Abstract CLUB User Manual

Instruction Manual

Abstract Universal Instruction Manual

Introduction

The Abstract range of lighting products offers an incredible number of features
in a variety of different effects, which can all work together in harmony to
produce an amazing light show.

This booklet contains instructions for the following products:

• ClubScan

• ClubRevolution

• ClubColour

• ClubJive

• Futurescan 1

• Gladiator Revolution

• Twister 4

• Galactic Star

• DuoColour

All the information in this booklet applies to all the above products, unless it
has lines beside it.

Information like this only applies to certain products. The text will
tell you to which products it is relevant.

The Abstract lighting effects are all complex intelligent lighting effects with
the following features:

• Smoothly microstepped movements with automatic speed sensing

• Vivid dichroic colours

• Microstepped colour wheel with both sm ooth colour crossfading and

fast colour snapping

• Microstepped gobo wheel (where fitted) for precise and fast gobo
changing

• Variable speed strobe effect

• Controlled by standard DMX512, any channel 1-508

• Automatic switch to ‘stand-alone’ mode when DMX disconnected

• Synchronising stand alone 2-channel light show (compatible across

whole Abstract range)

• DMX channel can be changed whil e unit is running

• DMX switch-through relay in case of unit failure

• DMX/Audio beat indication LED

• Units can be remotely reset (using Abstract controller)

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Abstract Universal Instruction Manual

Connections and controls

All the units have the same connections and indications, th ough they are in
different positions on the di ff ere nt units. The m ain conne ctio ns and control s
are as follows.

1. DMX output socket

devices can be linked in to the system through this socket. In stand alone
mode the unit outputs its own DMX through th is socket. If you’re not sure
which is the input and the output, the input is the one where you can touch
the pins, the output is the one where you can’t.

2. DMX input plug

controller such as the Abstract CE controller, or other DMX lighting desk
can be connected to this plug. The unit buffers the DMX si gnal, so you must
make sure you get the conne ctors the right way round. If you are using a
controller with a 5-pin DMX output, you will need to use a 5 to 3 pin
adaptor with pins 2 and 3 swapped.

3. Power on LED

this light does not come on there is either no power to the unit, or some
internal problem with the unit.

4. DMX present / Audio beat LED

constantly when DMX is being received (it may flicker in time with the DMX
frames), and goes out when DMX is not received. When the LED is not lit the
unit is in stand alone mode and the LED will flash when an audio beat is detected.

(pin 3 cold, pin 2 hot, pin 1 grounded ). Other DMX

(pin 3 cold, pin 2 hot, pin 1 screen). A dedicated

(red). This LED is lit whenever the unit is powered up. If

(green). This LED is on

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5. Dip switches

to (in binary code). Channel 1 is the first valid DMX channel. If all switches 1-9
are off, the unit will automatically set its own DMX channel. Switch 10 sets the
stand alone ‘group’ of the unit, either 1 (off) or 2 ( on). See the last page of this
booklet for help on setting the switches.

6. Microphone

microphone.

7. Mains power

IEC connector on the back face of the unit. There is a power supply fuse built
into this connector. If this fuse fails you should take the unit to an Abstract
dealer for service.

Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and DuoColour

leads

.

8. Lamp alignment

the unit (the opposite end from the mirror) there are 3 screws marked “Lamp
align”. These allow you to adjust the position of the lamp within the re flector to
optimise the evenness of the ligh t beam.

The alignment is set at the factory and you should not need to change it unless
you renew the lamp.

9. Focus

projection by turning the lens. If you turn the lens anticlockwise several turns,
the lens will come out of the unit allowing it to be cleaned.

On the Twister 4 and Galactic Star, there is a slider knob on the top of the case.
Turn the knob anticlockwise to loosen it, focus by sliding backwards and
forwards, then turn the knob clockwise to lock the focus position.

10. Remote control socket

DuoColour). The “remote control” (3 buttons) can be connected to this socket
using a stereo jack cable. Do not connect any other equipment to this socket or
damage may result.

. Dip switches 1-9 set the DMX channel that the unit will respond

. The unit can sense the beat of the music through this built-in

(not shown in picture). Power is supplied to the unit th rough an

have captive power

(not shown in picture). “Club” effects only. On the bottom of

(not shown in picture). You can focus the light beam for sharp gobo

(Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and

Note: when power is not connected to the unit, the DMX input and

output connectors are bridged through by a relay to maintain
the DMX circuit.

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Setting the unit up

Ensure that fixings are sufficient to carry the weight of the unit. The unit is fan
cooled and you must make sure that free airflow is maintained around it. Ensure
there is at least 1 metre between the lens of the unit and any surface which the
light beam can shine on.

For Club range units, the unit should be installed with the mirror at the top to
ensure best light output.

You can operate the unit in two ways:

• “Stand alone” mode, where the unit listens to th e music and generate s its
own complex lightshow. This mode is good when you want a quick and
impressive show, or if you don’t have time to program or operate the
light show.

• DMX controlled mode, where you connect a controller such as the CE
controller, the Clubshow or a standard lighting desk to the unit and
control its movements yourself. This mode is best for live performance, or
if you want to have full control over the light show.

Setup for Stand Alone mode

All Abstract products have a sophisticated built-in lightshow, which is
compatible across the whole range of products - you can connect any mix of
units together and a fascinating synchronised lightshow will be produced.

If you have more than one Abstract unit, you can link the units using DMX
cables (balanced microphone cables should work). Connect the DMX out (the
socket) on the first unit to the DMX in (plug ) on th e se cond unit. The n continue
linking as many other units as you want. The first unit will then control the other
units to give an automatic synchronised light show.

You can tell which unit is controlling the light show because its green light will
be flashing. The green light will be permanently lit on all the other units.

Remote control for Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and DuoColour

Connect the remote control to the first unit in the DMX line using a stereo jack
cable. Not all units are fitted with the remote control socket, so ensure a
“master” unit fitted with the socket is first in the DMX line. The remote will
then control all the other lights in the DMX line.

:

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2-channel stand alone light show

To add further interest to the light show you can set each unit to either follow
the first unit or to do something in contrast to the first unit. F or ex ample, if you
have four units, two on the right and two on the left, you might want to set the
outside two units to do one thing, and the middle two to do a variation on the
same theme.

Set dip switch 10 ‘off’ to make the scan work the same and ‘on’ to select the

variation. Even if you only have two units you will probably find that you get a
better light show if you set dip switch 10 ‘on’ on the second unit.

On

non-Club range units

, dip switch 10 has no effect on the first unit in the

line. It is always assumed to be “off” for the first unit.
If you are using Abstract CE-range products with Club products, make sure one

of the Club products is first in the DMX line, because the Club products have
“Supersound” stand alone mode which produces a better light show. The
Twister 4 and Galactic Star also have “Supersound” but the other products do
not.

Special options in stand alone mode

In stand alone mode, you can also set three options which affect the way the
unit produces its light show, by setting the other 9 dip switches ( 1 -9):

•

All dip switches on: Display mode - unit ig nores audio and scans slowly
through various patterns (including strobes)

•

1 off, 2-9 on: Slow mode - unit responds to audio but always moves slowly
and gently. No strobing is used

.

• 1 on, 2 off, 3-9 on: Strobe disable mode - unit behaves as for normal
stand-alone mode but will not use strobing.

These options only need to be set on the first unit in the DMX line if several
units are connected together. You can set th e switches before or after the unit
is turned on.

If you connect a DMX source while these special options are se t, the unit will
have a start channel of 1.

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Setup for DMX controlled mode

When using DMX, all the units receive all the channels. You need to tell each
unit which channel to respond to (its ‘base channel’). You do this by setting dip
switches 1-9 to the binary code of the channel you want. See the back pag e of
this manual if you need help with this, or the m ost common se ttings are printed
on the top of the unit.

Note: if you want two units to behave exactly the same, you can set

the dip switches for both units to the same channel.

You can change the dipswitches while the units are running, and the new
settings will take effect immediately. You don’t need to turn the unit off and on.

Connect your controller to the DMX in socket on the first unit, using a 3­pin XLR cable. If you are using a controller with a 5-pin D MX output, you
will need to use a 5 to 3 pin adaptor with pins 2 and 3 swapped (pin 2 is
‘hot’). Connect the next unit, if you have one, to the DMX output plug.

This unit buffers the DMX signal as it passes through the unit, which m eans that
you can connect as many units togethe r as you want. Y ou d on’t ne e d to conne ct
a line terminator in the last unit.

If you are using the Abstract CE controll er, you should set up the controller to
match the heads you have connected. Re fer to the controller manual for help on
this.

If the controller does not have a setting for the ClubScan or ClubRevolution, use
the Futurescan 3CED setting. If no Twister 4 setting is provided use Galactic
Moon.

If no DuoColour setting is provided use two Colour Changer heads to control
each side of the DuoColour separately. The left hand side will be at the DMX
channel you set on the dip switches. The right hand side will be two channels
further up, i.e. if you set the dip switches to channel 1, one side of the unit will
be on channel 1 and the other side is on channel 3.

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Operating the unit

When you turn the unit on, it will go through an initialisation routine where it
moves all the motors to their zero positions. You may hear some bumping
noises as the unit checks the limits of movement on the motors.

The initialisation routine takes about 20 seconds, after which the unit will begin
to respond to DMX input, or to sound if no DMX is connected.

Note: Units with halogen lamps do not turn the lamps on until

initialisation is complete.

Operation in stand alone mode

If the unit is in stand alone mode (no DMX connected), it will automatically
produce a light show in response to the music, and will control any other units
connected to it.

If you have several units, you can tel l which one is gene rating the light show by
looking at the green LEDs. The first unit in line will automatically generate the
light show and will flash its LED in time with the music. The other units will have
their LED’s on continuously.

You can set several special options on the dip switches which affect how the
unit behaves in stand alone mode; see page 6.

Note: If you connect other manufacturers’ products to the DMX

output while th e un it is in sta n d a lon e mod e, th e y will p rob a b ly
not respond.

Remote control for Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and DuoColour

You can black out the unit (and any others connected to it by D MX) by pressing
the Blackout button. You can make the unit strobe by pressing the Strobe
button. You can make the unit move more slowly by pressing the Slow button.

If the unit is receiving DMX, the remote control will have no effect.
On the DuoColour you can lock the colour by holding down the slow button

for a few seconds (the Slow light flashes). You can then step through the colours
by pressing the Slow button briefly.

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Operation in DMX controlled mode

To control the unit we recommend Abstract’s CE controller, Compact
controller or ClubShow system, which are designed specifically for Abstract
lighting units. However, you can use any DMX controller to operate the unit.

DMX channel usage

The following table shows you which function of the unit is controlled by e ach
DMX channel, and how many channel s are used. “Base” i s the c hannel numb er
you have set on the dip switches. The values for each function are on page 15.

Unit type

ClubScan 4 Pan Tilt Colour Gobo
ClubRevolution 4 Swivel Rotation Colour Gobo
ClubColour 2 Colour Gobo - ­ClubJive 4 Expand Rotation Colour Gobo
Futurescan 1 4 Pan Tilt Col/Gob Shutter
Gladiator Revolutn. 4 Swivel Rotation Col/Gob Shutter
Twister 4 2 Rotation Col/Gob - ­Galactic Star 4 Shutter Rotation Colour Gobo
Duo Colour 4

Pan/tilt

The mirror pan and tilt functions are proportional with automatic speed sensing

- if you move the control fast, the mirror will move fast; if you move the control

slowly, the unit will follow slowly and smoothly.

Rotation, Swivel and Expand

Units with rotation functions have a “stop” position at the centre of the DMX
control (value 128), with rotation speed increasing anticlockwise as you go
down the control or clockwise as you go up the control. There is also a
“stop” position at the maximum and minimum values.
The “
degrees, providing some amazing beam movements.
The “
wider effect.

Colour
The colour function is also proportional; this allows you to perform smooth

crossfades between colours. To obtain correctly positioned colours you nee d to
send the correct DMX values (the unit does not ‘snap’ to the colours). Many

” function allows you to twist the mirror drum through 220

Swivel

” function moves the beam in and out, creating a narrower or

Expand

No. of
chans

1
Base

Col/Gob1

2
Base+13Base+24Base+3

Shutter1

Col/Gob2

Shutter2

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controllers can ‘learn’ these values. The Abstract controllers are pre­programmed with them. The DMX values for each colour are listed at the end
of the manual.

On the
gobos are permanently fixed to the colours. You cannot select them separately.

Gobo

The units also crossfade between gobos. This allows you to “fade out” the lig ht
by moving the control slowly from Open to Blackout. To obtain correctly
positioned gobos, you need to send the correct DMX values to the unit. The
values for each gobo are listed at the end of the manual.

If you move the control to the top end of its range (about 80%) you will enter
the ‘strobe zone’. The unit will strobe slowly (about one flash per second) at
80%, up to full speed strobe (about 10 flashes per second) at 100%.

If you move the control to zero, the unit will black out.

Shutter

The Galactic Star, Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and DuoColour have a
separate channel to control blackout and strobe functions.

On the
functions are actually provided by the colour/gobo wheel, so you may see
colours momentarily flash by when you select blackout. The strobe function
operates on adjacent colours. If you want a black/white strobe, select “White”
on the colour channel.

The
value before any light will come out of the unit.

Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution, Twister 4 and DuoColour

Note: Except for the Galactic Star, the gobo wheel is used to

produce the strobe effect, so you cannot strobe on a gobo. The
Galactic Star can strobe on any setting if you use the Shutter
channel to control the effect.

Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and Duo Colour

Galactic Star

has a separate shutter. Channel 1 must be set to a non-ze ro

,

, these

Compatibility with other Abstract units

All units in the Abstract CE, VR and Club ranges are compatible with each other,
even those which have different functions, or more colours and g obos. You will
find that some colours are repeated on the sim pler units; these match the extra
colours or gobos on the more complex units.

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Maintenance of the unit

In typical use, the unit will get dirty due to smoke fluid, dust and cigarette
smoke.

Every few weeks you should clean the mirror and lens of the unit using a soft
damp cloth to ensure maximum light output. Do not use abrasive cleaners or
solvents to clean the optics of the unit. Using a vacuum cleaner, remove fluff
from the fan outlet and the air intakes on the unit. If the airflow becomes
restricted or blocked, the unit will overheat. This will shorten the working life of
the unit and may result in the thermal trip activating on Club serie s units.

If you are operating the unit regularly for prolonged periods (e.g. nightclub
installations) you should take the unit to an Abstract dealer for full servicing and
internal cleaning a few times a year. Do not attem pt to open the case yourself as
electrical hazards are present inside, and you risk damaging delicate internal
parts.

Lamp replacement

To replace the lamp, first turn off the unit, remove the power, and if the unit
has been operating, wait 15 minutes for it to cool down.

Club range units: Remove the lamp by taking out the thumbscrews in the e nd

plate and withdrawing the lampholder through the re ar end of the case.
Remove the old lamp from the lampholder and fit the new lamp.

You must not touch the quartz glass of the lamp! Handle by the
ceramic base only.

Replace the lamp into the unit and refit the thumbscrews. Power up the
unit. Adjust the lamp for best brigh tness and evenness of lig ht using the 3
screws on the lamp plate.

Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution and Duo Colour: Open the hatch on the top

of the unit by removing the thumbscrew. Slide out the old lamp. Pull the
connector off the lamp and plug it onto the new lamp. Refit the lamp.
Close the hatch.

Twister 4 and Galactic Star: Open the hatch on the front of the unit by removing

the two thumbscrews. Slide out the old lamp. Pull the connector off the lamp
and plug it onto the new lamp. Refit the lamp. Close the hatch.

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If you have problems

The world of intelligent lighting can sometimes be confusing. You may at times
wonder if the lighting is more intelligent than you are. The next section lists a
few common problems you may encounter, with solutions.

No light from the unit

Check the ‘Power on’ ( red) LED is li t and the fan is running. I f not, there is no
mains supply. Check your mains wiring and the fuse in the back panel.

Check if the lamp is alight. You should be able to see some light escaping
through the fan. If power is present but the lamp is not alight it may need
replacing.

Note: if the u nit is in standb y mode bec ause all its control c hannels

are at ‘zero’ position, it may have turned the lamp off. Set
some controls to non-zero positions.

If the lamp is alight, check th at the unit is not in “blackout”. If you are using a
controller, change the setting. If in stand alone mode, tap the microphone.

Unit turns itself off after working for a while

Club range units are fitted with a thermal trip which may operate if the fan vents
are blocked or excessively dirty, or if the fan fails. The trip will automatically
reset when the unit cools down. Ensure all vents are clean and have free airflow.
If the fan does not run when the unit starts up, take the unit to an Abstract
dealer for repair.

Unit not responding to DMX

Check if the green DMX LED is lit. If not, check that your DMX cables are
connected properly and are wired correctly (the unit is wired with pin 2 ‘hot’;
some controllers may have pin 3 ‘hot’). Also check you have connected the
cables to the right connectors; it does matter which way round they are.

If the DMX LED (green) on the rear of the unit is lit, the unit is definitely
receiving DMX but is probably not responding to the channel you think it is.
Check the dipswitch settings. Also check the DMX polarity, as the green LED
can sometimes light when the DMX is inverted.

If you have intermittent DMX problems, one ‘leg’ of the DMX may be
disconnected, either in this unit or the previous one, or in your wiring
(sometimes the connectors become loose on the ele ctronics board). The DMX
may work intermittently using the mains earth as a ‘common’.

Try using a different DMX source (controller or another scan) to check if that is
the problem.

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If you’ve tried all these and the DMX still doesn’t work, the DMX interface
circuit may have been damaged by a line transient or induced interference (this
happens occasionally). The unit will require repair. Check where your DMX
cables run - if they are near or run alongside high voltage cables, power lines, or
neon, you may have problems.

Some units respond to the controller, others do something different

You have a break in the DMX cabling - one unit is not receiving the DMX and is
generating its own light show. Check the green LED’s - one of the units which is
misbehaving will be flashing its green LED in time to the music. The DMX link
between this unit and the previous one is faulty.

Unit does not respond to sound

Check that the unit is not receiving DMX (the green LED should be off). A lso
check that the unit is not set to ‘display’ mode (see page 6) as it does not
respond to sound in this mode. Otherwise, tapping the microphone should
cause the green LED to flash. Quiet or high pitched sounds will not activate the
unit.

Unit keeps resetting itself intermittently

Sometimes the fuse holder on the electronics board becomes loose. This results
in an intermittent power supply, which may cause the unit to rese t itself. You
can rectify this by removing the fuse and squeezing the terminals on the fuse
holder gently together. This fault can sometimes cause the fuse holde r to ge t hot
and desolder itself from the board, so check that as well.

If still you cannot resolve the problem, it may be that the unit has a fault. You
should contact your Abstract dealer for assistance. If you have Internet access
you can go to:

http:\\www.abstract-lighting.co.uk
which has a technical help page.

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Specifications

Beam movement: 160° (pan) x 100° (tilt) -(Clubscan, Futurescan 1)
Beam rotation: 0 - 80rpm variable speed bidirectional rotation (ClubRevolution,

Twister 4, Galactic Star)
Mirror drum swivel: 220° swivel (ClubRevolution, Gladiator Revolution)
Microstepping: 0.1125° resolution (all channels)
Colours: White + 10 dichroic + multicolour (Club range, Galactic Star)

White + 7 dichroic + multicolour (Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution,

Twister 4, DuoColour)

Gobos: 11 + open (Club range, Galactic Star)

7+open fixed to colours (Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution, Twister 4,

Duocolour)

Lamp: 150W Arcstream 4000K (Club range)

100W 12V A1-231 (Futurescan 1, Gladiator Revolution, Twister 4,

DuoColour)

250W 24V A1-259 (Galactic Star)
DMX: Receive on 1-508

Transmit on 1-8 (stand alone mode - non-standard DMX)

DMX active regeneration when not stand alone
Audio: Electret mic with AGC
Power consumption: 300W approx.
Electronics fuse: T3.15A

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DMX values

Pan (Swivel on ClubRev)-Ch1 Tilt (Ch 2)

DMX Result DMX Result
0Left 0Top
128 Central 128 Central
255 Right 255 Bottom

Rotation (Ch 2 on ClubRevolution)

DMX Result
0 Stop
12 Fastest speed clockwise
112 Slowest speed clockwise
128 Stop
141 Slowest speed a.clockwise
244 Fastest speed a.clockwise
255 Stop

Colour (Ch 3) and colour / gobo

DMX Colour only Colour / Gobo
0White Blackout (Twister 4)

10 White White/open
26 Red Red/dot tunnel
43 Blue Blue/Slash
59 Green Green/Segment
75 Yellow Yellow/Triangle
91 Cyan Cyan/Tunnel
108 Orange Orange/Bubbles
124 Magenta Pink/Stars
140 Neon Green Multicolour
156 Pink Orange/Bubbles
173 UV Blue Cyan/Tunnel
189 Multicolour Yellow/Triangle
221 UV blue Blue/Slash
238 Pink Red/dot tunnel (Slow strobe on
254 Neon Green Red (Fast strobe on Twister 4)

NB: Intermediate values will give mixed colours

Gobo (Ch 4) / Shutter

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DMX Gobo Shutter
0 Blackout Blackout
24 Open Open
40 Laser “
56 Star “
72 Slice “
88 Tunnel “
104 Heart “
120 Eurostars “
136 Sunburst “
152 Triangle “
168 Slash “
184 Bubbles “
200 Segment “
216 Bubbles Open
226 Slow strobe Slow strobe
230 Strobe 2 Strobe 2
234 Strobe 3 Strobe 3
238 Strobe 4 Strobe 4
242 Strobe 5 Strobe 5
246 Strobe 6 Strobe 6
250 Strobe 7 Strobe 7
254 Fast strobe Fast strobe

Note: Intermediate values will give part gobos

Special functions

On units with halogen lamps (all except Club series) the unit will turn off the
lamp if all control channels are at zero for more than about 10 seconds. The
lamp will turn back on when any channel changes from zero. This helps to
extend lamp life if the unit is left powered but in black out for some time.

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Dipswitch settings

The Abstract CE controller can show you a picture of how the dip switches
should be set. If you are using this controller, ignore the settings below.

Settings for all heads if not listed below

Settings for Twister 4

Settings for ClubColour & DuoColour

The dipswitches are set in binary code (1=switch 1 on). To work out how you
need to set the dipswitches to get a ce rtain channel number, use the following
step-by-step procedure:

Step 1: Is number more than 256? If so turn switch 9 on and subtract 256.
Step 2: Is resulting number more than 128? If so turn switch 8 on and subtract 128.
Step 3: Is resulting number more than 64? If so turn switch 7 on and subtract 64.
Step 4: Is resulting number more than 32? If so turn switch 6 on and subtract 32.
Step 5: Is resulting number more than 16? If so turn switch 5 on and subtract 16.
Step 6: Is resulting number more than 8? If so turn switch 4 on and subtract 8.
Step 7: Is resulting number more than 4? If so turn switch 3 on and subtract 4.
Step 8: Is resulting number more than 2? If so turn switch 2 on and subtract 2.
Step 9: Is result 1? If so turn switch 1 on.

If you have a calculator which can display binary, just convert the channel
number to binary and turn on the ‘1’ bits (switch 1 is the right hand bit).

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©Abstract Design to Light 1999 Tel: [phone]
http://www.abstract-lighting.co.uk

Club Range Instruction Manual - Issue 1.0: Oct 99

Written for Abstract Des ig n to Light by Sabre Technology Ltd: 01482 831031

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