CureMode[TK] Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) I recently picked up a few Off Clip-On Pest Repellent units for around $8 each at Wal-Mart. After using them the past few weeks, I realized they may make for a perfect quick and cheap solution for anyone looking to put fans in their helmet. I had been using a great squirrel fan, but it went through a 9v in a few hours, and when I tried 4 AAs it was slower, and added significant weight to my helmet. I thought I'd give these a try and see if I could adapt 1 or 2 into my helmet. First off, you must take the refill pad and rip off the chemical and filter. It needs to have the blue part in place for the built in on/off switch to work. These weigh around 3 oz each with batteries, my other fan with batteries was 8oz, so with two, not such a savings but they are easy to install with some Velcro. These use 2 AAA batteries, and I tested them with NIMH rechargeables and they lasted over 6hrs. For the one on the side I left the belt clip on and just put Velcro across it and on the side of the fan. I fit it in the left side, and stays in the helmet nicely. I put one in the mouth area as well, for that one a ripped off the belt clip and added some Velcro to the back and bottom, leaving the battery compartment exposed. So far so good, the airflow is really great, they are relatively quiet, and with properly placed Velcro they stay in place very nicely. Let me know if anyone else gives this a try, these may become a new way to keep our troopers cool, for those who want a quick and cheap solution. There is also an older blue model of this Off Clip-On, it appears to take AAs. I am trying to get my hands on one to see if it works just as well. --------- Warning: These do contain chemicals that may be dangerous to inhale. Please be sure to use a fresh pad that still has the seal on, and do not use a fan that has already been used (like I did below). Photos:------------ Edited April 1, 2022 by gmrhodes13 link removed no longer working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluehickey Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Nice find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK-2126_MD[TK] Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 And they look like they should be in a tk helmet..... very cool how long do they last & wieght? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CureMode[TK] Posted July 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 They last at least 6hrs with rechargeable batteries, and they are about 3oz with the batteries. They do have a bit hum, but its about the same as the squirrel fan I was using. Also they have vents where the air comes out, if you close off some of them you can concentrate the air flow coming out in the direction you want. The mouth one fits the best and shoots air right out of the brow section, so it acts like an exhaust fan. I will be trying them out in the field this weekend at an outdoor event in 90 degree + weather, so I'll report back how well they work and hold up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laspector[TK] Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) Any updates on these?. I bought a couple at Walmart today and am going to try them out. Edited July 30, 2011 by Laspector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laspector[TK] Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 Well, I am trying these out. What I am finding that is weird is that the area that you see that is the "fan" area is actually the intake area. The wind actually blows out of the sides covering a 180 degree area. So if the "fan" part is facing your face the wind is not blowing on your face rather more "around" your face (if that makes any sense). But I have yet to put it in a helmet and try it. The noise on mine is really minimal, actually quieter than my current fans. Right now I am just running regular AAA bateries so I don't yet know about how long they will last. Do rechargable batteries last longer than regular batteries? I would like for someone to tell me before I invest in rechargable AAA batteries. I'm only trying this because I got a new wireless comm system and am going to get a new helmet to put it in. I am not having luck finding fans and I know absolute jack about hooking up electronics and switches and such. I would really rather have actual fans and not "blowers" that shoot the wind out the side. Stay tuned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluehickey Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 My experience is that rechargable batteries do not have as many hours of life in them as a standard battery before they have to be charged. Also the more they get used, the less of a charge they hold. It's a shame that they don't work as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CureMode[TK] Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 The rechargeable ones do not last as long, probably about half as long. When I tried these with the included alkalines they worked for over 12 hours before any noticeable slow down, I would guess the rechargeable ones would be around 6. I used 2 of these over the weekend for 4 hours with rechargeables and they held up fine. they really helped keep me cool in 92 degree weather, but I still couldn't resist taking a dip in the pool (I removed them beforehand). I used the one in the side and one by the mouth pointing up. They do suck in by the fan area and blow out the bottom, but there really help circulate the air. The one by the mouth was a little tight with my mic, but I closed off the side vents on the fan and it blew out strait up through the frown. It was like an exhaust and quickly expelled my hot breath through the frown. Had no fogging of my lenses and the sound was a relatively quite hum. When I did take them out to take a dip, within minutes my lenses were fogging up and I could really feel the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKFIU Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) I picked up the AA battery fans at my local Home Depot. The fans are quite large, even for my AM helmet. I recommend sticking with AAA version. Great find on the fans! I've been struggling with CPU fans and 3.7V AA batteries for a while now. Thanks! Here's a photo of the larger fan next to my AM helmet. https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink Edited September 28, 2011 by TKFIU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubVADER[501st] Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 what type of helmet are you putting your fans in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobojuice Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 I tried this out a while back when I was putting Olga's suit together and it really didn't push enough air to be viable for use in her helmet. I ended up going the same route I always do instead and it works much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laspector[TK] Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 I finally abandoned this idea also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dak[TK] Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 who would have thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELCIDious[TK] Posted February 23, 2016 Report Share Posted February 23, 2016 What a great idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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