The "Hitchhiker's Guide" to the Maxi-Stream mod
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zapata41
In Memoriam
ok well to make my numbers useful, here are the specs on the fluid it is moving. mj1200 spinning single 1.75 dumas prop. 6 inches below surface or water. saltwater with salinity of 1.025. everything is balanced nicely. using 316L SS rod for the shaft.
my killawatt meter mesaures both mj1200 the same, although i did notice it to be a little odd that sometimes i would walk by and the meter would read 20w and other times it would read 18w. then again my line voltage here fluctuates a few volts throughout the day.
Tim
my killawatt meter mesaures both mj1200 the same, although i did notice it to be a little odd that sometimes i would walk by and the meter would read 20w and other times it would read 18w. then again my line voltage here fluctuates a few volts throughout the day.
Tim
Snarkys
.Registered Member
anyone have any tips on how to get the stopper to work best on a MJ 1200 ?
I am using an acrylic rod pushed through a drill hole in the top of the shroud and have had crappy luck. some times it works sometimes it doesn't. most the time it just bangs against it forever : (
it also seems to go in the direction every single time . if i turn it on and lift it to the surface water for second it starts in the right direction and runs incredibly well. if i could get the stopper figured out this thing would own.
I am using an acrylic rod pushed through a drill hole in the top of the shroud and have had crappy luck. some times it works sometimes it doesn't. most the time it just bangs against it forever : (
it also seems to go in the direction every single time . if i turn it on and lift it to the surface water for second it starts in the right direction and runs incredibly well. if i could get the stopper figured out this thing would own.
Came across these pics of the new Vortech..thought you all might enjoy.
Also, has anyone though of using the flow from the MJ Mod to spin another fan within the shroud (after the propellar of course) that could drive some gears to make the whole powerhead oscilate back in forth? It would have to sit on some sort of mount with "lazy susan" type mounting for movement. I was checking out one of my old Zoomed powersweep and it doesn't seem all that hard or complicated...well for one of you guys that is. The flow from the powerhead drives a gear that rotates the nozzle back n forth....why not use that same concept to make the MJ Mod do the same....I'd pay good money for that!!!...well not tunzian money...but you know what I mean. Dahn...you up for the task??...I can send you the gears n housing if you like.....or anyone else for that matter.......let me know.
Looks familiar huh??
Peace out
John
Also, has anyone though of using the flow from the MJ Mod to spin another fan within the shroud (after the propellar of course) that could drive some gears to make the whole powerhead oscilate back in forth? It would have to sit on some sort of mount with "lazy susan" type mounting for movement. I was checking out one of my old Zoomed powersweep and it doesn't seem all that hard or complicated...well for one of you guys that is. The flow from the powerhead drives a gear that rotates the nozzle back n forth....why not use that same concept to make the MJ Mod do the same....I'd pay good money for that!!!...well not tunzian money...but you know what I mean. Dahn...you up for the task??...I can send you the gears n housing if you like.....or anyone else for that matter.......let me know.
Looks familiar huh??
Peace out
John
I already thought about it when I dissected a Powersweep previously 
The thing is though, you would be taking away from the flow produced by the MJ mod in order to turn the gears. Also I think the Powersweep's gears are too delicate to turn the MJ mod. Heck my gear wheel got its teeth stripped after a time and that was without any load on it.
To make this worth while the gear would have to be made of something a bit more durable than that plastic.
This might be an easier option IMO.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=799971
The thing is though, you would be taking away from the flow produced by the MJ mod in order to turn the gears. Also I think the Powersweep's gears are too delicate to turn the MJ mod. Heck my gear wheel got its teeth stripped after a time and that was without any load on it.
To make this worth while the gear would have to be made of something a bit more durable than that plastic.
This might be an easier option IMO.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=799971
How did I know you already thought of that...lol. Couln't you gear it so that it turns very slowly...maybe producing less resistence against the flow?....completing the cycle once an hour? I wonder if you could find the gearing prefabricated so there would be as little DIY needed. Is there a more durable water safe and cheap material? I might do some googling. Anyways, it was just a thought....if someone could pull that off it would be the ultimate MOD!!! I have checked out the swirliestain.......kinda big for my tastes...plus I could never fit it under my (planned) retro canopy
Peace out.
Peace out.
I have the same problem with one of my 1200's it allways spins backwards no matter what I do, I figurd instead of constantly fighting it, I would get a RH prop and let it spin the way it wants to, so I orered some right handed Graupner props from hobby lobby, it's strange because they are meant to turn the sam direction as the LH props from actura, I have a RH graupner sitting next to a LH Octura and they are the same exept the octura has much more agressive pitch.
I guess now I need to get a LH Graupner?
Snarkys
.Registered Member
is it the prop that always wants to go the wrong way or is it the particular MJ. im using the 1.38" Octura 2035 . can you order these in left and right ? i notice that some of the 2035's i have list if they are left or right and some don't. what one do we want anyways ?
is there any tricks in making a more effective stopper ?
like do we want minimal space between the prop and the stopper or does it work better when it slides father up and down ? round shapes like my acrylic rod don't damage the prop but does a flat shape like a piece of rectangle acrylic work better ?
is there any tricks in making a more effective stopper ?
like do we want minimal space between the prop and the stopper or does it work better when it slides father up and down ? round shapes like my acrylic rod don't damage the prop but does a flat shape like a piece of rectangle acrylic work better ?
the octuras i have are the orange ones I think they are 2035's, the lady at octura told me they didnt make any 35 or 40 mm props in RH, I think it must just be that particular power head, a couple times it did hit the stop and reverse directions but usually it just runs backwards and keeps banging againt the stop., I have no problems running LH Dumas or Octura props on my MJ 900, just the 1200.
Snarkys
.Registered Member
ok i made a few more testers. seems the stopper works much better if there is a healthy amount of space between the stopper and the prop so the whole shaft has some travel up and down.
previously i was building them to be just barely under the stopper in normal operation.
anyone else had similar results ?
*edit*
turning the housing around also has tremendous results , wonder why ?
previously i was building them to be just barely under the stopper in normal operation.
anyone else had similar results ?
*edit*
turning the housing around also has tremendous results , wonder why ?
Last edited:
spazz
New member
well if you do a search here on r/c for the "reef rat" you will see how to make one. i am trying to find a direct source for a 2 rpm motor for these reef rats. if we can come up with the dristributers of all the parts at a cheap price we can build these things dirt cheap. im working on the magnet mounts for these pumps right now. they will have the hinge in there so the reef rats can hook right to the maxi jets. when i get my sheet pvc i will post pics of them for you guys to look at.
Hey spazz. This is the motor I'm going to use for the oscillating mount
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2006031613352805&item=5-1563-A&catname=electric
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2006031613352805&item=5-1563-A&catname=electric
brians_224
Active member
Hi -
I found Octura props at my local hobby shop. I bought two 1440's. What size PVC are you guys mounting them into - 1.5"? Any pics of a octura 1440?
I found Octura props at my local hobby shop. I bought two 1440's. What size PVC are you guys mounting them into - 1.5"? Any pics of a octura 1440?
Covey
New member
Hey DH I mod my first MJ1200 with the Dumas 1.75". I am believer! That thing rocks. My first attempt at the housing didn't pass enough water so it kept starting and reversing. Nothing the Dremel couldn't fix. Then the stop didn't work at first and when it start the wrong direction the Dumas pull so hard it riped the housing of the test cap. Got it all worked out. It works perfect if it not a tad ugly. I think I will be redoing the housing when I build another 3 of them.
Thanks.
The Wavebox is totally doable.
Thanks.
The Wavebox is totally doable.
spazz
New member
i found the exact motor that is used in the sea swirls. the problem there is that you have to be a comercial vendor to buy them.
here is the company that makes them.
http://www.autotrol.com/
there a cheap motor to buy but they cant be purchased by any of us.
here is the company that makes them.
http://www.autotrol.com/
there a cheap motor to buy but they cant be purchased by any of us.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Ill post pics of my 1rpm 120degree oscillating mount tomorrow. Its the simplest design I have seen, and holds the powerhead on the edge of the tank as well. I got a special buy on 1prm hansen synchron motors...4watts and $3 ea. I just had to make a simple acrylic bracket to hold it all together on the lip of the tank. So far...so good! Strapped on a Aquaclear 1000 with a nikko prop and wow...my 40g has its flow needs met for a total of 8 watts!
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