End a chain of lights using a DMX terminator to reduce errors in transmission that occur with long runs of cable. The terminator also helps lower interference from other equipment and AC power lines. DMX terminators are inexpensive to purchase and keep lighting under control. Attaching the terminator to the last DMX light in the chain ends signal loss and the ill-timed loss of a fixture during a performance. The terminator has a cord attached which makes the device easy to tie onto the light so losing it is never an issue.
DMX cables can be linked together to create a length that works for every installation. Purchasing the cables in varying lengths will assure the installer has exactly what is needed during a light installation. An assortment of lengths allows cables to be wrapped around any obstacle and kept out of the way of patrons, performers and other personnel. Several 50-foot lengths can take the cables to the first set of lights and several shorter length cables, five or 10 feet, are helpful to string fixtures together. Twenty-five foot cables can be used to link lights from one side of the stage to another.
Chaining lights together and placing them on a single channel at the control board reduces the number of channels used and frees up the DMX control board for more lighting possibilities. However, in order for the chaining process to work properly each light on the chain must perform in the same manner. A lighting inventory created for each event can help keep the lights in a chain the same and the channel working at its best.
It is easy to get DMX cables mixed up with microphone cables. Labeling the DMX cables using a permanent marker will help distinguish the two. Marking the DMX cables by writing "DMX" on the length of each cable's end can identify a DMX before it is used for the wrong purpose. Marking the cables with a periodic stripe (every three or four feet) helps identify them from a distance. Leaving the microphone cables unmarked keeps them separated from the lighting cables. Storing the cables in separate bags can also help distinguish them and keep them from getting twisted and knotted up.