Fans starting up at 5 volts

[johnyC]

I'm about to make a baybus with switches. Rheostats are out of the question.
Does anyone know if 120mm panaflo m1a's have troubles starting up at 5 volts ?
OR should I make a 12V/off/7V baybus ??

 

[FlowerMan]

12/7/off bus. Much better setup. Rheostats/LM317's would be nice, but more complicated. I have a 12/7/off fan/bay bus myself.

Regarding the fan question... I have no idea. I just know that most fans (especially larger diameter ones) dont start up at 5V. I say try the fan out before building your bay bus.

 

[mechBgon]

You might look at one of these pulse-width modulation controller kits. I haven't tried this, but it preserves motor torque, which may be what you need to ensure a consistent start. As you can see, it's adjustable too. Their minimum order is $15, minimum shipping is $7, and I don't really know if they are a reputable outfit, but they've been around for at least 8 or 10 months because that's when I added that link to my Favorites.

 

[CStroman]

Starting at 5 volts probably won't work. You might be able to start them high and back them off to 5, though.