Eric.Cooper@cs.cmu.edu (01/05/90)
Can anyone suggest ways of reducing the fan noise of a SparcStation 330? I'm willing to void the warranty :-) Eric Cooper ecc@cs.cmu.edu
scs@iti.org (Steve Simmons) (01/15/90)
Eric.Cooper@cs.cmu.edu writes: >Can anyone suggest ways of reducing the fan noise of a SparcStation 330? >I'm willing to void the warranty :-) While I've not done this on a 4/330, it has been done on other machines and worked well. I'll vouch personally for my 3b1. Turn off your 4/330 and remove the fan. Take it down to your local stereo repair shop. Ask for a matching size fan of the quality used in an amplifier. Odds are real good he'll have one. Stereo fans are *extremely* quiet while pulling the same (or more) cubic feet per minute (CFM). Caveat 1: Without knowing the CFM rating, there is a small but real possibility you could get an inadequate fan. Stereo fans usually say right on the box what their CFM rating is. The sparcstation probably doesn't. You could call your salesman, who probably won't know. You could take the fan out, track down the manufacturer, and call them. Or you could do this simple test: place the old and new fans back to back, touching. Plug them both in. Test to see which way the wind is blowing. That's the stronger fan. Caveat 2: Many computer fans are DC, most stereo fans are AC. The AC fans are generally sturdier and more powerful as well as quieter. But it means you have to play games to convert from DC fan to AC fan. This is actually easier than you think. The new fan will come with an AC cord (but no plug) attached. You could simply stick a plug on the end of the fan and plug it into the wall. This is easy, and slightly reduces the draw on the power supply. It has the risk that you might plug in the computer and forget the fan. Meltdown! I wired my fan directly to the input to the power supply (not to the power supply itself). On my 3b1 this was easier than it sounds. The power input has a plug on the outside and a set of prongs on the inside. The power supply clips to the prongs, leaving about 1/4 inch of exposed prong. I soldered the AC cord to that. If the 4/330 has a similar arrangement you could do the same. Credit where credit is due: Much of this information is due to the activities of the unix-pc.* newsgroups, whose members have been replacing fans for years.
nicolas@cui.unige.ch (MAYENCOURT Nicolas) (01/15/90)
Eric.Cooper@cs.cmu.edu writes: >Can anyone suggest ways of reducing the fan noise of a SparcStation 330? >I'm willing to void the warranty :-) Same question about SparcStation I Has any one change the fan for a better one? hase any one add a "thermistance" (I only know the frensh word: elect. resistance wich changes with temperature). I know that was working with MacII. Nicolas Mayencourt Univeristy of Geneva.