You can BEND the laws of physics, but you can't break them. Within the package size dictated, you can only move so much air in a given timeframe, "silently".
Quiet is at very best a secondary consideration when spec'ing a fan to protect a multi $K transceiver. If you are really interested in all the factors that I consider when setting the specs for a part in a thermal design, contact me offline. BOTH of the fans that Elecraft have chose/are using are quality ball-bearing units, cool properly, and meet the other engineering limitations. You can go broke purchasing "boutique" parts for ancillary purposes. All that aside... I will likely IMMEDIATELY replace my stock fans with units that meet the airflow, et al requirements, but that meet MY requirements, too. I'll put the stock fans in the box that will hold any OEM parts needed to return the set to 100% original when my heirs sell my estate. <grin> Have a super day! ______________________ Clay Autery On 2/3/2016 11:31 AM, Brendon Whateley wrote: > So a question for the Elecraft team: Is there a reason you guys don't use > quieter fans straight from the factory. > > I had a business partner who hated fan noise in computers, so would always > replace the stock fans with quieter ones (better blade profiles and lower > vibrations) and the cost never seemed to be much more than the stock ones. > Even though I thought the standard fans didn't make noise, the difference > was quite obvious when you ran a pair of machines, one upgraded, the other > not. Lots of people don't care, but some care a lot, if the price is > similar, why not start with the quietest ones? > > - Brendon > KK6AYI > > On Sat, Jan 30, 2016 at 3:15 PM, Dave Hachadorian <k6ll.d...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Search the archives for "Noctua." >> >> You will find numerous references to the Noctua NF-A6X25R, available at >> Newegg for $15. Use the mounting hardware that comes with the Noctua, and >> save all the old fan stuff so you can restore it all to original if You >> ever need to. >> >> I installed these about a year ago, and they are indeed quieter and blow >> more air. For a 100 watt RTTY contest, I set the fans at minimum speed = >> 2, and they never speed up from that level, despite the heavy duty cycle. >> >> The most irritating part about the stock fans was the whiney noise they >> would make while spooling up and down as they changed speed. >> >> If you're not a contester, you may never hear the fans, so it may not be >> an issue :) >> >> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL >> Yuma, AZ >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- From: drewko >> Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2016 3:34 PM >> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> Subject: [Elecraft] Quiet fans for K3 >> >> What are the current options for quiet fans for the K3? My original fans >> are pretty quiet but at this time of the year when the windows are >> closed and the ambient noise level is nil, the fan noise really starts >> to bug me. It's the very slight rattle they make when they start winding >> up.. (In the din of summertime, can't hear myself think, let alone fan >> noise.) >> >> Sources? Prices? >> >> Are the newer Elecraft fans quiet? My PA is only a couple of years old >> so the fans are pretty recent model. >> >> 73, >> Drew >> AF2Z >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to k6ll.d...@gmail.com >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to bren...@whateley.com >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to caut...@montac.com ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
