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Thread: Hazers - recommendations?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Knoxville, TN, USA
    Posts
    3,154

    Default Hazers - recommendations?

    Any recommendation on a good entry-level (i.e. reasonably priced) hazer?
    I'm interested in something that uses water-based fluid, and would be suitable for home / small venue use.

    I was thinking about the Chauvet HZ1000, which is $199 through "Musician's Friend" and a few other dealers.

    Open to suggestions - at this point I know less about hazers than I do lasers!

    Thanks!
    RR

    Metrologic HeNe 3.3mw Modulated laser, 2 Radio Shack motors, and a broken mirror.
    1979.
    Sweet.....

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    164

    Default

    Check out the le-maitre range, they use a different system, the haze if finer and last longer, also they use very small amount of fluid,
    i run them full out all night for a large gig and they only use around 150ml,

    It will cost a bit more, but well worth it for the future, and they keep value,

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    3,702

    Default

    We use a Antari HZ400..

    They are great for most applications.. However they really suck if a venues air con is not recirculating
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Yorkshire, UK
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    4,585

    Default

    Andy

    I know this sounds like a stupid question, but what does the haze from the le-maitre look like. Is it what I would term 'Real' haze (as MDG Atmosphere) or is it more like a fog/smoke machine with a fan on it? What is the liquid based on Glycol, Glycerol or oil?

    I'm trying to source something that hangs in the air but is virtually invisible until the house lights go off and the lasers switch on. I understand that the BBC use MDG's on the X-Factor, the haze is invisible but it shows the light beams beautifully. I can't imagine the BBC using something that is going to make all that technical equipment 'sticky' so I guess the MDG's must be good. I know they use an unfeasibly small amount of oil for a load of haze. The problem is though that they're VERY expensive

    I've also heard that the oil based 'crackers' are less likely to set off smoke alarms, do you know whether or not this is true?

    To sum up... i'm looking for haze that is barely discernable but gives a great beam effect, the question is - Does such a thing exist at a reasonable price? - Well, I know it does because that's what the MDG does, but I don't want to spend so much money

    Cheers

    Jem

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    SOUTHAMPTON U.K.
    Posts
    1,357

    Default

    Use the Le Maitre Neutron hazer. Brilliant bit of kit.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brooklyn NYC
    Posts
    839

    Default

    i use a h2k techno haze by jem/martin and it works reasonably well its not a cracker but crackers are very expensive and need a co2 tank
    as far as fire alarms what i have learned from experience is most of the newer systems are not carbon detectors they are IR emitter/detector and depending on how sensitive it was set any amount of uniform smoke/haze will set them off
    --
    John
    VJ AIWAZ

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,147,489,446

    Cool

    I agree re: fire alarms. *Any* particulate will set them off. It's all a matter of how sensitive the detectors are. You may get lucky, but don't count on it. Test it first in a controlled situation where you can call the monitoring company to cancel the alarm before the fire department is dispatched.

    We ran into this problem at SELEM. Unfortunately, we didn't get in touch with the monitoring company in time, and sure as hell a fire truck showed up and a guy in full bunker gear and a scott air pack had to inspect the building... (He even had a thermal-imaging camera with him!) Then he had to get clearance from the fire chief to cancel the call. Bear in mind that this was less than 30 minutes into the first day, and about 3 minutes after we first pushed the button on the Antari 1200Z to get some fog going.

    For the rest of the event we dissabled the smoke detectors and kept the fire doors closed. That was enough to satisfy the folks in charge of the venue. (We left the smoke detectors enabled in the lobby and back-stage areas.)

    Also, for what it's worth, we recently had our fire alarm system inspected at work (Simplex combined alarm system; heat sensors, smoke detectors, the works). They tested the sensors with a BATTERY-OPERATED fogger. The thing didn't put out very much fog at all, but it was enough to trip the alarms. I asked the guy about hazers, and he said that they'd had lots of problems with this nightclub downtown... The venue installed a pair of DF-50's, and forever after they were getting false alarms. They ended up taking nearly all the smoke detectors out of the place and installing heat sensors and a sprinkler system (which cost a small fortune to install) in place of them. This was the only way the insurance company would sign off on the removal of so many smoke detectors...

    So yeah - a hazer can set off a smoke alarm too. It all depends on the sensitivity of the unit.

    Adam

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    northern maine.
    Posts
    329

    Default

    my experience with the le maitre nutron hazer was renting one several times.
    this one was always having to be tuned up by the shop i rented it from.
    there is a proper shut down sequence and if you owned it yourself,you could probably avoid too much maintenance by using proper procedures.
    the haze was good,but i think the cost about the same as a df50.
    i'm not certain on that, but check before deciding.
    there is a cheap cracker out there.
    the american dj haze generator.
    it sells for $399 u.s.
    if you aren't going to want to do warehouses with it and just small to medium clubs,you might want to check it out.
    it has a low output compared to a df50,but it works great in smaller venues.
    the club owner at my last show was nervous about"fog" and didn't have a complaint with my hazer.
    i've posted this pic before,but i'll show it here to give you an idea of how the little hazer works.
    there is no fog machine in the venue,just the hazer.
    the laser is 150mw at 5v but i'm running it at 4.8v and losing probably 17% hitting mirrors inside the beambox.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Toronto Canada
    Posts
    1,120

    Default

    Anything Antari would be good.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Phoenix AZ
    Posts
    349

    Default

    " 15 characters"
    Last edited by Laser Wizardry; 11-13-2015 at 10:24.

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