# New Harbor Models small smoke unit



## bdp3wsy (Mar 14, 2008)

Just ordered one. Will let you know how it works. Online video is unreal and 3 1/2 hours on one fill. WOW.


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

3 1/2 hr? 40 min max ,also make sure you cap the voltage at 12v (no pulse modulation rev control)otherwise you get one time a lot of smoke and HE will not give you the money back!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I went to the site, it DOES say 3-1/2 hours on 1/2 ounce of smoke fluid.

But I call "BS" on those numbers, especially running at 2 amps.

Please get one and report back...

Greg


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I agree that 3.5 hours on 0.5 oz has got to be total BS. 2 amps is still way too much for me.

-Jim


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

That's the current they have always drawn, the original one and the new small one.

lotsasteam has hooked one up, I believe he has direct experience..

Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeeph,smoked like (where the devil lives)(couse **** won't post!)for awhile (ca 1 year) had the unit in parallel hooked up with a second revolution to synchronize the smoke output according with the speed! The reason why it quit on me (my theory) somehow the pulse width modulation may have overheated the unit while it was low on smoke fluid (collapsed sidewalls and then the burnt out resistors indicated this)!


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

*The burnt unit!*

Here is the pic!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

in theory, on this type of heater, pwm should be no different than dc, it's the wattage consumed that will be converted into heat.

i like the bulletproof tanks of the mth units..

but let's see how this new unit performs... just have a hard time believing that level of output will work for 3.5 hours and 1/2 ounce.

I have run other smoke units with less smoke output, and they run dry pretty quick.

Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

*HH smoker 11 generation!*






That's what it looks when its working (close to burnup voltage (12volt!!)


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

The You Tube link seems "kaput."

FYI,
David Meashey


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Wurks fine! (HE who finds spelling errors can keep them)


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

What does the unit look like? What is it made of? How long a run did you get?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

you might want to visit the harbor models site... appears to be same basic unit as before in a smaller package.

No chuffing I see..

Greg


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

lotsasteam said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Va4bWmkgsM
> 
> That's what it looks when its working (close to burnup voltage (12volt!!)


I was impressed by the video; and intended to buy that type of smoke unit. But at first, I want to test the smoke unit of the NW2-USA trains locomotives, and I was disappointed by how much the smoke unit actually takes up power. Usually, for that NW2 locomotive; it runs several hours on a full battery. This morning, the locomotive was fully charged and with the smoke unit turned on, it could run less than 15 minutes. Anyone has experience with the USA trains-NW2 smoke unit, please share your experience. I am afraid the Habor Models smoke unit will do the same.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK,

So the early USAT smoke units take about 1/2 amp, heater only, no fan, etc:










Or do you have the later fan driven ones?









The first one takes under 1/2 amp, the second can take almost one amp.

BUT!!!

The Harbor Models ones can take 2 amps.... no offense, but did you read their site and the specifications?

If you are running battery, you will be one of the few that uses smoke... You can use MORE power for the smoke unit than the motor. 

You cannot get something for nothing in this world, and boiling lamp oil takes power.

Greg


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Greg Elmassian said:


> OK,
> 
> So the early USAT smoke units take about 1/2 amp, heater only, no fan, etc:
> 
> ...



Thanks Greg for the information.
I did open up the USA train NW2 when I modified it for battery powered; but I didn't notice what type of smoke unit they used. But I am certain that there is no fan since the smoke is very little not the kind blowing up profusely by the fan. If the Harbor Models uses 2amps, it is nearly impossible for battery powered locomotives. My ion lithium battery has only less than 4 amps.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, it really uses a lot of power.... now, stock the fan powered USAT units will take under an amp, but if you use them in "direct mode" from a DCC decoder, for example, you can use about 1 amp for the heater and 1/2 amp for the fan.

Stock, the USAT fan type units run a lot less aggressively, and make less smoke... so the smoke volume is not always the conclusive way to determine what model you have.

I have not opened my NW-2's to look inside at what they came with.

Greg


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

> Yep, it really uses a lot of power..


As my pal discovered. I went round to see his Mallet run with its new Harbor Models smoke unit, and the batteries died after 1/2 hr [although I think he'd been running it before I turned up, so the run time is suspect.] He was surprised.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The unit can actually use over one amp...

The specs are right there on the web page:

Dimensions: 2-1/8" L (2-7/8" with mounting tabs) x 1-1/2" W x 1-1/2" H
Weight: 1.4oz. when filled with fluid
Run time: ~3-1/2 hours on 1/2oz. of fluid
Draw: ~1.2 amps at full throttle Voltage: 6 Volt


So, I'd be interested if he used the small unit and had 6 volts..

Anyway, it will eat a battery faster than the motor as you can see from the specs.

Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

2 14.4 volts 5 amps will run the B man K 27 with the H smoke unit for ca 1 -1 1/2 hr! 2 revo RX (motor/smoke synchronized!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It's a simple thing to figure, once you know the amperage, you can tell how long it will run by the amp hour capacity of your batteries.

Although when you state: "2 14.4 volts 5 amps", it might be confusing for people... and it is technically ambiguous.

First, it's 5 amp hours, not 5 amps... 

But is this two 14.4 volt 5 amp hour battery packs in parallel? (14.4 volts at 10 amp hours), or is this two 14.4 volt 5 amp hour battery packs in series (28.8 volts at 5 amp hours), or is it two 14.4 volt packs in parallel TOTALLING 5 amp hours (each pack is 2.5 amp hours).

Makes a big difference, right?

Anyway, for the small smoke unit (this is what I thought the thread was about), it is a 6 volt unit, so theoretically at 1.2 amps, then a 5 amp hour battery of 6 volts or greater (regulated to 6v) would give you a run time of 5 / 1.2 or 4.1 hours if used for the smoke unit itself, or probably about half that if running a loco and lights too.

So maybe about 2 hours of loco and smoke, which is about what was indicated, but I think lotasteam uses the full size 12v unit, which can draw more current.

Greg


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

yes Greg, parallel ,I used the HH 12 volt unit! (at least till it gave it's final smoke debut)


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## annakieu541 (Jan 18, 2018)

Wurks fine!


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