Helicopter lights group multiple pin beams that project tight, intense beams of light that spin around the room.

These lights feature a sealed beam bulb that projects a narrow shaft of light. They are typically used to light rotating mirror balls (one on each side), and for special effects, accent lighting, and chasing. The popular incandescent bulb (PS00L) projects a 4 inch diameter shaft of light. The long-life halogen lamp (PS00H) projects a beam with a 3 degree spread. The halogen bulb creates a purer whiter light, and should be used if your purpose is spotlighting an object. Also, the halogen PS00H (2,000 hours) lasts 20 times linger than the incandescent PS00L (100 hours), yet cost only twice as much. All pin spots include bulb and integral transformer.

A fog machine (also called a smoke machine) is a device which emits a dense vapor that appears similar to fog or smoke. This artificial fog or smoke is known as theatrical smoke and fog within the entertainment industry. Most fog machines create the fog by either vaporizing a water and glycol-based or glycerine-based fluid or a mineral-oil-based fog via atomization. For glycol-based fogs, the fluid (fog juice) is injected into a heated block, and evaporates quickly. The resulting pressure forces the vapor out of the exit. Upon coming into contact with cool outside air the vapor forms a fog.

Uses of FOG Machines

• Fog machines are used to create spooky effects in plays such as Dracula, A Christmas Carol, and Macbeth. Fog machines are also frequently used in Halloween displays such as haunted houses or forests. Because of greater availability and reductions in prices between 2003 and 2005, fog machines have become widely used for domestic halloween decorations.

• Fog machines are also useful for industrial purposes, such as visualising the flow of air, such as over a surface in a wind tunnel or testing filters in air conditioning. Fire fighters also use fog machines in their training.

• Because of the reflective and refractive qualities of the smoke created by fog machines, they are often used in nightclubs to enhance the effects of lighting and laser arrangements (see also light beam).

• Haze machines, (also called haze generators or hazers), are taking over the job of fog generators for highlighting lighting or laser effects. Haze machines are often seen with bands and bigger venues when a lighting effect may need to be visible in the air. Haze machines use the same fluids to create fogs and were included on studies of health effects from exposure to theatrical smoke and fog.

Haze Machines

Haze machines, or haze generators, are similar to fog machines in that they produce droplets suspended in the air which are designed to make light beams visible. Unlike conventional fog which can be dense enough to become opaque, haze is very thin. Ideally haze is barely noticeable, if at all, in normal lighting conditions. This allows the operator to fill a venue with haze prior to an event without creating a visibly distracting cloud.

Haze also has a substantially longer hang time than conventional fog. While conventional fog may hang in the air for up to 5 minutes, a typical water-based haze can last 1 hour and oil-based haze 6 hours or more, depending on the size of the venue and the amount of ventilation.

Some haze machines use a compressor to atomize a fluid (usually, though not always oil-based), therefore they do not require any warm up time. Other machines use a heater to vaporize the fluid (usually water-based). Most oil-based haze fluids use a mineral oil base, and most water-based fluids use either a glycol or glycerol base.

( Information Source: Wikipedia )