installing a fan in an amp?

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

is it ok to jut have it powered by the remote wire?

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[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

The remote wire puts out a really low signal just enough to trigger the amp, I would setup a relay or something and use the main power wire to power it and the remote to trigger

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

any other help....dont kno how to wire replays all to well

 

[truckramrod 10+ year member]

Short answer: yes you can.

Long answer: it can be riskky especially if the fan pulls a considerable amount of current, as most decks recommend 1 amp max current draw on the remote wire.

That being said, I modded my wife sub amp to include a small panasonic computer fan for a total of 2 amps and 1 fan and its been fine for 3 years.

I've also heard other people say that they hook up 5 or 10 amps to the remote without using a relay.

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

was going to wire 1 40mm comp fan on the inside

 

[Sub Woofin 10+ year member]

The remote wire puts out a really low signal just enough to trigger the amp, I would setup a relay or something and use the main power wire to power it and the remote to trigger

i would just hook it up to the power wire directly. but then again, thats just me......... mr. brute force

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

i would just hook it up to the power wire directly. but then again, thats just me......... mr. brute force

then it would stay on 24/7........

 

[Spooney 10+ year member]

You would get more benefit from having the fan blowing across the top of the heatsink IMO(on the outside). Everything that creates any type of real heat in an amp is clamped tightly to the heatsink so that the heatsink will draw the heat away from the components. If you cool down the heatsink you are cooling down everything clamped down to it too. If you must install a fan inside the amp the only good way to do it is with a relay that is triggered by the remote turn on lead but gets its power from the main power terminals of the amp.

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

then it would stay on 24/7........

I know you can control the fan speed of your computer, I'm wondering if there isn't a way to do the same where the remote wire acts as a speed adjustment

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

I know you can control the fan speed of your computer, I'm wondering if there isn't a way to do the same where the remote wire acts as a speed adjustment

Yes you can....with a relay //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

The remote signal is just a constant 12V so there would be no "speed control" other than on/off.

To the OP: As it's been said that wire is typically only rated for a few hundred milliamps. Most computer fans won't draw more than an amp (that is 1 ampere) but running that supply close to/at it's maximum rating will cause excessive wear/heat/and possibly damage the HU. A relay is a $2 insurance policy and shouldn't take you more than 60 seconds to wire up. Use this: Relay Diagrams - Connecting Additional Devices to the Remote Turn On Wire

 

[Sub Woofin 10+ year member]

then it would stay on 24/7........

add a switch

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

just out of curiosity, have you checked if the board has a cooling fan output? i've seen it many times, where it has a fan provision that is not installed. i'm sure that fan really has no current runnig through it, likely .2a or less. (200ma) so, it would count as 1 perephrial, just the same as running another amp, or crossover, so you could use it off the remote wire, but that means you count the amp as 2. rule of thumb is 3perephrials on the remote wire before needing a relay.

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

not that i can see on here....no fan inoput

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

should i just mount the fans to the outside of it ? ...the orion doesnt have heatsinks

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

Wiring up a relay is silly easy... I could do it without being shown, it's that easy. And I'm new to all of this.

Buy a 30amp relay at radioshack and it shows you how to wire it on there really, but you can look it up to break it down easier. I had to get one to power my 2nd amp, cus just jumping off the remote wire was sending my HU into protect. There's a relay in (remote turn-on), relay out (to your fan, amp, or whatever it need be), and a 12v + and a ground. I just used remote wire to my amp's power and ground connections, that worked perfect.