Clyde Dearing Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Chauvet Hurricane 1300 Interface The problem of interfacing the newer Chauvet foggers with the 5 pin Din connectors to work with LOR controllers have been solved by yours truly! I have two new Hurricane 1300's that I have had for two years and couldn't use because I couldn't get them interfaced (my old Chauvets were kickin' a$$ so I wasn't really pressed to figure them out). Unfortunately, my old Chauvets are getting tired and became a little unreliable at the end of last Christmas season. One of them just started staying on continuously and fogged the yard so much you couldn't see any Christmas decorations! Of course, I thought it was cool but I really want them to work when I tell them to! Anyhow, I bought the wireless controller (FC-W) and the manual controller (FC-T) and I took the FC-T apart to see what made it tick. I figured out that if you short pin 2 to pin 4 you will activate fog. WoooHoooooooo!!!!!! AND, I didn't blow anything up (I usually short out something expensive!)!!! AND, luckily, it's pin 2 and 4 so it doesn't really matter which side you think pin 1 or 5 is on, it's the second pin down on either side! Just to be clear, you can take a 120 Volt relay, use LOR to turn on or off the coil, and connect pin 2 and pin 4 to a common and normally open contact and your interface is golden! AND, the beauty is you don't have to crack open your FC-T and modify anything! I bought a Radio Shack midi cable (5 pin Din cable) and just cut one end off. If you use this Radio Shack cable the color code to short is yellow to white. Of course, you should ohm it out and make sure pin 2 is yellow and pin 4 is white (or vice versa). Now you just plug the good connector end into the "manual" input of the Chauvet 1300, let it warm up, and if you short pin 2 and 4 you will activate fog. I did not test the "wireless" input (except to play with my new wireless remote). And now, my funny story...... I nearly had a heart attack tonight! I was in my garage, doors down, working comfortably in my t-shirt and boxers (I know, too much information) trying to figure out the Chauvet interface. After I figured it out, of course, I did some testing and then I also tested my wireless remote activation (that I'm using for Halloween). Needless to say, my garage was filled with smoke. It's late at night, everyone in my neighborhood are old geezers like me and go to bed by 8:30 so I opened the garage doors (yep, in my boxers) to let the smoke out. I walked down the driveway because, you know, all that smoke looks cool, when I heard a big truck rumbling around the corner. I looked up and it was a firetruck with full LED lights flashing (no siren) turning onto my street (and I'm the first house)! I hauled a$$ back into the house and ran into my closet to put on some shorts and hauled a$$ back out to the garage because I was sure the firemen would be running up my driveway with hoses in hand. I would have loved to get a blood pressure reading at that moment! Anyhow, they passed my house and went to a neighbors. An ambulance showed up a couple of minutes later. I have no idea what happened but I shut down and came in the house to get on the computer where it's SAFE!!! My heart rate is now back to normal AND I'm back in my boxers!!!!!!!!! PS - I didn't know Chauvet put an LED light under the fluid tank to light it up. Very cool!!! Also, I love Chauvet and in the past their service department has been pretty good to me but they were absolutely useless as far as helping on this interface. After several e-mails I received a pin out schematic from two different guys and both schematics were different. Hoooboy...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouisMayer Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I have found that you do not need an expensive fog machine with DMX to do fog effects.By a $30 to $80 fog machine, then go by a $15 relay from the electronics storethis relay should be a 110/120 volt that can connect to an ON position and then when there is no power it turns to an open/Off positionfor less than usually $85 a unit - you have Fog machines controlled by an LOR channeljust make sure you do not do a gradient power fade or something - all on or all offLouiswww.christmasincypress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HallowXmas Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 No you don't need a expensive fog machine with DMX. But if you go with the cheep ones you will get 1 to 2 years use with it. even if you clean and store it correctly. i speent little more on a 1300W and some of them come with a fluid dection so if it runs out of juice it will not keep trying to pump and fry the unit out. i have had them now for 4 years and no problems with the units cloging up and not pumping fog juice. ony my first unit has a problem but it just needs a new pump. i will fix it some day but the pump cost almost as much as the complet fog machine. so i will probly just buy another one new fog machine and just keep this one for parts or tell i can find a pump that will work on it that not $100 dollor and shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HallowXmas Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I have seen alot of discutions on my post about controlling A fog machian. anyone that is looking for a way to control a fog machian should go check out this web page. all the work is been done for you, and has instructions on how to interface the units to one another. http://www.store.creativelightingdisplays.com/Fogger-Relay-FOG-RELAY.htm I have 2 of these units and they work grait and i havent had any problems with it at all running it on a 120V LOR controler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Laff Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 I have a chauvet snow machine does anyone know if you add dye to the snow fluid will it do any damage and will the snow come out colored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalSouthBay Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 I have a chauvet snow machine does anyone know if you add dye to the snow fluid will it do any damage and will the snow come out colored Some companies do make Dye concentrates to add to Foam Machines ( for foam pit parties ) and I have used them in several different snow machines but the effect is honestly lack-luster and it makes an absolute mess. The dye does not create vibrant colors ( bc the particles are so fine ); more of a pastel effect but I found it stained almost every porous object it touched. We used it for a few Halloween events where we had big monsters that the clients wanted to appear spit slime and blood. We found that you can get much better results with RGB LED fixtures strategically placed below and behind the falling snow. They also create a UV reactive snow fluid that is awesome. With high powered UV flood lights the snow is Pink, Blue or Yellow but appears white under regular light ( Used it on a Nightmare Before Christmas event....awesome). Just be careful with Chauvet's warranty because sometimes they won't honor it if you stray to far from their recommended fluids and damage the machine. Hope that helps and I am sure there are others on here that can add some insight as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Laff Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Thanks I did not think about lights good idea Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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