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Thread: Jem K1 hazer

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    270

    Default Jem K1 hazer

    I couldn't find very much on the K1, despite its being out for several years, but I got a fantastic price on one and bought it, anyway. Originally, I bought a Magnum 2500hz, but returned it unopened as I found several articles stating that it was a great hazer, but a beast on fluid.

    The K1 has several features I like: low fluid consumption, high output, multiple fan speeds, and most important to me, it's self-cleaning. I was especially sold on this feature as I'm a one-man operation and sometimes I do some very large set-ups involving 20 plus fixtures. One less thing to worry about is one less thing. I also deal with venues with bad power or the occasional idiot messing with gear or unplugging things when my back is turned; rare, though it does happen. I'd hate to clog a relatively new hazer because the venue owner cuts power because he wants everyone cleared *now* or some e-tard thinks the power cord is the chain-pull to happy land (it's happened).

    Performance-wise, it's a beast. I have a 1,000 sq foot basement, and at 5% output, it was hazed out pretty massively in about 30 seconds. The first gig I used it at was aproximately 1200-1400 sq feet with a constantly open door and air handlers blowing AC all night long. I varied the output from 5-10% (mostly at 5%) with perhaps four 20 second burst of 100% just to see what the unit did at full output. Despite the air circulation and a constant haze output, I estimated it used about a half pint of fluid in 4 1/2 hours. With no ac to suck haze out, I'm sure fluid use would be far, far less.

    I'm a smoke machine guy at heart; I love rolling white-outs of fog, and while I know this takes a toll on long-range visibility and means extra cleaning for optics, smoke just makes beams brighter and better for the small gigs I do. I didn't get quite the the impact of my Trackspots' beams and darker colors that smoke would have provided, but I was still fairly impressed with the hazer's performance. I could have pushed the K1 harder for a more smoke-like atmosphere, but I didn't want to chance set off the fire alarm and ruin two years of begging to bring an atmospheric diffuser to this venue. And to be honest, I didn't miss the dry throat of heavy fog. The only laser I had on hand to test visibility with is a 35mw modded Mobolazer Lil G. Beams looked great. Not smoke great, but certainly very visible, and that's saying something because my Mobo's green has a horribly divergent beam that generally begs for a lot of smoke. I can't wait for my RGB to be repaired so I can really see how well the hazer does with nearly 3 watts of full color.

    Pros:
    Great output, decent hang time. Even at its lowest setting, output is pretty high. Full is awesome!
    Low fluid consumption. Even though the fluid is twice as expensive as standard, overall, I think this will be comparatively far cheaper to operate.
    Variable output of haze and fan. Each is separately adjustable in 5% increments. Continuously variable fan output option to spread haze over a wide area faster (this works well!)
    Self cleaning, just shut it off or unplug it. The cleaning mode switches to an internal battery, so no power is no problem.
    Remembers last saved settings.
    Water based (pro to me). Or glycol if you want to get technical.
    DMX operation built in.
    Silent mode.

    Cons:
    No remote; It's a $1600 USD hazer and there's no remote?? DMX is a workaround, but you lose some (questionably useful) features that you could regain by programming your DMX controller. The remote costs a little more than a cheap DMX controller. The built-in control panel appears to be the actual remote unit, albeit permanently mounted internally. Why not simply make it a removable remote like on their ZR smoke machines?
    Bulky with weird placement of the carry handles. Not at all heavy, but but the bad placement of the handles makes it awkward for one person to carry without leveraging it's control panel or output ends against your body.
    Speakon power connector. I'd rather it have a standard 3 prong cord so I don't have to build another speakon power cord as a backup; a minor quibble, but annoying as things get forgotten or accidents happen. Again, it's that one less thing to worry about mentality of mine. The one included is rugged, however.
    Last edited by LEDpaint; 11-16-2012 at 08:35. Reason: bad garmma and spellllin.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    cheshire/merseyside
    Posts
    91

    Default

    K1's are great hazers,find someone with a copy of Lightjockey,buy a 2510 from eBay and get the k1 profile loaded onto it with various output's and times(you could also have a backup on the 2510 for your lighting).Beacause It's at the top end the 'usual' Martin/Jem removable remote isn't included but there is a workaround by using a standard magnum remote (have a look on Lightjockey forum's) I've got a profile for it here if you need it,remember smoke and hazers aren't really that clever and are usually only two channel (unless they are moving heads)
    Powercons are standard now and have a really low failure compared to iec leads as they don't come out due to vibration (high SPL) or clumsy riggers
    lighting the way since 89

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    270

    Default

    Thanks for the info! The powercon does makes more sense, I just don't have any other gear using it. But making an extra really isn't that big of a deal. As for the remote, it's a minor inconvenvience, really. I don't mind hooking it up to my dmx board if I have to, but I'm certainly going to look at the Magnum remote as you've suggested. Overall, I really love the K1 and don't regret spending the extra money at all.

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