# BMANN K27 HARBOR MODELS SMOKE UNIT



## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE1Xpholv5g

Smoke unit running on 8volts 

2nd video with adjustable smoke outputt comming soon!

Manfred Diel


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Now that is some serious smoke! Do you have a "how to"? I'd be very interested! 

Does it run off of water? or use a fluid? How long does the smoke last?


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Super impressive.

Any tips on how you did it...like what you hooked up the power supply to?


It would be great if Harbor one day makes a "chuff" smoke unit. Maybe if there is enough interest in the large scale market they might think about it.


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Run time is about 45 min with one fillup,(keep in mind at 12 volts)currently i am running only 8 volts to the smoke unit (some electric issues need to be solved) When everything works the way i want it puffing smoke in sync with sound will be the reward!!!! 
The engine runs on 12 volt Battery power(2x 6volt/5ah lead acid ) I let it run with smoke 3hrs so fahr and still plenty of juice in the battery, 2 aristo revolution rec /one for motor and aux functions and one rec for the smoke unit! If run on 12 volts the smoke output is almost double . 

Some testing und some mods stillin progress! 
manfred Diel


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Manfred, what's your plan for the puffing? Are you running the smoke unit from a decoder, or just on regulated or "dropped" dc? 

Regards, Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

The puffing will integrate an electronic circuit which timely triggers the chuff (2/3/4/ chuffs) Sorry can't tell any details ! 

Manfred Diel


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay, _now_ I'm interested! I've never been one to go for the smoke (mostly because I run Bachmann equipment and their smoke units are..."unimpressive" to be nice) but this is a whole different animal!! I will watch this subject with great interest! If you get the "chuff" worked out_ and_ be able to adapt it to r/c battery control I will definitely be interested in converting a locomotive!


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Me, too.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Steve Stockham on 20 Apr 2010 09:07 AM 
{snip...}[/i] If you get the "chuff" worked out_ and_ be able to adapt it to r/c battery control I will definitely be interested in converting a locomotive!
You might want to backup and read Manfred's reply dated 19 Apr 2010 05:51 PM


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep, I got that part. _That's_ why I'm interested! What I'm waiting on is the "chuff" and the details thereof. When everything is ironed out and it's proven to work with r/c battery, _then_ I will be doing some ordering!


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice! That would definitely be worth doing--that's impressive


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep you get the chuffed worked out and it will be something to look into. Later RJD


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Just to get you guys started,the smoke unit does not fit into the K27 as is:

Cut the fan of close to the smoke unit with out separating the fanwires
Cut off the mounting lugs
Position the smokeunit between dome mounting post (K270) and smokebox (tight fit)
The smoke outputt from the unit is offset with the smoke stack (K27) bridge that with some soft metal (beercan rolled into a tube cut to fit(dont worry about some gaps.
Use an bathtub caulk adhesive and dub some papertowels-strips into caulk and with tweezers wrap around gaps to fill in (make shure all holes are filled or boiler will smoke too!
Mount fan (label side on top of inside boiler, line up fan exhaust with smoke unit as good as it gets than go ahead and cut some moore beercans to bridge that gap and fill the remaining gaps as outlined in step 5.
Wire the smoke unit to exit the loco and assemble loco!
Get an radio shack bridge rectifier (100 volt/2ah) and solder to the smoke unit wire (smoke unit will burnout if you run it backwards!!!!
ADD A COUPLE OF DIODES TO REDUCE THE VOLTAGE TO AROUND 10 VOLTS!!! YOUR READY TO GO AND HOOK UP A 12 VOLT BATTERY to the smoke unit (DON"T go over 12 volts).
 ATT!!! This is not a takted smoke out putt ==== its a continius heck off a smoke outputt!!!!


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Addition to my last post!!!! 
If you are not shure what youre doing don't do it!!! I won't be buying replacement smoke units for any one!!! 

Manfred Diel


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.airmidimicros.com/MIServos.htm

This little unit solved the timed smoke outputt !! looked it up in an RC/Tank forum and it suits my smoke unit perfectly!!

You don;t need the harbor hobby smoke unit ,(unless you want fog up your backyard) a aristo or USA trains smoke unit will work excellent!

How to?? easy, order one of those actuators(above 27$ + sh) use 2,3,or 4 small magnets and an reed switch/ its like you install a sound cam on your axle you need a 5 volt source to activate the actuator ,the only tricky part is you need to make a flapper valve ?( you need to shape a disk which fits inside the smoke stack(preferably a short brass extension inside the smoke box inline with the stack)make a hole in the center so the smoke comes out in a small steady stream/ the flapper disk will open and close with a wire at the pivot point across(one end bent 90decree to connect to the actuator which in turn cycles the open/close smoke puff )

This is an easy mod you can do to your loco to get realistic smoke puffs in synch with your piston movement!

manfred diel


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Does it buzz when you run fast, or does it mostly stay open? 

Regards, Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

It buzzes only in synch with the firemans pants!!(You running the K 27 to fast ) At prototypical speed everything works perfect/no buzzing! 

Manfred Diel


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

http://vimeo.com/11251098

This video is borrowed from the RC forum(Tanks) The rpm are a lot higher than on a steam engine ,if you run your steamengine at reasonable speed there should be no problem with buzzing!!

Manfred Diel


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

So at high speeds, it mostly stays open, rather than closed? 

(It must or you would not have smoke output) 

Where I am going with this is: "is the natural tendency is for the valve to stay open at high speeds, or did you have to bias the flapper to make this happen?" 

Regards, Greg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

How Fast is "High Speed"? Does it work at typcial speeds?


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi JJ! 
My k27 smokes like ****,run ca 1 pint of Citronella through the Harbor Hobby Unit/ the actuator test woked only on super slow speed .Currently the smoke unit is activated with a second aristo reciever MUED to the K 27 reciever,so slow speed smokes quiet a bit,faster speed(prototypical) smokes a lot more! 
I am happy with the HH unit ! 
Manfred


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