Keep your Repeaters, Simplex Radio's and Raspberry Pi's cool

Image:  PWM Fan Contoller  (Click on image for larger view.)

Well this is a bit late to cool things down as we say good bye to summer and hello to winter.  I wrote several articles in the past providing information on building you own Thermo-Fan Controllers for use to keep radios, raspberry pi's and other electronic equipment cool during operation.  All of these controllers are still in operation on a daily basis and up to now I have not had any problem with any of them.

I recently noticed that my DMR Repeater fans are very noisy and I suspected that they are close to failure as they have been in operation for several years now.  Low and behold two days ago one of the TX fans decided that it had enough and failed as expected.

I considered to build another trusted IC741 op-amp Thermo-Fan Controller for use with the DMR Repeater.  As the years are creeping up on me and the eye-sight not being so good anymore I decided I would rather buy a ready to use simple/cheap PWM Fan Controller.   I ordered two different models.  In this article I will only provide information on the one model depicted in the images below.

The controller is designed as a model that combines manual control and automatic temperature control.

Here is more information on the specific model:

This single-channel PWM fan controller is designed for 12V DC fans, supporting both 2-wire and 3-wire fan types for precise speed regulation.

 

It enables smooth, efficient, and stable fan speed control, making it ideal for cooling systems, industrial equipment, and DIY thermal management projects.

 

Key advantages:

• Single-channel PWM speed control

• Supports 12V DC fans (2-wire / 3-wire)

• Smooth speed adjustment with low noise

• Compact module for easy installation

• Ideal for cooling systems and thermal control

 

Other detail:

Input Reverse Connection Protection: Yes
No output overload protection.
Power Interface: XH-3P Terminal Block (2.54mm Pin Spacing)
Fan current: 0.8A (not overloaded)
Fan Interface: KF2510-3P Terminal Block (Pin Spacing 2.54mm)
Temperature sensor parameters: NTC 50K B = 3950 Length = 50 cm.
Temperature Sensor Interface: XH-2P Terminal Block (Pin Spacing 2.54mm)
Temperature resistance of probe: ring probe 110℃
PWM Output Range: 5% to 100%
Operating temperature: -20°C ~ 60°C.
Dimensions: 43 x 18 x 9 mm. 

I am not going to go into detail on programming and setting up the controller as YouTube and Google is your friends here.

Finally:  I setup the controllers and tested them at different temperatures on the workbench.  So far they work as expected.  I will be fitting the two controllers in a 3D printed project box and install it at the back of the DMR Repeater to provide the necessary cooling when needed.

Images:  (Click on images for larger view.)

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