| What does Mw Stand For? |
Milli Watts.
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| What are LED Lights? |
LED technology has been developed and only recently has it been able to be applied to the DJ, disco and club industry. LED disco lights now offer incredible brightness to match that of more common forms of effects lighting. LED disco lights offer very low power consumption around 5% of conventional halogen bulbs. The LED lighting effects produce very little heat making them safer and more pleasant to work with. LED DJ lights also offer a lamp life in excess of 50,000 hours meaning consistent replacement of lamps can be a thing of the past. In addition to this, LED disco lighting tends to contain few or no moving parts so from a maintenance point of view are a lot more manageable.
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| What is DMX? |
DMX is a standard for digital communication networks that is commonly used to control stage lighting and effects. DMX is the primary method for linking not only controllers and dimmers, but also more advanced fixtures and special effects devices such as fog machines and moving lights.
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| What does Sound Activated Mean? |
Sound Activated (or Sound to Light mode) quite simply means the light unit effect will change along with the beat of the music. On the back of the light unit is a microphone. The microphone will pick up the beat (bass) frequencies and alter the light display. Some light effects units include a sensitivity switch which will alter how much of the bass frequencies will be picked up by the microphone. The lower the sensitivity the less the light will change in comparison to higher sensitivity. Some machines even allow you to turn off the sound active feature and switch to automatic mode or DMX control mode.
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| What is a Scanner? |
Scanners have a body which contains the lamp, PCBs, transformer, and effects (color, gobo, iris etc.) devices. A mirror is panned and tilted in the desired position by pan and tilt motors, thereby causing the light beam to move. Scanners are typically faster and less costly than moving head units but have a narrower range of movement.
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| What can I use a smoke machine for? |
Smoke machines have a number of different applications. Mobile DJ's and discos will use smoke machines to enhance the effect of their lights creating a more ambient atmosphere at a disco, but they have become extremely popular in the domestic market recently due to new technology making them more affordable. The most popular time for domestic use is during Halloween to create an eerie mist effect in the home, or during the Christmas season to give a dry ice or low fog effect creating a winter scene. Fog machines have also been use for industrial applications to find leaks, training for fire fighters and the military, and most recently as a security device in commercial units which emit large amounts of smoke very quickly in the event of a forced entry.
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| What is a smoke machine? |
A smoke machine or fog machine can come in many shapes and sizes but primarily all have the same purpose, which is to emit a vapour that appears similar to smoke or fog. Products can vary from very small domestic machines to large club machines with very high power pumps to emit large amounts of smoke. Most smoke machines are mains operated but there are some products available which offer a battery powered solution, however the power is extremely low on these units which makes them incredibly inefficient at making smoke and fog. With the latest technology machines, operating the machine can be very simple by using a wired or wireless remote which can be pressed whenever a burst of fog is needed, or with a timer system that appears on some high end smoke machines.
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| Are they safe? |
Any of the machines or fluids that you see on our website will be safe for use by the public. The fluid comprises of water and glycol, and has been used professionally by theatres and stage productions for many years. Studies have been completed on smoke machines and their fluids on behalf of theatres and performers who have smoke used in their applications. The studies have confirmed that it is extremely unlikely that any health related illnesses can be related to the use of smoke machines and approved 'water based' fog fluids.
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| What types of smoke machines are there? |
Smoke machines and foggers come in various shapes and sizes and produce a number of different effects too. There are traditional smoke machines which fill the atmosphere with a dense solid fog, which are the most popular machines, but you can also get haze machines which create an atmospheric mist rather than a dense fog which can have a similar effect to normal smoke machines. Stage and television productions use a 'low fog' or 'dry ice' effect machine which cools the fog as it leave the unit making the smoke hang lower to the floor, similar to a cold winters day. It is also common to get machines with variable output angles, allowing for a greater range of applications making it simpler to direct the smoke output. There is a huge varience in power also, with the domestic units ranging from 400 watts to 700 watts, more professional 800, 1200 and 1500 watt machines being used by mobile discos and anything to a few thousand watt smoke machines being used by clubs and stage production companies.
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| So what Fog machine is right for me? |
Most smoke machines will have an output rate, measured in Cubic feet per minute. A typical machine for use in a standard 3 bed home should be between 1500 and 2500 CBF per minute, with professional machines anything up to 50,000 CBF. The simplest way to decide which smoke machine is right for you is to make a judgement on your biggest venue, buy the biggest machine you can afford to suit that venue, then use it less if the venue your performing is smaller. The type of fluid you use can also make a big difference, with the cheapest fluid not also being the best option because you could end up using twice as much! If you need help choosing the right machine you can call our sales team who can recommend the right fog machine for your application.
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| How do smoke machines work? |
The fog machines we have available use a heater and pump system to project smoke. The fluid is heated until it vapourises and the pump forces the vapourised fluid through the outlet into the air. More complex models include other features such as speed pumps to control the fog output and timers to set specific times when you want the machine to pump. Our low fog machines use the same method but also incorporate an ice box on the unit which cools the fog before it leaves the machine which causes the smoke to float on the surface of the floor.
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| Do I need to put anything in them? |
Smoke machines require a water/glycol based fluid to operate. There are many different types of this fluid on the market but it is always best to use an approved brand that works well with your machine. Fluid or 'fog juice' as it is commonly known, comes in various different qualities and densities, creating different effects from the same machines. All of the fluids which we sell are suitable for all of our fog machines and come in bottles with screwed lids so that you can store or transport them. We also have scents available in a variety of different fragrance's such as strawberry, energy drink, vanilla, and many many more. It is a good idea to invest in a cleaning solution too which should be flushed through the machine on a regular basis to keep limescale off of the pipes and give a thorough clean to the pump components.
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| How long does the smoke fluid last? |
How often will you use the machine?! This is the most commonly asked question when you purchase a smoke machine and there really is no defined answer. The time the fluid lasts depends on the size of the machine, the quality of the fluid, how foggy you want the room, and of course how long your party will last. After researching this with some of our DJ customers we have found that a litre will last around 2 gigs with a professional machine of about 1000 watts. For smaller foggers of about 400 watts you would possibly see 4 parties with normal use.
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| What size area can I cover with a smoke machine? |
Smoke machines will cover an extremely large area because fog has a tendency to spread around the room filling every gap available. For larger rooms a smaller unit will struggle because its output may not counteract the lost smoke which is escaping through gaps in the room, which can lead to a failure within the machine. The smaller machines are simply not designed for extremely heavy use, therefore if you do require a thick fog in a large room it is wise to invest in a quality/more professional, higher powered fogger that can take the persistent strain of being constantly on. If you want a large spread of smoke but you do not want a high density then it is best to use a high powered fogger or hazer to generate more of a mist, along with a low density fluid.
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