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Cooling fan Mod.


tuckstar

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So, as there is no sky to look at, I thought it was time to finally get round to fitting my fan to the dob.


 


ingredients are,


 


1x Computer fan, which came highly recommend by Tweedledee.


1x dimmer switch. Ebay special.


1x length of wire.


1x 2.1mm male connector.


1x Aluminum disk.


Velcro strips.


1x Friend with tools, shed and knowhow. Que Baz ;)


 


17020180412_6d65a4cf58_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


So we first connected the fan up to the dimmer switch to make sure everything worked, which it didn't. Fan was constantly on! Turns out input and output plugs where the wrong way round for what we wanted. Box to pieces and wires switched over, voilà, variable speed fan.


 


Next we made a template for the baffle in cardboard and set about with the coping saw.


 


 16399201524_eebddeb2b3_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


Once the baffle was cut, filed smooth and the tea drank, it was time to cut the hole for the fan.


 


16995629796_669de9d87e_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


The next job was to attach the fan to the baffle, this was done using a nut and bolt in each corner of the fan.


Then a bench test. 


 


16834095230_f2f8e6d139_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


16401494823_da9b0dfe8e_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


Positioning the controller was next. The idea is that the controller has its own 2.1mm jack connection and so the cable can be disconnected when packing up and the controller stays with the base. The controller is attached to the base with good old velcro.


 


17021646905_e4fb93eacd_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


This next bit made me a little bit tense. Attaching the baffle to the scope was done by drilling and tapping 3 holes in the mirror cell :o. This was carefully cared out by a "Professional", as you can see from the photo.


 


17020785561_c96b4d6522_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


17020210002_564d8787a0_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


The last job was to tidy up the cable. Making sure that there was enough slack so that the cable doesn't snag during use, but also keeping the trailing cable out of the way.


Sticky velcro strips cut in to small strips and flocking material stuck on the out side make great cable tidies and easy to remove the cable if need be.


 


17020215792_f0dd9f31e9_s.jpgHard at work. by tuckstart51, on Flickr


 


So, there we have it. Another Mod done. Whats next?


 


Thanks again to Baz for his expertise and time.


 


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Had a quick play last weekend. But with the fullmoon and everything it wasn't a very good test. Considering replacing the ally with maybe hard plastic. The ally seems to mess with the magnets, although I know it shouldn't effect the motor magnets. It's fine on full bore but at half power it whines. Wouldn't be a problem except in the middle of the night it's all you can hear. Just left it on full.

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