need fan speed control cheap... [Archive]

treepop

05-24-03, 02:43 AM

...I was wondering if this fan http://svc.com/zaladfanspee.html speed controler weould work with a tornado 4 pin?...if not where could I get a converter or a fan with a converter with it.....I was wanting one for preaty cheap to like around $5..thanks a ton :D

stool

05-24-03, 09:29 AM

If you read that closely, it recommends not using it for fans over 5 volts. You're better off going to Radio Shack and picking up a rheostat and making your own. The RS rheostat usually costs about $3.50.

The VTech

05-24-03, 10:30 AM

http://www.nexfan.com/nexfan03/fanma1adfans.html

$3.99
5-11V
3-Pin (you can always adapt it)

Hope that helps

Ugmore Baggage

05-24-03, 10:51 AM

I've never seen this before:
"Do not use FAN MATE 1 with a fan having a start up voltage of more than 5V"
What's startup voltage?

In any case, you'll need a converter, Zalman Fanmates come with 3-pin connectors afaik.

treepop

05-24-03, 01:03 PM

anyone know where I can get a guide on how to use a rheostat?...and also what do I ask joe radio shack guy....can I get a rheostat?....alrighty thanks a ton fellas:D

macklin01

05-24-03, 01:31 PM

The Zalman has a max wattage rating of 5W. A tornado runs at 9.1W, so you can't power it from the Zalman.

As for a rheostat, you need to get a variable resistor / rheostat / potentiometer (all are the same thing) that's rated for 10W or more and splice it inline on the +12V lead of your fan. That's it. (But the real skill comes in making it look neat, doing good soldering, using heatshrink tubing, etc.) But that's the simplest method. Get a variable resistor that's rated high enough for the fan.

There are generally two types of "taper" for the rheostats: linear and logarithmic / audio. Get the linear taper; the other kind is for audio applications.

You might also need a smallish heatsink for the rheostat.

-- Paul

treepop

05-25-03, 01:51 AM

ok I got me a rheostat and I love it tons :D...but this thing gets so hot! it's nuts.....as for making it looks neat thats still a work in progress:D

macklin01

05-25-03, 10:03 AM

Glad to hear it's working for you! Did you get a heatsink for it? For your tornado, you'll need to be dissipating a few watts of heat. -- Paul

crull

05-25-03, 04:25 PM

I'm not sure what your using for a rheostat with the Tornado, but I hope it can handle the high wattage. Here is the best one to use and very cheap

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=470&item=RHE-15&type=store

I have seen this same exact rheostat listed at a computer cooling site for around $10.00 so compared to $1.50 you can't go wrong! At least you know it won't burn out also. The Tornado with this rheostat will go from around 3300 RPM's to Full. The fan will not start though if the rheostat is set less then around 3500 RPM's.

treepop

05-25-03, 05:25 PM

macklin01
what do you mean a heatsink for the tornado?....did you mean put a heatsink on the rheostat itself?

crull

05-25-03, 05:48 PM

Yes he meant you should put a heatsink on the Rheostat or it's not gonna last long if its not rated for the wattage your using it at. Did you read my post, get one of those and you'll be all set.

fiji

05-25-03, 08:16 PM

you could go to rat shack and pick up a $1 rheostat

treepop

05-25-03, 08:19 PM

well considering I already purchased a rheostat....I would rather not....but if it is necissary I suppose I shall do that...sigh...this thing never ends..lol:D....my rheostat is rated at 25ohm...isn't that more then enough...if no

treepop

05-25-03, 08:25 PM

macklin01

05-25-03, 08:43 PM

Hi, the rheostat will have an ohm rating and a wattage rating. The rheo needs to be rated to more than the tornado's 5ish Watts.

As for heatsink, for a rheostat working in that wattage range, you'll want a small heatsink for it (to go directly on the back of the rheostat) whether it was rated for 5W or not. (As far as I recall. Again, it all depends.)

If you need help, I'll search for one later on tonight or tomorrow.

-- Paul

BTW, the rheo that crull posted looks well-suited to the task.

crull

05-25-03, 10:54 PM

The Tornado is rated for around 8 or 9 watts. Also I have had a lot of dealings with Radio shack and your gonna have a hard time getting one at the right wattage and ohms and cheaper then what I listed from them.

warlock110

02-08-05, 09:36 PM

any one with a diagram to connect this thing?

crull

02-08-05, 09:45 PM

any one with a diagram to connect this thing?

I will explain it to you.

The rheostat always goes on the red wire of the fan, the positive voltage. You don't need to touch the black wire.

There should be three connections on it which makes it a potentiometer, when you only use two of those three it is called a rheostat.

To use it on a fan you only need two of the connections. When only two of them are used they usually solder one side connection to the middle. It doesn't matter which side.

So connect the middle to either side it doesn't matter which side. That leaves you with two connections. The middle plus one side, and the side that is left over.

Then you cut the red wire on the fan, and you connect one end to the middle and one side of the rhesotat, and the other end of the wire to the other connection and thats it.

archilochus

02-09-05, 05:54 AM

1st off, is it a 80mm or 92mm Tornado?

Here's a diagram..Click pic to enlarge..

EDIT: pic deleted due to bandwidth thieft below.. :temper:
please don't quote my pic.:):burn:

crull

02-09-05, 07:47 AM

That is correct, but if you do it that way you can't use the molex power connector for anything else unless you remove the rheostat.

Your better off putting the rhesostat on the fan wire instead. Because if you need the molex power connector for something else you just unplug the fan.

archilochus

02-09-05, 08:03 AM

Ven0m

02-09-05, 09:09 AM

This will work only for low-power fans - with bigger ones it will get fried.

archilochus

02-09-05, 09:18 AM

TORNADO 92mm TAMER... Tames 120mm Delta MONSTER fans too! with 3 amp start up..

www.allelectronics.com

CAT.# RHE-15

$1.65 plus $6.00 shipping

Ven0m

02-09-05, 09:38 AM

TORNADO 92mm TAMER... Tames 120mm Delta MONSTER fans too! with 3 amp start up..

www.allelectronics.com

CAT.# RHE-15

$1.65 plus $6.00 shipping

Yeah, that's the only exception - rheo that can stand such fan ad it's pretty cheap. I still think about speedfan mod...

BokiOverclocker

02-09-05, 07:59 PM

Hi, quick question to you guys.
Is there any typ of kit that you can put on RAM/CPU etc. with a thermo overload signal?
what I like to do would be to buy <build> a system to have some sort of fixed thermal sensor so that in can add to my front info display. Tahat way if i ever reach dangerus TEMP. that LED or some sort of signal will go ON and let know that my RAM/CPU etc. TEMP is to high?

Sneaky

02-09-05, 08:23 PM

http://www.jab-tech.com/customer/product.php?productid=2530&cat=42&page=1

decently cheap, and one of the most popular rheobuses currently available

you could also just do the 7v mod to the fan molex if you don't plan on changing the fan speed after that

warlock110

02-09-05, 10:35 PM

i think that sunbeam might do the job much better than me setting up 4 reostats.

Electron Chaser

02-09-05, 10:38 PM

TORNADO 92mm TAMER... Tames 120mm Delta MONSTER fans too! with 3 amp start up..

www.allelectronics.com

CAT.# RHE-15

$1.65 plus $6.00 shipping

This thing rocks!!!! Best $1.65 I ever spent. I have been using it for almost a year with my Delta Monster 190 CFM and I haven't had a single problem with it. I highly recommend it as a good cheap fan controller.

Ven0m

02-10-05, 06:06 AM

And I found that all my fans but 1 (one) have terrible response to PWM (Speedfan). Perhaps if frequency was higher it would work better - but just now, when I tried that thing adds lots of vibration, noise, and clicking.

So I'm for linear controllers.

archilochus

02-10-05, 07:02 AM

BokiOverclocker
Hi, quick question to you guys.
Is there any typ of kit that you can put on RAM/CPU etc. with a thermo overload signal?
what I like to do would be to buy <build> a system to have some sort of fixed thermal sensor so that in can add to my front info display. Tahat way if i ever reach dangerus TEMP. that LED or some sort of signal will go ON and let know that my RAM/CPU etc. TEMP is to high?

You could use one of these, to do the temp monitoring.. It has an alarm you can set also.. :)

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/comther.html

BokiOverclocker

02-10-05, 07:32 PM

THANK YOU, THANKK YOU, THANK YOU
that is what i was after.

:clap: :burn:

crull

02-10-05, 09:23 PM

All of his fans should be on a dedicated line....

This just gives him a diff. option as to wiring it up.. My setup is somewhat permanent, meaning..To change out to a diff. fan I just plug in and go..

Here's more...

http://www.cpemma.co.uk/rheo.html

http://www.bit-tech.net/article/56/

Yes, but that limits what the molex connector can be used for by having a rheostat connected to it.
Another thing to consider is all fans have different ohm ratings, so having a rheostat that works for one fan might not work correctly on the next fan you use with it. So changing to a different fan might not even work correctly.

The best thing to do if you want the option to remove a fan and connect up a different one is to use a molex adapter with a pass through. The molex plugs into one end and the other end is open and can still be used with something else. Then you feed two wires off of that to another molex which the fan plugs into.