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[MaxamusCrasious]

O.K I have the Thermaltake smart fan and I want to change the flimsy pot that came with it. now there are no visible markings on it to tell me what value it is ect. and I am stumped. Please help...

[I LOVE ED]

set it to max ans measure what's the max resistance it can go.

[LordZuul01]

Guys ... after I finish the plexiglass thing ... I will do you a thing on using adjustable voltage regulators to control fans... and building fan failure devices...

::LZ::

[timid1]

Guys ... after I finish the plexiglass thing ... I will do you a thing on using adjustable voltage regulators to control fans... and building fan failure devices...

::LZ::

First off, we have no idea what a "thing" is.  Second, a pot is a pot.  You can even buy these things ready-to-play-with from Fry's or Outpost.  Voltage regulators to control fans = potentiometer (a.k.a., pot).  Q.E.D.

[rallger]

the plexiglass thing is a bender it is one of the first threads of the forum. and are there links to a place where i can find out how to use pot.s in relation to fans

[TemplaraPheonix]

Um...

A potentiometer or rheostat is a variable resistor. It works by limiting the resistance in the circuit and therefore the current going through the fan.

A voltage regulator limits the voltage. This may sound like a non-valid point, if the regulation is linear, i.e. you decrease the voltage with the same resistance to give a lower current. However, if you vary the time the voltage is on, but it is on at full strength, you get a much different effect. This is generally referred to as Pulse Width Modulation or PWM and would be nice to have a tutorial about. The benefits of PWN is that the fan will turn even at low modulations because the full voltage is being use to start it. It also is more energy efficient as resistors generate heat, and some reports even show it makes less noise and gives more stable RPMs.

[rallger]

thanks. verry imformative.
but can somone direct me to a threadwebsite that can tell me how t oconnect a pot to a fan

[TokMor]

cut the yellow wire and put one end of the wire to the middle terminal of the pot and the other end to either of the other two pot terminals.

[MaxamusCrasious]

The smartfan I have came with a Volcano 9, it has a socket on the fan where you can hook the pot that came with the fan. All I was wondering was if I could hook any pot up or if I have to get a certain one

[daPyr0x]

Um...

A potentiometer or rheostat is a variable resistor. It works by limiting the resistance in the circuit and therefore the current going through the fan.

A voltage regulator limits the voltage. This may sound like a non-valid point, if the regulation is linear, i.e. you decrease the voltage with the same resistance to give a lower current. However, if you vary the time the voltage is on, but it is on at full strength, you get a much different effect. This is generally referred to as Pulse Width Modulation or PWM and would be nice to have a tutorial about. The benefits of PWN is that the fan will turn even at low modulations because the full voltage is being use to start it. It also is more energy efficient as resistors generate heat, and some reports even show it makes less noise and gives more stable RPMs.

I think, in order to do this, you'd be looking at a pot, a relay, and a clock or a crystal of some sort.

The pot is wired to the crystal (or clock).  When you lower the electricity going to the crystal, it vibrates less.  The vibrations are sent out as an on/off signal to the relay.  The relay turns the 12v signal on and off in relation to the crystal's on off vibrations

I should look for a crystal or clock generator chip that could be used for that.....