Thread: DMX Vampire in Coffin (MIB)

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Holy Hell that thing is awesome.

What about installing this inside? Not sure how you would open the coffin lid to let it popup but you guys know everything!!

I already ordered the pop up system!!


FrightProps - Halloween Decorations, Halloween Props, Pneumatic Props, Animated Props, Halloween Accessories

Originally Posted by Terra

Thanks for the kudos Kenpilot. I completely agree with you about the prop needing a payoff. This was my first attempt in pneumatics, DMX and programming so I wanted to keep it relatively simple.

Now that I know what I'm doing, it would be pretty simple to have the monster pop out. I'd do what you said, have another cylinder with a longer throw open the lid more. Then have yet another cylinder push up the monster.

In regards to foggers: I tried using another brand of fogger that the manufacturer swore (he even said he tested) would work with the Chauvet DMX adapter. Not only did it NOT WORK, it damn near fried my DMX chain. I suggest you save yourself the headache and just get the little Chauvet fogger that I used. Worked very well for me.

Good luck with this! By the way, did you read about my struggles with how to set this baby off? I used a cordless mouse (hanging around my neck) to start the routine. But I only had a 3 foot range from my laptop and was a bit of a hassle. I recently got a DMXorcist box that I will be using this year.

Lemme know if you have any questions that I could answer for you.

Got it! Thanks Terra!! I am spending a fortune on this thing but I am too deep to back out now...

Just realized the fogger DMX control is discontinued.....I am dead.

Originally Posted by Terra

Not a dumb question at all. I'm sure there is a better way but since I didn't know what I was doing, I followed a suggestion from Fright Props. Here's a picture from them that shows what I did:



The two sort of brackets the cylinder in place.

In regards to adding another cylinder to lift the bottom, I'd say go for it. That is what I would do if I wanted to improve my coffin. It needed more violence. Plus, I would add in a vampire actually coming out of the coffin.

Originally Posted by WindyCityCouple

Got it! Thanks Terra!! I am spending a fortune on this thing but I am too deep to back out now...

Just realized the fogger DMX control is discontinued.....I am dead.

You arent dead as there is a solution, but if you are dead, can I use you for my cemetary yard display?

I had the same problem when I was making mine last month. I couldnt find any DMX fog adapters anywhere! But there is a fog hack with a relay you can use. It isnt hard at all and when I find the links I used or I can write a simple tutorial I will get it to you. Keep building!

Originally Posted by Kenpilot

You arent dead as there is a solution, but if you are dead, can I use you for my cemetary yard display?

I had the same problem when I was making mine last month. I couldn't find any DMX fog adapters anywhere! But there is a fog hack with a relay you can use. It isnt hard at all and when I find the links I used or I can write a simple tutorial I will get it to you. Keep building!

Oh good, when you get that fog timer hack link, could you post it here? I feel real bad that they discontinued the DMX fog controller and I've been asked several times now for an alternative.

Originally Posted by WindyCityCouple

What about installing this inside? Not sure how you would open the coffin lid to let it popup but you guys know everything!!

I already ordered the pop up system!!


FrightProps - Halloween Decorations, Halloween Props, Pneumatic Props, Animated Props, Halloween Accessories

Oh, that looks great! Gonna scare the kids permanently. I'm a little concerned with the violent resetting it has. If it's not a dual-acting cylinder that is doing that I would get a speed-control muffler to slow down the air escaping so it has a more muted reset. From the looks of it, that could start breaking your coffin. But, if your coffin could take it, it's like a double-scare.

In regards to opening the coffin, I hope someone pipes up on that. Logically, you'd have to open the lid fully so the vamp can clear it. I have no idea how to do that other than a really long cylinder. ....Or a cylinder mounted on the wall that pulls open the lid....that could work I guess.

Here are the links that I used to hack my Fogger Remote to work with a relay and then add it to my MIC. If this is the first time you are "hacking" something or first time working with a relay I would HIGHLY suggest reading each and every one of these Links as they each have some great info and will help in understanding exactly what you are doing and what is happening. If in the end you are still clueless please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I have made about 3 of these so far for each of my props and so far they have worked without fail. (knock on wood )

The fog machine I used was the same one that Terra used : Chauvet Hurricane 650 fogger with the basic one button or toggle switch remote. It is very similar to a couple of the foggers in the Links.

The BASIC idea is to open the fog remote, cut some of the wires from the switch (Fog Button) or leave them connected and solder the additional wires to the switch (Fog Button) if you still want the option of using the switch (fog button). I personally just cut the wires off and then soldered on the wires I used. U then will solder a positive and negative wire to that switch (fog button) and route it out the remote and connect the wires to the coil terminals on a small relay you can get at radio shack. U then will solder the Common and NO (Normal Open) wires on the relay to the positive and negative terminals on an input jack. Then you plug in a 4.5 or 5 volt wall wart (transformer) (Power depending on what relay you get. ) in to that input jack. Take the wall wart (transformer) and plug it in to one of the outlet channels in the DMX relay pack and assign it an address and presto! You now have on demand fog. If I was able to do this hack, please trust me when I say YOU can do this hack. It takes a little bit of reading but once you understand it, it is cake! And I am always here for questions!

I am attaching a picture with one of these hacks I made for my electric chair. You will see the fogger remote and then the small project box that I got from Radio Shack, which houses the relay and small input jack for the wall wart to plug in to. The wall wart in this case is plugged in to a power strip (which has other things plugged in to it for this prop) and the power strip is then plugged in to one of the DMX outlet channels on the DMX relay pack in my MIC.

Hope this helps! This was just a quick summary and overview of what you are doing. READ the links and ask any questions you may have! It IS simple, trust me!

ScareFX: Modified a Gemmy Remote

Halloween Prop Relay Trigger -Creep Crafters .Com-

hauntmaven.com : Go to the bottom of the page and search for " Remote Fogger Control" and select the first link that appears.

I am building a coffin with a pop up in it right now. I plan on using an air cylinder mounted to the coffin wall that the lid is hinged to. The cyclinder will push up on the lid about 4-6" away from the hinge. I am using a 5 or a 6" cylinder, cant remember right now. From the calculations and drawings that I have done it should work but you know how that goes. If I am lucky I should be able to install and test it by the end of the weekend. I will write back with results and pictures. I also have a thread started on the build of my coffin, so check there for updates as well. Coffin MIB with DMX Control

Although Fright Props owes Terra a comission because as I was looking at the cylinder I found their talking skull and I dropped $300...

Originally Posted by Terra

Oops, I forget to say where I got all this stuff:

Cylinder, solenoid and fittings (Fright Props)
DMX cables, lights, DMX 3-pin adapter, fog machine and fog machine converter (Musician's Friend)
Enttec Open USB DMX (Enttec)
VSA (Brookshire)
DMX Terminator (bhphotovideo.com)

heheh... Yeah, I love their stuff so I can relate.

Saw those skulls at Transworld and they were so elegantly simple.