Slowing down a FantasticVent

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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby rbtrary » Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:56 pm

If you ask Fantastic Fan for "Trouble Shoot #9A - Customer Wants To Slow the Fan" doc, it shows them simply adding more resistors.

When you replace the 3 speed switch with the rheostat you eliminate all the original resistors. With the 50 ohm rheostat I can seamlessly slow it to a crawl at minimum setting but it does not stop. I used a touch of dielectric grease between the wiper and the windings which maybe helps. It does not tick or make any noises dialing in any slow settings. Only extra cost was the orig 3 speed knob did not fit my rheostat shaft. I got $2 one from Radio Shack that did.
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby woodi » Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:12 am

Awesome thanks for the info. I am slowing a cheaper fan I got on eBay.. Not the fantastic fan. It runs with a slightly lower amperage motor but I think much of the same info still pertains.
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Ron Dickey » Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:20 am

Not to steal this thread off in a different direction but .... I have heard of several folks using fans from computers. Quiet, constant. I have a set I use to keep my portable computer cool. And building a new trailer and some times camping near death valley flowing air is important :fan:

I am also looking at putting in just a hatch and getting a fan I can use else where that runs on battery's and have a bracket to slide it into facing up or down. I remember the price of the fantasic fan and would rather spend that money on other parts of the trailer.

There is a fan rheostat sold at home depot in lumber with the roof fans but it is based on 120 v.

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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby teamredjeep » Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:53 pm

We found fantastic fan ran to fast for our TD (to much air flow). It also made a lot of motor noise on low speed at first. This motor noise went away after running about twenty minutes, I'm guessing new brushes were seating in to the armature. To slow it down we decided to try shoeman's fix. We bought a 8 ohm 20 watt resistor at Radio Shack for $2.99. The fan now operates at the perfect speed(s) for us. Moves plenty of air for our small TD 97"x55" and does not sound like we are inside a hovercraft.

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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Jdhiker » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:16 am

I, Like others have no issue about the noise and air being moved... it does drone me to sleep like a baby. I also do like the idea to slow it down more if needed... I may do what teamredjeep did with the resistors. Funny I agree that after running it a day or two camping it's a ton quieter, maybe there is truth in the " breaking in" I love the fan dont think I would trade it in for a different one . :thumbsup: :applause:
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby teamredjeep » Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:15 pm

I have actually done another modification since my last post. I added a push button switch to by pass the ballast resister. I now have six speeds. I labeled the button turbo. Now I have more fan speed option then I know what to do with.
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Esteban » Mon Mar 23, 2015 3:25 pm

The Little Guy Forum has an enlightening discussion about the new low power 13 speed Fantastic Vent (Fan) model #7350. The discussion link:
May be possible to make fantastic fan more efficient - 7350 model or kit

Many people there are enthusiastic about the new 7350. Several people are upgrading 3 speed Fantastic Fans with an upgrade kit to turn them into a quieter and more efficient 13 speed 7350.
Steve - SLO, CA
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Mini Jim » Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:59 pm

Have a look at Fan Speed Controllers. They are a lot safer than resistors, plus they come in many different configurations.
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby shoeman » Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:10 pm

Funny how I have not been on this forum in several years yet today when I venture back for a moment I find a thread I started 7 years ago bumped up to the top of the list!
So might as well do a long term report. The resistor I installed all those years ago has worked just fine. Nothing more to report :thumbsup:

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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Shadow Catcher » Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:51 pm

CR has a fantastic fan vent but no fan, I went with two 80mm three speed Antec fans. We seldom use them on more than medium speed. They us a LOT less current which resistors or rheostats waste as heat. Actually I think I was the first one to use case fans and I am still using the originals.

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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby Squareback » Fri Dec 25, 2015 4:31 pm

Try using a 12v dimmer switch. It should work perfectly.

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1& ... r%20switch
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby vegask » Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:18 pm

The wall mount option for the dimmer has me thinking...

http://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-DC12-2 ... mer+switch

Would the PWM one work or would that just be more noise?
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby MtnDon » Wed Jan 06, 2016 1:06 am

A PWM controller is ideal as long as the frequency is high enough. ebay has loads of them available. Here's one of many. that one has a frequency of 25KHz, beyond what most folks could hear. The one linked to in the Dec 25th post does not list the frequency. So that may be a gamble. To make matters more confusing some people hear the PWM more readily than others. I don't have that concern being a little hard of hearing from assorted youthful indiscretions.
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby steve cowan » Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:01 am

MtnDon wrote:A PWM controller is ideal as long as the frequency is high enough. ebay has loads of them available. Here's one of many. that one has a frequency of 25KHz, beyond what most folks could hear. The one linked to in the Dec 25th post does not list the frequency. So that may be a gamble. To make matters more confusing some people hear the PWM more readily than others. I don't have that concern being a little hard of hearing from assorted youthful indiscretions.


I used one of those on my fan,but it had issues with bad solder joints.Spend a little more for a better model.

Steve
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Re: Slowing down a FantasticVent

Postby MtnDon » Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:47 am

Purchasing some of the China Direct electronics can be an adventure and is not for everyone. I had a cold solder joint on some of these things, so bad the mosfet actually rocked back and forth on the board. The seller was very responsive and sent a replacement free and did not ask for the return of the defective item. Later I reheated the bad solder connection. That controller has now been in service for a couple years in a different project. Price, is IMO, not a completely accurate guide to the quality. I view purchasing direct from China as a gamble, but a small one. In the overall scheme of things I have saved countless dollars over the past few years. I can only recall two small purchases that were complete wastes and on one of those I knew it was probably going to be deficient, but I had to know and risked $5. I have used a couple of pieces off that item for other things so it is not a total loss. :)
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