So I have finally picked up a replacement to my old and busted fog machine. Let’s first start with what I had before. It was one of those $30 Chinese models from Wal-Mart or Spencers (I forgot where I picked it up many years ago), but any way it was total crap. It clogged all the time but the heater element always worked. What ended up killing it was the uber cheap pump kicking the bucked a week just before I was wanting to use it outside to help with lasers.
Okay so from unboxing the fog machine to getting it first hooked up (Power and DMX cables) it was pretty standard. No surprises is always nice. Now when I went to get everything setup in my DMX software (FreeStyler 3.6.37) I started having some headaches. I went to the supplied manual and did a quick read to make sure American DJ didn’t add anything different that could trip me up, but had no help. So then it became the research method with again very little help. Then I did the trial and error method and success. I had “Menu” through till I saw “N. on”. There I just had to turn it to” N. off” and the it started to respond to my DMX signals.
Now with the American DJ Fog Fury 3000 setup correctly came time to program it with in FreeStyler. So I went through the pre built fixtures and it wasn’t in the library. So okay no problem I’ll turn to the great FreeStyler Forums where they have lots of other fixture files. I did not find any American DJ fog machine fixtures at all there. Now I turned to make my own fixture using “FixtureCreator” that was with my FreeStyler 3.6.37 install. It was a simple typing in of the channels and what each thing does. BAM! I’m finally ready to roll.
Everything ready to roll I start pumping out fog. Let me remind you that the American DJ Fog Fury 3000 says it can pump out 21,000 cubic feet of fog per minute. Back to me pumping out fog now. My 1035 sq. ft. home was filled and setting off smoke alarms in all rooms in seconds. Walls became non visible, but beams of light from my lighting fixtures were all visible.
FINAL REMARKS
- Bang for buck I spent $299USD on my unit. From a little to a lot it can do any size job with all the features that it has on board.
- I love the fact that its DMXable instead of always having that annoying hard button remote.
- This is a LARGER in size fogger. So transporting is going to be something that needs to be watched until a flight case is made.
- The larger the the size the heavier it is (26lbs empty). Make sure if your going to fly it on trussing to use two or more clamps along with a safety cable.
- Fast warm up time. ONLY 8min.
- Constant fog output! ADJ’s Electronic Thermo Sensing (ETS) technology is on-board to maintain optimum heat levels with no warm-up time between fog blasts.
- Large external fog fluid tank (5 Liters). You can slide it out and cap it off if needed. It also makes flying setups easier.
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