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Low Profile Fan Mod.


Mr-Protocol

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I did a simple fan mod to my pineapple just to help with cooling.

Parts Used:
Step drill bit
Tapered drill bit
Spare chunk of PVC pipe
block of wood
strong adhesive
5V low profile fan (Took it off an old video card and detached from heatsink)
Dremel tool.


Steps:
The OM1P had some reinforcing plastic rails I filed down with a dremel to make it a rough flat surface for mounting the fan.

What I did was setup the block of wood as a base so I wouldn't drill into my counter top. Set the PVC pipe on top and set the lid of the OM1P over the PVC pipe.

I first used the step drill to get it started in the best location away from internal components so the fan is out of the way. After that bit got as large as it could go, I used a larger tapered drill bit to slowly get the whole to the correct size.

After that I carefully dismantled the plastic 2 pin plug that was on the fan wires which left me with the fan, wires, and little bits of crimped on metal pin holders.

I placed some adhesive in a generous amount to the corners of where the fan would be on the lid so it would seep through the screw holes to hold strong. Placed it in the center of the hole and let dry overnight.

Plugged in the wires for the fan into the VCC and GND of the serial pins and reassembled.

Edited by Mr-Protocol
removed photos link
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I love this mod. After hearing the temperatures, I am impressed.

The only thing I would add is some sort of grid on the outside, if you put it into a bag or similar for stealth it may get caught on something if you don't take care.

I know this won't happen to Mr. Protocol but for others..

Best,

Sebkinne

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I love this mod. After hearing the temperatures, I am impressed.

The only thing I would add is some sort of grid on the outside, if you put it into a bag or similar for stealth it may get caught on something if you don't take care.

I know this won't happen to Mr. Protocol but for others..

Best,

Sebkinne

Yeah, the best thing would to be a screen that is used on house windows or something. Also finding the low profile type fan may be hard to find. You might have to trim some of the plastic to get it to fit properly.

The reason for the offset hole is because of some components on the inside. Also the fans I used were a perfect match because it actually gave some room to let air flow through the fan; unlike this other 5V fan I had.

And yes, the temp differences were amazing. From ~130F/54.4C to ~90F/32.2C on the OM1P with 2.0.1 firmware after 3 hours.

The best part about this mod is that it was pretty simple if you have the tools (mostly the drill bits) and take apart the plastic connector to have the crimp on pins still attached. And using the VCC and GND on the board was a HUGE "DUH!" moment when I was trying to find an external way to power this. Finally it clicked that it should have ~5V on that pin I had totally forgot about.

The OM1P was the first one I did. Took about an hour (not counting adhesive drying time). The AP51 was modded up in about 10 minutes (minus adhesive drying time) because I knew when the taper bit hit the block of wood going through the PVC pipe, it was the correct size. Which that part worked out by chance.

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Yeah, the best thing would to be a screen that is used on house windows or something. Also finding the low profile type fan may be hard to find. You might have to trim some of the plastic to get it to fit properly.

The reason for the offset hole is because of some components on the inside. Also the fans I used were a perfect match because it actually gave some room to let air flow through the fan; unlike this other 5V fan I had.

And yes, the temp differences were amazing. From ~130F/54.4C to ~90F/32.2C on the OM1P with 2.0.1 firmware after 3 hours.

The best part about this mod is that it was pretty simple if you have the tools (mostly the drill bits) and take apart the plastic connector to have the crimp on pins still attached. And using the VCC and GND on the board was a HUGE "DUH!" moment when I was trying to find an external way to power this. Finally it clicked that it should have ~5V on that pin I had totally forgot about.

The OM1P was the first one I did. Took about an hour (not counting adhesive drying time). The AP51 was modded up in about 10 minutes (minus adhesive drying time) because I knew when the taper bit hit the block of wood going through the PVC pipe, it was the correct size. Which that part worked out by chance.

Badassness. Well done sir!

telot

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I'm done taking mine apart so I won't check mine again. But it works. Not sure if you can tell by the picture but it's a really thin fan. (If you check the photo album, first picture) It used to be screwed onto a heatsink which was then attached to a chip on an old ATI video card. It had 2 of those type of fan setups which worked out great for me :)

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You CANNOT run that fan off the pins I did because it is a 12V fan. You can only run a 5V fan off those pins.

You need to basically destroy that white connector.

If you get a small screwdriver, you can pry back the white plastic tabs on the top of the connector to let the pins free. Or just break them off completely and the crimped on connector should stay in tact and slide right out with the wire with a gentle pull.

  • I would see first if your fan has enough clearance for actual air flow.
  • You will have to find the 12V regulated voltage on the board elsewhere near the power plug and tap off of that.
  • Hopefully you have a step drill bit and a tapered drill bit to make a perfect hole.

If you find a 5V fan and remove the wires carefully as stated, and it fits with room for air circulation, here is the pinouts:

 +---+
 |GND|
 +---+
 |TXD|
 +---+
 |RXD|
 +---+
 |VCC|
 +---+
+-----+ +-----+     +---+
|Power| | LAN |     |Ant|

VCC would be your red wire and GND your black wire.

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Your first check should be to see if you have clearance for air to move. You need about half the space from the RF shield to the top of the case open for air flow.

If that fan fits, you probably should just solder on to the points the DC plug uses for power. Simple enough to power a fan of 12V off of that. That way you dont need a battery pack for it; or another battery pack if you plan on using the router itself off of battery.

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  • 2 months later...

Adding my fan mod to the pile. I know its kind of an old thread, since we're on the MarkIV now, but hey...

telot.org/pinehole.html

telot

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I can't read it, you think you could use a bigger font? ;)

Yeah totally failed on my 5 minute web design lol

Though in all fairness, I never advertised telot.org as a not-crappy website :)

telot

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