blizzard 123463 Blade RGBW Razor Beam Moving Head Light User Manual

blizzard 123463 Blade RGBW Razor Beam Moving Head Light

Blizzard Lighting, LLC
http://www.blizzardpro.com
Waukesha, WI USA
Copyright (c) 2021

GETTING STARTED

What’s In The Box?

• Blade™ RGBW
• 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 fixtures you will find anywhere! Now that you’re the proud owner of a Blade™ RGBW, 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 fixture must be returned to the factory, it is important that the fixture be returned in the original factory box and packing.

Powering Up!
All fixtures 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.
Warning! All fixtures must be connected to circuits with a suitable Ground (Earthing).

Getting A Hold Of Us
If something is wrong, please visit our website at www.blizzardpro. com/support and open a support ticket. We’ll be happy to help, honest.
Disclaimer: The information and specifications 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.blizzardpro.com.

Safety Instructions

Please read these instructions carefully. They include important information about the installation, usage and maintenance of this product.

• 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 fixture.

• This product is intended for indoor use only.

• To prevent risk of fire or shock, do not expose fixture to rain or moisture.

• Make sure there are no flammable 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 fixture using a safety chain. NEVER carry the fixture by its head. 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 open a support ticket at www.blizzardpro.com/support.

MEET THE BLADE™ RGBW MOVING HEAD

MAIN FEATURES:

• 36x 5-watt R/G/B/W CREE® LEDs
• 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® LEDs

CONTROL:

• USITT DMX-512 (11/15 Channels)
• 3-pin Input/Output
• 4-button menu with LCD-TFT icon-based display

DMX Quick Reference (11/15-Channel Modes)

Figure 1: The Blade™ RGBW Pin-Up Picture

Figure 2: The Rear Connections

SETUP

Before replacing the fuse, disconnect the power cord.
ALWAYS replace it with the same type and rating.

Fuse Replacement
Remove the fuse holder from of its housing. Then take out the damaged fuse from its holder and replace with exact same type of fuse. Reattach the fuse holder, and then reconnect power.
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 fixtures set to sync in master/slave operating mode. The combined number of channels required by all the fixtures on a serial data link determines the number of fixtures the data link can support.
Fixtures on a serial data link must be daisy-chained in one single line. Also, connecting more than 32 fixtures 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 fixtures on a serial data link is 32 fixtures.

Data/DMX Cabling
To link fixtures 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 specifications 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. 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

Cable Connectors
Cables must have a male XLR connector on one end and a female XLR connector on the other end. (Duh!)

A Word on Termination:
DMX is a resilient communication protocol, however errors still occasionally occur. Termination reduces signal errors, and therefore best practices include use of a terminator in all circumstances. If you are experiencing problems with erratic fixture behavior, especially over long signal cable runs, a terminator may help improve performance.

To build your own DMX Terminator:
Obtain a 120-ohm, 1/4-watt resistor, and wire it between pins 2 & 3 of the last fixture. They are also readily available from specialty retailers.

CAUTION: Do not allow contact between the common and the fixture’s chassis ground. Grounding the common can cause a ground loop, and your fixture 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. If you’d like to build your own, the chart below details a proper cable conversion:

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 first fixture’s male connector (input).

Note: It doesn’t matter which fixture address is the first one connected. We recommend connecting the fixtures in terms of their proximity to the controller, rather than connecting the lowest fixture number first, and so on.
Step 3: Connect other fixtures in the chain from output to input as above. Place a DMX terminator on the output of the final fixture to ensure best communication.

Fixture Linking (Master/Slave Mode)

1. cable to the output (female) 3 pin connector of the first fixture.
2. Connect the end of the cable coming from the first fixture which will have a (female) 3 pin connector to the input connector of the next fixture consisting of a (male)
3. pin connector. Then, proceed to connect from the output as stated above to the input of the following fixture and so on.

A quick note: Often, the setup for Master-Slave and Standalone operation requires that the first fixture in the chain be initialized for this purpose via either settings in the control panel or DIPswitches.
Secondarily, the fixtures 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 configuration.

Mounting & Rigging

This fixture 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 fixture using a suitable “C” or “O” type clamp. The clamp should be rated to hold at least 10x the fixture’s weight to ensure structural stability. Do not mount to surfaces with unknown strength, and ensure properly “rated” rigging is used when mounting fixtures overhead.
Adjust the angle of the fixture by loosening both knobs and tilting the fixture.
After finding 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 fixture will be exposed to rain, high humidity, extreme temperature changes or restricted ventilation.

OPERATING ADJUSTMENTS

The Control Panel
All the goodies and different modes possible with the Blade™ RGBW are accessed by using the control panel on the front of the fixture. There are 4 control buttons below the LCD display which allow you to navigate through the various control panel menus.

Main Menu

To navigate through the LCD control panel main menu, use the <UP/DOWN> buttons to highlight any icon (up to scroll right, down to scroll left).
Then to select an icon and access its submenu options, push the button.

Submenu

To edit any submenu option, first use the <UP/DOWN> buttons to highlight the option you wish to edit, and then push the button.
Then use the <UP/DOWN> buttons to scroll through the option choices that are available.
When your desired selection is highlighted,push the enter button to confirm your choice.
If you wish to return to the main menu from within a submenu at any time, simply push the