Any other members of this forum out there who have had some dealing with smoke generators before, who would like to share them?

We would like to hear from you all, don't want to make this particular thread one sided on foggers.

PLEASE !



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Thanks for that Peter
I guess pond water used directly is a not a good option. 😟 Looks like foggers will only really be viable in larger vessels where clean water can be carried without upsetting the ballast too much.
I'll check Global Villages inverter offerings, Thanks

if you want a small 12/24 inverter global village do one that is small allso if you look on ebay there are hundreds I got a couple and had them tested by an electronics expert, he put them on a scope under load and set he was very suppriesed how good they where, also some of the voltage regs that step down from 33v to 3,3v variable they where very stable

You would be atomising any bacteria that is in the water and blowing it in your face http://www.btinternet.com/~ringwood.canoe/Weils.htm.
the less contact you have with pond water the better

Peter

Had considered this as well. The heaviest bit will be the water. Not sure about using lake water with a fogger, filtered or otherwise. its basically a high frequency resonator plate with a rubber/silicon seal. They are replaceable and spares are available. Adding a pump will also add weight.
However we all need ballast and water is a good source for this.
How about sealed fresh water ballast tank(s) open to the pond at one end and fitted with an internal membrane so that as the water is used it is replaced with pond water.
If the units work ok with pond water, and they are used in ornamental ponds, then an open tank in the base of the hull with sides extending above the waterline would fit the bill perfectly with no need for a pump and never run dry.
Maybe someone with a unit in their garden pond could advise of this practicality?

I am still thinking along the lines of "small as poss", so to this end, what about using a smaller water tank, but "adding in" a small water level float, so as the water level in the tank drops, it triggers a relay and operates a small pump, to "top up" the tank from the water its floating in [via inline filter of course], thereby you never have to return to base for refills and are always sure of the system not running dry and causing failure?

Opened up and yes big heat sink. Also large circuit board so not much chance of size reduction. Am looking at the Chinese sites and may order one of their offerings, they use smd devices so they are smaller. As you need a large(ish) tank of water for the fogger maybe another big box is not Important. Probably best if I start a new blog on fogger smoke machine development as I don't want to sidetrack your original post on Smoke generators available at present.
As an alternative one our members uses jos? sticks. Uses a 35mm film canister in his TID tug. Certainly attracts attention for the smell if not the smoke! Looks quite realistic.
Come on Fireboaters / Modelboater some of you must have used smoke units, lets hear about your experiences.

Well found Dave, er presume the over size box is to cover the inverter heatsink I dare say. its either that or the circuit board is oversize to allow for the poor eyesight of the manufacturer! [ha ha]

Just been to the Doncaster show. Component shop have a 12v to 24volt converter for about a tenner. Rated a 1.5amps but OK for Fogger units. Got one so will need to visit Maplins for the fogger. The converter box is quite big but I intend to open the case and see how small I can make it.

The fogging system used by JJC had a step up circuit that allowed it to work from 12v. I fixed one for a fellow club member - the instructions gave the wrong water volume - just added a few more cc and it puffed away very realistically. Current was about 2 amps. The technology to step up or down voltages has been around for a few years. I'll let you know when I find a suitable unit for the Maplins fogger.

Thanks for your comments Dave. I have "looked" at the new series of foggers, but the only thing that puts me off is that they need 24volts to drive them, which is an appreciable weight increase, purely in batteries alone. I am still traswling the internet for a suitable 12v version, but none seem up to the job as yet.
I have toyed with the graupner smoke generators, but, yes, they do burn out if left to run low on oil level, plus the smoke is generally "poor" to billowing at the wrong times. I have tried adapting one, and used a micro computer cooling fan to force /blow the smoke out of the funnel, but again, not to any good effect.

The only one sucess I have had is with a smoke generator, designed for one of those 1/16th scale "heng long" tanks, these are quite compact units, have an electric motor driven air piston to pump air through the system, but the oil tank capacity is very small, they run off 7.2v and will as low as 6v, use less than 0.4 amps running load.

So, does anyone else have any info on systems they have fitted ?

The cheap and cheerful small tube type are really designed for model trains. Each one I have fitted work OK for about a year (or less) then they burn out - probably because the oil round the element only last about 20 mins and they do not like running dry. The smoke output is not great and tends to be quickly dispersed in any sort of wind.
There was a very good larger electrical version available several years ago and I have one and intend to install in a 1:12 scale puffer. This gives copious amounts of white smoke. Unfortunately this is no longer available.
I believe Graupner do a high volume version but it seems to require a bit of home construction to make it work. The oil tank can be quite big so less chance of running dry.
All electrical types tend to be quite hungry on battery power so are generally more suited to models with large batteries.
The latest type make use of the disco fogging system. I have seen these demonstrated at various shows and they certainly produce copious amounts of smoke (fine mist actually). Some have additional electronics and can be coupled to your ESC to give a very realistic effect in phase with your motor. Size may be a problem as you need to have a water container to produce the mist. Not really a problem with large models but possibly awkward in smaller and more tender models.
As an added attraction smoke can look very realistic - unfortunately you are governed by the weather which can spoil the effect at times.
If you have the room go for it - my preference would be the mist system