Thread: Fog machine controlled by medusa or dmxorcist

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Anyone ever do this? I have to imagine that it's been done before. I have a fog machine with a button that needs to be depressed in order for it to fire. Is there a way I can take the remote apart and wire this through dmxorcist or the medusa board? I'm basically looking for it to come on during certain phases of my light routine but a flat timer won't work for me. I need to run it at various intervals like a prop control.

You need a relay soldered to the fog machine switch, then plug it into your DMX.

Here's what I'm looking at





The green appears to be common to both switches as it's soldered in both places. White while the system is heating and then black I'm guessing is the trigger?

The first block is just for the light when the machine is ready. The bottom switch is where you would run the relay. If you can splice the wire outside the trigger and cut the black wire then run this is a relay (C/NO). It may be easier to do.

If you have enough headroom you could put the relay inside the trigger by cutting the black wire and putting them into the C and N.O. contacts of the relay.

Your switch would have to be on, so use a rubber band around it if it doesn't stay closed. It will be on but won't produce fog until the relay is switched.

OK, that looks like a walmart fogger, Ive done one of these for DMX control in my MIB, its not entirely straightforward.

The best thing to do is to leave the light in the circuit and replace the switch with the relay which in turn it connected to the Medusa, and controlled by the DMX stream.

It would look like this:

Wall could be Dimmer pack or any other input trigger

And a third suggestion... LOL...

I'd suggest leaving as much of the existing switch box in tact - both the neon indicator, and the switch, and just add the relay.

Using a Medusa DMX, and assuming you'd have 12V available, you'd do the following:
1 - Solder new (additional) wires on top of both of the switch terminals. Leave the existing wires in place.
2 - Connect the two new wires to the contacts on the relay. One should go to the 'COM' (common), and the other to the 'N/O' (normally open).
3 - Connect +12V to one side of the relay's coil terminal, and also to the + terminal on the Medusa switch outputs.
4 - Connect the other relay coil terminal to a Medusa switch output.

Done!

And I share Industen's preference for mounting the (small) relay inside of the smoke controller if you can. If you do this, and then route the relay coil wires out to a little terminal strip, or connector, on the outside of the controller, you've got a very versatile (and safe) setup. It'll make for quick setup, when you want to use it for automated control, and still allow for manual operation (since the original switch is still there). Also, since the exposed wires are only connected to the relay's coil, there's no AC exposed, either.

- Hook

Hey hooked.... have You got the relay and switch wired in series there?, I reckon to trigger that you also need to activate the switch.... which now I think about it, is actually how Ive got mine.... and I put a cable tie around the switch because its sprung loaded.

Industen's idea is in series. But I'd prefer both switches (the existing switch, and the relay switch) being in parallel. That way, the existing function of the smoke machine would be preserved (manual operation), and for automated operation, you wouldn't have to worry about remembering to turn the legacy switch on.

I have one of my smoke machines with this exact setup (either switch activates). It helps when setting up / building a prop.

- Hook

Yes that first Pic is series:

Yes you can also do it this way (Parallel):