Digz Graavz[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 Hi everyone, Now that I am approved, I'm heading to my first troop next week at Toronto ComicCon and I need to get my fans installed in my bucket. My concern is with how loud they are. I have 2 x 40mm USB powered fans, running off of a lipstick style USB power pack. I'm worried about being able to hear over them. Thoughts? Thanks! Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 Just now, Digz Graavz said: Hi everyone, Now that I am approved, I'm heading to my first troop next week at Toronto ComicCon and I need to get my fans installed in my bucket. My concern is with how loud they are. I have 2 x 40mm USB powered fans, running off of a lipstick style USB power pack. I'm worried about being able to hear over them. Thoughts? Thanks! WHAT? 6 Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) Just kidding. You will have trouble hearing - fact of life in a TK bucket. You can lessen the damage by insulating the fans from the plastic. If you don't have any kind of liner in your bucket, try to wrap foam (weather stripping) around your fans and back them with foam or Velcro. Aside from that, just placement can make a difference. Or go see Tony about his hearing assist system. Edited March 5, 2019 by wook1138 1 Quote
Digz Graavz[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Posted March 5, 2019 I said "YOUR SHIN COVER STRIPS ARE ON BACKWARDS!" 7 Quote
ukswrath[Staff] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 ah hahahaha Send me a PM Chris maybe I can help Quote
Scimitar[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) I've got two 40mm fans as well, running off a 4AA battery pack (which makes the fans run a bit faster/ louder than they would on a USB pack), and I can hear most everything around me just fine. I also have Tony's hearing assist system but I've not been using it as the vibration of the fans resonate through the helmet and the hearing assist mics picks that up, so it's just a constant, loud buzz, which renders the hearing assist almost useless. I need to isolate the fans some to reduce that noise, then it should be just fine. 9 minutes ago, wook1138 said: WHAT? Edited March 5, 2019 by Scimitar Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Digz Graavz said: I said "YOUR SHIN COVER STRIPS ARE ON BACKWARDS!" "OH, THAT'S OK. I DON'T LIKE CHICKEN, ANYWAYS" 4 Quote
Digz Graavz[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Posted March 5, 2019 Quick prototype. I will hook up a tube/straw to the opening to direct the air: Quote
gmrhodes13[Staff] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 I normally only use one fan which helps your hearing on at least one ear, most of the noise you find is when they are fully charged, once the charge dies down the noise does as well. You can also add some sound deadening foam to the mount of the fan that can help. Quote
sharkbait[TK] Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 I run my fans off of 9V batteries, I get about 1 - 2 troops, sometimes 3 depending on length, out of each battery. The noise is there but I can still hear just about as well as I would with just the bucket on (which does reduce some hearing). It's lightyears better than when I ran them off of those 12V blue rechargables from eBay (China). I couldn't hear a thing and thought that's how it was. When they kept dying on me, I switched to 9V and lo and behold- I can hear AND the fans are still working for their intended purpose. I buy 9Vs in bulk from Amazon (Amazon Basics) for pretty cheap. Quote
StrmTRPR85[TK] Posted March 6, 2019 Report Posted March 6, 2019 My fans I made have a dial that I can control the fan speed and thus the noise. I don't always need them at full speed but I can adjust them for hearing or cooling while wearing my bucket Quote
Silentperformance[TK] Posted March 6, 2019 Report Posted March 6, 2019 I find that my brain tunes it out after a while. And you'll learn to look at people when they're talking. 1 Quote
T K[501st] Posted March 6, 2019 Report Posted March 6, 2019 On 3/5/2019 at 12:45 PM, Scimitar said: I've got two 40mm fans as well, running off a 4AA battery pack (which makes the fans run a bit faster/ louder than they would on a USB pack), and I can hear most everything around me just fine. I also have Tony's hearing assist system but I've not been using it as the vibration of the fans resonate through the helmet and the hearing assist mics picks that up, so it's just a constant, loud buzz, which renders the hearing assist almost useless. I need to isolate the fans some to reduce that noise, then it should be just fine. I had both hearing assist and fans. It was pretty bad. I decided just to drop the fans. It will be a bit warmer, but at least I will hear clearly. Quote
Frank75139[501st] Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 I have two fans and have no major issue hearing other then having a plastic helmet on. Even without fans at events you have a hard time hearing people due to background noise (music, people, machines). I tried the hearing assist and all it did was amplify background noise and I wasn’t getting amplification of the people I was talking to, plus I could never get ear buds to work properly, and speakers in there kept giving me high pitched feedback so I scrapped it. Did a troop without my fans for a few hours and my lenses fogged completely (apparently I’m full of hot air) and I couldn’t see. All of our troops have spotters who are familiar with the costumes either building or have one so they know to stay in your line of site and warn you when someone is behind you trying to get your attention. Other then that I try and read lips and if I can’t hear do the ol tap on the ears move so they think your intercom is broke and you can’t hear. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
Digz Graavz[TK] Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Posted March 7, 2019 9 hours ago, Frank75139 said: "if I can’t hear do the ol tap on the ears move so they think your intercom is broke and you can’t hear." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Perfect, and totally in character. I played paintball quite a bit pre-kids and had issues with fogging, so I'm trying to err on the side of caution when trooping. Quote
Frank75139[501st] Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 Perfect, and totally in character. I played paintball quite a bit pre-kids and had issues with fogging, so I'm trying to err on the side of caution when trooping. I’ve heard stories about lenses fogging fast so I never experimented without them just used them from the beginning. The power supply cord broke so I lost them for a few hours. What a difference, I couldn’t see anything. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
Shanester[TK] Posted March 7, 2019 Report Posted March 7, 2019 My fans sit on a rail system that fits into my helmet. The fans do not rest on the helmet itself, so they create very little noise. ukswrath makes the full rail kit. 1 Quote
Digz Graavz[TK] Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Posted March 7, 2019 It's more the fan itself that makes the noise, even unmounted. I've got something cooking and I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks all for the input. Quote
Shanester[TK] Posted March 8, 2019 Report Posted March 8, 2019 Could be the fan. I am in IT so those little fans are easily salvaged from old machines, but some fans are just noisy or poorly made. Quote
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