I'm trying to run a DIY external HDD box, and i want a fan to cool them.
1) I can use a regular AC mini fan, but that's a little bit over kill.
2) I decided hey, computer fans will do the trick... but powering them is problematic.
then I remember I have a bunch of those outlet USB thing, can they power fans?
i googled and found that people have been able to power computer fans with USB cables... however...
the fan is 12V @ .15A
the USB outlet unit is 5V @ 500ma = .5A
so my question is that will i burn the house down if i run the fans for a long period of time? i mean wattage wise the unit can handle the fan (5 X .5 = 2.5W which is more than 12 X .15 = 1.8W), however they're at different voltage... any electrician out there?
power fans using external USB unit.
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Re: power fans using external USB unit.
I am not electrically inclined but I think I ended up using an old cell phone charger that I accidentally broke the charging tip and just spliced the wires by twisting them and wrapping them in electrical tape. On a whim, I bought something similar to this at my local Fry's Electronics.
Cooler Guys AC to molex adapter
Cooler Guys AC to molex adapter
Re: power fans using external USB unit.
Thermaltake has both an 80mm and a 120mm fan that work off of a USB connector. They both have adjustable speeds. Will that help?