Another Hazer Thread...Huzzah!

[DCATTechie]

I've read a lot of the threads about hazers on CB and came to the conclusion that the one to purchase depends mainly on your venue and how you want to use it. I've been given a budget of around $1000 to purchase a hazer for our high school theater department. I'm hoping to get some reccomendations about brands and models after I supply the wonderful people of CB with infor about my venue what features I would like it to have.

Venue:

-No HVAC system directly over stage (HVAC is located is about 40 feet out in the house and about 25 feet up)

-Stage is about 80 feet wide by about 30.5 feet deep.

-Anything else you guys need to know?


Features I would like it to have:

-Big reservoir (I don't want to go and have to fill it up again mid-show)

-Powerful fan (Don't want to set up tons of fans to distribute the haze)

-DMX Control (If possible, I can't afford to put a tech down to run the remote)

-Quiet (I have enough problems with the SBO running stuff loud, don't need an excuse for it to be any louder)

-Around $1000 as I mentioned before, a little fluctuation is possible

-Durable (This needs to last a for some years and not need a ton of repairs or maintenence, remember, this is for a high school)

-Easy to clean (I would love to not have to take apart the entire thing to clean it, and also would love to not need to clean it after every use)

Thanks a lot guys and gals!

[soundlight]

Ultratec FX (aka Le Maitre) Radiance Hazer.

[SHARYNF]

It probably will not change your decision on which unit to buy but I would make sure that the Fire detectors are of the ionization type and NOT the visibiility type. This includes any detectors put in the Hvac ducting etc. There is nothing like getting a new system to find out that it sets of the alarm system

Sharyn

[dvsDave]

Definitely! We had to have the smoke detectors replaced in our black box theatre for that very reason in high school.

David

[icewolf08]

As usual, I will recommend the Unique2 by Look Solutions. It is a little over the $1k price mark but worth every penny. Also, if you sing by their website, they will send you a demo.

[DCATTechie]

Originally Posted by icewolf08

As usual, I will recommend the Unique2 by Look Solutions. It is a little over the $1k price mark but worth every penny. Also, if you sing by their website, they will send you a demo.

How much is a little over the $1k price mark? Do you know the MSRP?

How long is a reasonable time to request a demo of the Unique2?

Lastly, I've used a fogger/smoke machine in this venue before ( I think it was a Rosco Model 1700) without setting off any alarms, with this hold true with a hazer or is it another issue entirely?


Edit: Just realized this was my 100th Post! Yay for me!

[Les]

You probably needn't worry about the reservoir size. Hazers really conserve. You will need to refill it maybe once in your entire run, and this is assuming it's a "heavy haze" show like Les Mis.

[DCATTechie]

Originally Posted by Les

You probably needn't worry about the reservoir size. Hazers really conserve. You will need to refill it maybe once in your entire run, and this is assuming it's a "heavy haze" show like Les Mis.

That's a relief! Thanks!

What do you think is a reasonable time to request a demo for?

And if I've used a fogger in this space before without setting off any alarms does that mean I'm in the clear with a hazer?

[Les]

There's really no way of knowing if you will be in the clear with a hazer. Fog is thicker than haze, but haze permeates the air more, which may be more capable of reaching sensors. I think there's a good chance that you won't have problems though. When I did a tech in for Les Mis, we programmed lights from 10am - 3am. We ran the haze the entire time, the same as during the run of the show. When we finally finished tech in, we brought up the house lights and discovered that the entire auditorium was filled with haze (we programmed from mid-house in this 2300 seat space and now had trouble seeing the booth). My guess is that the HVAC shut down at around 10pm, but we never had any problems before or after that. Your chances of having the same outcome are about 50/50. My advice, test it on a weekend and when there are no other known activities in the building. Be sure to request that the HVAC be running as it would during show conditions. Let the local fire department and your school's administration know what you are doing so they won't be surprised by an alarm sounding. They will still be required to respond, however, which may cost the school some money. But that's better than evacuating the entire campus in the middle of classes.

As for reasonable time to request a demo, honestly, I would just call a company and see what you can get away with.

[icewolf08]

I think the way that the demo worked was that they sent us a unit with a full tank of fluid and told us that we could use up the fluid and then either buy it or send it back. The Unique2 is a very fluid efficient hazer, we did 2 weeks of Miss Saigon on 3/4 of a tank, and that was a haze heavy show. I think that we paid something like $1500 for the unit.