HOW TO: Cheap Incubator Fan!

[jdmls88]

$3 incubator fan how to, so you dont have to buy the $40 helix ones!

Materials:
-cheap computer fan from circuit city $2.96
-extra cell phone charger without output volts around same as needed for the fan.
-electrical tape
-wire cutters

1. Collect Materials



2. Cut the ends off of the fan wires and the end of the charger.


3. The fan should have atleast a red and black wire. These are the only ones you need. I cut the yellow wire off.


4. The charger should have two insulated wires, one black and one black with a white stripe or lines. The red usually goes to the wire with the white line and black to all black. Electrical tape the connections.


5. Plug it in and test her out! If it doesnt work the wires are backwards or the charger doesnt have the right voltage.

[Deborah]

You must have read my mind this is exactly what I needed, since I am not really electrically inclined this will help me wire the fan for my incubator, thanks.

[Nate]

Good stuff...

How do you know the fan won't go out because of too much power?

How much power does that charger put out? and what is the minimum and maximum amount of power that fan can handle?

I'd hate for that fan to mess up with eggs...i think it's a great idea and I'll probably do it...i just want to clarify some things

[jdmls88]

on the back of the charger it says the output voltage which in this case is 5.9v, the fan starts at 6v and runs best/fastest at 12v. Im actually underpowering it but it runs. If you can find a 12 volt charger it will run at its best

[Nate]

awesome thanks!

[jdmls88]

if you want to get one from radio shack if you cant find one at your house, the exact one should say
input: 120VAC
output: 12VDC

[PythonWallace]

Good work. I think I beat you to this one.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55186
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57464

No hard feelings.

The other thing I've noticed when I make these is that different fans have narrower margins for voltage and amps. I have a few 5v fans running off a 3v. DC transformer, but I just bought a bunch of 12v 1500mA fans to build incubators and I got 12v 500mA transformers to power them and they don't even start up. I'd imaging that some fans will run but quickly fail if you use the right voltage but over do it with the amps. Something to watch out for. I think you should be safe undershooting the voltage by 10%-20% if you don't want the motor to run at full power, as long as the amps are right on.

[jdmls88]

better yet here
http://www.sealevel.com/product_deta..._power_supply_

[jdmls88]

Good work. I think I beat you to this one.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55186
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57464

No hard feelings.

I hate you! j/k lol

[PythonWallace]

I hate you! j/k lol

Sorry man. I don't want people paying $13 for your transformers when they could get them for $3. Especially once I found out the 12v 500 mA ones wont power my 12v fans.