has anyone used this controller yet?

twitchee2

Platinum Member
Dec 29, 2004
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had anyone used this sunbeam light/fan controller? i am getting 1 dual cathod set and 3 fans. how do you think it will work and is anyone using it. thanks for the replys.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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I've got two of the simple Sunbeam four-knob fan controllers, and I like them for what they're designed to do. I'm not too enamored of completely manual fan controls, preferring to use automatic thermal fan control through the mobo for important fans like the CPU cooler.

Also, not too keen on extra stuff that turns my computer into a manually-controlled stereo system, but then there's nothing wrong with that, either. For the price, I don't see how you can go wrong if it's the sort of thing you desire.
 

RampantAndroid

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2004
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OK, a brief little electrical engineering explanation is about to happen....

Just using a rheostat (a potentiometer) to control the speed of the fan by increasing resistance, thus decreasing the current you can draw for the fan, does not work....its messy, and introduces noise into the line.

Rather, get a controller (like the Vantec ones) that take in the 12V line, and use a single LM317 Voltage regulator for each fan. These allow you to alter the voltage to whatever you like, while having capacitors in there to clean up any line noise (LM317s are not prone to create line noise, unless the noise is already in there from the PSU.)

Make sure you know what you are buying I'd say....if it is a simple POT, don't touch it....you could make one for $.30........
 

twitchee2

Platinum Member
Dec 29, 2004
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my frined has a light that goes to the beat of the music that is being played and i really liked it thats what i was going for so we will see.
 

Fullmetal Chocobo

Moderator<br>Distributed Computing
Moderator
May 13, 2003
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Originally posted by: twitchee2
my frined has a light that goes to the beat of the music that is being played and i really liked it thats what i was going for so we will see.

My 15" UV cold cathode does that. Kinda cool to mess around with, but it looses it's appeal after a while.