# fog machine remote hack



## drwilde

i have seen various ways to hack into a standard fog machine trigger button to run off a prop 1 type controller. Is it possible to hack the push button control to work with say a picoboo 105 that uses 110v terminals to control the on and off? im guessing i dont want to send 110v to the fog machine just to trigger it so maybe it needs to be done with a 12v or 24v wall wart? how can i figure out just what voltage i need?


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## drwilde

also any cool ideas out there on what you can do with one of the wireless remotes that work with fog machines? seems like it could be used for something cool. I just dont want to make someone have to push the button over and over.


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## sluggo

Here is how I made a custom fogger timer that I control with a PIC: http://MarksHauntedGarage.com/halloween/techinfo/fogger_timer/
Notice that I didn't hack the button on the remote. Instead, I replaced the whole remote with my own cord and relay. That way, I still have the remote available for use if I want it for something. The one thing I don't know is how standard those remotes are. I've only ever used one fogger, so I don't know if they are all the same.


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## drwilde

thanks i think this is getting me closer. what i want to do is hook my fogger to a pico boo f105 to control it. it already has the relay inside. but the 105 is 110v. i need to figure out how much voltage i can sent to the fog remote input. seeing you used a 24v relay, im guessing a 24v wall wart would work?


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## Brad Green

Why not just use a 120v relay from RadioShack. The only voltage the relay sees is the 120 needed to energize the coil and close the circuit. The circuit legs of the relay don't have a current flow, so they just act as an on/off switch. Run the 105 to the hot side of the relay and the fogger lines to the open side, when power is applied by the pico, the switch will close and activate the fogger.


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## sluggo

Well, for one thing, I'm using 12V to control the relay, not 24V. But that 12V is not going to the fogger. The 12V is going to the relay coil. The other side of the relay is replacing the button on the fogger remote. Essentially, the 2 wires that were on either of the button are instead on either side of the relay switch. You don't want to send your own voltage to the fogger. You want to close the fogger's remote circuit. Don't try to connect your own power supply directly to the fogger, or you'll probably be in for a nasty surprise.


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## Thisaintmayberry

I did exactly what you're trying to do. I used this interface from Jim Kadel's Haunt Master Products. I connected the 2 wires from the push button switch to the interface, then plugged the interface into the Picoboo. Works perfectly to blow fog inside my trash can trauma for five seconds before the lid pops.


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## drwilde

i think i know what i need to do 
now thanks!


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## Brad Green

Thisaintmayberry hit it right on the head, that's just a pro-built version of the device I described above. Hot side to close the contacts, cold side to activate the device. Let us know what you come up with drwilde.


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## drwilde

worked great and so simple. I'm getting the concept of relays more and more!

I used a 12v mini relay that would fit inside the standard pushbutton controller, tapped into the rocker switch leaving it intact incase i want to be able to manually work the fogger too. then ran a 12 wall wart inside to the relay. thanks for the help!


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