# Chauvet Geyser as fake fire?



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

Well, despite my best attempts to convince my wife this can be done without burning down the block, the verdict is in and real fire is out of the question this year. So, I have to find something similar for the intended effect that won't break the bank or end up in divorce court or the burn center. 

What I'm trying to achieve is a blast/pillar of "flame" at 2-3 points in my show for effect and punch like a rock concert pyro blast. Oddly there are very slim options here. Most Haunt fake fire is a silk on a fan-not what I need here. 

The Chauvet Geyser RGB looks like it may work, however I have had some issues with another fogger from this company. At $400 a piece x 2 units I am looking for anyone who has played with one in person or may be able to give me some input. 

This will be used outdoors and I am looking for a good burst of color and effect ~10' high. The videos online are all indoors and don't have a good demo of what this looks like from 20 feet away or outdoors at night. 

They also make the Jr. model for a $100 less, again if you have any input on this model I would be interested. 

If anyone can let me know the good/bad/ugly of these units or any other similar items that I'm missing I would be all ears. I also would be interested in knowing how this works as the blast of fog is pretty strong. I'm assuming that there is something special about this vs. just LED's around a fog nozzle. 

Thanks. 

Rich.


----------



## Halloween FX Props (Jul 14, 2013)

Hi,

I have experience with a bunch of different options for you. From CO2 blasts to Geyser upshot foggers with LED and everything in between (including real fire).

Give me a call and I will tell you about my experience: 888-898-7191

Guy


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

Thank you for all the info Guy, I appreciate the 1/2 hour of your time going over the various options.


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Just my own opinion, but i think you should go for some 20 foot pyro effects. Its easy, and would probably cost about the same,maybe even a bit less. It's propane, so there is very little heat. If you use a small gel fuel canister as a secondary ignition, there is less chance of wind causing ignition failure. If you care to mess around with timing, you can get big "whoomps" instead of just a flame column.

I have some vids on my youtube channel.





I know your wife said no, but maybe another year. I would get something adjustable, so she could get used to it. Start out at 5 feet, and work your way up to a pants-loading 30 high by 10 wide shot 

It's a shame. The foggers can look cool, no doubt,but for flame effects, it's hard to beat flames, lol.


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

True, nothing is cooler than fire. I really want a DMX controlled fire unit but we do have some overhead trees to consider. I would have to do some major surgery on the maple for the fire effect and this is part of the objection she has. 

And yes, incremental steps are key. That's how I have 2 boats .


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Well, good luck! 

The foggers are pretty cool too, and certainly won't damage the trees. I would probably not trim the tree's just to get the flame throwers in there.


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

Well, I still seriously lust after real fire and made some progress with the wife. However, looks like the local FD is not on the same page. Talking to them this would require a permit and inspection for every individual show each night with the accompanying fees. California actually is more permissive of this and they are a lot more crispy than western Oregon. Sigh. 

SO, now back to foggers.


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Alright. I have one if you want me to shoot a demo vid, the LED fogger, that is.

What I have found is that it is a total crapshoot as far as permits. We sold a flame system set up to an outdoor bar, and they have had no problems. The flames are smallish, though, not over 10 feet, and I know they got inspected the first time, but they run every night. I put a lot of safety features on those, though, maybe made a difference.

There is no Pyro tech state license where I am, but I qualify as one according to the state regs. It's all pretty weird.

Anyhow, let me know if you want to see a vid of a fogger, see how "flamelike" we can get it.


----------



## Lambchop (Jan 28, 2011)

Hello fellow Oregonian. I purchased a Geyser RBG last year. I love it! The only problem I have with it is the remote control detonator. If you do not use a DMX control, someone has to be near and ready to remote detonate it. And the small battery that is in the remote dies pretty quickly if you use it a lot. Other than that, it's awsome. I place it in front of an animated witch this year and it was a hit. Well worth the money for the versatility. You can hang it side ways, upside down, change LED color, and it is powerfull. It will fog up the neighbor hood in a few short bursts. No problem.


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Hmmm. Maybe I can set up a step mat that plugs into the remote port.


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

I couldn't, lol. I mean, I can, but it will only fire it, then it stays on, unless I mess around with it some more.

Here are the guts. I haven't cracked open the Chauvet, but I promise that some things will be identical in there, the major pieces like the pump, the heating element, and possibly the main "brain" card with the the pump and heater relays, and the DMX circuitry.






This one uses the remote keyfob, and the remote card inside looks, at a glance, to run the pump relay with a VDC signal, so maybe something could be done there. If nothing else, you can always just wire a 12VDC power supply to the battery terminals in the keyfob remote, and never change batteries again. Then it is just a permanent remote switch.


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

The video rocks, Thanks a ton. Is this the one that Fright FX Sells? 

I can run DMX off the Light O Rama so that won't be an issue. I run the entire haunt by myself so everything has to be automated.


----------



## Hippofeet (Nov 26, 2012)

Gotcha. No idea what Fright FX sells, sorry. The one in the video is unbranded.


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

Update:

Thanks to Hippofeet for his advise. I want to say his knowledge is an extreme asset and I really want to encourage anyone to support the vendor he works for and the other haunt shops in the US. I have placed orders for other items.

I always prefer to shop in the US and keep our money here. The problem is that sometimes the competition is just so low you have to go that route.

I decided to get a bit thrifty on the foggers as I got into the DMX rgb lights really heavy this year and also crossed over to PNU control as well. I rolled the dice and so far (knock on wood) have hit my points.

I will admit that in NO way are these as nice as the more expensive models out there, and in the video you will see that the one fogger likes to spit a bit at the end of its cycle but for only $127 to my door I can't complain. These are DMX controlled, wireless remote key fob controlled, 1200w vertical foggers. They are from China and have no brand name. However, for the price I had to do it as they were 1/4 the price of the competition. That's real money.

The test videos were using left over fog juice I had lying around. At the West Coast Haunt Convention this year I loaded up on a couple cases of Froggys and it has MUCH better volume.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmsYCwB_D_4&feature=youtu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDyKqy561y0&feature=youtu.be


----------



## beaver state rich (Jan 25, 2014)

Lets try those links again.


----------

