I did not have much luck with serial.1 or serial.2. The DMX connection between the software I am using (vixen) and the arduino required modifying the hardware.cpp file which may have hard coded the serial connection? The code was beyond my capabilities. What did work is just injecting the tx/rx from my usb-FTDI right into pins 1/2 and 'bypassing' the MEGA onboard serial circuitry. Working well.
Thanks again for your assistance and education.
=-Rob