HOW TO: DIY USB Helmet Fans - No more 9v or AAs

[obiwanbilbo[TK]]

Powerbank+ is all aluminum.. And a little more mah... And $10 on amazon right now

 

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[ELCIDious[TK]]

Powerbank+ is all aluminum.. And a little more mah... And $10 on amazon right now

 

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You happen to have a direct link to to the one you are mentioning?

[cjdesign[TK]]

I'm only endorsing Anker and Aukey* because they use Panasonic & Sony batteries which are the best in the business. I'm an ex smoker/vaporer so I have extensive knowledge of reputable batteries. Sony and Panasonic are the best. Don't get sucked into the hype. Most power cells are single or daisy chained 18650 batteries used in vapor mods and high end flashlights. Rule of thumb... Buy name brand! Don't be penny wise pound foolish. Anker and aukey are reputable brands and use the batteries mentioned above. I will be the first to let you know if my 10000 Anker catches fire. My Anker battery is cool as a cucumber.

 

* I read somewhere Aukey uses name brand batteries, but I can't find the article now. Still a reputable company.

Edited April 11, 2016 by cjdesign

[fuumantroop[TK]]

I cannot tell you how awesome Panasonic Eneloop rechargeables are. I decided to try em out on my Xbox One controllers, and WOW is it a huge difference compared to the Microsoft or Nyko rechargeable battery packs! Ive never looked back! I will test them out with my 5v fans when they arrive. My buddy has the anker 10,000 mah power bank, ill have to check with his to see if it will indeed fit inside my bucket. I absolutely love the idea of using a power bank!

[obiwanbilbo[TK]]

You happen to have a direct link to to the one you are mentioning?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005X1Y7I2/ref=ya_st_dp_summary

 

 

 

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[sylverbard[TK]]

Be careful with eneloops. Sanyo invented them. Panasonic bought them. Sold eneloop manufacture to Fujitsu. Eneloops are now made in China. Eneloop pro are made in Japan.

[ELCIDious[TK]]

What did you use for the black plastic that you mounted your switches to?

 

 

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[cjdesign[TK]]

What did you use for the black plastic that you mounted your switches to?

 

 

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The bracket is aluminum. Purchased (.04) sheet metal from ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252191409183?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[cjdesign[TK]]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005X1Y7I2/ref=ya_st_dp_summary

 

 

 

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Important: The minimum battery output for this fan configuration is 1.5a

These smaller power banks are 1a and will not power the fans.

Edited April 10, 2016 by cjdesign

[cjdesign[TK]]

Great idea, just be mindful, that cheap Li ion batteries are unreliable and have been known to just catch fire. Avoid the cheaply Chinese versions.

When they catch fire they accelerate to an extreme temp very rapidly, and that is not what you need to happen while wearing a helmet.

 

 

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Yes! Absolutely. If a battery is used at a level beyond it's optimum ohms, It can catch fire. And if your battery gets hot turn off and dispose of immediately.

That's why i opted for a larger battery with more power. The only time I feel a, "warm" temperature difference in the battery cover is when the power cell is being charged. Which is normal.

Edited April 11, 2016 by cjdesign

[obiwanbilbo[TK]]

That particular Anker uses Panasonic batteries... Is rated at 3500mah..and has not gotten warm with 2 - 5 volt fans on it... Part of the problem is many lf the fan kits use 12v fans... Which draw even more current when starved at 5v from USB

 

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[vt357[501st]]

Important: The minimum battery output for this fan configuration is 1.5a

These smaller power banks are 1a and will not power the fans.

The eBay link you posted says the fans are 5.0V 0.1-0.3A. I'm curious why you need 1.5A instead of ~0.9A for the 3 fans. Is this because the starting amps are higher than the run draw?

 

 

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[cjdesign[TK]]

The eBay link you posted says the fans are 5.0V 0.1-0.3A. I'm curious why you need 1.5A instead of ~0.9A for the 3 fans. Is this because the starting amps are higher than the run draw?

 

 

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Exactly... 1a will ramp the fans up and down but never get them to 100%

Edited April 11, 2016 by cjdesign

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Be careful with eneloops. Sanyo invented them. Panasonic bought them. Sold eneloop manufacture to Fujitsu. Eneloops are now made in China. Eneloop pro are made in Japan.

interesting. I haven't had any bad reviews come up from them still. Eneloop pro just seemed to not be worth the trade off by amount of charges it lost compared to the basic Eneloops.

[Cricket[TK]]

You've inspired me to build my own fan bracket.  Thank you for posting those links!  

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Do you have a stencil to make the bracket?<br><br>

Edit: Nevermind I can figure it out

Edited April 11, 2016 by Airborne Trooper

[ELCIDious[TK]]

Me too. I went and sourced it all yesterday and will wait for them to come in. This is exciting.

 

 

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[cjdesign[TK]]

Do you have a stencil to make the bracket?<br><br>

Edit: Nevermind I can figure it out

I started with measuring the inside circumference of my bucket. Approximately 24 inches +/- 1-2 inches width x 2 inches height. I could have easily made it 25 inches, but could only find 24" stock sheet metal. Using a piece of cardboard as a template I crudely cut my bracket shape. Once I was happy with the final curve and fit. I traced the template onto a piece of paper. Lightly spray glued and placed onto the sheet metal. I used tin snips to the cut the final bracket. Remove burrs and sharp edges with a Dremil. Drill out switch holes. SLOOOOWLY and GENTLY bend the bracket to desired shape. It may help to make many smaller bends while rotating the bracket in your hands.  You don't want to crease the metal.

Edited April 12, 2016 by cjdesign

[Bobo]

Exactly... 1a will ramp the fans up and down but never get them to 100%

 

THIS! I have a small powerbank that I tested with two 5V fans. All it did was spin up and down continuously. I checked the amps and it only does 1A

I'll be getting a bigger powerbank like the ones you guys suggest here!

 

Here's another idea I have! I just ordered the Super Ear Amplifier kit for better hearing in the bucket (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HJSLE/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=) which needs 3xAA batteries = 4.5V.

 

I'm curious if a 5V battery pack would have enough juice to power at least two fans  and this kit as well? Could anyone experienced with electronics tell me if I'd need to add a resistor to limit the voltage to the amplifier to 4.5V? Or would the 5V supplied to it be okay not to damage the circuit?

 

Thank you!

[cjdesign[TK]]

I'm curious if a 5V battery pack would have enough juice to power at least two fans  and this kit as well? Could anyone experienced with electronics tell me if I'd need to add a resistor to limit the voltage to the amplifier to 4.5V? Or would the 5V supplied to it be okay not to damage the circuit?

 

Thank you!

 

Unfortunately this is 5v Fans only setup. Yes, it's 1.5a min.

 

If you want to integrate the hearing and fans together on one battery you'll need to do something like ukswrath's doing using 9v/12v battery setup. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29534-helmet-electronics-and-external-power-supply-updated/

You will need to add regulator and diode. check it out. this will be my next step.

Edited April 12, 2016 by cjdesign

[Bobo]

That might be overkill for my small setup. Are you positive that the power pack wouldn't be able to power the amplifier too?

[cjdesign[TK]]

That might be overkill for my small setup. Are you positive that the power pack wouldn't be able to power the amplifier too?

that's beyond the scope of my thread. Let me know if you solve on your end.

Edited April 12, 2016 by cjdesign

[cjdesign[TK]]

Off Topic... I added a usb cord to the velleman super ear hearing amp and got lots of humming, white noise - when plugged into the Anker 10000 & Aukey 5000. When plugged into the Anker 20000 and/or standard 12v outlet, the humming goes away.

Edited April 15, 2016 by cjdesign

[WEllis52421[501st]]

I bought two of these batteries and ran two 5v fans off one of them today for 8 hours. Kmashi is the brand, found on Amazon. I have some 15mm speakers and a small amp coming to make my own hovi mics.(sans voice effects for now) I could buy the perfect kit already made from ukswrath's site but I love messing with this stuff so I'll try it myself for now. If I muck it all up, I'll fork over the dough for his sweet setup.

 

 

 

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[cjdesign[TK]]

I bought two of these batteries and ran two 5v fans off one of them today for 8 hours. Kmashi is the brand, found on Amazon. I have some 15mm speakers and a small amp coming to make my own hovi mics.(sans voice effects for now) I could buy the perfect kit already made from ukswrath's site but I love messing with this stuff so I'll try it myself for now. If I muck it all up, I'll fork over the dough for his sweet setup.

anything over 1.5a will work.    Thanks for your input!!