looking for inexpensive fan controller for a delta 120mm 12 volt fan

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Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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Holy crap! Mount it on the bottom of your case as an exhaust and you can have a hover craft... ;-) The Zalman and similar are rated at about 0.5A (the 11V rating means with 12V in, you get 11V out) so you would need to wire six of them in parallel to handle that fan. Yikes! I don't know of any cheap controller that handles up to 3A per channel. I suppose you could make one with a power transistor, heat sink, variable resistor and a few other passive components. Or use a high current, variable voltage regulator (these also work best with a few passive components for stability).

.bh.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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Just sayin' I'm not aware of any. A DIY as I mentioned can be fairly cheap if you don't care whether it looks pretty...

.bh.
 
S

scruffypup

Senior member
Feb 3, 2006
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If you have some other fans you want controlled, then there are some 4 or 6 channel controllers that can handle that wattage per channel for around $20-$30 range,... I wouldn't go that route for just this one fan, but that is me. If you have other fans you want to control then it makes more sense. This link will give you a good sampling:

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l...llers.html?id=akZFVSkN

There are many there that will fit the bill if you are willing to spend in that range.
 
C

Chronoshock

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
4,860
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The Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme is the only controller which can provide close to enough power. Its rated at 30W per chanel so you you can get up to 10V @ 3A. Unless you want to go deaf I don't think you'll want it at max voltage anyways. It costs roughly 20-30 dollars.
 
BonzaiDuck

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
16,888
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Originally posted by: Chronoshock
The Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme is the only controller which can provide close to enough power. Its rated at 30W per chanel so you you can get up to 10V @ 3A. Unless you want to go deaf I don't think you'll want it at max voltage anyways. It costs roughly 20-30 dollars.
Click to expand...

I'll second that motion. I won't mention the irony for this being one of the better rheostat-type manual controllers. But it has the wattage-per-channel to be very flexible. A lot of these devices just assume you're going to run low-amperage fans.
 
WoodButcher

WoodButcher

Platinum Member
Mar 10, 2001
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If that fan will run on 5V you could use a toggle switch, a DPDT switch for 5 or 12V. I'm not real fond of the 7V mod.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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Shouldn't use the 7V hack on a high current fan anyhoo, unless you don't care about your PSU.

I see it reads 3A on the fan, but 2A in SWC's description.

.bh.
 
C

Chronoshock

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
4,860
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Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Originally posted by: Chronoshock
The Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme is the only controller which can provide close to enough power. Its rated at 30W per chanel so you you can get up to 10V @ 3A. Unless you want to go deaf I don't think you'll want it at max voltage anyways. It costs roughly 20-30 dollars.
Click to expand...

I'll second that motion. I won't mention the irony for this being one of the better rheostat-type manual controllers. But it has the wattage-per-channel to be very flexible. A lot of these devices just assume you're going to run low-amperage fans.
Click to expand...

Its awesomeness is balanced by its gaudy, blinding LEDs. I'm going to have to mod mine soon, I'll either coat the LEDs with paint or bend them away from the knobs.
When I was researching controllers I was surprised how low wattage most were. I'm currently using 5 out of the 6 channels for 2xfront, 2xmiddle, 2xrear, ram fans, and 2xTRUE fans. With the Zalman for example, I definitely couldn't run both Scythes (on my TRUE) on a single channel.
 
Soulkeeper

Soulkeeper

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2001
6,740
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I have 3 of the same fans
i am using A nexus nxp-205 floppy bay controller
it is only rated at 1.5amps (18 watts at 12v) but the 2amp (24 watts at 12v) fans havn't burned it up over the last 2 months or so .... maybe because i have the intake fan blowing directly on it to keep it cool


would be nice to see a more powerfull one that is specifically designed for the pci slot


edit:
mine are actually the thinner FFB1212EH not the FFB1212EHE
they say 1.74A on the sticker, 1.45A on delta's website, and a wrong link to the EHE on sidewindercomputers.com ....

btw These delta specs are likely the right ones
 
WoodButcher

WoodButcher

Platinum Member
Mar 10, 2001
2,158
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Originally posted by: Soulkeeper
I have 3 of the same fans
i am using A nexus nxp-205 floppy bay controller
it is only rated at 1.5amps (18 watts at 12v) but the 2amp (24 watts at 12v) fans havn't burned it up over the last 2 months or so .... maybe because i have the intake fan blowing directly on it to keep it cool

btw These delta specs are likely the right ones
Click to expand...

I use the nexus also, I modified it a little w/ two channels on toggle switches so I can use the variable or cut it down to 5V. They are pretty good little controls, now I have 3 panaflow .6 amp each on one channel, I have had 3 Delta 38mm and the ultra kaze 3000 on it at different time and have dad no fires yet!:D
 
N

Navid

Diamond Member
Jul 26, 2004
5,053
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Originally posted by: Chronoshock
The Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme is the only controller which can provide close to enough power.
Click to expand...

Almost half of the control range of each knob is useless as the minimum output voltage is 0V as reported in this review for the updated version.
http://www.techpowerup.com/rev...Sunbeam/RheobusExtreme
And you can see the specs on the manufacturer's web site.
Part Number: RHK-EX-SV, RHK-EX-BA
DC Input: +12 V (Standard 4 -Pin Connector)
DC Output: 0V - 12 V DC
LED Lamps: 12 * Blue LED 5.0 V



There is no voltage regulation. As you can see in this picture.
http://www.techpowerup.com/rev...eme/images/sbrbe15.jpg
So, the output voltage is extremely dependent on the load you put on it.
In other words, if you set the output voltage to 9V for a 40mA fan and then switch the fan with a 400mA fan at the same setting on the knob, the voltage could drop to something like 7.5V.

If you set the knob to give you a voltage of about 6V on a 40mA fan and then swap the fan with a 400mA fan, at the same setting, the voltage may drop to something like 4V and not start at all.

I did some measurements on a different model, but similar design from the same manufacturer here.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me..._key=y&keyword1=thumbs
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
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"No voltage reg", "half the rotation is wasted" Those were the same for the original Rheobus and that didn't stop lots of folks from buying one. I found the indicated 7V (LED color change) to be quite accurate (within a few tenths of a volt) whether I had a low current unit or a H1011 on it, but I've never had a fan here that could draw an Amp or more.

.bh.
 
N

Navid

Diamond Member
Jul 26, 2004
5,053
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Originally posted by: Zepper
"No voltage reg", "half the rotation is wasted" Those were the same for the original Rheobus and that didn't stop lots of folks from buying one.
Click to expand...

Lot's of folks buy Celerons too. For some applications, a Celeron is the best choice. Nothing wrong with that.
However, buying a Celeron and not knowing anything about it, and why it is cheaper, is a mistake.
I would be greateful to someone who takes the time to post information about a Celeron, which helps me make a knowledgeable decision.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
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I'd rather 'ave an RPM readout than regulated output voltages. IAC, fans don't require precise voltages just that there working range is covered. 'sides I don't know of any reasonably-priced (under $50.) fan controllers that have regulated outputs - too expensive for the application. Yarrr...

Ahoy mates, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day - so get with or ye be walkin' the plank afore sunset...

.bh.
 
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