Smoke unit

[Jake GurrParticipant @jakegurr37403]

Hi all,

I am looking for a UK supplier of a smoke unit, 12v ideally.

Does anyone know who may stock one?

Thanks!

Jake

[Jake GurrParticipant @jakegurr37403]

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Try **LINK**, not used them myself

Regards

Roger

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Hello Jake,

I have used the mist unit from Model Boat Bits and am very pleased with it. It operates on 12v and seems very effective. They do take up a fair bit of room in the boat. Mine was slightly different from the one in the link above, it was a vertical boilered affair. I have just received the one described above to install in another boat. I think they are basically the same, certainly look like the same electrics.

I have attempted to post a link to a You Tube video of my boat with it in so you can see what they look like.

https://youtu.be/sXXQajlhjnc

Ian

[Jake GurrParticipant @jakegurr37403]

Thanks for the replies and that YouTube video is very helpful.

I was slightly concerned that the steam wouldn't look authentic enough for a diesel tug but looking at the video it looks pretty good to me.

I will need to check dimensions for fit etc. but I think I will go for this unit.

Many thanks!

Jake

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

I didn't realise you were after something for a diesel tug and this may be a bit OTT for that. It is possible to turn the output down – I had it quite high for the video. The unit comes with a pot which enables you to control the speed of the fan. There are other units which use a mineral based fluid which I assume would be a bit messier than these, but I have had no expereince of them. I like this because it's simple and clean.

Anyway, good luck whatever you decide.

Ian

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

Everybody would like a smoke unit that gives black smoke. Nodody makes one. Given that generally the black particles that smoke comprises are usually considered carcinogens, nodody is likely to.

[Peter SykesParticipant @petersykes47234]

Black Smoke would require a lot of power as well

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

The ones that use a mineral based fluid tend to be the ones that use a heating element to heat up the fluid to the point where it gives off a vapour. I have tried a couple of these in the past and while they do make a smoke effect they tend to be quite thin in 'smoke' effect. Added to that I have a very strong aversion to heating up a quantity of 'fuel' to the point whereby it is vapourising. By the laws of physics this is usually not that much lower a temperature than the flash point so it makes me too nervous.

The water vapour type all use a nebuliser unit to vibrate the cold water into a vapour via a high frequency vibrating brass disc. They produce significant quantities of vapour so look very effective and are relatively easy to control so can be wired into the speed controller easily. Challenges with them tend to be that all available nebulisers seem to work off 24V so you either require a seperate battery or you have to step up from the existing available, which tends to usually be 12V.

The best ones I have had are now both no longer manufactured, which is a great shame. They both worked off a 12V supply and used a control circuit to step up for the nebuliser as well as control the output according to motor speed. They also both shut off after a number of seconds. Luckily the ones I have still work but when they fail it will be time to look for yet another supplier!

I have seen the results of a couple of experiments with black smoke. Invariably this means adding something to the cold water, which, by the nature of the fact it is cold, tends to fall on the model rather than rise. This inevitably deposits whatever dye has been used all over the model and makes an awful mess.

[Alasdair AllanParticipant @alasdairallan37423]

any advice on what to do when a nebulising smoke effect unit suddenly stops working (apart from buy a new one!)?

[Dave ReedParticipant @davereed72029]

You could try a “portable mini humidifier”. An internet search should give lots of results and they are cheap enough to experiment with.

The one I got is USB powered and will run (with home made adaptor) from a spare receiver channel. It does have a couple of quirks though. You need to leave a gap between the mist output and bottom of the funnel or it will not provide ‘smoke’. It will need to be started before sailing and can’t easily be turned on or off while on the water. The output is constant and cannot be regulated to represent different engine load.

Dave

 

 

[Dave ReedParticipant @davereed72029]

Here’s the humidifier running from receiver on the bench. Improvised funnel is about 6″ of copper pipe.

On reflection, this probably isn’t going to be effective outside in a breeze. Maybe fan assist blowing into the gap at the bottom of the funnel would help? More experimentation required.

Dave

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jake

I have been using these RC Tank Metal and Plastic Smoke Generator Unit for Henglong 3918 1/16 RC Hobby Model, I am more than happy with them, they cost about £5 on AliExpress

Fred

[Alasdair Allan]

On Alasdair Allan Said:

any advice on what to do when a nebulising smoke effect unit suddenly stops working (apart from buy a new one!)?

On some of them the brass disc is removeable and even replaceable.  If they are not used for a while over winter scale build up on the disc stops it vibrating.  Cleaning it off can sometimes get it going again.  Sometimes replacing the disc sorts it out.  Sometimes it is time for a new unit.

Since my post above there is a new unit on the market which I reviewed in the October 2022 edition of Model Boats Magazine.  It is adjustable and controllable so follows the motor speed and accepts a wide range of voltages, making it very flexible.  I have olso, only in the last few days, submitted another review of a mini smoker unit from the same supplier.

Contact Denes Designs on: [email protected]

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