A Fatal Flaw? The NEW Rockville Mini RF4 Uplights -- Range Testing

[@DJGALAXYPRODUCTION]

If you get the wireless controller board you can change the colors in that room from any range.

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! That’s great to know that the range is a lot better with the wireless controller.

[@DjDiamondLee]

def just bought 12 of these

[@MrMaui38]

@@DjDiamondLee that’s dope I hope this video helped!! Enjoy them!

[@djonyx6770]

great video and test brotha. Bought them a few weeks ago. Personally will be using them for single color uplighting rentals and smaller events where I want to get in and out but still offer uplighting.

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks watching man! I think they are absolutely perfect for that use. They’re small and offer so many different preset color options for static colors.

[@DJ2Legit007]

Very informative video. Thanks for posting!

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching 2L! I remember watching your Both RF4 video and it was super informative for me! Are you thinking of getting these ones too?

[@DJ2Legit007]

@Shay Thanks!!! I was until I saw your video lol. I don't know. I still might. Just can't decide right now. My RF4s are really working out well for me at the moment.

[@MrMaui38]

@@DJ2Legit007 hahaha just trying to put all the information about them out there! I think you’ll find these as an upgrade to the RF4, mostly because of how that remote works. I know you use wireless DMX so have you checked out the new Both Lighting IR4? I’m actually sending back these Rockville’s and going to buy the IR4

[@DJ2Legit007]

@Shay Yes. I was gonna buy these Rockvilles because of the remote, well until I saw your video lol. I know about the IR4s, but the IR remote is a turn off to me. I am very happy with my RF remote on my RF4s. Many times, I just use my RF remote and not my dmx controller.

[@MrMaui38]

@@DJ2Legit007 yeah the new features on the remote are awesome *in theory*, but in my opinion with the range being limited it offsets a lot of the advantages I thought it would have unfortunately...probably not worth it if you have the RF4 already. How’s the range with the RF4 remote?

[@s.r.4392]

Great content. Really informative vid. Appreciate your work. Greetings from Germany 😊

[@MrMaui38]

Greetings! Thank you for watching and for the words of encouragement! I hope it was helpful.

[@djtheoevents]

I use them (16) with a donner DMX transmitter, make sure you use the blue channel** they dont like red. I also haven linked to a wolfmix and the range is great! My only complaint is i cant yse different dmx channels therefore all the lights do the same color. Bummer i will run them for a few seasons. Gl

[@MrMaui38]

Oh that’s great to know they run on the blue channel and range is great with the DMX transmitter too! If you’re looking again in the future, turns out the Both lighting lights (IR4) allow you to use different DMX channels, so that could be an option for you. Cheers!

[@eddygeeeventsandproduction7148]

Great video to gauge performance on these. I’m wondering if a light was set to master in the middle of the pack if that would improve things? Like the track you have playing!!

[@MrMaui38]

Thank you for watching! Definitely if you place the master in the middle, itll be able to send the signal in all directions! It is convenient to keep the master near the booth so its easier to control, but if you need better range the master can be placed in the middle!

[@djfronkiejay]

I have 20 bestpar 50 and want to add the minis... is there a way to do it

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! I think using wireless DMX is going to be the best way if you're trying to combine them with other Rockville lights. I dont think the remote or master slave will work for all of them. Could also call Rockville to find out? If you're going the wireless DMX route, then look at the Both Lighting IR4 as well -- they've got more DMX capability

[@lasrocasent]

Bro am glad I saw your video cuz i was looking into this lights and the both lighting ones. It looks like the BL ones are better

[@MrMaui38]

Yooo man!! Yeah I agree man get the Both lighting. I ended up returning these Rockville’s and bought the Both lighting. I made a video on them too!

[@lasrocasent]

@@MrMaui38 I will definitely check it out

[@cesnav7593]

Guys, Rockville and Both lighting are the SAME lights from China. They are the literally the same exact light, and each company just put their respective name on it, and sell as different brands.

[@Realdjheisenberg]

Great video again, wow! I'll say it's kind of disappointing, but I'm not really surprised. Once again you get what you pay for I guess. I wonder if they would work better with a DMX controller and the wireless transmitter perched high up (I use a "MyDMX Go" hard wired to a T-bar behind me, then the DMX-out of the T-bar has a wireless transmitter that transmits the signal onto the uplights around the room; it works fantastic with the Bothlighting S4's that I have). In the end you summarized it really well: the best use is to have one set on the back wall with a static color, and use a second set around the dance floor in master-slave mode. I still don't like that you have to disable the master-slave to switch to a different mode, then re-enable the master-slave mode. It's really a quirky thing to do in the middle of a dance set... I don't have time to fiddle around with that during my mixing usually.

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks!! I love that setup you described with the wireless DMX transmitter mounted up high and that’s exactly what I was thinking too. I was actually looking into the MyDMXGo myself - have you been happy with it so far? I definitely agree about the master slave function being limited and that’s exactly why I’m considering to send these back and just go with the Both IR4. I think the master slave functionality of those with the option to perch up a transmitter and run DMX fully will be a good combination to have. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights! Let me know how you like the IR4 when you get them.

[@Realdjheisenberg]

@@MrMaui38 Sadly still waiting on the shipping info for my IR4's... Not holding my breath and really not impressed so far by mighty Rick's business. He charged my credit card instantly for 16 units, without even having them in stock or knowing when he'll get them. This is not good business practice, he should only take people's money when the items ship, like every other online retailer. We'll see where this goes in the next few weeks; but if I don't hear anything soon, I'll cancel that order and reach out to Bothlighting direct like I did with my S4's. I really don't know why I didn't do that in the first place to be honest. I was trying to help a fellow (and great) DJ/KZbinr, but now I regret it. MyDMX Go is a hit and miss. It's definitely awesome when it works, especially if you have moving heads. If you only use "cheap" lights, or just uplights like Aaron Strawn, you definitely don't need a smart DMX controller. The MyDMX Go has "presets" that you can set with different functions (such as "first dance" or "cake" or "speeches" with preset positions and colors/gobos that you can call at the touch of a tablet. I use a cheap Amazon Fire tablet with mine and it works great. The only problem that you'll have is that it will randomly drop off the WiFi connection and reset your lights in the middle of the night. It's really annoying when it happens, but there are ways to mitigate this (lots of youtube videos online). Basically, it's the cheapest way to own a smart DMX controller, and it works great for me, but be aware of the limitations. For use with uplights, it won't bring you anything fancy since all the uplight units will be on the same DMX address. Once (if I ever) receive my IR-4 I will test out the range with the DMX transmitter on top of my t-bar and report back :)

[@MrMaui38]

@@Realdjheisenberg that’s unfortunate to hear about how your card was already charged when the units haven’t shipped yet...I agree that’s not a good practice at all. Was your experience better with Both lighting direct? I had reached out to them but didn’t know how many hurdles I’d face with shipping from China, payments etc so I thought I’d go with Rick. I’m definitely reconsidering now based on your experience so far! I messaged the rep and the price is cheaper too, so perhaps I’ll go that route. That’s also great to know about MyDMXGo! That’s great advice about the uplights only setup and along the lines of why im looking for the best remote or master/slave configuration and hold off on DMX if/when I add movers one day.

[@Realdjheisenberg]

@@MrMaui38 Yes, they are really good if you deal with Both direct. My guy (gal?) is called Lyric Chen and they are super responsive. You pay them direct with PayPal and you get a tracking number pretty much instantly once they confirm your order. I ordered 14 S4's and a 3w laser (so three separate orders), and never had a hiccup. One of my S4's broke down, and one of their guys sent me the broken part with a youtube step-by-step video on how to fix the part that was broken. I was truly impressed. So yes, I highly recommend dealing with them directly. But like I said, I'll give Rick a few more days before I cancel my order with him haha You can get pretty cheap movers from Shehds for example (I use their compact 80w units, a fraction of the price of the Chauvet/ADJ, for 80% of the same); I think having two movers and cool uplights really brings your set-up to the next level, for minimal cost and it all fits in my small SUV. You can check out some pictures/videos on my FB page (I don't have a youtube channel or even a website lol).

[@MrMaui38]

@@Realdjheisenberg wow that’s really impressive to hear about how they helped even when you had an issue. That was one of my biggest concerns with ordering via them direct - a scenario where the lights are defective or broken but that sounds really reassuring. That helps me feel more comfortable with buying from them - thanks! Also wow your FB page looks great!! I love the setup and how the lighting looks. Once I get this uplighting thing figured out, those movers would be my next lighting upgrade. Thanks for all the tips and bouncing ideas back and forth man.

[@oldschooldjernie]

Hello, is there a way to get a refund or exchange them for the Chauvets? I used the wifii (flare-con) phone app with mine and it had a 300 ft coverage. Of course the flare con was $350 bucks but the signal traveled like a mo-fo. I even lit up an outdoor grad party at some rich girl's mansion.

[@MrMaui38]

Wow 300 feet!! Thats awesome.

[@MrBarambolka]

Thank you so much for your video, that does provides valuable information for all of us. On a side note, do you know what brand/model we’re the light bars, those seems to be very impressive in color distribution, I’m very intrigued by them. Thank you.

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! I’m glad it was helpful. Those light bars were impressive weren’t they?? Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to see the name or the brand on those, and honestly they were so bright I couldn’t see a thing when I looked at them. They were already built into the venue when I got there and were pretty large, maybe 6-8 ft or so. Sorry I couldn’t help!

[@jakesp16]

Hey there, great video with some quality thoughts and information. Thank you for taking the time to put it together; it is appreciated. Right now I am planning to purchase about 8-16 lights that I can use for basic uplighting and sound activated dance lighting. I am looking at the Both RF4 and Apelab Maxi 2.0. Obviously the price different is huge when purchasing even just 6 lights. I would love the range that you are trying to get in this video. Do you have any feedback on the comparison of the two or another model that is a workhorse to use?

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching and the kind words! I made the video to try to give answers to some of the questions I had myself so I’m glad you found it helpful. Unfortunately I can’t speak to the ApeLab since I haven’t tested, but at least from what I’ve heard the range on them is significantly better and cover an entire venue because the lights get signal from the remote, and then send signal between one another as well, not relying only from the remote itself. I’d confirm this with your own research as well though, because again I haven’t tested! With the Both RF4 I think you can expect similar limited range, and spotty signal with the RF remote so I really think that Both RF4 and this Rockville can mostly be dependable for lights on a solid color all night long that you set once and then forget. I would definitely look into the Both IR4 though (they’re new) which let you link the lights together in master slave mode and control the master light while it’s in master slave! I expect that the range I think is limited similar to how it is in my video, but at least it’s more functional than the RF4. I’m going to be returning these Rockville’s and buying the Both IR4 instead personally. I’m just waiting on some more review videos on the IR4 to make sure everything works as advertised 😅 haha The other advantage to Ape Labs is the charging road case is very intuitive and easy to use. With how significant the price difference is all in all I don’t think the price difference is justified personally, so my choice is the Both lighting. BUT if you have the budget, want a no hassle option that “just works” without having to troubleshoot modes, do master slave, point remotes at the lights etc, Ape Labs is the winner! I’d love to hear what you’ve heard or learned about the Ape Labs and if it’s similar to what I’ve described.

[@jakesp16]

@@MrMaui38 Excellent! Thanks for the quality thoughts. I have to agree with you on everything you said. From all of the reviews I have watched on Both RF4, it seems like for basic static uplighting, the Both RF4 would be a very budget friendly option. Maybe even if you had a smaller dance floor, you could place them around the floor, do sound activated, and not have too much trouble with signal loss, because they are close. I have not heard of the Both IR4 yet so I will have to take a look at them. Part of me wants to save up and buy Maxi 2.0, but jeez the price difference, $3,800 for the 6 piece Road Kit, gosh that is a good chunk of change. You can get two and a half sets of the Both IR4 for the price of one set of Maxi 2.0. I appreciate quality and a long term investment with a decent (maybe 3 year ideally) warranty, so it is a tough call. The Both IR4 I think comes with a 1 year warranty, while Apelabs offers a 3 year warranty. All in all, if I was raking in money and had extra to spend, I would go with the Maxi 2.0. But because I still want to be frugal, I may have to go with the Both IR4 if, as you said, they get quality reviews.

[@MrMaui38]

@@jakesp16 I think you’re 100% spot on! That price is the biggest hurdle and I don’t know if it’s worth it. Check out Rick Web and his latest awesome video on the Both IR4. He goes over everything in it! Also if you buy through him it’s a little bit more price wise, but there’s a 20% discount if you order 16 lights or more and he has a 2 year warranty. Also check out some of the comments between me and DJ Heisenberg,in this video and my previous video on these lights. I think your thinking/looking for the same thing we are! Keep me updated on what you decide to do!

[@Kingtut7373]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and detailed info! So I just ordered 16 of them and gonna test to see if I can put them all together first and set up a color changing mode or fade with the remote once then forget it and place them around… my guess is they will stay in sync because they are not dependent on signal anymore because they were set together at the same time with the remote.. gonna test this theory!

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching and glad that it was helpful! I definitely think that will work and they will stay in sync as long as they get the signal at the same time. I never tested that out myself, but one of the other viewers was saying that the signal could be received even a few milliseconds different by each light, and that they can become out of sync when the fade mode or color changing mode has been going on for longer time like an hour or so. It’s worth testing out though I’m curious to hear what happens!

[@Kingtut7373]

Good call and very interesting! I will test that theory as well! I thought also that perhaps if the master can be placed in the center of the lighting pattern and the slaves can be placed around it from both sides on the opposite wall from the DJ both and 2 side walls, wonder if they were closer to each other, would they be able to keep the signal going? I will test that as well!

[@MrMaui38]

@@Kingtut7373 I think that you are spot on and arranging the lights like you described above would be the ideal setup. In master slave mode it’s all gonna be about how to strategically place that master light in order to get signal to as many master lights as possible. Let me know how your testing goes!

[@Kingtut7373]

@@MrMaui38 awesome! I sure will try it and let you know! I am excited to test these two theories

[@Kingtut7373]

So tried the remote on all then place test. Interesting they all took it fine and were in sync for a while without losing sync colors. I placed them in my backyard within 5 feet from each other and tried the color fade, pulse and cycle from about 50 feet away and they all responded well, maybe 2 didn’t on first click but multiple clicks got them all. Interesting that the color strobe didn’t sync well and single color didn’t change from that far on all of them. Seems that the pulse, change and fade have a longer range and better response somehow.. this is a great result for me and excited to try it out. Next is I will try master/slave and see how well they respond

[@rainbowgaming8441]

no a user error they work fine

[@erodriguez10]

50 dollar fix... Rockville's DMX-QR 2.4GHZ Wireless DJ DMX Lighting Receiver/1.25 Mile Range coupled with an XLR to XLR adapter (to convert to transmitter) will fix your signal/reception issues 👍🏼

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! I’ll definitely get this if I switch to controlling my lights with dmx! I was hoping to find some lights that work well without having to set up dmx, but may not have a choice..

[@josephfilipow]

Informative vid! How do you feel the 12w held up in a room that size compared to the 18 of the chauvet?

[@MrMaui38]

Great question! I had that brief section in the middle of my video where I had the one Rockville light set on blue as a comparison to the two Chauvet on either side and it’s very comparable. I would say you can’t tell the difference if you didn’t know that there was a different light, but if you really looked you could probably tell that the Rockville’s were probably 5-10% less bright. For the how much smaller size and weight of the Rockville’s are though, it was impressive to see that the brightness is *almost* on par with the larger Chauvets.

[@LennyKMusic]

What about wireless DMX range? Same as master/slave? Since they each have a transmitter and receiver, would it be possible to set them up in a chain since one to all seems to lose signal? Do you know if they're exact model as Both Lighting?

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! Unfortunately I couldn’t test wireless DMX range because I don’t own one, but from what I’ve heard the range is better if you have a good dmx transmitter. Unfortunately they can’t be set up in a chain, though this would be great. Ape labs has this capability but that’s also why they’re $$$$ These are made by Both Lighting actually, but sold by Rockville, but interestingly they’re not the same. They are an upgrade over Both Lighting RF4. They look the same and have the same light output, but the difference is in the remote and the ability to divide the lights into four different color groups. If you compare them with the Both Lighting IR4 however, in my opinion the IR4 is the winner. Especially if you are interested in using your lights with wireless DMX, the IR4 has full channel dmx compatibility, while these Rockville’s only have one channel. Great questions!

[@djwolfletsgo]

They literally make it to were you would need dmx 😭

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching again man!! I agree I think to get it so that you can get a consistent signal longer range, DMX would be the way to go on these, so it’s definitely great that they have the option. For smaller venues though the remote and master slave would work great!

[@djfronkiejay]

Can one be the master and then the other lights follow each other to extend the range( chain link) and just controll one light closest to dmx board (i have the wolfmix1 with the wireless dmx dongle )

[@MrMaui38]

I haven’t specifically tested that but I don’t think it’ll work that way unfortunately. For these lights specifically they have to be put on master slave mode which is separate from the dmx mode. I think basically you’ll send the signal from your wireless dongle and each light will individually receive the dmx signal.

[@djfronkiejay]

@@MrMaui38 sux!! I like them but might return them... I cannonly see me using them for facade and really close range.. I used them at my local el torito restaurant today and the ones further out would not even pick signal... not even that big or far of a space

[@MrMaui38]

@@djfronkiejay yeah man I was disappointed by the range too like I found in the video. Check out the both lighting IR4 and the range test video I did for it - they’re good for the price too!

[@MrDJMikieMike]

Did Rockville replace the defective light?

[@MrMaui38]

Thanks for watching! There was some back and forth but basically they tried to guide me through fixing the light first. They were ready to send a replacement but in the end I decided to buy the Both IR4 lights instead and couldn’t be happier! Rockville has a nice return policy as long as everything is in original condition and packaging, so they accepted the return.

[@chaseflores2145]

Compact cheap battery powered light with wireless DMX built it, complains about RF signal range 😂

[@jasonlajuene2036]

spend the $ and get Ape Lights.

[@MrMaui38]

Maybe I can upgrade one day when I’m earning the big bucks!!