Uh, OK.



That's what you wrote. In your world the power rating means nothing. Why?
Can you back this up with anything relevant?

First off, you still failed to provide any info about why you were refuting my claims. Seriously, we are here to learn, not to flame.

I can back that up by real world experience. I have a 450 watt PSU in my computer and if I give any of my components that much juice, they will fry; therefore, I conclude that my 450W PSU is not putting out anywhere near 450W. Power supplies are rated at their maximum current draw, not the RMS or average draw. If you have a 5v device, any 5v power supply will power it as long as it has a minimum rating equal to or greater than the device's required current draw.

I prefer to go by amperage must have something to do with those cheap flea market speakers, amps offering 1,000 watts of power. LOL.

I'm using 2 AC fans pulling out the back of open front cabinet shelf. With an attic fan thermostat. Comes on in a few minutes but I like that it keeps running for 10-20 minutes after I shut down.

OK i really need some help.

I have been using a 110v AC to 12v molex adapter to power some pc fans in my cabinet. THey have worked okay for over a year now (issues here and there) but now all of a sudden i am getting no fan spinning and a really high pitched noise from the fans. I know the power is working becasue i tried plugging the molex connector to onther fan i had lying around and its LEDs lit up but the noise was there and it didnt spin.

Please help! this is really bad because now none of my components are being cooled!!

The one i have appears to be this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-011-_-Product

and i am powering a bunch of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-007-_-Product

I have a 450 watt PSU in my computer and if I give any of my components that much juice, they will fry;

I guess you don't understand that the load draws the power it requires from the supply...you don't "give" it 450Watts, it draws that if it needs it.


You stated this:

Just because a device is rated at a certain wattage doesn't mean that it will put out that much power.

and I called you on it, you haven't responded to it, just gone off on an unrelated tangent.

If you have a 5v device, any 5v power supply will power it as long as it has a minimum rating equal to or greater than the device's required current draw.

The product of voltage and current is power.

I guess you don't understand that the load draws the power it requires from the supply...you don't "give" it 450Watts, it draws that if it needs it.


You stated this:



and I called you on it, you haven't responded to it, just gone off on an unrelated tangent.



The product of voltage and current is power.

Necessary??? Wasn't this a month ago...:rolleyes:

Was that necessary?

Ha, yeah for real, a bit late.

I guess you don't understand that the load draws the power it requires from the supply...you don't "give" it 450Watts, it draws that if it needs it. That's exactly my point.... anyway, I don't really remember what you "called me out on" but like I said, if you'd like to provide us with some factual, educational info go right ahead.

That's exactly my point....

The only point you've made is that you're extremely confused with basic electronics.

The only point you've made is that you're extremely confused with basic electronics.

You're right, it's not like I'm an electrical engineer or...... oh wait. Yes, I am an electrical engineer. My bad!

Again,

if you'd like to provide us with some factual, educational info go right ahead.

hi all,
is it better to go with AC or DC?

i have an AC adaptor with variable voltage switch (3v-12v). i could buy a couple of AC fans, but they seem to be rated fairly loud (~40db) and more expensive than DC fans.
or i could get a DC pc psu for which would enable me to get a couple of pc case fans (~25db).

the obvious benefit of the ac route is i already have the adaptor and its overall cheaper, but possibly noisier.
the benefit of the dc route is i should be able to wire in some cathode tube lights i have at home. the minus is i'm just adding more heat and another fan to the set up.

what do you think?

hi all,
is it better to go with AC or DC?

i have an AC adaptor with variable voltage switch (3v-12v). i could buy a couple of AC fans, but they seem to be rated fairly loud (~40db) and more expensive than DC fans.
or i could get a DC pc psu for which would enable me to get a couple of pc case fans (~25db).

the obvious benefit of the ac route is i already have the adaptor and its overall cheaper, but possibly noisier.
the benefit of the dc route is i should be able to wire in some cathode tube lights i have at home. the minus is i'm just adding more heat and another fan to the set up.

what do you think?
DC for sure. Your AC adapter puts out DC.

DC for sure. Your AC adapter puts out DC.

that makes sense. thinking back to my cathode tube lights i ran those through the adaptor, and the cathode tube lights were pc case modding lights. kind of obvious when you think about it. feeling a bit thick now. thanks :o

that makes sense. thinking back to my cathode tube lights i ran those through the adaptor, and the cathode tube lights were pc case modding lights. kind of obvious when you think about it. feeling a bit thick now. thanks :o

any time ;)

Hello all. I haven't read the entire thread but thought I would offer a $2 4 component automatic fan controller that a mate and I put together for quietly cooling pc cases. It's designed to run 12v fans and hit peak speed at about 40 degrees from memory.

I am thinking of putting one in my AV cupboard to replace the 'desk' fan that I currently have blowing cool air into it.

I'll try dig it up and link it if anyone wants it. I couldn't find anything for sale that did the job as well as this little thing.

Hello all. I haven't read the entire thread but thought I would offer a $2 4 component automatic fan controller that a mate and I put together for quietly cooling pc cases. It's designed to run 12v fans and hit peak speed at about 40 degrees from memory.

I am thinking of putting one in my AV cupboard to replace the 'desk' fan that I currently have blowing cool air into it.

I'll try dig it up and link it if anyone wants it. I couldn't find anything for sale that did the job as well as this little thing.

For sure, post it up! I posted a write-up earlier in the thread about using an old thermostat to do the job, but that cost more than $2 for sure.

Have fun! Be careful with the heatsink though - it floats at the + voltage. Not good in pc case.

Have fun! Be careful with the heatsink though - it floats at the + voltage. Not good in pc case.

Looks cool, I'll let it slide that it was almost 7x your initial cost estimate ;) I will surely have to try that out. Does this circuit speed up the fan with temperature, and is there a point where the fans are always off?

That zip file seems to be corrupt btw.

Yeah, it was more expensive than I remembered. That's NZ$ so halve it for USD :P

Couldn't get the xls to upload...file not allowed etc. Dunno why zip broke. Open with winrar?

Fan speed is auto variable depending on temps. 4ishV at 20 degrees 10ishV at 35 degrees. All in calcium. (wow, I mean Celsius) Details should be there somewhere.

Yeah, it was more expensive than I remembered. That's NZ$ so halve it for USD :P

Couldn't get the xls to upload...file not allowed etc. Dunno why zip broke. Open with winrar?

Fan speed is auto variable depending on temps. 4ishV at 20 degrees 10ishV at 35 degrees. All in calcium. Details should be there somewhere.

winrar ftw

Multi-function temp/fan controller DIY (using some commercial components).


Parts List

Power Relay 72J4442 1 6.64 Series:782; Coil Voltage VDC Nom:12V; Coil Resistance:160ohm; No. of Poles:4; Contacts:4PDT; Relay Mounting:Plug In; Carry Current:10A; Features:Plain Cover w/Flag; Relay Terminals:Quick Connect; Coil Voltage DC Max:12V ;RoHS Compliant: Yes 782XDX2C-12D MAGNECRAFT
https://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=72J4442

Relay Socket 69K5576 1 3.50 Socket Mounting:DIN Rail/Panel; Current Rating:10A; Socket Terminals:Screw; No. of Pins:14 ;RoHS Compliant: Yes 70-782D14-1 MAGNECRAFT
https://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=69K5576

Relay Retaining Clip 64J8914 1 0.73 For Use With:Chassis/Panel and Printed Circuit Sockets ;RoHS Compliant: Yes 16-1342 MAGNECRAFT
https://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=64J8914

EXT ENCLO SABRENT|EC-525K R N82E16817366013 1 26.54
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817366013

CONTROLLER ZALMAN| ZM-MFC3 R N82E16811999197 1 69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999197

Coolerguys Thermal Fan 840556086611 1 13.95 Temp Control = On 87F / OFF 80F Controller
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556086611.html

Internal Drive 4Pin Power 840556000662 1 2.25 Splitter Cable # CC2125Y
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556000662.html

4 Pin Molex Power Cord 840556069683 2 1.95 Length = 36 inch Extension Cable 12 18 24 and 36"
http://www.coolerguys.com/powerext.html

3-Pin Extension Cable / 840556069393 1 1.89 Inches = 36 Adapters for 3 Wire Devices, 12, 18, 24 , 36 or 48 Inches
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556000013.html

SPDT Submini Toggle Switch 275-0613 1 3.79
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062498

NOTES :

I left off the fans as they are not specific to the project. We used 2 of the Feser Triebwerk 120mm x 55mm fans and are more or less happy with them.
The Zalman fan controller was overkill. I had ordered it for something else and just ended up using it in tis project. There are much cheaper alternatives that would suffice.
I am not 100% happy w/ the Sabrent case I chose. It lacks a pedestal to stand it on it's side, and has rounded sides, which are nice to look at but becuase of that it has to lay flat.
I had to buy a power supply anyways, and for a few $$ more I got a case to go along with it to hold (and hide) everything. It also gave me someplace to mount the fan controller I wanted to use, since most (but not all) are made for mounting in a PC case.

Motivation/Purpose :

The reason for building this was that I wanted to cool our entertainment center with the following requirements :

Cooling be automatic (only come on when needed)
Fan speed control (either automatic or at least manual, to control the noise level as needed)
Temperature monitoring (to see how well the fans were doing and if I needed to increase the speed)


There are several controllers out there that will control the fan speed based on temperature, but they had several drawbacks.

- The fans were always on, even when not needed (just running at their slowest speed -- at least the controllers I tested)
- The controller display was always on, even when not needed (at night it was distracting)

So I set about building a solution. I originally just wanted a device to piggyback off of one of the temp controllers like the Collerguys ones. But they only passed 12v, and most fan controllers required the 5v feed for their functionality. I couldn't find any that passed both the 5v and 12v. The answer for me was to put in a 12v 4 pole relay

Steps :

I took apart the Sabrent case and took off the back power/control board (two screws hold it down), unscrewed and removed the fan audio connector (for CD-ROMs) completely from the case (to reuse the hole for the switch, more about that later) and snapped out a rectangle shaped cut-out in the back of the case right next to the power switch. I removed all non-essential cables, like the drive cable and unplugged the fan power connector (but left the fan in case I needed it to keep the case cool, more about that later too).

Then I routed the fan connectors and temperature probes through the cut-out and put the power/controlled board back on. The wires need to be passed through the holes before the power board goes back on since the cut-out is an extension of the box hole for the power plug and the extra opening is needed to get the larger fan connector ends through. Then I held the wires out of the way (keeping them in the cut-out) and put the power board back in.

I cut the Molex extension in half and cut the male end off of the 3 pin extension. I also cut 2 pieces of scrap wire (can use two of the wires from the 3 pin ext since only 1 is needed). then I soldered 3 wires to the SPDT switch, two loose and one coming from the ground on the 3 pin (the black wire). The black wire goes to one of the side post and the other two loose ones go to the center and other side posts.

Then I installed the switch into the hole that used to hold the audio plug in the back of the case.

Next I setup the relay. I took the female end and connected the 4 wires to the center posts of the relays 4 poles. This would be the line side. Then I took the male end and conencted the 4 wires to the corresponding posts of the 4 poles on the NO (normally open) side*. I then put a wire from the 12v+ (yellow wire) contact on the line side and connected the other end to the relay coil terminal. I put the wire from the center post of the switch that I installed and connected it to the other side of the relay coil. Then I took the other loose wire from the side post of the switch and connected it to the terminal that had the ground on the line side (the black wire next to the yellow one). All of the wiring is now done, aside from plugging in the molex power plugs.


* If you use a single throw relay. I goofed and ordered a double throw instead of a single throw relay (4PDT vs. 4PST). I could have maybe saved a dollar on a single throw, but it isn't a big deal.


I then installed the Zalman fan controller and mounted the relay and Coolerguys temperature controller (used double-sided tape for now). I plugged in the molex splitter into the power supply at the back and plugged one of the connectors into the temp controller and the other into the female connector (on the line side of the relay). Then the male molex on the load side of the relay got plugged into the Zalman. I then plugged all of the fan and temperature probes into the Zalman and Coolerguys controllers and the female 3 pin connector (attached to the switch in the back) got plugged into one of the fan connectors on the Coolerguys controller.

Everything is now ready to go. The purpose of the switch is to provide a manual/automatic selection. Not needed if you want to just run it always in automatic.

I installed the switch in mine vertically, so in the up position it is in manual mode (IE: Just "on"), in the down position it is in automatic (only comes on when the temperature controller is triggered, which w/ the Coolerguys one it is fixed at 87f on, 80f off, IIRC). I also left one of the fan controller temp probes in the case to allow me to monitor the temp in there when it is running, so see if I needed to connect the small case fan to one of the 12v power sources to keep it cool inside. I suspect not, but that option is there along with a way to monitor and determine if it is needed.

I tested by putting it in manual and making sure everything comes on, then putting it into auto and holding the temp probe to heat it up and making sure it powered up the fan controller. I then closed everything up, put it into our Ent Center and plugged all of the fans and what not into it. I set it in manual mode to adjust the fan speeds to a level that isn't bothersome or too audible from our viewing/sitting location. I then placed the temp probe from the temp controller in the hottest spot in our Ent Center (right above our receiver/amp) and put the temp probes from the fan controller into different places to monitor the temp (monitoring only available when the fans come on). I only plan to use the temp monitoring (IE: pay attention to it) in the hotter summer months to ensure that the fans are doing their job(s) :).


Things I would do differently/still left to do :

Add a longer temp probe from Coolerguys to the temp controller (and possibly an ext so that the connection is outside of the case so I can unplug it to remove the case from the Ent Center, w/o having to re-route the main temp probe each time)
put grommet around the cut-out to avoid problems w/ any sharp/rough edges
wrap all of the cables coming out of the case into 1 bundle that fans out jsut a few inches from the end.
figure out a stand for the Sabrent case (or change to a case w/ a stand)
add an "all in one" connector between the wires coming out of the unit and the fans/temp probes/etc. It all depends on how often I find myself taking it out or moving it around (which I don't expect to be that often, once I get it settled in).
Maybe add another "zone" to the unit (by adding another temp controller to monitor/react to a different area of our Ent Center). Wouldn't be too hard and would only cost about $15 or so to do, but I would need to test running two temp controllers in parallel.


I would definitely use a much cheaper fan controller but this one was available and unused, so I went with it. Total cost (w/o the fan controller or fans) was just over $60. I leave off the fan controller and fans because there is alot of possible variation there and really comes down to personal preferrence. And the choice has no bearing on the "project", any one would work, so long as they are a 5.25" PC fan controller and compatible fans (compatible with the PC fan controller). For that same reason I didn't bother with any pictures of the fan installation or components in our setup. They are irrelevant to the controller build :).


Except that I am a control freak, this all could have been done more simply and cheaper, but what fun would that have been ? :) This project falls into the category of the journey being as important as the destination. Plus it looks really cool (points for geek factor :)).

The pictures leave much to be desired (I used an older camera to snap them really quick while I was building it). It is already tucked into our Ent Center, but I will need to take it out, and apart, again when the longer temp probe gets here and I will take better pitures then, if anyone is interested.

I will also try to put together a wiring diagram later on today, but wanted to share this just in case anyone else was as bored as I was and wanted to build something similar :)


First picture is of everything installed, but I unplugged a couple of the power cables to move them out of the way to better show the other components. Unfortunately I had already built it when I thought to start taking pictures to share, so I don't have a step by step photo documentary :(

http://www.tomandjue.com/gallery/d/71129-1/Controller_0.jpg

The next one is of everything plugged in and the spare cables just curled up (or shoved in) the case.

http://www.tomandjue.com/gallery/d/71132-1/Controller_1.jpg

This one is a shot of the back of the case, with the manual/auto toggle switch to the right of the on/off power switch.

http://www.tomandjue.com/gallery/d/71135-1/Controller_2.jpg

Here is a horribly unfocused shot of the unit fully assembled. (to be retaken later this week, as time permits)

http://www.tomandjue.com/gallery/d/71126-1/Controller_3_001.jpg

Here is what the Zalman looks like powered up.

http://www.tomandjue.com/gallery/d/71100-1/Zalman.jpg

aside from the "geek factor", the other advantage is the ability to support more fans then the Coolerguys temperature controller can, which has a combined power draw capacity of 1000ma (1.0A). Which our two larger fans already would have maxed that out. If fan control isn't needed, just the ability to control more than 1a worth of fans, then only the temp controller and relay setup would be needed (along w/ a case, or at least a power supply). Then the only restriction would be the fan controller and/or power supply limitations.

Not an electronic guru, just a guy who fried his Sony AVR, spent $500 on a new one and decided to get on forums such as this and learn something, which I have--thank you. I have a small component cabinet (just under 14 cu. ft.) and just ordered a single fan setup from CoolGuys. You may have to leave a message or send email but they will get back with you if you need to talk to them and they offer useful, good advice. One short narrative I read on another website (the "Additional Considerations" section) was interesting to me and gave something to think about so thought I would post it:
coolcomponents.com/Cabinet-Venting_c_8.html

Sparkss,

Thanks for posting your project. On a scale of difficulty how would you rate this project for someone is isn't a spark jumper?

I am far from a soldering expert. I would rate it a 5 on a scale of 1 - 10.

Great info here, thank you all for your contributions.

I have an enclosed wood cabinet with glass doors I bought from Costco in January. It is fully enclosed, with slits in the rear panels for wires to pass through.

After much reading here and research on the web, I ordered 4 SilenX iXtreme Pro 92mm case fans and the SilenX 4-channel external controller (I like the idea of being able to control each fans speed individually). My cabinet has a large left and right compartment, with each side split (top and bottom) by a single shelf - so 4 compartments cooled by one fan each. Each compartment has a narrow (3" X 12") slit in back for wires to pass through.

I'm wondering about what to do about the rear slits though. I'm thinking about buying a yard of black felt and stapling it over the rear slits so that the fans won't draw air in from the rear. My hope is that the felt will sufficiently block the rear slits so the fans will draw air from the gaps around the front doors, thus pulling air front-to-rear across my components. Does this sound like a reasonable expectation?

I'm looking forward to installing this setup. My AVR runs pretty cool (Pioneer Elite w/Class D amps), but it still gets warm in the cabinet. I also ordered a "Smartstrip" that will turn the fans on/off whenever the AVR powers up/down. The fans I ordered are rated at 9dB at 1100 RPM and 11 dB at 1300 RPM. I hope they are as quiet as advertised.

here are some photos from an install I completed today. I'm not the most handy person, it seems to do the job tho. The system is a little noisier than I would like, probably because of the hatchet job I did. The exhaust holes are complete tho. I have 2 120mm SilenX fans as exhaust with air coming through the intake vent holes in each section. I lost in a battle with the hole saw so drilled intake ventilation holes with a regular drill bit. There's no way for me to get air flowing in from the front other than opening the door. I could probably stick a door bumper on to prop it open a little bit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49209818@N07/sets/72157623711443893/

here are some photos from an install I completed today. I'm not the most handy person, it seems to do the job tho. The system is a little noisier than I would like, probably because of the hatchet job I did. The exhaust holes are complete tho. I have 2 120mm SilenX fans as exhaust with air coming through the intake vent holes in each section. I lost in a battle with the hole saw so drilled intake ventilation holes with a regular drill bit. There's no way for me to get air flowing in from the front other than opening the door. I could probably stick a door bumper on to prop it open a little bit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49209818@N07/sets/72157623711443893/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/4512930871_6b8cdc9334.jpg
Are those ventilation holes? If so, I think they're way too small in diameter to be very affective.

Dan

Yeah I will have to redo that and cut a larger opening.

Combining your D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys boxes into one unit that does everything would help immensely!

Combining your D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys boxes into one unit that does everything would help immensely!

Great suggestion!

Yeah I will have to redo that and cut a larger opening.

Tho I want to avoid having to do it with a hole saw if possible. Those things are scary! (to me at least). Maybe I'll just drill bigger 1" holes with a spade. Hole Saws Are Surprisingly Hazardous that's what Readers digest says anyway

oh and keeping the fans on the lowest setting keeps the noise to an acceptable setting while still providing adequate cooling - tho still want to enlarge those intake holes

At work, but I'll post a pic later if it helps. Anyways, I made a stand-alone amp stand to support my 115 lb Sherbourn 7 channel and and my 35lb 12 channel Niles amp.

Turned out nice, now I'm just looking for a fan to keep them as cool as possible and perhaps throw a few years of life onto them.

Any suggestions?

Essentially, this would just sit behind them and blast away, but, seeing they're "cabinet-less", sound is a bit of a priority.

thanks gang,

James

Combining your D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys boxes into one unit that does everything would help immensely!
what and how can you combine the routers with? My son has 3 x-boxes, we have 2 desktop comp. and 3 laptop comp. all using cablevision cable modem service, and a cisco linksys modem. We have problems with laptops interfering with the other units sometimes.

Chester

what and how can you combine the routers with? My son has 3 x-boxes, we have 2 desktop comp. and 3 laptop comp. all using cablevision cable modem service, and a cisco linksys modem. We have problems with laptops interfering with the other units sometimes.

Chester

Most people just have a cable modem connected to a wireless router that has 4 wired ports on it. If you need more wired ports then just buy a simple witch ($20-50). There's really no need to have multiple routers unless you're able to use them as wireless bridges in areas that need to be wired but you can't run a wire.

thank you, I found my problem I was connecting to my company's server and that was making my home system work to hard.

chester

Please offer any assistance or direction, it will be much appreciated. :)

I recently purchased the Onkyo 9100 Home Theater system and want to use an AV cooling fan to keep my receiver cool. I am new to this process, and have looked at several fans on different sites. They all seem to have different power sources, and different features.

What I'm looking for is a fan that will turn on with my receiver or when temperature requires it. My receiver does not have a plug on the back or a USB, so I will (I'm assuming) need a fan that will require me to remove the metal covering to my receiver and plug the fan into a power supply in my receiver. Is this recommended? :confused: Will most power supplies on fans be compatible and not be overtaxing on my receiver's hardware? Is there a fan that could be plugged into a standard outlet, but only be triggered to activate by temperature? I feel that would be ideal, but again, I am a novice to this. Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you! :)

I know there are power strips (smart strips) that will switch on a device when another plugged-in device is turned on. You just plug both the receiver and the fan into the special plugs on the smart strip.

I know there are power strips (smart strips) that will switch on a device when another plugged-in device is turned on. You just plug both the receiver and the fan into the special plugs on the smart strip.

Thank you for the reply! I just checked some out. I suppose I would purchase this and then plug this into my larger home theater surge protector and then only plug the receiver and fan into the smart power strip so I don't cause too much stress by "daisy chaining" from my larger surge protector. I just don't want every component of my home theater dependant on my AV receiver, but the fan I want synched with it.

Any other good comments out there on cooling fans for A/V receivers that can be automatically turned on and off?

Thank you for the reply! I just checked some out. I suppose I would purchase this and then plug this into my larger home theater surge protector and then only plug the receiver and fan into the smart power strip so I don't cause too much stress by "daisy chaining" from my larger surge protector. I just don't want every component of my home theater dependant on my AV receiver, but the fan I want synched with it.

Any other good comments out there on cooling fans for A/V receivers that can be automatically turned on and off?

I did a write-up on a thermostat-controlled fan for an A/V cabinet that you could check out. I don't remember what the post number is but it's a while back.

.
You may find some of the info and links* Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18858176#post18858176) useful.


* The "... second one is pretty long..." link might look familiar.

Here is a picture of my solution for keeping my A/V cabinet cool...

http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=15855&full=true

4 SilenX 90mm computer case fans with speed controller (hidden behind cabinet). They are triggered on/off automatically by the AVR. These fans are just a whisper at 1' and completely inaudible from 2'.

The camera flash greatly exaggerates how visible the back of the cabinet is...

Have anyone used Notebook Cooling Pad with built-in fans for their A/V equipment? Will this be a good option in place of making changes to cabinet?

Have anyone used Notebook Cooling Pad with built-in fans for their A/V equipment? Will this be a good option in place of making changes to cabinet?

This is what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Profile-Component-Theater-Products/dp/B000QJ4ZE2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1293465447&sr=8-4

This is what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Profile-Component-Theater-Products/dp/B000QJ4ZE2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1293465447&sr=8-4

How good is it? From reviews I found that the fans don't move much air around. I am not too excited to pay $75 for something that work so-so.

How good is it? From reviews I found that the fans don't move much air around. I am not too excited to pay $75 for something that work so-so.

I don't know how to exactly quantify how good it is. I have my Onkyo in a cabinet with the Cooler sitting on top of it and haven't had any heat issues. Also, what I like about it is it allows me t o stack another device on top of (something I wouldn't do if I didnt have the cooler in between)

I tried reading through this thread some, but it was a bit too much information for me. So I apologize in advance for being under-educated on this, but I'm in a hurry and need a quick recommendation. I'm looking to buy a cooling fan for inside my AV cabinet. I want it to blow air out of the cabinet, thus I will mount the fan flush to the cabinet wall.

The fan must:

-be very quiet
-be USB or plug-in power
-turn on when a certain temperature is reached, and turn off when it is cool

At first I thought this Thermaltake fan would work, but I'm not sure it is thermal activated, and it looks like it has a speed knob protruding out that would prevent this fan from being flush mounted to a cabinet wall. Anyone have an alternate suggestion?

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/11-999-130-S01?$S640W$

After a bit of searching I found the solution from coolerguys.com:

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556082491.html

After a bit of searching I found the solution from coolerguys.com:

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556082491.html

I use three of those. One in each section of my cabinet. They work great and are very quiet.

Here is a pic of my 360 in my stand (temp display while listening to music through NET was up to 57C then began to drop to 43...volume at 27).

http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/Dcmkx2000/CIMG2814.jpg

I am going to buy some 120mm fans and power them from usb cables. Any fans you guys recommend that move a lot of air and are quiet?


Which do you think would work best:

1) Cut hole in the back of the cabinet where the receiver is located, mount 1 fan in the hole pulling air out, then have the other fan sitting on top of the receiver pulling hot air out of the receiver

2) Cut hole in the back of the cabinet where the receiver is located, Mount 1 fan on the back panel of the cabinet blowing forward over the top of the receiver, then have the other fan sitting on top of the receiver pulling hot air out of the receiver


Any other ideas?

I just installed this kit from the CoolerGuys: http://www.coolerguys.com/840556092810.html
I couldn't be more pleased. Yes, I can hear it when there is no sound playing, but it is not obnoxiously loud. I also have an HTPC in the cabinet. The four 120s are louder than my very quiet HTPC. The thermostat works great. I mounted the fans on the back of a Salamander 339 with mesh doors. Not the most efficient air path, but it makes a noticeable difference.

The Enermax Enlobal fans from Coolerguys are very quiet, can't hear them running, have to look and see if they are spinning. I went positive pressure ( i have glass doors on my cabinet to enclose them. Fan in the side blowing in and and one of the blower fans (made to sit on top of the equipment, draws air up through it). Your can hear those fans when its quiet. I have some holes in the back of the cabinet, filtered screens on the fans drawing air in, so the air thats blowing in should be relatively dust free.

This thread seems very informative. I thought I'd post my question here rather than start a new thread that way if someone else has a similar question, they'll find it easily like I found this thread.

First, my horrible MS paint illustration of where my AV Receiver will go:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a346/niceguymr/armoir.jpg

My receiver will be in the bottom compartment. There is about 1" clearance between the back of the shelf and the top compartment. The front is encolsed by a solid wood door. (I will be using an IR repeater.) There is only a small hold near the top left corner where the cords go through. There will be an inch or two of space between the top of the receiver and the bottom of the shelf.

This thing really gets hot in there. I want to install a cooling system but I don't know if I should install fans blowing in and out, how many of each, and in which compartment. I'll probably go with something that coolerguys sells to keep my life simple, but I'm a little overwhelmed by all the choices.

I have had a fan setup in my tv stand since i purchased my VSX 32. I hate heat when mixed with electronics. My setup is very simple.

I used a old PSU from a old comp. Grounded the motherboard signal wire to the psu's ground. This allows me to run the PSU with out the need of a motherboard. I just flip the switch on the PSU to turn the fans on.
I also had a old belkin laptop cooler. I opened it up and on one half there are vanes which where used to duct the heat away from the laptop. They are raised so it creates pathways that air can flow through.
I mounted two 120mm fans to that half then screwed it to the top of my cabinet where the AVR sits.
So now the fans sit about 1.5" above the AVR, sucking the heat right out of the top of the AVR and then blows it through the ducts on the laptop cooler and then directly out of the cabinet.

It made a huge difference, it went from the AVR being very warm/hot to slightly warm after being on for a few hours watching movies at high volumes.
Since I am using a PSU i can add numerous fans. So any additional amps or hots spots i can keep cool.

This thread seems very informative. I thought I'd post my question here rather than start a new thread that way if someone else has a similar question, they'll find it easily like I found this thread.

First, my horrible MS paint illustration of where my AV Receiver will go:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a346/niceguymr/armoir.jpg

My receiver will be in the bottom compartment. There is about 1" clearance between the back of the shelf and the top compartment. The front is encolsed by a solid wood door. (I will be using an IR repeater.) There is only a small hold near the top left corner where the cords go through. There will be an inch or two of space between the top of the receiver and the bottom of the shelf.

This thing really gets hot in there. I want to install a cooling system but I don't know if I should install fans blowing in and out, how many of each, and in which compartment. I'll probably go with something that coolerguys sells to keep my life simple, but I'm a little overwhelmed by all the choices.


I would recommend 4 120mm fans two for each shelf. have them blow out the back.
The reason I say 4 is because you mentioned that the door will be shut and that you will use a repeater. If thats the case then you need to move alot of air since there will be no flow through of air other then what the fans do.

Some will say that 120 are over kill but there is a reason i use them over smaller fans. The 120 will spin slower but move more air then a faster smaller fan. The slower the fan speed the quieter it will be.

I would recommend 4 120mm fans two for each shelf. have them blow out the back.
The reason I say 4 is because you mentioned that the door will be shut and that you will use a repeater. If thats the case then you need to move alot of air since there will be no flow through of air other then what the fans do.

Some will say that 120 are over kill but there is a reason i use them over smaller fans. The 120 will spin slower but move more air then a faster smaller fan. The slower the fan speed the quieter it will be.

I know I said we would have the IR repeater, but we'd still try to use the equipment with the door open. Invariably what happens is that the door gets closed and sometimes we leave the equipment on for days without knowing (not producing sound output of course). Still, having no intake fans would concern me a little.

I know I said we would have the IR repeater, but we'd still try to use the equipment with the door open. Invariably what happens is that the door gets closed and sometimes we leave the equipment on for days without knowing (not producing sound output of course). Still, having no intake fans would concern me a little.

you have to be careful with having intake fans with exhaust fans. You want to make sure that you dont have more air coming in then going out. That creates heat pockets where air hot air cant get out. The idea is to create a slight vacuum by having more exhaust. So you dont have to have a intake fan for the cooling to be functional.

I have a wooden Ikea A/V unit (I know, I know) and while I've taken care to space out all the devices in there that generate large amounts of heat (AVR, xbox, ATV, Tivo), it still only has a few small cutouts in the back (homemade, I needed more spaces to run cables).

Should I look into getting some smaller exhaust fans to put on the back of the cabinet to help cool things down? There's no front door blocking airflow, so am I getting enough airflow? My stand is some what like the one niceguymr so expertly drew out, in which the bottom shelf leaves some space in the back for air from the bottom to rise up. Without the front door blocking the airflow, should my equipment be relatively safe?

I put a 200MM fan in my AV cabinet under the dish unit sucking air in from under the cabinet also a 120MM fan in the back pulling air out. My AVR sits ontop the cabinet with a 200MM on it pulling hot air out. I got a 12V converter cut the end off and hooked up all the fans. Just make sure that the converter will handle enough amps for the fans.

Could someone advise what else I would need beyond the following to add 3-4 of these fans to my cabinet. It is 2 seperate cabinets put together so I want to do 2 fans per cabinet, one pushing in and 1 pulling out most likely.

I believe I just need an adapter to go from the power adapter to the fans and that should be it.

Power Adapter - http://www.amazon.com/USB-2-0-SATA-Converter-Cable/dp/B0018MCGVU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1326094066&sr=1-2
Temp Controlled Fans - http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/case-fans/75/arctic-f-tc.html

WOW! This thread has been a huge help.
Here is what I am solving:http://flic.kr/p/bfMC7T

The rear end of a Heathkit cabinet. Speakers are seperate cabinets.

Components are ~5-10 years old; SONY. New Polk RTiA3 will replace the 1970's era jensen speaker.

I'm still planning, but if anyone has extra ideas, let me know. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks to all the bright bulbs posting useful notes!!!

***maybe this will work
http://www.flickr.com/photos/codycoyote/6730900167/

IME it's rarely necessary to use forced air cooling with HT systems. First of all the components are designed to work properly with a nominal amount of ventilation. Perhaps more important is the amount of dust and other junk that fans will stir up and drop on the equipment. I like to open up the cases of my various components and computers, and blow out the dust once or twice a year. Quite often I find there's nothing to clean out!

I use standard 19" mount Anvil cases to mount most of my equipment in, even at home. (They're there, why not use them?) The biggest concession that I make to cooling is to install a perforated plate over the bottom few RU to allow cold air that collects on the ground to flow into the case. The rest is done by the chimney effect that causes a column of hot air to rise up the back of the case, carrying away the heat and replacing it with fresh cool air to make a continuous cycle.

If I feel that it's really necessary to hasten the cooling process, I'll use an inexpensive 6" clip-on fan that can be bought at Walgreen's every spring. I'll position it to blow up and away from the case, and take care not to blow into the case.

If you have an A/V closet, you should add a vent panel at the bottom of the door, and a duct at the top of the closet to circulate the air. Run a length of sound dampening flexduct from the top vent to the attic, and attach an exhaust fan at the far end to keep noise to a minimum. An always-on, thermostatically controlled variable speed fan is ideal. Just set it up and forget it.

I'd have to strongly disagree with your statement. Unless the cabinet has tons of circulation the air becomes trapped inside and continues to heat up with nothing circulating the air. I have a cabinet which i've cut holes in the back to run wiring etc. yet with the doors closed the AVR, Laptop, PS3 all give off a large amount of hot air. I've even received a warning when using my PS3 for extended periods of time to turn it off for awhile due to the temperature.

A simple fan pulling the air out the back should suffice for most applications, I doubt it's necessary to run more than 1 per cabinet.

For anyone looking for a simple kit I think this is a pretty good one that's been posted before - http://www.amazon.com/Cabcool-1201-2-Two-Single-Thermal-Control/dp/B002CMVS6O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1327303423&sr=8-4

If you want to DIY then this is what I put together. Total cost $49.90 Shipped.
-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YNQS/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V6T5HW/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details
-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MGG6SC/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NPEBM4/ref=oh_o03_s00_i01_details (x2)