Conventional Fixtures How to use an old Fog Machine on a new light board

[cancolby]

Hi

I just got an Elation DMX Operator 192. It has the port on the back for fog machine control. It looks exactly like MIDI. Is there a way to convert my old Antari Alpha F-80x fog machine to work with that? All the fog machine has on it is a power cord and a spot to plug in the remote, which looks like (but obviously isn't) an IEC.

If not, around how much money does a decent fog machine cost that is compatible?

 

[NickJones]

Is

[/IMG]
This what you were looking for? FC5 Control, there is also a wired version. You can find the manual here, as for hooking it up to your console, I doubt it, you would need a DMX Relay board, to electronicly turn on & off the functions. Do-able but hard. And unsafe.
Nick

 

[icewolf08]

I believe the fog machine port on the elation boards is designed for use only with Elation/AmericanDJ fog machines. I believe that it is proprietary.

 

[Jeroen]

Is

[/IMG]
This what you were looking for? FC5 Control, there is also a wired version. You can find the manual here, as for hooking it up to your console, I doubt it, you would need a DMX Relay board, to electronicly turn on & off the functions. Do-able but hard. And unsafe.
Nick

With this kind of control systems, you can try depending on the distance to extend the original wired remote, just by placing an extension cord in between the controller and the fog machine. We did this once and it worked. You do not get control from your board but at least you can extend the controlwire into your booth.

 

[n1ist]

Be careful how you wire those - they are using a non-standard pinout on the IEC connector...
/mike

 

[wizjam]

I have a similar question to this thread. I am puzzled, I have a new dmx lighting console as well, with a fog control output on the back that looks like a midi connector.
How do I connect that to a fog machine? The machines that are out there with this type of connector come with a remote. So how do I substitute the remote with my board - there are no instructions with the board manual, and there are no cables that I can find to directly connect the fog machine to the dmx board's socket.

Thanks in advance!

 

[CSCTech]

Your going to need a comparable fog machine and you would replace the controller with a Wire you would buy seperate.

 

[zmb]

You can replace the switch in the remote control with a relay rated for 120V and use a dimmer. When the voltage increases enough, the relay will trigger and complete the circuit that lets fog juice flow.

This has worked before on a small SCR dimmer in a Christmas light control that is rated for 960 watts but I am not sure if it will work with a 2.4kW dimmer.

 

[JD]

Going to need a dummy load to do that. Otherwise, the relay will just stay on. One thing about those IEC connector remotes, they are at line voltage which I think is a really really bad idea. In theory, if done on an installation in a theater, you would have to wire the remote with 12/3 !

 

[n1ist]

As I mentioned, those IEC remotes are not only line voltage, they are non-standard pinout. If I recall correctly, the switching was between the pin normally neutral and the pin normally ground.
/mike

 

[wizjam]

Thanks for the responses all. The socket on this light board isn't a EIC, like the Chauvet Obey boards are, its a five pin socket. It turns out a midi cable fits into the socket.
I will try simply replacing the fogger remote with a cable connected to the board and see if it works - it seems different manufacturers use different standards. The only problem is the board is not branded, so I can't match it up with a like brand fogger.

 

[CSCTech]

If the control input on the fogger is the same midi you should be good. But be careful, if you do any re-wiring. Because if you have a cheap home fogger (~$50) you might run into heating troubles. I know my two cheapo foggers I have at home have to take 5 minutes every 15 to heat up. If they didnt it would spew out fluid.

 

[mrb]

before just wiring up these two incompatible things, you should find out the control voltage and pinout of the connector on your board and the connector on your fogger. Different manufacturers are using different control voltages and I dont think you want to blow up your new lightboard.

 

[zuixro]

I got a fogger for $10 after Halloween one year. It had an IEC remote. I opened it up, rewired it with an SSR, and an XLR cable to attach the remote. My plan was to eventually make a DMX module for it. I think I wrote up a guide for it somewhere, but I think it would be outside the TOS of this forum.

 

[Les]

The socket on this light board isn't a EIC, like the Chauvet Obey boards are, its a five pin socket.

Do you mean IEC?

Edit: Sorry, only after I posted did I realized that you typed EIC. I thought you said ETC.

 

[wizjam]

Thanks for all the responses! I'll let you guys know if the simple cable substitution works.