I need a dj scanner that will tilt at best 270 degrees and pan (up and down) at best 90 degrees.

I am having a hard time finding lights by degrees.

Thanks,

Andrew

Welcome to the forums, I do believe most of our scanners do the average of about 180 pan(left to right) and 90 tilt (Up and down). The only fixture I can think of that may pan that far is the elation vision scan.
Sincerely,

Wow, that elation vision scan looks like something else! I think it is a little too much for me.

The output I want is just a red dot, just as a red laser light would do. What would be the best scanner for me to get, at the best price?

Thanks!!

Andrew

Why do you need just a red dot for output?

lol.

I am making an interactive website where webusers move the dot, and my dog chases it in my backyard.

See if you can find an old pocket scan. They have a nice small dot and a nice red color on the wheel.
Sincerely,

Sweet! That looks like it will work perfectly!

Correct me if I am wrong, there is a 5mw laser installed that I can use, or the lamp. The laser is not safe for use, but the lamp is relatively harmless, correct?

This one goes somewhere around 180x90 degrees right?

Thank you so much for your great help!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: apbranson,

It's is always reccomendrd that you use the suggested lamp type and wattage due to damage to the unit and other variables.
Sincerely,

I think this would be a good LED application mainly since the light is gonna be on a LOT more than an average light.

I sort of question the animal aspects of this application. I'd say as long as the ASPCA doesn't think the dog is being tormented by this, you should be OK.

I know many moving head/yoke fixtures rotate at least 270 degrees.

I got the american dj pocketscan, and also an enttec usbdmx box. The box is 5 pin and the scanner is 3 pin, what different ways can I connect the two? What is the best way?

You need a DMX turnaround. it is basically a short cord or any length. it will either have a 3 pin out or in and on the other end it will have a 5 pin out or in. make sense?
sincerely,

I think I get it. The male end (with the lone spikes) is the output, and the end that will be plugged into the scanner to control it, right?

Thanks so much for your help, you have been a critical piece in bringing this together!

Andrew

These cables/adaptors are very simple to make.

What Jingles says is a "Turn-around" is not accurate. That would be something that is either a gender changer or a rolling of wires to reverse their orientation. Thats not the goal here.

What you want is an adaptor. You're going to adapt a male or female 3 or 5 pin to the opposite. If it was me, I would make multiples, as you can adapt back and forth.

Here is your wiring schematic, which is true regardless of which type of connector you are using:

Pin 1: Shield. DO NOT CONNECT the shells to shield!!!!
Pin 2: Data -
Pin 3: Data +

That's it. Just keep your wiring constant: 1 to 1, 2 to 2 and 3 to 3 and you'll be fine. You should have no issues at all.

There are also pre-made adaptor plugs:
5 pin to 3 pin adaptor
Nice and neat and clean, but unfortunately, could be easy to lose or get stuck in someone's pocket and walk away.

Another option would be something like the OptoBranch/4 splitter, which has 3 and 5 pin IN and 3 and 5 pin OUT(via a 4-way split), with both ports being active on all splits.

Your only problem will be getting the 5 pin XLR-type connector. But do not worry, these can be readily ordered either online or via your favorite musical instrument/pro audio store.

If you're going to make your own, I have a couple of suggestions since you've got the soldering iron out anyways:
Make multiples and make a few DMX terminators. Heck, I even saw a basic tester for DMX signal, so that might be another low-cost project for you. I know it is going to be one for me. I haven't had issues with DMX signalling yet, but I figure might as well be armed and ready in case disaster strikes!

Note: I can not find documentation to show 3-pin DMX as being the accepted standard. Companies that use the 3-pin XLR are doing so to save the client/end users/themselves money as the 5-pin connections are more expensive.

Oh, and because it hasn't been said:
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! use DMX-512 cabling. It may look and feel like microphone cabling, but it's properly rated for data. It also doesn't cost much different than mid-grade microphone cabling. In fact, if you want a recommendation, I recommend Accucable, which you can buy in pre-made lengths or in bulk reels.

Wow! You Rock Chris! I was gonna bust out with microphone cable.

One more question...

What would it take to replace the laser diode with a lower class diode? I have this laser in mind.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commer....php?products_id=594

Or a similar one, thanks in advance!