Review of the NJD Datamoon 250W DMX Gobo Moonflower

I bought my first Datamoon in 1997, when it was one of the first affordable DMX moonflowers on the market. Back then it cost £349 and was built at the original NJD Factory in Nottingham. From it's debut at the PLASA show the previous year, the NJD Datamoon quickly become a very popular effect amongst Mobile D.J's and became something of an industry standard, going on to win numerous 'best mobile lighting effect' awards from various industry sources, including the then called TVDJA in 1998.

In 8 years very little has changed, unlike other effects of its time we haven't seen an almost yearly launch of the Datamoon 2 or Datamoon 3 - The Sequel , as we have with the Abstract Twister for example. The Datamoon has always remained a 250W Goboflower with DMX control and the same routines and probably always will!.

What makes the NJD Datamoon so popular??

The NJD Datamoon features 8 colours and 7 gobos so it isn't the features which keep the DJ's buying it!. Many far cheaper effects feature 14, 20 or even 28 colours and gobos so the Datamoon is a little dated by comparison. There is no split colour or anything which sets it apart from any other competitors products, if anything the Datamoon is still more expensive then cheaper products with more features!.

The Pros

The secret remains in the control of the Datamoon. Using stepper motors, the Datamoon makes for faster, smoother colour and gobo changes than the jerky, whirring dc motors used in some other products. The Datamoon seems to integrate better and more smoothly to the music than most other effects. Both the mirror and gobo changes are controlled by the music circuitry which gives it the edge over rival products which just have a music controlled mirror and randomly change the gobo at timed intervals. Despite being 8 years old in design, and still using the same features as it did from day 1, the program routines and music integration really do work!.

The price of the Datamoon has fallen dramatically over the years to a little over £130 each. This is thanks to it's mass production in India rather then the UK - something which I will move onto later. Whilst there are now many alternatives to the Datamoon, and despite owning Abstract Twisters and Constella's nothing really comes close to the simple, but effective lightshow provided by the NJD Datamoon, and this effect still remains my favourite and today I still use either 2 or 4 of them at every function.

The Datamoon can be used stand alone, or linked to other datamoons using a simple DMX link lead. You don't need an electronics degree or a course at Jodrell Bank to use this effect. The Datamoon is DMX compatible but you don't really gain anything by linking it to a controller. Sadly NJD have discontinued the handheld and IQ range of controllers for its effects, possibly because they are actually a better effect when used linked together.

NJD Products are for the majority product compatible which means you can master-slave link them to other NJD DMX effects such as the New NJD 250 scanner or the older DMX range for full synchronisation without any controller.

In short purchase 4 Datamoons, or 2 Datamoons and 2 NJD250's and you have a lightshow for under £500 that is both powerful and effective. You will also have full synchronisation without the expense of a controller or having to learn about DMX protocols and programming.

My 1997 Datamoon is still working 100% today, a tribute to the original manufacture. Since then I have bought 3 more, all of which have never given me a minutes trouble.

Another excellent selling feature of the Datamoon is the inclusion of a lamp life extender switch, by switching this into lamp saver mode allows you to get upto 300 hours lamp life from a standard 50 hour A1/259. NJD were the first to incorporate this feature and thanks to the precision optics used, the slight reduction in light output as a result isn't noticable. In fact the Datamoon, is still brighter than some rival 250W units even in Lamp Extension mode.

The Cons

The Datamoon could certainly benefit from a re-design, perhaps by adding more colours and gobos would make it even more value, after all it's not the cheapest 250W DMX Moonflower around, but it still is one of the best.

Since moving production to India, the Datamoon has suffered some reliability problems, mainly with fans. Recently (September 2004) the Datamoon has been a victim of numerous failures which may suggest the arrival of a faulty batch into the UK but could be corrected in the near future. It's sad to see such a good name like NJD suffer from reliability problems due to the competitive nature of the industry.

NJD now fit 5 pin XLR's to their lighting effects as opposed to the fairly standard 3 pin types, so users may find that they need to puchase 5 pin XLR leads in order to link them together.

Conclusion

All Mobile DJ's should own at least one NJD lighting effect at some point in their career and the Datamoon is still the better pick of the bunch . Although a little outdated by todays standard of gobo's and Colours the actual software allows for a more accurate and controlled sound to lightshow than the majority of its rivals. Given NJD's 30 years of lighting design expertise then users should experience a solid realible effect which will still work several years from purchase, although like most manufacturers this rock solid record has taken a hit from its decision to move production abroad.

Hey

Great read there chris, I own 2 datamoons and must admit Iam highly impressed with them and they come to every function without fail. The built in programs fill the floor with colour and movement and look fantastic when synced. I also have the NJD250's which are linked to my datamoons via a controller, I have never tried to link a datamoon to a DMX 250, however I presume this should be possible as they are virtually the same.

Anyway, check my review out for the NKD250's and I must say combined they will make a really nice light show to fill the floor, The only downside i have had personally is the weight of NJD items compared to many others, I cant moan about stability, performance or anything along those lines, my NJD lights have never once let me down during a gig.

Again, Nice read chris, thanks!

Regards
Mike

Datamoons were my first intelligent lighting purchase and I would recommend them. I changed the white open aspect for a multicolour one using silicon and dicros. I had four and they never let me down.

Good read Chris.



















" Chris Pointon is proudly sponsered by NJD lighting ......and has left the building!"

These are great lights, how much can you get them for Chris, or more importantly how much can I buy one or two for ?

The need for a new gadget finaly got ads

Don't Soundlab own NJD electronics now ?
That was a good read, thanks for that.

Spot on Chris we have a pair and they do captivate a crowd when used on their own.
We have one problem with one of ours at the moment in that due to overheating the lead into the lamp holder has become brittle and is giving a poor connection. Can I just join on a new lamp holder with a couple of connectors and do you supply spares or do you know how I can sort this problem Thanks

P.M me your address and I'll send you a replacement lamp holder FOC.

Depending on the model of the Datamoon you'll probably find that it uses a lampholder with short leads, which then go to a crimped connector which in turn leads to the wires from the transformer.

Either way you'll need to cut the wire, and then re-terminate the two leads from the new lampholder to the two leading from the transformer, it doesn't matter which way around they go.

When I replace a lampholder I often re-crimp the wire, but first feed them through heat shrink which is then shrunk over the leads from the lampholder, this just gives you some added heat protection and extends the life of the new lampholder.

However the wires are already heat resistant, so you don't need to go to those lengths if you don't have the equipment required to do so. Just re-crimp the wires, or use a heat resistant ceramic terminal block if crimps aren't available.

I have had the NJD Chaos lights both the original, and the 2002 model.

For a cheap effect there ok. but not enough power. But the data moon was suppost to supercede the Choas....

... But instead of buying them i went for the Abstract Galactic stars.

Best Moon Flower effect in its class , Very Bright and reliable. I use 4 of these and that's all the lighting I really need to carry as I feel these are that good.

Been using a pair of the new LOWER priced Datamoons this weekend. They are chinese manufactured and are slightly lighter than past models. However the beam brightness, colour and spread are just as good as previous models. Theres one down side and that is for some reason NJD have put 5 pin xlr connectors for linking and dmx control.

A good light and i'm well please with them. Now only time will tell if they are as "bomb proof" as there older relatives.

The 5-pin connectors aren't a new thing..

I had a pair bought about 4 years ago with 5-pins on. Its better than jack plugs though cause at least you can fit a 3-pin socket in place without having to drill out a bigger hole.

Good Read!

Had NJD Chaos since about 1995 (I think) and it has been 100% reliable, apart from the lens needed resealing.

Cheezy
Nightsounds

Just got a new pair of Datamoon, already own 2 pairs. The new ones are deffinatly lighter. I had a look inside & it all looks pretty much the same as the old ones appart from the transformer which accounts for the weight of the thing.
5 pin xlr will be changed to 3 pin ones (not that i have ever controled any of the old ones via their jack socket), as I have just orderd a entec usb-dmx box.
One thing that is annoying is that as the transformer is lighter the balance of the fixture is different. To correct this the mounting points for the bracket have been moved, with the consiquense that when packed away the bracket will not rota over the front or back of the unit. An extra 10mm would have fixed that. So it looks like I either get some new brackets made up, or redesign a flightcase for them!

Not got the New ones, though I have 4 of the original English built ones.

The new ones have different cases than the originals, not quite as robust in my opinion, but that should not give any problems, just don't drop them. LOL

Different connectors, Different rear panel, different case fixings, and possibly different stepper motors.

Same end result though.

and the price is definately a better point.

Old price = £300 each
New price = <£90 each

I have 2 and they are my fav effect that i have

Anyone got an videos or example of this - are they better than twister 4 for example?

I'd say a Twister 4 was a better effect, better build quality, and the built in programs are better, though the datamoons are not as manic in certain cases.

I find Datamoons ideal for filling in gaps at Weddings , where as T4's are good for younger more energetic discos, as is the EVL Spin.

Bottom line is you can't go wrong with the good old Datamoon.

One of the few lights that has been around for years and years and still doesn't need updating.

I don't know whether it's a "special" or a new lower price but I saw Datamoons for sale for £109 new from djkit.co.uk (N.B. I am not affiliated with them in any way).

Pretty cheap for a decent light I think.

Personally I would love to be able to see a Chauvet DJ Squeeze in use to see how it compares - the specs make it seem like a "super datamoon" with more gobos etc. plus the "squeeze" effect for not much more dosh.

Mind you , not having seen one, it could be pants

Cheers
Grant

I have 3 datamoons and if you buy even a modest controller i got a soundlab one from ebay and if youve got the patience to program them its all left to your own immagination as to the effects you can create by colour changing and chasing and strobing both fast to the music or slow

Alan (Strobe Disco Show)

5 pin DMX leads believe it or not are the INDUSTRY standard and its 3 pin that are the unofficial off cast. They were orginally 5 pin so they could include a live feed to power controller and auxillary devices. This is not longer required by most but you will find a lot of big name, especially theatrical manufacturers still ship with 5 pin connections. GENI, Clay Packy to name a couple.

Most have now changed to 3 pin which is alot easier.

NJD datamoon is the best thing to come out of them. The predator series of scanners were and still are massively overpriced for the features you get and the output is not the best. NJD's chasers and dimmer packs used to suffer from dry joint related failures commonly.

I agree with all the comments though. I had 2 datamoons pretty early on in my DJ life before moving trade and they never let me down. Infact I think they are in the shed or somewhere still no doubt!

Gifop's right about 5-pin XLR's; there's a bit of talk in the trade at the moment about how everyone will move over to 5-pins in the near future. The need has been forced by the professional use of DMX which has incorporated an amendment involving the 'echo-back' of parameters from the fixture to the lighting desk, esp. with moving heads, this uses the 'other' two pins. Up till now these pins were free, so most people switched to 3-pin to save cost.

Datamoons are still about the brightest 250W ELC flower you'll get, they are brighter than twister 4's although the Abstract has a better stepper movement and control action. Bear in mind how old the Datamoons actually are in design!!

The original UK Datamoons used UK built toroidal transformers, the pro-sound built units (post Electrovision takeover) use a split-bobbin laminated circular core transformer made in India which is partially why they are lighter.

Either way they run very much cooler than Abstract, Chauvet etc which no doubt adds to their long life.

And yes, just for the record, Electrovision (Soundlab/Altai/Commtel/Eagle) now own the NJD brand, the old factory at Nottingham was closed and production shipped to Mumbai (and now China); any remaining staff including the NJD former director & engineer now work at a new office called Premier Solutions who deal with spares and out of warranty repairs.

Well folks, thanks for the comments on the Datamoon.

I'll set the matter straight on a few points various people have raised.

"5-pin XLR" is what it says in the standard. We use it:
1) because that's what it says in the standard
2) so people can't get the DMX and microphone leads mixed up
3) So we can run power to controllers down pin 5 (like Pulsar does)

The original UK-manufactured Datamoon used a toroidal transformer. The Indian ones used an R-core. The Chinese one use a toroid again to the original UK Spec. The toroidal ones are almost 1kg lighter.

Our Nottingham factory is still up and running, we make Merlins, Logic 8000s, Dimming packs etc. here, and we do repairs and supply spare parts.
Premier solutions was formed from NJD's installation department they are independent from NJD, and don't do out-of-warranty NJD repairs.

OK I stand corrected on the factory situation, its very confusing, but when you ring the old NJD number, they answer Premier Solutions!! And when I placed the order (speaking to NJD guy Ian on Premier's number) the part came with an invoice from Altai Wirral but despatch note from a Nottingham address!! The icing on the cake was when our customer refused to believe that the Predator HX mains transformer could have gone faulty when the fan was still running...I had to return the part with the luminaire.


BTW we all miss NJD's PLASA lightshows which were the highlight of any engineers visit. (along with Abstract because they used to serve free drinks..)

Hello NJD and welcome to the forum. It's great to see manufacturers reading and taking an active part in their end customers opinions and interests .

One comment that I neglected to put in the original review, was the strobe routine which is included in the NJD Datamoon's automatic stand alone programs. I know, from comments on this forum, and from being a DJ myself that this can cause some annoyance, especially amongst older audiences, or where there are guests suffering from photosensitive epilepsy, this was also later confirmed when one of our moderators took the matter to discussion on a forum which discussed epilepsy, and the general opinion there was that it was these tye of effects which actively kept even mild sufferers away from attending family functions.

Since some Dj's are reluctant to take the DMX approach just to rid themselves from one program routine, would it it possible for NJD to disable the strobe routine by way of DIP switch settings, or perhaps over a software / firmware version which didn't include this. The Datamoon's strobe routine is certainly very effective, however it can be very obtrusive in small rooms, or at the aforementioned gigs.

Comments on the strobe effect have been noted.

It's only a strobe in VERY early ones, it was changed to a flash-to-sound in about 1996, so it is unlikely to flash more than 4 times a second (=240bpm), so shouldn't disturb the epileptics.

I got my info on photosensitive epilepsy from this website:

http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/pages/info/l...flets/photo.cfm

I also read somewhere that the synchronizing of light to sound can provoke a seizure, but I haven't seen that mentioned again.

By the way, whoever thought it was "Altai Wirral" is on the wrong side of the Mersey! Head office is Electrovision, and it is in St. Helens.

Is there anything I should be reading on any of our other products? Your website won't let me search for "NJD" because it says it is too short a word.

Sorry I'm getting mixed up with a holiday I once had in Widnes, they're all scousers up there.

Welcome NJD.

As Chris has already said. it's great to see a manufacturer on the forum and reading what the working DJ has to say.

Hope you stay around.

NJD, the photosensetivity of people extends beyond those with epilepsy but also includes people with ailments such as migraine.

Additionally "Red Ken" in the 70s GLC organised for some world-leading research, which I THINK has never been bettered showing that there is no safe limit for strobing, however incidents were significantly reduced by setting strobing to less than 7fps. This is a "normal distribution" point for those with an understanding of statistics. I can't remember if it was a classic normal distro with 2% tails or one of the modified varieties.

Mr NJD,
How can the new Datamoon be lighter, the hanging bracket bends like a banana?

Another gripe with the new datamoon is that the bracket won't fold flat, and one more thing, would it be possibe to buy four gobo wheels all the same shade? I seem to have lots of different shedes of blue and red.

Still a great workhorse, I am very happy with them.

Thanks

Darren

Mr NJD

How much can you get them for today? I want one.

Couldn't find a British-made Datamoon, but the weights are as follows:

British-made: 8.0kg
Indian-made: 9.1kg
Chinese-made: 7.9kg

Here's a result for you: today I re-drew the bracket, so that it is now 10mm longer, and will go round the ends, and I specified 2mm steel so it won't bend. The bad news is that we won't see them until March.

They will be 8.0kg with the new handle.

Hi NJD , I think its great to have a manufacturer on this forum , others should follow suit. I have been using NJD products for years now and have always been pleased with them. I have a datamoon at present which is not lighting the lamp correctly it comes on and then constantly blinks on and off any idea whats wrong. I returned a unit to yourselves before for repair and it cost me £70 I would be safer buying a new datamoon if this problem is not easily rectified.

Shouldn't this be in another section?

Yeah, truly it is excellent to have a manufacturer on the forum! It changes my mind about NJD somewhat.

However, I have to ask the obvious question, and I know it is one that some others on the forum are not asking aloud, but are thinking...

Shouldn't product testing have shown up this bracket defect?

Second question, which I have been asked on several occasions and don't know the answer to. Does NJD own the word "datamoon"? Some companies seem to be selling a non-NJD product called "datamoon". What's up with that? Is it the same product?

Thanks!

2 singles - more versitile

Twin Head?????

Maybe i'm wrong but they don't do a twin head Datamoon, what they are offering is two individual Datamoons for £229. I agree the wording is somewhat misleading.

They also offer 4x Datamoons for £449!

This is a very old thread now but still very helpful so thanks Chris.

I am looking at buying 2 or 4 DMX Moonflowers and my shortlist is Datamoons, Spins or T4s.

Datamoons are top of the list for the simple reason they are so much cheaper than the others (although my heart really fancies Spins for the inbuilt programming)

Is there anything else available today that compares? I can buy a pair of Datamoons, in flight case and with controller for £240, and individual lights from about £100, so they are a bargain!

Chauvet have a similar unit in their Q-Mix series ( probably made by Acme ). Under £200 for a pair.

Single NJD Datamoon for £99. Can't vouch for the supplier though...anyone?
£99 Datamoons

NJD Datamoon Kit (2 lights, fibre case, remote control, cables) for £249. Again, know nothing about the supplier.
£249 Datamoon Kit

Anyone better those offers? Anyone use any of the NJD DMX controllers? Anyone use another DMX controller with the Datamoons?