# DC TAS-2004 Turbo Smoke units



## jaug (Oct 18, 2011)

I just picked up 4 units of the TAS - 2004 DC Turbo Smoke modules and I have a question. The boxes and the instruction sheets for each unit state that they are DC units, each comes with Full Wave Bridge Rectifier but the silk screening on the bottom of the PC Boards reads AC Version. I know that the AC version uses a traic instead of a transistor to turn the smoke unit on and off and will not function on DC. It's impossible to see the individual component numbers without disassembling the unit and I have no schematic. How can I tell which unit I actually have, again both the original package and instruction sheet indicate DC units and each unit has a Bridge Rectifier included, is there another way to check ?????


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No offense.... hook it up DC.... 

I believe that all units are AC, and the DC versions and DCC versions get a full wave rectifier. 

The DCC units also apparently used a "different resistor" due to the expected higher voltage of DCC... 

Just try them unless you don't want to and are going to sell them... 

Greg


----------



## jaug (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks Greg, I will do just that, not going to sell them if they do have triacs I'll just have to trace the circuit and modify them, wish I had a schematic but it appears to be a fairly simple circuit


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have one, and can check details for you if you want... mine is the DCC version that came with the FW bridge... 

Let me know if I can help. 

Greg


----------



## jaug (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks Greg I appreciate your offer 

On another smoke unit note, I don't know if you ever used this product but while I was surfing the net for smoke units I found these units and then found them on eBay under the "RC Control, Military", heading. I thought I would give one a try, there only around $8 each. They are piston driven from and on board micro motor although they do offer a new version that is fan driven but a bit more expensive. 
I thought they might be great for diesel units as they are intened to simulate a diesel engin in a 1:16 scale tank. I tried to post a photo but could not but if you're interested you can look on eBay under 
"Heng Long Smoke Unit for 1/16 Tank" item number 150909781272 Specs: Voltage: 6.5v DC , Size: L 6cm 2.4" W 5cm 2" H 3cm 1.2"


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I saw that one on ebay... 

First, if you want a lot of smoke, it will take heat... plastic does not do well with heat, and that type of plastic is not real heat resistant. 

Second, historically, the ones with a mechanical pump seem to wear out pretty quickly, the fewer moving parts the better. 

Lastly, puffing is not what you want on a diesel. 

I prefer the metal ones with a large reservoir... the best units will probably turn out to be the MTH ones... they really have the most experience with large volumes of smoke. 

Greg


----------



## jaug (Oct 18, 2011)

I did order one for experimentation, I'll let you know how it works, Thanks again Greg, Joe


----------



## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

I used those Tas units units in my Aristo 2-8-0's. A DC connectrion will work fine. I'm using a 12v regulator to keep the input voltgae constant with a 27 ohm resistor for the heating element. Mine also say AC on the boards. At 12 volts with the bridge rectifier still in the circuit the actual voltage to the board would be about 10.5 volts since the diodes in the rectifier will drop the voltage about 1.5 volts. If you decide not to use them I would also be interested in them.


----------



## jaug (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks Paul for the info, that's a big help. Joe


----------

