you can also use a computer case power supply, but you have to jumper the PSON pin 14 to ground (say, pin 15) to simulate the power button being pushed. see here: http://pinouts.ru/Power/atxpower_pinout.shtml each power supply has a slightly different pinout but that site was useful to me to find where to jump the wire to use the power supply standalone.
Instead of cutting off the connector for the fan why not just leave it and put the wires in the corresponding holes on the female side of the connector? That way to add another fan just plug it into the male side of the connector and you can add an infinite amount this way as long as the adapter can handle it. And you can still use the fans for a computer if you ever need to.
This thread is great! I've been trying to think up a way to hack some fans to get them to run like this, without have a 400 watt computer PSU in my cabinet for a couple computer fans! I mainly hack wires for audio purposes, but I'm sure this will be just as simple. Time to get out the soldering iron
Great article, helped immensly... Also, someone should put eyecons comment on the front page... Was great to know...
Just re-reading all of this and I got a question... Could someone explain why you would want to use a 400watt+ power supply to power two fans... seems like overkill for me. I guess if your nothing using the other stuff it doesn't consume the full 400watts or w/e but idk... seems like overkill.
Mods sticky please? It took me like 20 minutes to find this thread, and i found it in a thread saying they already had detailed pictured version in this one.
I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2700087&csid=_25 Instead of running my 4 PC type fans off of a couple wall warts.
I have a little problem. I'm trying t do this but I'm not using a computer fan im using a smaller fan from my laptop cooling pad. its the perfect size for my box. I tried using a cell phone ac, which didnt work i followed all the steps aside from electric tape. So then I tried a much bigger desktop speaker ac adapter. When I attached the big one and plugged it in the fan did not move but the circuts got very hot and smelt like they were burning. With the little ac they just smelt a tiny bit burnt but no fan movement. did I overpower the fan and ruin it?
That's awesome, I read this, and within 5 minutes of looking around the house, I found a 4'' pc fan in an old home stereo unit. .12 amp output, 12vdc. Then, I looked in a box full of old ac/dc converters, and found one used for an old pc speaker setup. It's input specs read: 100-240v~50/60hz 1.2a 70VA. The output specs read: 12v 2.5a I've ran it for a few minutes to check for extreme warmth on the fan, ac/dc converter, and the outlet aswell, and all looks ok. I highly recommend this, as I just got these for free basically.
im glad i found this thread. can someone help me though? i have an old CPU fan i'd like to try. and an old nokia charger with red and black wires... my fan however is a default intel fan, with black, blue, green and yellow wires. is it possible to wire one of these up? i wouldve just tried but its never been used and i still got an old pentium D processor so i could sell them on ebay. so i dont wanna ruin the fan unless theres a good chance it can work. please let me know, thanks.
How would you connect the fans?lights? timer? i don't see any of the standard plugs. only a bunch of ports for pluging in ac adapters.....