Using laptop fans as a cooling mod?

[Grabbem88]

I have 3 fans from old laptops and a desktop all are less than 3 inch

So who has tried it and do the fans need to be volt specific to be able to run on a typical reciever port? I have plenty of old servo plugs to rewire these.

They are three wire but one is 4 so not sure on that one so it might go in trash cause I think that's a different voltage?


Like to see pics advise and wiring if possible

Thanks art

[Charlie-III]

Yes, they need to run at whatever voltage is going into the RX (likely ~5 volts if off the ESC red wire, may be 7+ volts if an external BEC is running into the RX).

Some are AC, not DC powered (not very likely).

I would start by looking up the part number on the fan and see if you can find a spec on it.

For all this, an actual "RC related fan" would be better.

[Grabbem88]

True but free is better lol!

[Trubble]

Originally Posted by Grabbem88

True but free is better lol!

'Til it overdraws and smokes your BEC and you wind up paying $22 to replace that because you were too cheap to buy a $21 fan.
(and then you still don't have a fan you can use)

[Grabbem88]

Yeah well all the fans are dead lol I guess it's meant to be.

I think I will buy some cheap fans from hobbyking... Atleast they ate plug and play

[KBrog]

Ive used one before. I built a fan controller for it using a thermister wrapped around the motor. So the hotter the motor got the faster the fan would run. It just plugged in the RX.

[BigSki]

I running a laptop fan in my 1/6th scale Jeep to keep things cool, I just plugged it straight into an empty Rx port.