Adding fans to helmet

[jcoffman99]

My Vader helmet will be here next week and I'm going to need to install some fans for trooping. Anybody have and pics/advice/how to's for me? Any other Vader troopers have any advice? I'll probably only wear it once a year but who knows. Any info would be greatly appreciated..

John

 

[Darth Domain]

What helmet is it? What i have done is get a couple of 40 millimetre CPU fans which i mount in the chin grill area so one can pull in fresh air, the other one is turned around so it blows hot out, so fresh in and hot air out. they just connect up to a couple of little 9 volt connectors and away you go.

 

[jcoffman99]

<div class='quotetop'>(Darth Domain @ Aug 26 2006, 09:28 PM) [snapback]1307717[/snapback]</div>

What helmet is it? What i have done is get a couple of 40 millimetre CPU fans which i mount in the chin grill area so one can pull in fresh air, the other one is turned around so it blows hot out, so fresh in and hot air out. they just connect up to a couple of little 9 volt connectors and away you go.
[/b]

It's an spfx ESB helmet. I though about the grills, but I want to mount a speaker in the chin for breathing sounds.

I don't know much about wiring. Is it a matter of just wrapping the wires around the battery or will it take more than that?

 

[Thrawn]

Go into Radio Shack and you can get the little plastic connectors for the tops of 9 volt batteries, just like any other toy or applicance that uses them. Just connect black to black, and put a switch between the 2 reds, very easy circuit. I did that in my mask, ive only got one fan in the chin to defog the lenses, seems to work fine. Ive heard that if you mount the breathing speaker in your chin vent it pretty much deafens you, ive got mine mounted on the back of my belt with an MP3 player, easy to do and the sound echoes around in the cape

 

[Darth Domain]

<div class='quotetop'>(Thrawn @ Aug 27 2006, 10:08 AM) [snapback]1307871[/snapback]</div>

Go into Radio Shack and you can get the little plastic connectors for the tops of 9 volt batteries, just like any other toy or applicance that uses them. Just connect black to black, and put a switch between the 2 reds, very easy circuit. I did that in my mask, ive only got one fan in the chin to defog the lenses, seems to work fine. Ive heard that if you mount the breathing speaker in your chin vent it pretty much deafens you, ive got mine mounted on the back of my belt with an MP3 player, easy to do and the sound echoes around in the cape
[/b]

My two little fans fit ok in the chin grill area and i still have room for the rubies breathing device to squeeze right up agaisnt them so the little speaker part is facing outwards, can be heard well but like Thrawn says, it can be loud and make hearing people a bit of a pain.
I did not connet a switch to mine although it is the better option, i just joind red to red and black to black from the fans to the 9 volt connector then put some tape around the joins. The cpu fans usually have a yelloe wire as well, this can just be cut off, it serves no purpose
:thumbsup

 

[jcoffman99]

What do you use to mount the batteries and fans in the helmet? Just tape?

Thanks,
John

 

[HoundofCulaine]

I used hot glue to mount my battery holders and fans.

And yes I'd agree I have a Newton amp with an MP3 player at my back and it works a treat, and can be ramped up nice and loud for large events where otherwise the breathing noise would be drowned out.

 

[Thrawn]

I folded a piece of black leather around the battery, then put a line of glue where the leather overlapped itself, then put a little flap on top of it, one side glued to the back, the other with a tiny piece of velcro on it. Its glued up inside the mount in my helmet (its a CA Helmet so its got that big wind tunnel on top). Looks nice and keeps the battery from moving

 

[Darth Kahnt]

I just use velcro.

The fuzzy side is on all my rechargeable 9V batteries and the smoother side is inside the helmet. Easy to change the batteries and easy access, it works well for me.

 

[The Manlet]

<div class='quotetop'>(jcoffman99 @ Aug 26 2006, 09:40 PM) [snapback]1307723[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(Darth Domain @ Aug 26 2006, 09:28 PM) [snapback]1307717[/snapback]

What helmet is it? What i have done is get a couple of 40 millimetre CPU fans which i mount in the chin grill area so one can pull in fresh air, the other one is turned around so it blows hot out, so fresh in and hot air out. they just connect up to a couple of little 9 volt connectors and away you go.
[/b]

It's an spfx ESB helmet. I though about the grills, but I want to mount a speaker in the chin for breathing sounds.

I don't know much about wiring. Is it a matter of just wrapping the wires around the battery or will it take more than that?
[/b][/quote]

Wiring is pretty easy but you can buy pre wired fans on ebay :thumbsup

 

[jcoffman99]

Okay I hooked my fans up today. I used a spst switch. Here's the problem though. When the switch is off the battery gets really hot. Any ideas what's wrong?

 

[The Manlet]

<div class='quotetop'>(jcoffman99 @ Aug 31 2006, 09:44 PM) [snapback]1310867[/snapback]</div>

Okay I hooked my fans up today. I used a spst switch. Here's the problem though. When the switch is off the battery gets really hot. Any ideas what's wrong?
[/b]

Do you have the batterys in a battery case?

 

[GeneralMayhem]

The switch is connected to the wrong battery terminal. You need to interrrupt the flow of electrons from the other side of the circuit.

 

[propcicle]

<div class='quotetop'>(jcoffman99 @ Aug 31 2006, 09:44 PM) [snapback]1310867[/snapback]</div>

Okay I hooked my fans up today. I used a spst switch. Here's the problem though. When the switch is off the battery gets really hot. Any ideas what's wrong?
[/b]

Sounds like you've short circuited the battery instead of breaking the circuit. Make sure the wiring looks like something below... (except a fan instead of lightbulb)

[attachmentid=9882]

-Propcicle

 

[jcoffman99]

I knew I should have taken electronics in school.

My fan has the red and black wire. The 9v battery has black and red. The switch has two little holes on the bottom. I'm assuming this is where the wires go. Do both the black and red wires have to be connected? Does it matter which hole on the switch the go in? I'm pretty sure I've tried both with the same results. Fine while it's on. Hot battery when the switch is off. THanks for all the help. Keep it comin.

 

[propcicle]

Try wiring this way:

1. Red wire on battery to red wire on fan.
2. Black wire on fan to one terminal on switch (either one).
3. Black wire on battery to other terminal on switch.

This will prevent the short circuit and keep the battery cool (and make it last longer. )

-Propcicle
<div class='quotetop'>(jcoffman99 @ Sep 1 2006, 04:13 PM) [snapback]1311331[/snapback]</div>

I knew I should have taken electronics in school.

My fan has the red and black wire. The 9v battery has black and red. The switch has two little holes on the bottom. I'm assuming this is where the wires go. Do both the black and red wires have to be connected? Does it matter which hole on the switch the go in? I'm pretty sure I've tried both with the same results. Fine while it's on. Hot battery when the switch is off. THanks for all the help. Keep it comin.
[/b]

 

[jcoffman99]

<div class='quotetop'>(propcicle @ Sep 4 2006, 10:41 AM) [snapback]1312715[/snapback]</div>

Try wiring this way:

1. Red wire on battery to red wire on fan.
2. Black wire on fan to one terminal on switch (either one).
3. Black wire on battery to other terminal on switch.

This will prevent the short circuit and keep the battery cool (and make it last longer. )

-Propcicle
<div class='quotetop'>(jcoffman99 @ Sep 1 2006, 04:13 PM) [snapback]1311331[/snapback]

I knew I should have taken electronics in school.

My fan has the red and black wire. The 9v battery has black and red. The switch has two little holes on the bottom. I'm assuming this is where the wires go. Do both the black and red wires have to be connected? Does it matter which hole on the switch the go in? I'm pretty sure I've tried both with the same results. Fine while it's on. Hot battery when the switch is off. THanks for all the help. Keep it comin.
[/b]

[/b][/quote]

That did it... Thanks so much.