Products ED15 Eliminator DMX Dimmer Pack

I have a small recording studio in my basement, and I thought it would be neat if I installed a lighting system, too. I purchased one of these ED15 dimmer packs, and then I was so pleased with it that a couple of weeks later I got another one. So far I have been really happy with the ED15s. I have 48 lights (40-Watt Bulbrite ceramic green, blue, red & yellow bulbs) in small clip-on lamps clipped to the beams of my unfinished basement. I split 3 lights into each outlet, for a total of 6 lights per channel. My 7 year-old son and I have a blast playing the drums with the light show! I did have a strange issue that occurred one day and never since: the ED15s would not work when I turned them on, even though the Power Indicator light came on. I called Eliminator Lighting, and they were very friendly and tried their best to fix my problem, which turned out to be a problem with my power system, I think; unplugging one light and plugging it into a different outlet would start the ED15s right up. I have since installed two new 20-AMP circuits: the lights go into one and the audio system into the other, and I have had no more problems. Please note that so far I only use these in stand-alone mode, so I can't speak for their DMX capabilities. They run in auto-mode, running from the pre-set programs and at a speed controlled by the dip switches, or in audio mode, following the pre-sets to the beat of the drums or bass. They respond very well to my drums, but the music does have to be turned up somewhat for them to respond to my audio system. I would like to eventually control them from my MacBook Pro, but there is not much online guidance indicating which software and USB-to-DMX converters I will need. I called Eliminator Lighting again, and they suggested American DJ's My DMX 2.0. That costs about $300, though, so I'm bidding my time. For the moment, I am very happy with the system as it is. Also note that the packs only dim in DMX slave mode; in stand-alone mode they simply turn on & off. I would probably have given the ED15s a 4-star rating, given the slight imperfections I have noted, but for $70, they can't be beat!

This is the best deal you will find for a dimmer pack. Can't beat it. Now for the details. Having used these for more than a year, take note of these things when buying this unit: 1) It's the best deal. I searched long and hard for the best deal on dimmer packs, and this is it. Look no further. Priced under $100 and eligible for Free Prime Two-Day Shipping, this is an easy choice. 2) Note the amps, volts, and watts. Run the calculations for your setup. Google about this if you need to. Run the calculator. For my set up, I only use two of the eight plug-ins. Let me explain why. With this unit, you get four channels with two plugs for each channel. Each channel can sustain 5amps, and the entire unit maxes out at 15amps. This means that if you're using a 110 or 120 outlet, the most (and you don't necessarily want to max out these things) you would get out of the unit is enough juice to power one 575 watt lamp per channel, and even then, you can really only use two, maybe three channels. For my setup, I found that trying to run three channels with 575 watt lamps either tripped the unit or tripped by breaker. So, be careful, and do your research. 3) This unit DOES have full dimming capabilities, not just "on and off" capabilities, as other reviewers have thought. To use the full dimming capabilities, you must set the unit up properly. 4) Learn DMX protocols. This can be tricky for new users, but the manual does explain which dip switches to flip in order to start at certain channels on your board. 5) Fuses will blow. For me, after more than a year of using these, I've learned that fuses basically blow any time a lamp burns out. No big deal though, just unplug the unit and swap it out. That said, the fuses can be purchased expensively at Grainger Supply or inexpensively in bulk on the internet. 6) This unit can be used without a board. Just put the thing in sound mode, and it will change colors when it picks up a beat. Convenient for party use or solo acts. 7) This unit uses three pin DMX cables or XLR cables, not five pin DMX. So that's my review. These things work well, and they are reasonably priced. Just make sure you read up on DMX stuff and watt/amp stuff so that you can eliminate any possible "user error" that my lessen your experience. Have fun!

This DMX dimmer pack contains safety hazards, and should be considered somewhat disposable. The unit has a rope light connector (the little white thing on the bottom right corner). The rope light connector has multiple 120V pins that are barely concealed inside the plastic. Next to the rope light connector, there is a label that says "Don't Touch! High Voltage!". If a spider crawls along this part of the unit just right, it will short circuit the whole thing. This brings me to my next point. The unit has a master fuse, and fuses for each channel. However, the fuses are all internal. Additionally, there is a warning on the box that warns you not to open it, and that there are no user servicable parts inside. Putting it all together, it would appear that someone (or something) could bump this thing just right, and effectively destroy the device. From the lack of a UL logo anywhere, it appears that the device is not UL listed. I doubt it would have passed anyway. Having said all of that, it did appear to work well when I tried it out. DMX dimming worked great, there was minimal buzzing, the metal box seems sturdy. If they just ditched the rope light connector and made the fuses accessible, this would be a great unit for the money.

I already had one of these units and have been looking for a second one. The advantage of this dimmer pack over others is the lack of a digital display. Set the dip switches for the DMX address and away you go, whereas the digital display units seem to fail after time.

Works great. Have had for quite awhile.