Harbor Models Smoke Generator

[zwony]

Hello,

Well, here goes my first post...

I'm a total newbie with a big goal. I want to build a scale Dakar Scania Rally Truck! This includes putting a Tamiya mfu in it as well as a smoke generator (the big rig rally trucks in Dakar spit out an amazing amount of smoke) that works proportionally with the throttle.

I've discovered Harbor Models, a scale boat company that sells a magnificent smoke generator.

Model Boat Smoke Generator

However, it's meant to be used with 12 volts and it won't work with less, according to the store owner. He didn't know how to make it work with a 7.2 volt RC truck.

Anybody have experience making this smoke generator work in their scale truck? Other smoke generators?

I appreciate any suggestions you might have.

Thanks!

[Dudeman]

Maybe it will run off a 3S lipo? 11.1v

A small 4S with a voltage regulator chip to drop it to 12v should work.

[hotwheels000]

Is it white/gray smoke or Black ?

[1lowta]

from what i read in the description, it does run with the throttle and i don't understand why it wouldn't work if you hooked it up to the motor side of your esc.

[zwony]

It's white atomized water, not actual smoke. The esc is 7.2v and the unit takes 12v... That's the problem.

[muddawg]

you need black smoke unless you are trying to recreate a scale blown head gasket i wouldn't mess with it

[zwony]

good point. perhaps putting some food coloring into the water would change the color of the "smoke" to dark gray, probably wouldn't reach black.

[Tommy R]

True that the diesel soot should be black instead of white, but I still think it would be cool. Just pretend it just started and it's cold outside!

Cold Start Freightliner Detroit Diesel Series 60 - YouTube

[1lowta]

true but, an rc motor is rated at 12v. i think it will work and if it works on a rc boat then why wouldn't it work for a car/truck?? from what I saw in the videos of it, the one were they show it working it is blasting out and cliam 5ft of smoke. that wouldn't be too "scale". it is abit pricey to chance it but, i wouldn't see why it wouldn't work off less than 12v. also, the train vid and the bottom boat pic are steam so the smoke would be white. the first boat pic looks like a diesel but not 100%.

[muddawg]

Originally Posted by zwony

good point. perhaps putting some food coloring into the water would change the color of the "smoke" to dark gray, probably wouldn't reach black.

the steam would still be white but you would be left with a colored residue

[zwony]

So, I purchased the small Foggy MK2 unit from MMB - MarksModelBits.com because the owner, Mark, assured me it would work. The Foggy has a separate 24v battery pack. AND, Mark is cool enough to do a special build for me in which he's going to put a baffle between the water reservoir and the atomizer! This prevents a spill if (when) the truck rolls over.

Mark said he's tried running it with colored water....just gums it up. If you watch youtube vids of real Dakar race trucks, they blast out a ton of smoke when accelerating or climbing. Of course, it's not white. But, I'm hoping it's still cool looking enough.

[Dudeman]

Hmmmm...

That uses water? No wonder it needs 24 volts. Try some propolene glycol in it or better yet, 50/50 mix water and vegetable glycerine. It will be a fog machine.

Something else that might be useful to toy around with Wizard Stick Fog Generator: $18.89 Order Toll Free 1-888-708-2019

[zwony]

The Wizard Stick is pretty cool, especially for the price. However, the unit I've purchased is attached to the RX throttle/ESC so the "smoke" increases and decreases with the throttle. Barely anything would come out when idling and a plume would come out under hard acceleration. I'll definitely be posting videos of it when I get it all set up.

[speed ghilliesniper]

It can be done, this was an old local truck with it. Tug o war - YouTube

[Scx10guy]

only problem i can see is if you roll it of flip it what will happen to the smoke generator, and just run the smoke generator off of a seperate battery pack it will work like a babe then

[NecroWish]

zwony

I'm currently hooking a harbor models smoke gen up to my king hauler. the smoker will work on a 7.2v pack. the new ones hook up to the motor and have variable speeds and out put. not really what I wanted cause not enough smoke emitted at slow speeds with such a small pack. I wanted an idle smoke that came out as the sound from the multi function box (mfu) was going. so even though I completely ruined any type of warranty, I cut the fan wires and tied them into the vibration motor of the unit. so now when the truck speeds up and slows the it puts out dif smoke amount with the increased speed of the vibration motor going and in relation to the engine sounds from the mfu. I bridged the heater wire w/fuse into the mfu's main power with 2 deans connectors. therefore a direct feed to the heater (so it can be ran with or without smoke) and a separate one to the fan controlled by the mfu. so I get good amount of smoke built up at slow and high speeds. it works great so far no complaints. as far as the color, yes only white. no way to make it black like diesel. it's for effect not exact color. you see smoke from a semi's stacks you auto mactically think diesel. lol unless your a diesel mech. in which case you'd think bad injector or something else. looks cool. only prob I have so far is the plumbing. If you don't make the outlet big enough it back flows smoke from the fan instead of the stacks/exhaust where it is supposed to go. so i'm throwing around a few dif ideas of how I want to do it and given the space limitations I have to fix the issue. all part of the fun. building something no one else has tried or trying to make it better. will post some pics when I get it worked out to my liking. all in all though, to get back to the question. yes it is a 12v smoker but, you can modify it to go 7.2v. running a 3000ma 7.2v nimh btry in the above model. just one btry runs smoker, the mfu which runs all lights to include tractor and trailer, speed control, all sounds, and vibration motor. hope this helps or gives you some ideas. play with it and have some fun. as I once read, " it's not what you can buy, sometimes it's what you can build."

[pook]

**** no