One of the most frustrating things about working in an age of incredible technology is the helpless feeling when it doesn’t work. In those moments, what used to be an advantage- it’s wireless- becomes something else, since it’s hard to solve problems you can’t see. Here are some very basic troubleshooting techniques to start with. Though I’m going to mostly use Lumenradio examples, everything here applies to any wireless system such as the amazing City Theatrical Multiverse system.
1. Is it On? Is it Receiving?
On set, we always power our Stardust (Or Multiverse) using POE. It means we have only one cable to drag around with the transmitter when we shift it around set to work around line of sight for either reception or what the camera sees. So to start whenever there is an issue, see if the transmitter is actually on and getting data. If the screen is on, the unit is on. If the letters that denote each universe of output (A-H) atop the display are capital letters, then they are receiving data from your console. It’s amazing how many times just checking for the most obvious problem gets you controlling lights again. City Theatrical gear tells you at the receiver whether DMX is present or not.
2. Is it the Right Universe?
Everyone should have sACNViewer (PC and Mac) and Artnetnominator (for PC) or ArtnetView (for Mac) installed on their laptops. That way, you can always view a universe to compare it against the DMXCat plugged into your receiver to make sure it is set to the right universe. (Lumenradio side note- why, oh why doesn’t CRMX Toolbox show you what universe the receiver is set to? I get that they want to conceal the linking key, but there is no reason I can think of that we shouldn’t be able to see the Universe number.) If it’s not receiving the right universe, correct it. Areas to look are- the receiver being set to the wrong number, the transmitter universe being set to the wrong protocol (remember- Artnet starts with 0 and sACN starts with 1) or you just accidentally set the wrong universe for that output.
3. Is That Antenna Messed Up?
Since my Gaffer/Best Boy ordered some of the first off the assembly line of the Stardusts, there were some early production issues. In our case, we had two antennas outputting at vastly lower levels than the others. Not the physical external antenna, the internal antenna. The best test (assuming you can’t just replace the whole unit for comparison) is to pair a well-functioning receiver to each different antenna to isolate the issue. Here is a picture to show you which Lumen radio antennas link to which outputs. Multiverse users don’t need a picture as it is already written on the chassis.
This issue drove me nuts for quite a while (there were so many variables on the production in question). But pair your best receiver with each one of the universes dedicated to each antenna and walk the area to determine if there is any difference in range. If you trade the physical antennas, does the problem follow the antenna? Then replace the antenna for not much money- but be sure to get an antenna approved by Lumenradio. Don’t save a couple of dollars on Amazon and potentially lose 50% of your signal in the process. Does the problem stay no mater what antenna you put on? Then send it in for repair, as only the manufacturer can fix it.
4. Is There Interference?
Of course there is. But is that the actual problem? Multiverse includes an RF scanner with free software in their studio kit (also available for purchase) that will show you how things are looking while Lumenradio has a built in web interface that you can sign into through your network to show you. If the area is thick with red, that’s probably why your wireless is taking a beating. See what you can have turned off and/or see if there is an open range that you could shift to. We had several stages on a project that had the most aggressive wireless system that I’ve ever seen and it messed up the gear of all departments. When we identified what was happening, we shut the building wireless off while we were filming. It went from “impossible” to “workable” instantly.
Though this list is far from exhaustive, it’s amazing to me how often issues get resolved from just these four tests. If you have techniques that have helped you in the past, please share in the comments. I’m sure we could all use more tools in our kit to try to better wireless.