myDMXGo update

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rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
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Dec 9, 2009
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Hendersonville, TN
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I've got some (possibly) good news on the myDMXGo front. I bought a pair of antennas off amazon:


Finally got around yesterday to setup for testing. In the past, I've connected wifi to the box, then Donner dongle transmitter over to the units (I've also run it hard-wired, and it failed as well). With this new antenna (it's a lot longer than the one that comes on the box), I'm planning to perm-mount the box onto my T-bar and hard-wire it into the first unit, then use the Donner to jump to the 2nd t-bar. To remind you of my rig, I have 2 Chauvet Spot Intimidator 255 moving heads on each mini-T-bar with a Chauvet Colorstrip mini on each as well. At this point, I've not done the firmware update (that some say will fix the connection issue), but planning to do that later today. I also have not updated my iOS app (iPad) in several months. I also don't remember which channel the unit is on. Will check that when I update the firmware.

After I first setup, I went into the fixture designer. The app worked for a half-hour, then threw a pop-up, something about the fixture creator, and the app froze. The lights were still running on the selected program. I rebooted the ipad, went back into run mode and it's been running ever since then (about 24+ hours). No disconnects, just run and run and run. Can't say this is a totally reliable test but it sure is encouraging. After updating the firmware, I'm planning to velcro mount the box to the colorstrip, then install a Donner transmitter onto the first t-bar, then setup the 2nd t-bar and test both sets of lights. It's a big fingers-crossed, but at least encouraging.
 
Have you checked the wifi channels in your immediate area? There are phone apps for this.
Then move the wifi stuff to different, less congested, channels.

I'm going to be running 2 donner-type networks...plus the DMXgo box...all on 2.4.

Everything runs on some default channel/frequency...probabably 1. 7 and 11 are often pretty empty. Not sure on donner what color that is - i usually run green, but with 2 networks (uplights on dmxgo, movers too maybe, and other regular lights off my laptop program) I'm gonna have to experiment some.

and home may not be like a venue...
 
I'm surprised those antennas even worked (assuming you linked the correct ones). The myDMX Go needs an antenna with a SMA male end .. that antenna has a SMA female end (pin is on the mDG box .. not the antenna. My antenna has the pin.
 
Have you checked the wifi channels in your immediate area? There are phone apps for this.
Then move the wifi stuff to different, less congested, channels.

I'm going to be running 2 donner-type networks...plus the DMXgo box...all on 2.4.

Everything runs on some default channel/frequency...probabably 1. 7 and 11 are often pretty empty. Not sure on donner what color that is - i usually run green, but with 2 networks (uplights on dmxgo, movers too maybe, and other regular lights off my laptop program) I'm gonna have to experiment some.

and home may not be like a venue...

Yea, home is not like a venue, and yes, I have tried multiple channels, as well as the channel sniffers (android). The myDMXGo box has been entirely unreliable and a source of frustration, hence why I ditched it. This thing would fail here at home as well. Perhaps not as bad as at some venues, but this little test is enough to being encouraging that maybe there's a way to salvage this tool. I like (love) the app. It's a great interface and a drop dead easy way to control DMX devices for a typical DJ's setup.
 
I'm surprised those antennas even worked (assuming you linked the correct ones). The myDMX Go needs an antenna with a SMA male end .. that antenna has a SMA female end (pin is on the mDG box .. not the antenna. My antenna has the pin.

I linked the one out of my amazon history. Pretty sure it's the correct one and it obviously has the correct plug on it.
 
I linked the one out of my amazon history. Pretty sure it's the correct one and it obviously has the correct plug on it.
Might want to check yours .. it will still screw on, but without a pin, won't make contact. The Amazon description shows it as a female end and the mDG box needs an antenna with a male end.
 
Update: What a piece of crap!

A few weeks ago, I bought antennas and updated the firmware (which was suppose to take care of the wifi connection issues). Tried it at home and everything worked perfectly so I decided to try it at last night's wedding. Now keep in mind, we're WAY out in the country (there's practically no cell service). The only wifi in the building was the venue's wireless router. I did not have my droid box so I couldn't sniff out what traffic might be there. I also had my interface set to channel 11.

End result, couldn't even connect to the dongle with my ipad. I took the interface down from my t-bar (I had it direct-connected to my movers, no Donner dongle involved) and USB connected it to a laptop. The myDMXGo software couldn't even find the interface. The wifi LED would come on every now and then. It would occasionally show up on the ipad and I'd try to connect but would get a half-dozen "Cannot connect to myDMXGo" then finally it would connect (after enough attempts). I'd then go to the app, no devices available. Go back to wifi and the unit has disconnected. I ended up putting my fixtures in sound active. I've re-contacted ADJ support to ask them to send a replacement dongle (they told me that some of the initial units were defective and offered to send a new one). Unless they make good and send a unit that will work this is a dead product to me. Time to break out my MyDMX 3.0 box and try to figure out how to program these things.
 
Update: ADJ gave me an RMA (on a unit that is 16-months old) and I sent it off for replacement, yesterday. I'm praying the new box will fix my problems as I'd love to actually be able to use it. If they don't come thru, or if it doesn't work, I'll have to scramble on my 6/19 prom.
 
I just received the replacement unit today (a day early). Sure don't want to jinx anything but I plugged up the unit and the ipad was able to connect on the first try. Oh man, to think this might actually work (like it's suppose to) is almost too much to hope for!
 
Another update. I pulled my T-bars out of the van and hooked everything up. Going hardwire from the interface to the first tree, then Donner transmitter to jump to the 2nd tree. I won't say it worked perfectly, but it does seem a LOT better about getting re-connected, even after a "device busy". Just let it sit and it eventually starts back up. My Chauvet Colorstrip-minis were giving me fits and didn't want to play right with the device profile in myDMXGo but when I put them at the same base address as one of the movers, well, at least it flashes and changes color. I'm gonna play with this some this week and will be heading to AL Thursday evening.
 
Still wondering why myDMXGo will not come up with a hard wire solution for the ipad. I still can't get over the connectivity issues it still has even after changing the wifi channel. I even tried a larger antenna. So aggravating.
 
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Still wondering why myDMXGo will not come up with a hard wire solution for the ipad. I still can't get over the connectivity issues it still has even after changing the wifi channel. I even tried a larger antenna. So aggravating.

Do you have your bluetooth turned on on the ipad? How about your phone? I've noticed that it appears to interfere with the signal. Turn off BT, no connectivity issues.
 
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Although I am dying to go with MyDMXGo...
I'm glad I didn't have the money at the time.

I am perfectly happy to wait for a BUG-FREE version.
 
Although I am dying to go with MyDMXGo...
I'm glad I didn't have the money at the time.

I am perfectly happy to wait for a BUG-FREE version.
It's not really bugs .. it's more of the limitations of wireless communications with low cost gear. To make it more stable, the product would need to be redesigned so everything ran on the box and the controller (tablet or whatever), just updated things on the host .. that or a bulletproof wireless protocol and beefed up hardware. In the current version, the tablet is generating all the programming and therefore needs a solid link to the box .. which we know sits in a VERY crowded airwave space.

So .. as a $200ish product, it works pretty well if you take the idiosyncrasies into account and try to minimize them .. otherwise it becomes a $750+ box.
 
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So .. as a $200ish product, it works pretty well if you take the idiosyncrasies into account and try to minimize them .. otherwise it becomes a $750+ box.

For sure.
But if the dependability is spotty at best,
the price really doesn't matter.
The real solution is to make it so you can go wired OR wireless.
 
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For sure.
But if the dependability is spotty at best,
the price really doesn't matter.
The real solution is to make it so you can go wired OR wireless.
I guess it depends .. I've run it a few times at gigs and I only had 1 hiccup .. and that's because I let someone control it for a while and he played the user interface like an instrument .. must have pressed button 4-5 times per second at times .. I think the system got confused. Quick reboot and no issues since.

And I run wireless to the mDG (iPad) and from the mDG (Lixada wireless).
 
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To give an update, I'm STILL having troubles with myDMXGo. Keep in mind, I'm sitting out in the country and shouldn't be any crowding in the airspace. Sometimes it seems to work but here lately it keeps getting disconnected. I really need to dig in and get an alternative in place. I would not recommend buying this product.
 
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To give an update, I'm STILL having troubles with myDMXGo. Keep in mind, I'm sitting out in the country and shouldn't be any crowding in the airspace. Sometimes it seems to work but here lately it keeps getting disconnected. I really need to dig in and get an alternative in place. I would not recommend buying this product.
Alternatives would be nice .. but everything else is more complex to program a "show" in.
 
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used mine at maybe 8 gigs since july.
The only hiccup, twice, I had uplights on and when the dancing started I moved them into being dance lighting. So they sat 'on and idle' one could say for 2 or 3 hours.
I had to restart the software on the fire tablet to get their, um, attention.
One of those was in a 450 person ballroom divided into 3 sections, so the walls were up/closed.
the other was in a barn and some of the lights were behind posts, and again, good distance away.

Had I left them as uplights I'd have never had an issue.

These are the 'cheap' chinese uplights, the wedge battery ones like the rock wedges..so it could be them.

Once I updated the mydmxgo box software and picked channel 11, it's worked at every venue i've tried.

If my kinta's were programmed for it I'd use it exclusively I think now.