Feeling behind

Logan, if you're still up, IM me.

FINALLY managed to get the setup finished enough to start the show! Running only two sequences right now. Haven't had time to finish the other six; so they will get added on an "as completed" basis.

Show has been running for 5 hours with nary a glitch! Well....aside from a wet connection some where tripping a GFI.

My first controller had channels 4 and 11 as being temperamental. They decided when to turn off when they wanted, not according to my sequence. My dilemma was cured with the very good help of other D-Light owners, telling me to put a wall wart to load the triacs. Well let me tell you, this year, I have exactly 32 adapters waiting for those channels thinking they will pi$$ me off and do what they want. Not this year buster!

Cracked trace on PCB somewhere around the resistor network for the second PIC. You can spend half a day with freeze mist and an ohmmeter, but I suspect you want to "get 'er done".

My patented fix for this 11th hour problem: put a light bulb in the controller box to keep the board from contracting.

I just inspected the board (unplugging all of those tightly spaced spade connections in 20 degree weather is a real pain).  The only possibly bad solder joint I could find was on opto #5 so I touched that one up (I'm pretty experienced behind the iron btw).  Not seeing any bad solder joints I pulled and reseated the IC chips.  Just for grins I also replaced the communications IC with a spare I had on hand (I keep a few of those on hand since others have had problems with that IC).  A quick bench test has channels 9-16 lighting up (I'm out of spade connectors for making the jumper to test the other bank on the bench).  Just to rule out thermal issues I now have the board freezing for a while before a retest.

Edited by LightsOnLogan - 25 Nov 2008 at 9:24pm