Thread: Fogger Timer/Prop Timer Hack

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The relay is what you need to purchase. This basically takes place of the button. Right now when you pushs down the timmer button it completes the circuit and allows the fog machine to run only during the time you have it set for. You will remove the spring and small round bar inside the button when you take it apart. The relay will be wired in to do what the button use to do. Basically when the motion sensor is tripped it will send power to the 9volt plug that you purchased which will then send power to the relay which will now close and complete the circuit which will allow your timmer to start working.

If the relay supplies 9v and the 9v power supply down converts from 110 to 9v, why do you need the relay from the sensor to power supply. I mean, if all the relay does is close the circuit, wouldn't the sudden supply of 9v from the transformer do the same job in creating a complete circuit as the relay or am I missing something ?

I am not real good with electrical but I will try to explain it. Basically a relay is a switch like a light switch. When the relay is activated or switched it completes the circuit which allows the power to flow through. OK with this, you need a relay that has a 110 volt cability which is what you are buying. In regards to how you make the switch (relay) open and close you need to send it a signal. This is done buy the use of the 9 volt power supply. When the motion sensor goes off it sends the power to the 9 volt power supply. In return being that is is connected to the relay it then makes the relay close and now we have power to the fogger control. You can buy a relay that instead of using 9 volts to open and close you can tet them that uses 110v but they cost more. Does this help out at all?

Yes it does. I am doing something similar only using a wireless sensor that activates a standard 110 non grounded outlet.

Heath Zenith 240 Degree Wireless Motion Sensor - SL-6032-WH at The Home Depot


The 110v outlet that receives the wireless signal powers a 6 outlet power strip to activate my prop when the sensor is tripped. My only problem was the fog machine. I appreciate your posting this. Now I can finish up

Just remember the fog machine must be on for a period of time to warm up before it can fire the fog. Hooking up the power cord of the fog machine to your power strip will not work as it needs to to heat up. All three of my machines stayed powered up and ready to fire.

I was about try and hack my Target fog timer (looks like the ebay pic) but am a little confused.

First let me give you a bit of info on what I am wanting. I have a security light motion sensor (120v) and a beam motion sensor (from a security alarm, 12v). The beam sensor only comes on while the beam is not seeing the other side which means it can stay on if someone stands there if it is simply tripped it stays on for 1.5 - 2 seconds. I thought about using that for my air cannon which uses a 12v sprinkler valve. When it is tripped it closes the 12v circuit. I wanted to limit it from being tripped and thought this timer may be useful. The problem is that I don't know how much output this is so I thought I would simply plug the 12v supply from the beam sensor into a cord hacked like Rick states above. I also had another idea for it. I have a wireless door chime that I can record a voice and is also motion activated. I wanted to limit how many times it goes off since there is no delay. You can see my post about the frog chime here. It has 3 AAA batteries that run it. If I could figure out how many amps it required I could probably hack the battery pack to use a wallwart instead. Any ideas on limiting how these go off?

Thanks for the schematic Diabolic!

Terror31,

I have hacked many of my props that use batteries to run them. With three AAA batteries I belive this comes out to 4.5 volts. all I did was go to my local Good Will store and found a power supply, like for a phone or some type of toy, that had an output of 4.5 volts. I have seen them from as low as 3 volts all the way up to 12 volts so you need to look at them and see what they are. I found them for about $1.50 each so pretty cheap. These have worked out great. You can them hook these power supplies up to a motion sensor and when your motion sensor goes off it will not activate your prop. Works out very good.

Rick

I went to the Goodwill for that awhile back but I was only finding 5v-9v when I needed less than 5v and some 12v supplies. I was afraid the 5v would fry my stuff. What about amps? I know a rechargeable AA is 1.2v and depending on which one you buy might be 2650 mAh. I am not sure how that maps to mA which on the battery says "standard charge is 270mA for 16h". My assumption then would be that I need 3.6v-4.5v +-270mA adapter.

I am not sure about the amps as I guess I really never looked at that part. Not sure what to tell you on this?

The device will draw only the amps that it requires. So say the device is 4.5v and .5 amps, the power supply needs to have 4.5v output but can be rated at say, 2 amps.