Looking for a cheap fan controller

I am going to build an external w/c box, housing a Caprice core with 4 120mm Evercool aluminum fans. I have yet to pick the particular Tupperware fro the shrouds, but you get the idea. I had originally thought of just doing a 7v mod on the fans but the more I think about it, maybe some kind of control device would be better. I have a Zalman controller on 1 Evercool, now. It works fine but I think 4 fans would be a wee bit too much wattage for it. SVC has a Sunbeam unit that I could incorporate into my box. It is 14.99 plus shipping. Could I do better say at Radioshack? All it would take is 4 pots/knobs and a faceplate of some kind.

By the time you bought all that stuff at the shack and including your time to build it, you would be a head by just buying the one for 15 bucks.

4 of their rheostats would run about $14 alone.

When did overclockers start counting time as money? We spend hours on these boards, $$$ on top of the range cooling and even more $ on all the tools needed to make our machines go even faster.

Why not just spend it on a faster CPU/MB? Because that's just no fun! We want to do it ourself! Because we can!

Back to the topic.. Look at the plans for LM317T controlles, and substitute it for a LM350. 3Amp power can be controlled, should be more then enough. If the fact that it will only reach about 10.5V max bothers you, have a switch between regulated and 12V.

Will not save you much money, but YOU build it the way YOU like it..

Have a look at this address: http://www.cpemma.co.uk/index.html
I have only tried one of them, the thermal controller using an L200, but that one worked very well, didn't cost more than a couple of quid, and only took a few minutes to build.

The L200 controller is retired now, though. I built a pwm regulator based on a microcontroller instead. It controls two fans separately using two thermistors. (You can easily put ten fans on each pwm output, so that should probably be enough for anyone.)
Cost of this? Less than a fiver.

Cheers,
Rob

Thanks for the suggestions. I have to admit I did take the easy way out. Building the case itself will be enough, I ordered the Sunbeam Rheobus unit. It will work quite nice for what I want. Pleasedon't think any less of me

I have the Rheobus Sunbeam and it works just fine. Cheap unit that can handle qiute some voltage.

One bad thing about them is the diods which in my meaning is way to strong. *hurt my eyes*

Thanks for the suggestions. I have to admit I did take the easy way out. Building the case itself will be enough, I ordered the Sunbeam Rheobus unit. It will work quite nice for what I want. Pleasedon't think any less of me

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That's okay, as long as you promise to do some soldering next time!

Man, I have got to order from Jab-tech more often. They have already shipped the part. I had been picking this kind of stuff up from SVC for a while and they usually take 48 hrs to ship. They are just as fast as Dtek.