Super Smoker II review II.

[jackalope]

I wanted to give you all an update on the Super Smoker II after the melt down the original one had and I had some time with its replacement. The replacement started out well and showed promise but now has also gone bad.

The 1st issue it started with was that it would work in my Tiger but not the King Tiger I contacted the builder and was told that some tanks RX boards didn't put out the proper current and he recommended using a second battery to power the smoker. So I installed a 2nd battery and the smoker worked great! For about 10 minutes and then no smoke, turned out the exhaust tubes melted so it was off to the hardware store for some higher temp tubing and that lasted about 15 minutes before it too melted shut. My next stop was the auto parts store for some silicon hose which doesn't melt and that seemed to do the trick but then I noticed the smoke was puffing out rather then a nice steady flow. I opened the engine hatch and found the fan would spin then stop then spin then stop again.

At this point after 2 smokers and following the advice of the builder and buying more and more parts to try to make the smoker work at this point I have to recommend members pass on this smoker as they are not reliable IMHO. I would rather have no smoke at all rather then attempt to try another Super Smoker II.

I'm considering using the parts from the new one to build my own smoke unit.

[ALPHA]

Bad News Jack... Sorry to hear it...The silver lining is this post giving the rest of us the "heads up" could you post some photos of the burnt out item so we can also recognize the smoker...have seen some on EBAY with metal housings and pipes...is this the same one?

It also goes by "Super Smoker" also custom made

ALPHA

[Saxondog]

Who's selling Super Smoker II's anyway? Since the original was marketed by Phil at RC TANK WARS and once he died I stopped making them?

I only know of one other person I shared the work with, but I did also post the design here after Phil died so anyone could build a unit.

The very first one,and the second batch unit still works,the original is ,well hell at least three years old ,but to be fair I have not run my tanks like most members,but it certainly has 20+ hours and maybe more?

I have been talking with another member who has built a altered version based on my original work,which began with me,and Dan and Normond on RC Universe in 2009. Dan left the hobby,Normond started using sound to alter the flow rate and I built for RC TANK WARS until phil died.

My point is the original units sold by Phil, numbered 150 total in 1.5 years. and few were ever returned bad,we just replaced them and those were few.

The basic circuit was so simple the damn thing just could not hardly burn out.Of course they do require changing the Kevlar wick, but otherwise just run the thing with good FOGGER FLUID and generally they were a success. Sorry to of not been available to assist you on this issue. I am willing to help now if your tired of the hassle I understand,but the effect is pretty cool when the unit works well,and to brag a bit these did. The one in the Tiger was taken out,placed on a table recently as a demo of the unit as I began marking the new 1/6th scale units.

I've been delayed recently by many things making these again, but the unit still works.check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JznodPrNGDE

Original Super Smoker I never marketed for tanks,redesigned for tanks as a round unit.Although This unit still works and is sold for ships.

Super Smoker II sold by Phils at RC TANK WARS until his death. I still have one in my Jagdpanther,and King Tiger. The design is very basic,because I am not that smart. But then it has worked very well.Dan developed the circuit,my task was to develope an easier to produce housing,which I accomplished and sold these to phil at a rate of 25 units per 1/4 sometimes more. They were dependable,and if nothing else clean to use if the right fluid was injected.Fogger Fluid,oil based fluids will crack the heating element or restrict fluid absorption.

Super Smoker II in the H/L Jagdpanther

Start up ,nice photo of the fogger fluid type smoke

[jackalope]

The unit is built and sold by the gentleman whom you named in our PM's Saxon and he is a very nice guy. His design is sealed meaning once he builds it its like its glued together which may be one of the problems if the wick needs to be replaced every so often as that could account for the first smokers death.

The 2nd unit has been plagued with fan issue's almost from day 1 and I was told by the seller/builder to use a dedicated battery for just the smoker and that seemed to solve the problem as the fan ran steady and it heated up VERY fast. But then the fan problem came back and the smoker now running off of a battery wired directly to it gets so hot that it causes the exhaust tubes to melt shut inside the body of the smoker. Silicon hose seems to be the answer for the exhaust tubes but the fan problem seems to be from the circuit board itself as I tried a different fan and it does the same thing.

When these work they work VERY well the only issue is they keep breaking down. I'm not going to contact the seller/builder again as he seemed annoyed that he had to replace the first unit and took 3 weeks to do so and that was in addition to the 4 weeks it took me to get the original unit. I have the circuit board form the first one along with its fan (I got angry and threw it across my front porch smashing it after it almost destroyed my Tiger) and the 2nd unit he sent me to replace the melted down one so I'm considering combining the 2 to see if I can make one that works and lasts more then a week or 2. I plan to use Nomex and Kevlar to make my wick which should make it last a very long time.

I used the fluid supplied with the unit and Mega Steam. I talked to the maker of Mega Steam and the maker of the smoker and they both said Mega Steam would be fine to use, and I also used the smoke fluid that came with the tanks. But other then that nothing else.

This is the site that claims to sell the original Super Smoker II but now I doubt that claim after Saxon's story. http://www.radiocontrolcustomtanks.com/index.html

[ALPHA]

This isn't the metal housed one Saxon
but this guy has been advertizing this on EBAY for awhile...actually looks a lot like yours
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Smoker-II ... 35e1107425


ALPHA

[jackalope]

This isn't the metal housed one Saxon
but this guy has been advertizing this on EBAY for awhile...actually looks a lot like yours
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Smoker-II ... 35e1107425


ALPHA

I'm SURE it is the same as Saxon's just seems to be plagued with problems. The one you show Alpha is kinda like the one I have but the circuit board is made onto the PVC housing.

[ALPHA]

I'm SURE it is the same as Saxon's just seems to be plagued with problems. The one you show Alpha is kinda like the one I have but the circuit board is made onto the PVC housing.

Hold on there Jack....so you are saying the guy wired a piece of PVC instead of using fiberboard?...that's just crazy ...sounds mickey mouse to me

ALPHA

[jackalope]

I'm SURE it is the same as Saxon's just seems to be plagued with problems. The one you show Alpha is kinda like the one I have but the circuit board is made onto the PVC housing.

Hold on there Jack....so you are saying the guy wired a piece of PVC instead of using fiberboard?...that's just crazy ...sounds mickey mouse to me

ALPHA

No sorry. The circuit board is a normal circuit board and it attached directly to the PVC body of the smoker.

[Saxondog]

Ok Guys,Carl is the one person I gave my design to and agreed to not interfere, I cannot blame him as we are all just small designers with small budgets.

But I also gave the design to the forum first when Phil died. The post was deleted,and I will not go into that. So lets just focus on solutions,its what will create the best result. The original works because Dan,me and Normond tested many resistors trying to created fire. Because in 2009 their was a FIRE and meting TIGER does look cool,but the 800 dollars in tank did suck after the smoke cleared.

I wrote Jackalope the reason why our unit worked,and the cost. Kevlar wick material ,but even then I stapled the kevlar in a lope around the heating element so the kevlar could be rotated. The material will become brittle after a time. Second the resistor,very expensive yet consistent heat. Third the Housing was a pain to machine,and required time per unit,but each feature was purposefully created.

Now Carl is a good guy,and I can't and am not blaming or criticizing him as these are tough units to reproduce.

I have mixed feeling about my absence from this forum,and not sharing more of my designs. Perhaps the time has come to share the material again? I design with a focus on the Hobbyist being able to reproduce and purchase all the components themselves, the Hobby had and has this segment which feels the designs and modifications are some kind of status or intellect indicator and creates this elitist status.

Well stuff that, yet I also am restrained by my own success. I cannot share some stuff because I sold the designs. But not the SMOKER thats mine,and I could do as I wish. So I will first contact Carl who has worked hard to make a better unit,and improve the ability.

Lets give credit to a Hobbyist who at least tried. we all know the H/L unit is trash. And their fluid only belongs in the trash. These are a bit of a pain to produce, So maybe we can fix the design issues and bring a desirable unit to the Hobby.

Terry please send me your address, might be I can send the housing which does slide apart and with the parts you have the unit could be salvaged. Carl is a dedicated tanker,I was to call him tomorrow anyway so now we have a problem to solve and perhaps together can sort this out and benefit everyone who wants smoke. By the way,I am producing large scale units and have had some success , so perhaps the real person to fault is me, I am regretful for my absence. I am trying to become more engaged again. And school is over for the foreseeable future.And I have a broken tank or two to repair and one 1/6th scale Dragon Sherman to assist in building. And three others so I need the forums help, and some guidance as well.

One other point,the PVC housing is the best material,and the size restraint dictated this being used. But finding a flat bottomed end cap was a problem, originally I had to turn the bottoms flat on the lathe. So that being said if someone has a solution,or a different housing which will fit the space please demonstrate this so we can move forward,but I am sure that the PVC is the best choice having tried at least 4 other enclosures.

Lets just figure this out and enjoy the challenge.

cheers Blake

[Saxondog]

I wish to be very clear, Carl has done a good job, where the main reason I stopped posting was a group of people who always had negative comments,yet always lacked solutions themselves? Funny how that " GROUP" eventually self destructed.

Point being its not always easy to post something different, and even set backs can be positive if we just focus on solutions and work together.

I'm to blame, I should have created a better design and given the information away long ago to the forum. So now we have a chance to correct my oversight.

The two piece unit design,a real pain to create,yet after the hassle of drilling consistently the features a successful design. The Tubing held the unit sections together.

Size Matters,and it does,Height is a major problem,too tall and the fan cannot pull in enough air,to short and the heat creates to much moisture. Happy balance.

The ports,aligned to keep the unit in position by inserting the tubing.Surgical tubing works best.