Fan Modding - Adding LEDs?

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Hey OcUK, I have no clue if this is the right place to post this but I thought you lot would know the answer as you all mod.

I was just wondering, how would I got about adding in LEDs to my fan like this -

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I'm guessing either having to drill holes into the case to fit the LEDs (Although I think my fan has holes ready)

Another thing is how would I go about powering 4 LEDs into a fan, what components would I need and how would I go about wiring it all, I have some knowledge of electrical wiring, and my dad is an electrician.

Most importantly which LEDs should I have, I'm wanting to be able to change the colour through the entire spectrum, would some RGB LED's be able to do this for me which some sort of variable resistor?


And one last thing, would colour show up on my black fan blades very well or would white be the best colour for it?


Thanks in advance,

Matt
 
Antec tricool fans (the stock ones with the 900/902/1200) are all black blades with blue leds and they work quite well. Transparent give a more equal consistent glow though I say.

As for modding them, IT can be done but is probably cheaper and easier to just buy fans with leds in them.
 
UnworthyBean said:
Antec tricool fans (the stock ones with the 900/902/1200) are all black blades with blue leds and they work quite well. Transparent give a more equal consistent glow though I say.
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Okay, thats reassuring

As for modding them, IT can be done but is probably cheaper and easier to just buy fans with leds in them.
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Well I was looking at the fact of trying to find some LEDs that will do the entire spectrum, so I can change the colour of the LEDs with a turn of a knob
 
You getting the same fans I got in those pictures?

Those fans already have holes but as you can see, they are placed in positions that light up the back which takes air in. So, you see more light if you are using them as intake fans.

I've put LEDs into 2 more of these fans which I'm going to use to pull air out of the case. So, I attempted to drill holes into the other sides so the blades would light up the right way. Unfortunately the plastic casing is a bit too thin on this fan and I couldn't sit the LED's properly, perhaps I could have managed it if I had a glue gun.

Its not too bad having the light on the bottom of the blades as it gives a nice glow rather than the overwhelming light you would see on the other side.

As for the circuit, I bought a pack of the brightest white LED's I could find from a top seller on eBay. He also included free resistors which was cool.

If he hadn't included free resistors I was going to buy them separately and get the ones recommended by various resistor calculators on the net. Because there are 4 LEDs the calculators would often tell me to put 1 resistor in front of 2 LEDs.

But as I got my resistors free without knowing what type they are and didn't bother looking up the colour codes, I just placed a resistor in front of each LED which works fine.

Peel off the sticker on the back of the fan and solder your positive wire to the red connection and negative to the black.

I should have taken more pictures during my mod but I just got on with it. All 3 fans I wanted to do are done now.
 
Superewza said:
How would that work? LEDs have different colours because their 'casing' is tinted as such.
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You can get ones with tri-colour, and ones that change through the spectrum on a timer

zlib said:
Cut quote to save space
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You was the exact person I hoped might reply

Okay, so I just put Wire to resistor to LED and solder that to centre fan wires or would I go wire, resistor, led, resistor, led and so on to centre fan wires?

I'm thinking the resistors would be 330 but I can find that myself.
 
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Here's what I did:

Resistor goes on positive side of LED (longer leg).
Negative wire goes on other leg (not resistor).

fanleds.png
 
Superewza said:
Just buy LED fans? It wouldn't work anyway since the blades aren't transparent.
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Actually, thats not strictly true.
Check out the ModBros forums, some guys on there painted the cases and blades on their LED fans to rather fine looking finished results.
You dont get a glow, but the way it looks is far more menacing to look at.
Esp if using red LEDs on black fans ;)
 
jeckulz said:
Actually, thats not strictly true.
Check out the ModBros forums, some guys on there painted the cases and blades on their LED fans to rather fine looking finished results.
You dont get a glow, but the way it looks is far more menacing to look at.
Esp if using red LEDs on black fans ;)
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Hm, would be nice to see these, hard to find them though, that forum is like really bad xD



I'm having issues trying to find the potentiometers and resistors I need, so I've ordered some I should need and will test it all, hopefully it works :O
 
I just thought I'd ask if anyone else could help me find the best way to wire all of this.

I need to have a Potentiometer to adjust the brightness of the LED, max voltage is 2.4V with 50mA, which potentiometer should I get and should I put a resistor infront of it. I want to have 4 LEDs in the fan but I would like it so I can control all the fans brightness from one potentiometer, any help on how to wire it all?
 
Knock the LED down to the 2.4V and then use a pot. Otherwise you will burn them out.

And:

2.4 source voltage down to 0.5v led voltage 50mA would mean a 39 Ohm POT. Get a 50 Ohm pot and this will give you the full range. Wire them in parrallel.
 
PhillyDee said:
Knock the LED down to the 2.4V and then use a pot. Otherwise you will burn them out.

And:

2.4 source voltage down to 0.5v led voltage 50mA would mean a 39 Ohm POT. Get a 50 Ohm pot and this will give you the full range. Wire them in parrallel.
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Okay thanks for your help. May I just ask what pot would I use for 3.6V and 30mA as that is for the other colours of the LED.
 
If you google LED calculator then it will work out the lot for you.
I would set source to 3.6V and set led voltage to 0.5. You must use a resistor so the maximum voltage it can give you is 3.6V.

It works out at 120 Ohms
 
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