# Pulsed smoke install



## Coaster (Jul 6, 2014)

Just finished installing a Pro Line pulsed smoke unit and Zimo MX696. Smoke output wasn't what I was expecting but after some advice from Axel I got it working with lots of smoke. Have not cranked it to the max that he suggested but that can wait till I have guests that I want to impress.

Stephen


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Be careful of the heater element being too hot,more smoke can mean shorter lifetime on the heater. TrainLi does sell replacement elements.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for posting video looks great.


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## MikeMcL (Apr 25, 2013)

That's an awesome amount of smoke, looks cool! One question, at the end of the video when you were slowing down, the smoke stopped puffing with the chuffs, or altogether. Were you out of fluid? How long can you run producing that much smoke?


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## Coaster (Jul 6, 2014)

MikeMcL said:


> That's an awesome amount of smoke, looks cool! One question, at the end of the video when you were slowing down, the smoke stopped puffing with the chuffs, or altogether. Were you out of fluid? How long can you run producing that much smoke?


The Zimo controls smoke output based on load. Smoke output was reduced since the engine was braking. Have not done any tests to see how long it will last. Probably at least 3 runs around the room. It get a little smoky in the room after a couple of times around.

Stephen


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The Zimo decoder has 3 heater settings and 3 fan settings.
Real engines do not puff when standing still, nor do they puff slowing down/coasting downhill. The Zimo decoder measures back emf and will give no chuff or pulsing smoke when this occurs.
So, cv137, 138, 139 are for the heater element and can be set for pulsing units or even heater only locos. ( I do this for all my locos)
THe fan can be set for 3 speeds, engine idle, running or accelerating. CVs 351-355 are used for this.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Question: Is there a way to use and make these units "puff" without the use of DCC, Decoders or other electronics, like just adding a magnetic reed switch and magnets to the axles of a loco or some other method to get them to "pulse" the smoke?

I'm guessing the answer is probably not, but didn't hurt to ask!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

sure, but the reed switch may not last long, the inductive load of pulsing a motor is not normally within their capability.

oops.... answering your question literally, it would not work well without a fan, pulsing the heater with a reed switch is no way, too much current.

You are not the first to ask these questions, the bottom line you cannot make great puffing smoke without a fan unit and some electronics to switch the fan motor.

(translation: cannot be done cheap)

Greg


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Greg Elmassian said:


> sure, but the reed switch may not last long, the inductive load of pulsing a motor is not normally within their capability.
> 
> oops.... answering your question literally, it would not work well without a fan, pulsing the heater with a reed switch is no way, too much current.
> 
> ...


That's what I thought, I didn't think a magnetic reed switch would work very well if at all, had thought about a relay or a microswitch somehow connected to the driver rods near the front of a steam engine, but as you said, without some form of electronics with it, just can't be done inexpensively. Otherwise if you purchase the "fan" blown units and use them as after-market installs {which I have done}, it will always be a steady smoke stream instead of being puffed.

Guess I need to re-look into getting DCC or some type of system that can do that for my track powered loco's, so I can get those puffing effects from them.


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## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

So, even with the DCC and puffing, as a practical matter, does it really give a good look outdoors where there are wind currents to deal with? Any videos of outdoor puffing?


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

soo if the fan runs on lets say 4 volts continuous and gets a additional power boost pulsed through a couple magnets triggered by reed switches (axles) of 6 volts that should pulse the smoke unit !


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

No, adding 2 volts would not pulse well, you need to go 0 to 6 volts.

I thought I read that Zimo included a brake circuit for the smoke motor in the MX695 and has a separate driver for the motor, it does not use a standard function output and the older MX690 had only one output to be tied to the smoke motor.


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## k225 (Aug 20, 2014)

Would these units work with the Crest Revolution system on battery operation at 14.8 volt?


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## Coaster (Jul 6, 2014)

Dan Pierce said:


> No, adding 2 volts would not pulse well, you need to go 0 to 6 volts.
> 
> I thought I read that Zimo included a brake circuit for the smoke motor in the MX695 and has a separate driver for the motor, it does not use a standard function output and the older MX690 had only one output to be tied to the smoke motor.


Special output for the fan motor, MX695 & MX696. Here is what the manual says about it.

"A special feature of this output (which is different from “normal” function outputs) is the
possibility of braking the fan motor. This stops the motor immediately between motor pulses
and therefore improves the smoke effect."

Stephen


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## Coaster (Jul 6, 2014)

Dan Pierce said:


> Be careful of the heater element being too hot,more smoke can mean shorter lifetime on the heater. TrainLi does sell replacement elements.


The safe values that Axel gave me were 60, 80 and 120 for CVs137, 138 and 139. At 24V those translate to 5.6V, 7.5V and 11.3V. I calculated the values for my track voltage and those are the values I'm currently using.

Stephen


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

11.3 is too high for me on the heater element, it will give lots of smoke, but the current drawn is very high as the resistor is around 5 ohms cold.

What is the real V+ voltage? Usually the supply voltage to the command station gets a drop plus the diode bridge in the decoder gives another so the real voltage seen by the smoke unit could be around 21 volts.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

So what kind of money are we talking about to get everything needed for one of these?


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## Coaster (Jul 6, 2014)

Randy Stone said:


> So what kind of money are we talking about to get everything needed for one of these?


$195 for the MX696V and $44.95 for the ProLine pulsed smoke unit. Purchased from Trianli.

Stephen


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Coaster, the "voltages" are only approximate, you really need to measure the results, and being PWM, you will need an RMS reading meter, or an old analog meter.

I haven't seen many smoke units that will handle anything near 12 volts continuously.

Hey Dan, can you amplify the "possibility of braking the fan motor"? I'd sure like to see if the Zimos will short the fan motor between pulses? I wonder if if a diode in parallel with the fan motor would just do the same? (short out the voltage generated from the momentum of the fan's rotation).

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, I only know what I see in the manual but I suspect you are correct that a diode is used to 'short' the bemf as a pseudo brake.
I will have to use a meter and check the resistance in both directions of the fan driver in a zimo decoder.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

mickey said:


> So, even with the DCC and puffing, as a practical matter, does it really give a good look outdoors where there are wind currents to deal with? Any videos of outdoor puffing?


This was the closest thing I could find on youtube, this is an Aristocraft Mallet with MTH DCS installed, I know it's not DCC and not sure how close MTH's DCS system is to DCC, but have been told by a couple folks it's similar. How true that is I can't say.


However, the smoke output is awesome for outside.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Dan, could be a simple as that!

The coolest thing would be to actually apply power in the reverse direction, but probably overkill for what we need.

Regards, Greg


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## RIrail (May 5, 2008)

Hi Greg, I tried a quick reverse kick on my PICAXE smoke board I made. While it certainly defines the puff, it tends to cause the fan motor to heat up.

Steve


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, it would logically do that. The extra braking force has to be exhibited as heat.

I'm not sure any of these little fans can handle the extra load. They were really not even made for pulsing.

Greg


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