Sunon helmet fan looks like a good option?

[Nihilius]

So I spent a little time tracking down a good blower fan for my build and I think I may have found what I'm looking for. The Sunon GB1205PHV2-8AY.GN measures 50mm x 50mm x 15m pulls 0.7W and can blow air across the faceplate and lens. With a regular 9V alkaline battery this should give about 6hrs of continuous use. I'm hoping it will still put out 2.3CFM and maybe even quiet down to 25-30dB but these last numbers are very relative. Can anyone give some feedback on what this would be like once mounted inside the helmet? 30dB may be a whisper in open space but inside an echo chamber it could be a completely different story.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm kind of a cheapskate and prefer to build everything myself when I can.

 

Digikey PN 259-1315-ND

 

Edited January 18, 2012 by Nihilius

[SolderMaster]

That blower is comparable to the one seen here: -------------

 

You really don't want to go above 30dB, otherwise it gets really tough to hear the little ones when they talk to you. I've made a few helmet fan kits similar to that.

 

A 9V battery will only last about 3 hours tho. I have found using 6 AAA's to last around 6-8 hours. Using a pair of 3 AAA battery holders wired in series with a switch in the ground line. Works for me!

 

I do have TK4261's micro blower (not offered at this time) mounted to my lens which keeps me fog-free. The one you have above in mounted against the left side of the Hovi Mic which blows across my face...and another on the right side for summer parades.

 

Here's a couple pics:

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Hope those help!

Edited March 28, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link removed no longer working

[kevster[TK]]

Well, i'm not too sure about this one but what they usually do for computer fans is record the noise they make at 12v. If its running at lower volts then it wont be spinning as fast and in turn, make less noise. So on the site it has 33.4 dB, but I would think that would be at full load. Not too sure though, just a thought.

[gazmosis[501st]]

I have 12 votl CPU fans in mine and they will not run long at all with AA or 9v. I needed to switch to Trustfire 3.7v Batteries. They are AA size . Put these in a 4X AA holder from Radio Shack and it will last you ALL DAY! I hooked it up before I went to bed. Came down in the morning, it was still going.

[Nihilius]

Thanks for the thoughts all. What specifically led me to this fan was that it was a mere 15mm thick and pulled only 0.7Watts. There's 20mm thick version pulls 1.5W which would give you 1/2 the battery life but would also blow double the CFM. I may pick up both and see which I prefer.

[bobojuice]

I've found that the best way to keep from fogging is to put a pair of fans behind the frown pulling from the inside and pushing out. No other combination of placement for me has worked so far. For this I use a set of cheap cpu fans I get at compusa. I wire them in a series with 8AA batteries that I place inside the tube area. This allows my fans to run for MONTHS before I even need to think about replacing the batteries. Not to mention they're nowhere near 30db.

 

I would say sticking 30db x 2 in your helmet is going to create quite a bit of noise. I stuck a hard drive cooling fan in my helmet once and it was so freaking loud I couldn't hear anyone!

 

Here's a couple of pics of the fans I use. They're a bit large for the inside of the mouth, but they blow so much air I've had no problems whatsoever with fogging. I think they're 60mm x 10mm. I'll have to check.

 

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Edited March 28, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link removed no longer working

[Nihilius]

Thanks Bobojuice! That is exactly the kind of comparison I was looking for. I had been thinking about airflow and was trying to figure out an intake and exhaust setup to keep fresh air flowing but two exhaust fans might be the way to go! Set up right it could keep cool air in the bucket without it feeling like a tornado.