# Need a remote douser ?



## Van (Jan 24, 2008)

Out of the blue we suddenly have issue with the light comming out of the front of the projector during the final black out of *The Clean House* . Yesterday,I get a note which says, basically, 
" We can't have this light in the final scene. It's distracting! Fix It Now!" Of Course I reply, 
" If you will remember I brought this up at the very first Production meeting, Projectors don't go black. You said That wouldn't be a problem, if you want it fixed I need $580.00 for a DMX controlled Douser, and it won't be here for a week." 
"No Good you have 'till opening, two days."
So as I'm fuming my Master Carp/Shop Foreman says to me,"Hey I had a kid at UNLV last year who made a douser out of a CD-ROM drive, I don't know how he did it and it took him two months."
This starts my wheels turning. Two solder burns, $27.00 in parts at Radio Shack, one pretty much dead 32x CD-ROM drive, and 25' of Cat 5 cable and 6 hours later..... 
I have a working , electronic remote control douser. Now I think I'm going to find a dmx decoder board, see about rigging it into the thing, I think I can give City theatrical a run for their money. 
I'd be happy to share the details/plans with anybody here, but I'm seriously thinking about building a few proto types and marketing them....... With serious discounts to CB members of course.


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## soundlight (Jan 24, 2008)

Ah...if you'd remember, that's been done before! It was even mentioned on the forums here! Anyways, plans and pictures would be most excellent.


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## Van (Jan 24, 2008)

Well I looked for it here and didn't see it. Rats. I may keep going anyway. I'm tenacious that way.


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## Van (Jan 24, 2008)

I'll do more research and let you knowabout the DMX decoder. XLR is a good idea. I used cat5 and RJ45's for mine however, because of the smaller foot print for the connector, and I have something like 5 miles of Cat5 wire lying around my office.


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## Footer (Jan 24, 2008)

Great! another thing I can do while sitting around in my huge amounts of free time!.


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## derekleffew (Jan 25, 2008)

van, this one for $155. Or for $39.95, this is probably more your speed.


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## avkid (Jan 25, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> van, this one for $155. Or for $39.95, this is probably more your speed.


Hmm...neither of those are technically DMX 512 compliant.
(I like to argue in the wee hours of the morning)


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## cutlunch (Jan 25, 2008)

Van I am interested in the details.
I remember reading about this somewhere.

So did you basicaly provide the CD Rom with a 12v only supply, then wire a switch across the eject contacts to open / shut the drawer as required? What did use for the blackout material in the CD Rom paper, foild, wood etc?

Pictures please, especially how you mounted it on to your projector.

Thanks


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## Footer (Jan 25, 2008)

cutlunch said:


> Van I am interested in the details.
> I remember reading about this somewhere.
> So did you basicaly provide the CD Rom with a 12v only supply, then wire a switch across the eject contacts to open / shut the drawer as required? What did use for the blackout material in the CD Rom paper, foild, wood etc?
> Pictures please, especially how you mounted it on to your projector.
> Thanks



More importantly, how to get by the few second delay after you hit the eject button.


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## derekleffew (Jan 25, 2008)

avkid said:


> ...
> (I like to argue in the wee hours of the morning)


While you're arguing with yourself, Van will have built himself a perfectly usable DMX-operated projector douser, and for much less money and in much less time, than the "DMX Compliant" City Theatrical model (not that there's anything wrong with City Theatrical's version).


Footer4321 said:


> More importantly, how to get by the few second delay after you hit the eject button.


Um, execute the electrics cue a few seconds before one wants the projector to douse?

Or Van, there's always the Charc solution: just run the projector on a dimmer! He seems to think that a dimmer can control anything: Lycian followspot, strobelight, and goodness knows what else. (DON'T try this in Your Theatre, kids.)


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## cutlunch (Jan 25, 2008)

Footer4321 said:


> More importantly, how to get by the few second delay after you hit the eject button.



Practice LOL


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## Van (Jan 25, 2008)

cutlunch said:


> Practice LOL


 
Actually the beauty of the system I used was that I ripped the entire electronics board out of the CD-ROM. I wired directly to the actuator motor, which is 5 volts. I originially thought, " I can just run the 12volts in, jumper the eject button to a SPST momentary push button." Then I realised that the logic circuits required the 12v and the 5 volt power supplies to be active. So to save time I pulled out an old Zip drive wall wart that I had lying around, pulled the board out of the CD-Rom. mounted a 1/8" mono < T/R> jack to the back side of the drive, which wires directly to the motor. I built the control box with a DPDT Center off Toggle switch, I supplied power to the switch through two seperate SPST momentary contact push buttons < 'cause I couldn't find a DPST Momentary> so you have a selector switch which you set at your stand-by and a "go" switch which you push to activate the device. The 5v power supply plugs in right at the control box in the booth, so you only have to run the cat5 cable out to the douser. 
As far as mounting goes, I used the mounting holes built into the side of the drive, I installed two 1" angle irons using the stock screws. The mount that my projector sits on is a custom one that I made and the base is 3/4 plywood. I was able to screw the angle irons to the fron edge of the mount and have about 1/2" of clearance for the tray to pass in front of the lens. As for the dousing material, I was in a real hurry and I just put gaff across the hole in the middle of the tray then trimmed it down so it didn't interfere with the travel. I know that's cheest but, Hey I only had four hours. In the future I think I might put some 1/8" plexi on instead. Perhaps even be able to use a couple of different shades for cutting down the brightness of a projector for a certain cue. I'll get some pics up ASAP. Clean House opens tonight I go into techs for The Rabbit Hole in one week and only have half the set done and Electrics has the theater all next week, so it might take a couple of days.


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## Raktor (Jan 27, 2008)

Mine has an RJ-45 port as well, but I've just soldered the cable so it triggers the eject button - so it still has all of its circuitry inside.


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## derekleffew (Jan 27, 2008)

avkid said:


> Hmm...neither of those are technically DMX 512 compliant...


I assume you object to the one with the D3M, but what is not compliant about the one with no leads? And to which standard are you referring: USITT DMX512-1986, -1990, or DMX512A?


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## Chris15 (Jan 27, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> I assume you object to the one with the D3M, but what is not compliant about the one with no leads? And to which standard are you referring: USITT DMX512-1986, -1990, or DMX512A?



I love standards, there are so many to choose from. I agree the 3 pin is non Kosher, but I too could not see an issue with the terminal block option.

And here's another option: http://www.dmxprojects.com/projects_dmx_relay.html


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## icewolf08 (Jan 28, 2008)

There is also the DFD GPI OEM board, which can be spec'ed to output 0-10v analog or just be a contact closure.

I hate to say it, but while 3 pin connectors for DMX are not in the written standard they have become so common who really cares? I mean why bother being picky, I bet we all use some device that uses 3 pin for DMX. Also, most devices with 5 pin connectors don't have al five wired to something, that would just ad to labor costs, and since chances are we will never officially use the last two pins, why bother?


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## derekleffew (Jan 28, 2008)

YES, Alex! The only time I've ever needed all five pins is on a WholeHogII RFU. Get over it people. But I like the MAC2000, and others, which have both 3pin and 5pin, as I use the fixture as an adapter (but not a splitter) all the time. Really handy when one universe is VLs and one is MACs on the same pipe.


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## TechiGoz (Feb 4, 2008)

Not sure if anyone else has seen it, but you can get DMX board and chuck a servo on the end of it, and give it one parameter - TILT - and the the servo will move up and down. On the end, place a long bit of card/mdf or whatever you fancy, and you have a working mechanical, remote arm that you can trigger off you're lighting console!

Magic!


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## Van (Feb 4, 2008)

TechiGoz said:


> Not sure if anyone else has seen it, but you can get DMX board and chuck a servo on the end of it, and give it one parameter - TILT - and the the servo will move up and down. On the end, place a long bit of card/mdf or whatever you fancy, and you have a working mechanical, remote arm that you can trigger off you're lighting console!
> 
> Magic!


 
Yeah it the *and chuck a servo on the end of it,* That most folks usually have a hard time with. For me this was simply a quick and dirty way to throw together a douser. I'd love to go with a servo unit but building the drive unit, and the programing would take a bit more than the average folk usually get into.


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## Grog12 (Feb 5, 2008)

Van said:


> Out of the blue we suddenly have issue with the light comming out of the front of the projector during the final black out of *The Clean House* . Yesterday,I get a note which says, basically,
> " We can't have this light in the final scene. It's distracting! Fix It Now!" Of Course I reply,
> " If you will remember I brought this up at the very first Production meeting, Projectors don't go black. You said That wouldn't be a problem, if you want it fixed I need $580.00 for a DMX controlled Douser, and it won't be here for a week."
> "No Good you have 'till opening, two days."
> ...


Kid at UNLV is a friend of mine (my MFA is from UNLV) and I actually have his instructions on how they made it. I just ended up making one myself took me about 4 hours all told because I knew what I was doing.

This is a picture of UNLV's...when I take one of ours I'll post it here.


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## David Ashton (Feb 6, 2008)

Without wishing to make life too simple, has anyone considered buying a cheap dmx lighting effect for around $50 then using the components to make the dowser.this would seem to be much easier than the options so far.


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## Grog12 (Feb 6, 2008)

Actually this project is rather easy and cheaper than $50. The original was built because they didnt have the money to even buy a $50 lighting effect to cannabilize. But they did have the rest of the parts lieing around the shop to make the CD Dowser.


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## David Ashton (Feb 6, 2008)

yes but not dmx.


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## gafftaper (Feb 11, 2008)

Van said:


> Well I looked for it here and didn't see it. Rats. I may keep going anyway. I'm tenacious that way.



While I'm late arriving to this thread, it just would feel so good to taunt Van about using the search function. Furthermore the fact that the "OSHA Kid" beat him to it makes this even more intriguing. But alas it's just been too long to get in a good shot along these lines. So I'm going to bed instead.


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## derekleffew (Apr 2, 2008)

Unless I'm missing something, I don't think the Chauvet unit would be appropriate for dousing a projector. And I know of very few professional strobes that use a 0-10v input as a trigger. There must be some purpose for it, or they wouldn't make it, but I can't think of a good use.


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## avkid (Apr 2, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> I know of very few *professional* strobes that use a 0-10v input as a trigger.


Well, it is Chauvet.


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## bdkdesigns (Apr 10, 2008)

I've also used an old color scroller before as a douser. We disconnected the fans on it so that it was silent (heat isn't an issue on this projector). 

I had a Heat Shield window and a Black Wrap window side by side. It was easy to make since we only had a 15 minute window to hang a projector that was just added to the show during tech.


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## leistico (May 16, 2008)

I just got through doing "Closer" at my theatre, and had an interesting time with that same problem. The projector had to be used in the "chat room" scene, as it was the only action for the scene, and we had it on a gray/white wall on the set, glowing like glowtape, even on "black".

I found a chunk of masonite on the shop floor, drilled a couple holes in it, put one screw through it into the projector shelf as a pivot, put another screw in the shelf as a stop point for the "shutter" to rest on in closed position, and tied about 50 feet of string to it, up and over a couple pulleys, nails (not screws) and unused dead-hung light pipe.

The end of it terminated in side-of-house wing space. I put two screws close together on the back of the wall, and tied another screw to the string, so that all I needed was a stagehand on cue to pull the string about six inches and slip the screw+string under the other two screws for it to stay open, then when the scene was done, lift it out and let it hang free. The shutter rested back onto the other screw, and no one was the wiser. I had a black screen on prior to and after the scene, so there wasn't any spill light to speak of, and heat wasn't an issue as the projector ventilation was unobstructed and the masonite shutter was never in front of anything but "black".

I said little prayers to MacGyver and Rube Goldberg, as it lasted the whole three week run.


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## derekleffew (May 17, 2008)

Very inventive, leistico. In Las Vegas, we would have found a way to make it hydraulic, and controlled by a PLC, with a dedicated operator, as well as a spotter, on a "deadman switch".


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## ruinexplorer (May 23, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> Very inventive, leistico. In Las Vegas, we would have found a way to make it hydraulic, and controlled by a PLC, with a dedicated operator, as well as a spotter, on a "deadman switch".




And it would have gone over budget.


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## derekleffew (May 23, 2008)

ruinexplorer said:


> And it would have gone over budget.


Never enough money to do it right the first time, but always enough to redo it. 

It's not done until it's been rebuilt four times.

(Certain phrases I've learned from a particular company in the desert.)


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## icewolf08 (May 24, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> Never enough money to do it right the first time, but always enough to redo it.
> 
> It's not done until it's been rebuilt four times.
> 
> (Certain phrases I've learned from a particular company in the desert.)



"Why have one when you can have two at twice the price?"


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## ruinexplorer (May 25, 2008)

icewolf08 said:


> "Why have one when you can have two at twice the price?"



Especially since you need to have a spare for the over engineered piece that will never fail and if it does there will be no way to replace it until you have time to repair it anyway!


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## dbaxter (Jun 24, 2008)

On a serious note, I used an old servo from my RC car days and a USB servo controller from Phidgets to swing a "lollypop" of a big juice can lid soldered to a brass bar mounted to the servo. It took 20 minutes to whip up a Delphi program to have a green (open) and red (closed) button on the lighting computer to swing the douser in and out. If anybody wants the program, send me a note.


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## Ross (Jul 15, 2008)

My former boss created a projector douser out of one of our spare wybron forerunners and some black wrap. Since it worked so well we now have 2. We use it on every show that has projections. I have to resize some images but I'll post them later. Promise!


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## dramatech (Jul 15, 2008)

I just finished building a douser that is being used in our current show. I used a DMX to servo board that I purchased from Northlight DMX products in Tempe, AZ $49 and shipping and a $12 servo from some online hobby store. The board can operate up to 8 servos and can be either DMX or 1-10vdc analog. I cut a piece of lollypop shaped plastic out of the bottom of an old Makita case, and attached to a round servo horn. Put it all in a project box and gaff taped it to the top of the projector. I made mine to last in a metal project box from mpja.com, but a platic box from radio shack will also work. I used pomona 5 pin xlrs from Mouser.com and built the basic power supply with a Radio Shack transformer and components. The whole thing cost me about $80, but it every bit as good if not better built than the City Theatrical unit. You can find Northlight DMX with a google search. James the owner is incredible at answering questions and service. He has many other products for DMX that can be used in the theater, but keep in mind that his products are just boards. You still have to do the mounting and connectors.


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## Van (Jul 15, 2008)

I like eveybodies responses, but remember I built mine in under 45 minutes, and it cost me nothing. 


"It's Crap!"
"The parts are crap, but you put 'em together and you got yourself a firefly."


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## dumaisaudio (Sep 24, 2008)

Out TD just hacked apart 4 or 5 CD drives to make the two dousers we're using. Overall, the concept is good, but I have two complaints. First, they're pretty loud, especially for our small theatre. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that he gutted most of the original circuit boards, or something else. The second is, one of the drives gears will grind if the switch is pressed for too long. And it's hard for our PSM to tell if she's pressed it enough sometimes, since she's so far removed from it. Overall, it was a very cheap solution to our problem, but sometimes cheap isn't better. I'm wondering how easy it would be to build sometime similar to the City Theatrical douser. It doesn't have to be DMX controlled, just a on/off switch for someone to operate. I'm not too familiar with electronics in this capacity, so I'm not sure where to start. Is there a certain type of motor that should be used? Does it need some sort of circuit board to tell it how far to go forwards and backwards. I don't want to spend $250 for one of these, but it seems like it shouldn't cost too much. I've seen the DMX controlled ones that many of you are building, is that the best way to go? I guess I need to beef up on my DMX knowledge.


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## coolbeam (Sep 24, 2008)

I'm pretty sure this one predates City Theatrical's. DMX Video Projector Shutter


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## msldnola (Jan 25, 2009)

Here is another twist. I found this cool little device that converts DMX (1990) to a ordinary DC servo control, like the ones used in RC hobbies:
DMX512 to RC servo controller.
You supply the power supply, one of those little radio shack project boxes, the servo, some hot glue and black foamcore and maybe some sticky velcro to mount and you have a much less expensive version of the City Theatrical shutter. The advantage of this over the CD drawer/relay is that you can control the speed of the douse as the channel level/servo throw is written into the fade cue.

Cheers,
Mark Sell
TD and other hats


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## dramatech (Jan 25, 2009)

That is exactly the way that I made my douser. I used Northlight DMX to servo board and a project bobox from MPJA.com. I had quite a few servos from my earlier days of model flying. It works great and is a whole lot cheaper than any of the commercial units.


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## ccm1495 (Sep 15, 2012)

*So.. CD Dowser*

So, I have a production coming up that will be requiring some rear projections with low price projectors and I need them to be able to black out completely. My first thought was, Ok I will get some dmx dowsers.... Then my second thought, Which happened within seconds of the first was, I cant justify that cost for a 3 day run. So, of course I turned to control booth. I started looking around and happened across some posts about CD dowsers. I decided that tonight I would make one and share what I came up with for others to use if they like.

Here are some pictures.




This is the inside of the panel.






This is the micro switch that trips the led's on the panel when the dowser in all the way open or closed. 


I decided to make a cd dowser and a special controller to go with it. There is a light up safety switch for turning on the power to the device. The joy stick is from an arcade game but one could use 2 of any micro switches that has a NC and a NO contact. The led lights on the panel also give the user feed back as to what position the dowser is in. So they won't burn out the motor. The dowser control runs over 3 pin xlr.


Here is a video of the operation of my new device.
[video=youtube_share;9X5s1RC13-8]http://youtu.be/9X5s1RC13-8[/video]

When opening the dowser the top light will become brighter when at its maximum travel. When closing or opening or at any point other than full open of full close both lights will be on dim. When the dowser is at its most closed position the top light will become brighter and the bottom will go off. The last thing i need to do to it is give it another coat of paint and put some labels on it.

I will add a radio-shack parts list at some point and a wiring diagram if anyone wants one.

Hope that you enjoyed or got an idea.


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## drummerboi316 (Sep 15, 2012)

*Re: So.. CD Dowser*

This is a really cool idea! Will definitely keep this in mind when I need an on-the-cheap douser. If you wouldn't mind posting wiring guides and parts list, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the great solution!!


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## ccm1495 (Sep 20, 2012)

*Re: So.. CD Dowser*

Have not made wiring diagrams yet.... Well at least not ones that are not scratched on the back of a sticky note. But I bid test it on the end of 300 ft of xlr and it performed flawlessly.


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## Cea (Oct 10, 2012)

dumaisaudio said:


> Out TD just hacked apart 4 or 5 CD drives to make the two dousers we're using. Overall, the concept is good, but I have two complaints. First, they're pretty loud, especially for our small theatre. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that he gutted most of the original circuit boards, or something else. The second is, one of the drives gears will grind if the switch is pressed for too long. And it's hard for our PSM to tell if she's pressed it enough sometimes, since she's so far removed from it. Overall, it was a very cheap solution to our problem, but sometimes cheap isn't better. I'm wondering how easy it would be to build sometime similar to the City Theatrical douser. It doesn't have to be DMX controlled, just a on/off switch for someone to operate. I'm not too familiar with electronics in this capacity, so I'm not sure where to start. Is there a certain type of motor that should be used? Does it need some sort of circuit board to tell it how far to go forwards and backwards. I don't want to spend $250 for one of these, but it seems like it shouldn't cost too much. I've seen the DMX controlled ones that many of you are building, is that the best way to go? I guess I need to beef up on my DMX knowledge.




https://www.box.com/shared/static/nwzlke4c6nz8010nt18x.jpg
https://www.box.com/shared/static/ct6za9wiazot6jaq8is5.jpg


Hi, may i ask, do u have the describe tutorials？like with pic?
Because i dun know how to disassemble the disk drive...n the wire link r more hard to do for me...
Thank, if somebody can help :]


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