If you're making a stealth cab and using 12Vdc fans (PC fans or Axial) for your intake/extractors, you will probably want a power supply for them right? You could just use a cheap universal 12Vdc adapter... But if you're like me and have loads of electrical junk thats been hoarded and/or you're a perfectionist (also like me!) you will want a high quality power supply that can provide a regulated, higher wattage output than a crummy adapter plug can! Please note... removing the cover on your PSU will invalidate the warrantee, but are we really that bothered? Hell to the NO! So here we go.... Parts: 1x ATX Power supply (i'm using a 750W PSU with twin 12v rails) £15 1x 1m Heat shrink tube (or electrical tape) £1 Tools: Pozi drive screwdriver Small wire clippers Soldering iron Pre-fluxed solder Needle nose pliers (maybe!) Pictorial time.... Here is the PSU i'm going to be repurposing 1. Undo the cover screws and remove the cover, if it has a fan mounted to the cover then just ease it off and disconnect the fan lead from the main board! 2. You can now remove the cable grommet and free up the bundle of cables. 3. Clip off the 20+4 pin Motherboard connector, taking note if there is a brown (sensor) wire connected to one of the orange wires (top left in pic) 4. Free up all the clipped wires back to the main board on the psu. 5. Dealing with just the wires from the 20+4 block we cut off in step 3 Trace these loose wires back and clip them off as close to the main board as possible leaving only the following uncut: \tx1 Green \tx1 Black \tx1 Brown \tx1 Orange 6. Clip, strip, solder and heat shrink the remaining wires in the following order: Green Black (this jump gives the power on command) Brown Orange ( this jump is the +v sensor to stop the psu resetting) 7. Your psu is now hot wired, if you wish you can put the cover back on and use it now.... But we are perfectionists and want it tidy too, right? 8. Continue clipping off connectors, tracing back and clipping off at the main board anything that you deem not necessary! Wire colours are as follow: Yellow = +12v Red = +5v ( this can be used as a half speed for your fans if you're not using a speed controller) Orange = +3v Black = Ground If there is more than one +12v rail it is advisable to keep a wire from each! See pic 4: note if you look at where the yellow wires meet the board there are white boxes labeled '+12v' and '+12v2' these are effectively 2 separate 12v power supplies (each capable of supplying 220w continuously, on the psu i've used) 9. when you have trimmed off all the unwanted wires, you can now heat shrink the new slim line bundle and replace the cover, don't forget to re-connect the fan Now you're ready to fit the psu to you're Stealth cab! Note: have added a cable tie to mark the 2nd rail for easy reference! I have also left some +3v leads on just in case! I hope that you liked this guide, it was easy enough to follow and detailed enough to make sense? If you liked this and found it useful, please vote to make this a Sticky thread! How to make a PC fan carbon filter: http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/1286780-build-pc-fan-carbon-filter-combo-your-stealth-cab-pictorial-stews-guide.html Building a Stealth cab Pictorial: http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-room-designsetup/1287370-stealth-cab-build-school-locker-style-cabinet-pictorial-stews-guide.html
This a good method. I also use it to power an amp for a pair of 6x9's and sub for a backyard stereo. Comes in handy to know how to do this!
Very handy! Using a combination of the +v & -v leads you can make a pretty rocking bench power supply too! Running 3-5-7-10-12-17v... To get the 'odd voltages' 7v = +12/+5v 10v = +5/-5v 17v = +5/-12v Of course the -v are significantly lower ampage lines, but handy non the less! And thanks for the +rep :d
Nice guide, i tried wiring a load of fans to an old psu but the power wasnt getting to them, now i know what to do Sent from my GT-S6810P using Grasscity Forum mobile app
You're welcome :d Glad it was of use to you, hope you get it all working! If its a very old psu it might be an AT model not ATX.... Should say on the psu case. With an AT psu there is a 'hard' power switch, (which originally ran to the front of the pc case) All you will need to do is to cut that switch out and join the 2 cut ends!
:d Well when i started i had absolutely no idea my electrical, carpentry and steel fabrication skills would have anything to do with planting seeds and watering them, lmao!
I use a psu to power fans in my veg cab, only I went the easy route. http://dodji.seketeli.com/downloads/shuttle-psu-paper-clip-test.pdf
Thats the easiest way and still works, no doubt! If your not so handy with a soldering iron then that would be the simplest way to do it. Im just a tidy person and didn't want bundles of redundant wires left hanging to clutter the cab up. I was already halfway through modding the psu when i thought about doing this guide for other people which is why its a bit short on photos!