 6: CYAN

· GROUP 7: WHITE

3. The LED on the transmitter will blink RED slowly until communication is established with the

receiver. The status LED on the receiving xtures will ash GREEN slowly until communication

is established.

4. Once the clearest channel is auto-selected, the status LEDs will blink quickly on both the

transmitter and receiver. NOTE: The color of the SkyBox EXA’s status LED DURING operation

does not indicate channel group, instead it indicates whether the unit is transmitting or

receiving. That’s It!

Using the Intelion™ Battery System

The SkyBox™ EXA features our proprietary Intelion™ Lithium-Ion internal battery system which

allows you the exibility to operate your xture without AC power for up to 20 hours.

To charge the battery, simply plug the xture into a power source. The battery will charge weather

the xture is powered on or off. It will even charge while in use! The built-

in microprocessor of the battery system controls the charge and overall

battery health, so all you need to do is plug and play.

The top section on the LCD display menu shows the battery power level

indicator displays the approximate amount of power remaining in the

battery. Each power level bar equals 20%. When charging, The CHARGE

status LED above the LCD display will illuminate in RED, then turn GREEN

when the charge is complete.

A full charge is obtained after charging for at least 4 hours. The xture will automatically stop

charging when the battery is in optimal condition.

Power Output Mode:

Depending on the needs of any given application, you can select either High Power, Medium Power,

or Battery Saver Mode, which allows the xture to run for a longer time at lower output.

a.) Press the <MENU> button until the display reads OUT MOD.

b.) Use the <UP/DOWN> buttons to select H (100%), M (75%) or S (50%).

c.) Press <ENTER> to conrm the setting.

Note: With average usage of color fades in High Output Mode, you can expect the battery life to

last up to 10+ hours, color jumping 5+ hrs, or full on for 3+ hrs. Display color/fade/chase/strobe,

and environmental factors including ambient temperature will all impact battery life.

NOTE: “GROUP” number also

corresponds to the “GROUP” setting

on our LightCaster™ wireless DMX

transceiver, wiCICLE™ transmitter,

and all Blizzard Skywire™ wireless

controllers.

Page 10

Cable Connectors

Cables must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR connec-

tor 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.

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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