Flex too Humid? Fan it Yourself!

[Killer Kat]

Well I'm very unhappy with the lack of posting around fans in this the "mask forum" So I built my own! Things have been alittle slow at work so I brought in my flex ize, changed the lens and set out to put some kindda fan system into the bad boy, Now I'm not about to claim to be a master electrician and I can't go into a alot of theroy so if you need help with the common sense stuff don't try and do this yourself!(don't cut, or solder anything until you've got it all layed out as to where it's goin go, and stay) . First I went to the electrical shop (you guys will have to go to Radio Shack) and got two 1.18 " NMB 12volt dc fans, a very small toggle switch, three 9 volt battery's and three 9 volt battery connectors, and 4 small bolts, nuts, and 8 washers (these have gotta fit the pre-drilled holes in the corners of the little fans) and a couple feet of 18 gauge wire. With your visor removed, you can (plug in your soldering irons so it's good and hot, cause you'll need it by the time your done drillin) drill out the pre-stamped hole guide of the (over your left eye) flex mask. now place the two small fans (face label down) in between were the visiors center stem plugs back into the mask (they should butt up to the back plate that your forehead touches and form a small V shape) with any luck the holes will line up with the vent holes already in the top part of the mask for you to hold the fans in place with the nuts, bolts and washers. Ok touch the soldering iron if this happens after you do it's ready! Cut any excess wire and connect the two fans together in series (the red off off fan # 1, to the black off of fan # 2) this will change the voltage to 24v, you should solder these connections and wrap'em with some tape too. Solder the black wire (coming off fan # 1) to one of the toggle switch terminals, solder another small piece of wire(about 8") on the other terminal of the toggle switch, put the visor back in place and tuck and hide the wires where ever you want'em. So know you should have one red wire (coming off from the fan # 2) and the 8 inch piece coming from the toggle switch, , so that the negative terminal is on the left and the positive is on the right of battery # 1, place the other two batteries in this same alignment and tape the three 9 volt batteries together side to side, take one of the 9 volt battery connector and hook it to the positive terminal of battery # 1 and the negative of battery # 2, take another of the 9 volt battery connector and hook it to the positive terminal of battery # 2 and the negative of battery # 3. The three batteries are now also in series with a output value of approx 27v, Now here's where I got creative! Carefully cut the third 9 volt battery connector in half and solder the negative clip to the 8 inch piece of wire coming from the toggle switch. Solder the red wire coming off fan # 2 to the positive clip, Now find a old eye glasses (pocket protector style) case, and cut it down (don't cut off the part that clips onto your belt or pocket) slip it in on the left side right between the strap on the goggles and the mask itself, use the belt clip on the case and slip that over the top of the mask (the goggle strap will hold it tight to the mask while the clip will keep it from slippin right thru), Hook up the battery clips to the battery and slip the battery into the glasses case! Put the mask on and run around the block 4 or 5 times until you're really sweating and huffin' Now flip the switch! Try it! I think you'll like it!

[Killer Kat]

This is a side shot you can see where the eye case is!

[Killer Kat]

Now this does show the clip of the eye case being over the side of the mask as it should be worn, But you get the general idea.

[Killer Kat]

These little babies really churn alot of Air!

[Halliday]

Very cool. I'll have to read your instructions closer sometime. About how much did all the materials cost? How loud is it? People often ask "What's that buzzing?" when I have my X-Wind going.

[MOOSEontheLoose]

wow, thats really well done. IM gonna do the same thing to my flex7, but im not gonna go running my fans at 24v. im assuming those fans are for computers, which would make em 12v, which would make em overly loud at 24v and would make em have a shorter life and less efficient with the batteries. Im either gonna use a single sunon 40x15mm fan or a T&T 40x10mm that I have laying around for computer stuff.

I will let y'all know how mine turns out

[Halliday]

The ONLY bad thing is that eyeglass case. I'd just wire down the batts under the strap. Less obtrusive=cooler :cool:

[Killer Kat]

The weight nor the noise is any problem I've posted this shot to show what was suppose to have been done with the clip part of the cut down eye glass case, Sorry about that.

[ThaFiend]

yeah my friend did something very similar to that to his IZE, too. but I bet if a paintball hit that switch, it'd break right off, unless the shot was longer range. but still, I'd try to re-locate it if possible.

[Halliday]

Nah. It's cool there. That's where the X-Wind fan switch goes. I doubt it's break off.

[Andrew]

Hehe

I saw your post at PBC Killer.

My mask fogged a lot too so I decided to try to do something like you did.

I bought two 1 inch (25mm) 5 volt fans. I mounted them with zip ties.

I did basically the same thing that you did, but I only used one 9 volt and a put the battery inside the mask. I'll try to get a picture of it...right by your cheek bone there is extra space and I just zip tied a 9 volt in there. I covered it up with electrical tape so I wont get shocked when it rains :)

[AllOleander]

I can just seen the news post on the frontpage of this site....

"

Posted by: Andrew's brother

Andrew was involved in a freak accident this weekend while playing paintball. It started to rain and authorities think he was shocked to death by a 12v battery.. We will keep you informed of his dragic death..

"

:D hehe Godbless Andrew

[Magadeth]

I did the same thing with a radio shack fan a while back and started a fad with the guys I play with. Now almost everyone has some sort of batteries hanging off or in thier mask. One thing I would suggest is that people use the zip tie mount idea. It just seems safer to me.

Imo this is actually the quietest fan setup you can get. Last sat when we were playing a guy with his jt fan on came up and stood next to me while mine was running and I could hear his fan buzzing louder than mine. I had to laugh as he spent about $50 on his and mine cost like $10 in parts from radio shack.

[iwantamag]

cool. you used computer fans right?

[Killer Kat]

Very cooling and yes they're 12 volt dc fans, I got all my stuff outta the surplus stock room at work so I'm not really sure what the actual cost would be!

[iwantamag]

sweet! thanks i think i'll try it i have the stuff already...i think :D

[Avatar]

they got instructions for fans silencers and all sorts of stuff like this att www.geocties.com/pomanspaintball its really cool and you should check it out. and remember, you can get the parts cheaper from radio shack when theyre not looking *wink wink*

/\ \/ /\ t /\ R
Your partner in crime

[iwantamag]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Avatar
and remember, you can get the parts cheaper from radio shack when theyre not looking *wink wink*

/\ \/ /\ t /\ R
Your partner in crime [/QUotE


LOL!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :biglaugh:

PS the link is nots werkin

[Killer Kat]

Radio Shack wouldn't like that!:mad: Them boys have got technology hanging all over there stores! (spy camaras)You don't wanna get caught liftin' some small cash items, and gettin busted! That's crazy stupid, cause then the only winkin you'll be doin is with one eye open when your sleepin at county lock up;) Bubba's lookin for a new girlfriend, and I don't want it to be you!:eek:

[Richy_C]

Bubba?!? :paranoid: Bubba?!@:paranoid:

[T2 Vila]

Y'know, if I were constructing one of these masks-with-a-fan, I'd use a rocker switch like this one:
http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/900/t900-8542.jpg
There's a lot of different models, but I suspect they all would work. Here's a link. (http://www.radioshack.com/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F007%5F002%5F000&Page=8)

[Merlin]

Guys think of the money that could be made :wink2: by making a book about ways to avoid spending money on stuff that is easly made! This article is gonna save me some hard earned cash!
I gotta get to a Radio Shack

[HondaRacer2120]

how big is the balck guard on those fans i just got back form radio shack and they only have 1 1/2 inch ones but i need one that is 3/4 or less.............................or do u lean them at an angle?:confused:

[Paint Bulley]

ok, I may be a little slow, but does anyone else find it hard to look at that big paragraph and go back and foruth from it and the paper your writting it down on or when your doing it for that mater and you just get lost?

------------

ok what I'm saying is would it be able to do a step by step commentary>? such as:

1: get in your car
2: drive to radio shack
3: but the items needed.
and so on.

then have another list below that for what you need all listed out.
---

am I asking to much or could it be done?

thanks
:)

[HondaRacer2120]

i think it would be better to print:D

[AllOleander]

or Copy/Paste :D

[reno-man]

I have 1 ,1.5'' sq. 12volt fan(from radio shack-cpu cooler) mounted in my invder.I leaned it between the visor post and the forehead piece,over the jt logo.screws in the bottom holes as spacers ti keep it tight to the post & screws thru the top holes(thru the mask)to keep it in place.Tape on the sides to seal.This is the reason I posted.Its powered off 1 9vt mounted on strap.Sucks air like hell and the battery seems to last 4ever.Oh and I enlarged the vent holes a bit directly under it.

[reno-man]

bad pic #1

[EvilPopTart]

I am goin to radio shack in like 30 mins, what size fans should I get for my N'vader so I can minimalize damage that I might cause?

:eyepop: :agree:



:atten: :atten:

[reno-man]

My radio shack only had 1 size cpu fan about1&1/4" but hey I live in Canada

[davkad]

sounds really cool kat...

but... will this mod work on a regular spectra prosheild?

because i notice it said to drill out the pre-stamped holes in the flex (i am guessing to put in the X-wind fan)... but does the regular spectra have this?

please reply asap

[EvilPopTart]

The plans are not very difficult. This all can be taken care of at a Radio Shack... You will need the following:

1. the smallest CPU fan you can find (Mine is lie 1.18 inches)
2. Very Small toggle switch
3. 9 volt battery adapter
4. Saudering Iron with Sauder


This works like a human body. You connect the power to the brain, and connect the brain to the muscles.

*note in the following illustration that "=" represents connectted to*


9voltbatteryadapter=toggleswitch=fan



These plans are the cheapest i could make. This sould releave you of a bout 16 bucks in the US. These plans are also self explanitory so I'm not goin to write down the dirrections cause I want to go back to sleep.:crazy:

[Killer Kat]

Just don't walk into the store wearing them! The store would probably think you're a robber or nut! :crazy: But I'd take them along to see what size fan(s), switch, would or would work/ fit. Tell the sale person what you're trying to do, maybe they can give you more ore better ideas! ;)

[Havoc45]

have any of you guys thought of hard wiring a makeshift headphone in the side and a mini mic in the front of your mask and jack it into cheap walkie talkies. I've thought of this many times, just stuck on the single speaker kept in the cheap ones. I dunno I'm rambling

[firebug]

I have given very serious thought to doing just that. Aside from paintball, my buddies and I hunt a lot. We have radios to keep track of our locations that have range of up to 300 yards over rough terrain. Basically very good. They even have a head set. On top of that we tinker and have been trying to solve this problem.

As you were implying the problem is that the headsets will not fit into the mask. If you don't mind doing some serious work it can be done. You need to strip the headset down to the bare-bones. Just get the mike, wires, and speaker. NOTE: I HAVE YET TO DO THIS MYSELF SO DO AT YOUR OWN RISK. Then you should be able to mount it all in its proper place after insulating the wires with electrical tape. When I get the money I plan on doing this and I will post better directions that are further than the drawing board.

If all goes the way I have it planned I should have a great mask with microphone and (now) a nice air system.

[OneArmedScissor]

i just went to radio shack and they don't have any fans small enough... so where else could i look for them?
i went to wal-mart so....?

[firebug]

Is there a Comp USA in your area? They might have fans for laptops that would work...

[OneArmedScissor]

i live in a town with only 11,000 people in it, what do you think?

well... so basicly any computer store should have some CPU fans?

[flyguy89]

Check eBay for CPU fans. I don't know if it's cheaper than RadioShack, but they are very inexpensive!

[tr4il]

can i make somehting like this for a nVader mask?

[Kreno]

Should be able to use this mod on just about any mask... just some may require a little more modification than others....

[jeffgorc]

I have always had trouble with fogging up. I bought the X-Wind fan, but it just didn't have the power to effectivly clear the fog. When I saw this post, I wanted to try to make my own. The problem was I couldn't find any fan that was small enough.

Later, my X-Wind fan was damaged and got another one. It was then that I got an idea: If the X-Wind worked so-so with one fan, what about with two fans?

So I took the fan out of the damaged X-Wind and worked on getting a second fan in the new one. The first thing I saw was that there would be no room inside the X-Wind for batteries with two fans inside. Any battery would have to go outside.

The next thing I noticed is that each fan is set in a piece of molded plastic so that it will only fit on one side of the X-Wind. To have a fan on the right side, I had to make a few modifications. I used a Dremell tool to cut away the little plastic flaps attatched to the fan. Then I took the old plastic piece that used to cover the battery and cut two little flaps out of it. Then I superglued the little flaps to the fan. Now the fan is a mirror image what it used to look like. Now it can be placed in the X-Wind right next to the other fan (after a little more shaping of the body with the Dremel).

I then wired the two fans in series using the existing switch and a 9 volt battery. I taped the battery to the top with some electrical tape. It fits in nicely behind the visor of the mask. Now I have two fans running with the power of 4.5 vots each. They are only 1.5 volt motors so they are really humming! It's pretty damn loud when it's running, but this baby's got power! The motors have not shown any ill affects of running under the increased voltage and I've used it for several months. No more fogging problems at all. All it usually takes is 5-10 seconds to remove the worst fog. It has about the same sound and airflow as a dustbuster, so you can't use it if you're hiding.

It was a little bit of work, but I had fun doing it and I'm happy with the results. Sorry I don't have any pictures.

[MOOSEontheLoose]

Ive got a pretty DOPE setup.

listen to this boys, its basically the same setup all of you are using.

ive got 2 12v computer fans running off 1 9v battery. All are under visor, nothing on strap or anything.

The real kicker is ive got this tiny momentary on/off normally off switch i rigged up. (its from radio shack) I rigged it on the bottom left of the mask, in one of the holes of the flex 7 bottom part. You can hardly see it, but all you do is push switch for 5 seconds and fog be gone!

[jawpaul]

I just rigged up my X-Fire with a 80x80m Sunon fan I ripped from a computer psu. It is designed to run off of 12volt dc which Is what I am gonna run it at.
Since I play woods all the time and am not a speedball guy I didn't care about size mainly how loud it is and good air flow.
I have the fan stuck in front of my mouth sucking air out of the mask. I then have some quick disconnects wired to the ends of the wires of the fan. To whose I hook up about a three foot long wire that goes to my "black box" which is on my belt. My black box is a 7"x5"x3" black project box available from radio shack. I have two switches on the outside and two outputs. One is for the fan and the other is for any 12volt accesory if I need one.
I am powering this off of 8 D cell battery wired in series to produce 12 volts DC. I don't have any exact numbers about the run time yet but my fan is rated at 1.2 watts at 12vdc, so it should last a long time. I'll probably have to change the batteries once a year since I don't go paintballing much.
I way over-enginered this project and went over my budget but it will be very easy to upgrade in the future if I so need to.
Also it will take all of 15 minutes or less to wire up an extra switch for 6 or 12 volts for my fasn or accesory.

[ultimatetaba]

hey, all this sound cool. does this sort of thing works on all masks? I just got a mask about two days and it fogs up sometimes. besides, i like to work on electronic projects. please reply because i dont want to screw up my mask and waste my money for nothing. oh yeah, can somebody email me plans at ultimateaba@aol.com
thanx

[Havoc45]

Its a little hard w/ a Nvador, I have a 1 1/8" inch fan I took off a broken geforce 2. I dotn know if its possible to fit it in. Anyone have any tips?

[redeye]

any ideas were somebody would be able to find some small fans online? Like those 25mm 5v ones.

[Guillotine]

hey I just found this post, went out to radioshack, and rigged up my mask, this mod works awesome.

thanks Killer Kat

[joshthefrosh]

i hate radio shack, those stupid employees said i make bombs and the manager talked to me about that, it freaked me out but they all were jokeing. it made me look bad in front of all those soccer moms. i buy all my electronic parts from supertroix in kent now.

[Land Shark]

Instead of bolting the fan down, I just used zip ties to hold it to the top of the mask at an angle. It works great for me and my buddies mask. The fans and everything are from RadioShack too. The people at my RadioShack are excellent, you just have to find the right location. BTW I used a 12v batt that usually goes in the handheld remotes for car alarms and a battery holder for an "N" battery. It works good. I'm thinking about swithching to a 9v setup though. The 9v's are cheaper.
Will a 9v batt run a 12v fan for very long, or should I stick with what I have?

[iamaperson]

Killer Kat. Is that a Moss green flex 7 Ize? I am just curious because I might buy one.

[mikek2111987]

I tried putting the same type of computer fan in my nVader. Didint work out. There isnt enough space up there.......:(

[reno-man]

it worked in mine.check the pics.(back a couple pages)

[mikek2111987]

reno - How does that work? It just looks to me like it fans the top of your head. you want it to get down in the goggles themselves. (that what those holes are for)

[reno-man]

Look close.Theres clear plastic wings attached either side,with elec. tape on the top to seal.Vent directly behind fan is taped off,so it sucks air out of the holes ontop of your goggles.Its worked well over a year now,even after a direct hit.It was a little fiddly to install the first time but after that its been great.

[reno-man]

the visor still fits too.

[Kamotz]

I've got an X-Wind fan to defog the lens, plus I have another fan to keep my face cool on those really hot days. The second fan runs off of two 9v batteries in a belt mounted box. The batteries made the mask too heavy to be comfortable. If I have them both on at the same time it gets pretty noisy. :P



http://www.kamotz.com/images/mask fan 2.jpg

Here's the switch and the connectors for the battery box. (The gunk on the switch is dried contact cement from trying to attach the rubber switch cover)
http://www.kamotz.com/images/mask fan 1.jpg


Here's the battery box itself.
http://www.kamotz.com/images/mask fan box.jpg

[money&skill]

crank yankers are the best , "i got your ***"---"you do?"

[mikek2111987]

Originally posted by money&skill
crank yankers are the best , "i got your ***"---"you do?" you posting in the right thread there buddy?

[shufflefield]

Could I put a fan in a Vforce? And is there any less "bulky" power supply than the eyeglass case?

[Pete Harcoff]

I wear glasses, so I have a problem with fog, too.

I decided to try out installing my own fans into my brand new JT Spectra, and it turned out to be a bit of a learning experience.

My initial plan was to do exactly what Andrew said he did. That is, rig two 25mm (1 inch) 5v fans in the top of the mask, running off a 9v battery attached to the lower portion of the mask, just by the cheek. For a switch, I'm using a rocker switch I pulled off a defective PC power supply.

Turns out, however, that 9v is too much power for two tiny 5v fans. I tried running them in series and in 5 seconds, fried them both. Returning to the electronic store I bought them from, I explained to the owner what I wanted to do, and asked him how best to run a pair of these 5v fans. He initially suggested a 9v-to-5v regulator, but the regular would've been a big awkward to install (it was kinda big). He then suggested running them in parallel off a 6v battery pack (4 1.5v AA batteries). He assured me that the fans could take 6 volts.

So, I buy two more fans, the necessary battery clips, try that out and promptly fry one of the fans. I call him back and he's nice enough to exchange the fan I burnt out, since they obviously are not capable of safely running at 6v.

After a third trip out there, I decide to just run them at 4.5v, which turned out to work just fine. The owner also gave me some 22ohm resistors and suggested installing one in the circuit just to be on the safe side. I tried that, but the 22 ohm resistor blocked too much current and the fans wouldn't even run.

The following day at my local field I got to test them out. My concerns were twofold. One, how would two fans, a switch, wiring and two battery packs all installed in my mask hold up to paintball conditions. And two, would they de-fog when I needed them too? I initially planned to run them only if I started to fog up badly -- which I did in about the first minute of the first game. After that I ended up running them the whole day, for every game. Those fans saved the day, because without them, I wouldn't have been able to see ****. I may get some anti-fog spray for the glasses, just to be on the safe side. And even after getting gogged several times, they kept working with no problems whatsoever.

Overall, it was a bit of a hassle to build (burning out the fans and all), but well worth it the following day at the field.

I'll post some pics if I ever get around to taking any.

[Sn1p3R21]

Here is exactly how I made mine. (JT nVader)

Parts(all from Radio Shack):
1. 40mm Brushless 12VDC Micro Fan
2. Heavy-Duty 9v Battery Snap Connectors
3. SPDT Micromini Toggle Switch
4. 9V Batter Holder
5. 3x2x1 Project Enclosure

First, on the visor, you have to cut out the center post for the fan to fit. Then you take the fan, and run the wires through the holes in the forehead part, not the goggles. Run them back along either the right or left side, using duct tape every inch or so to keep them snug against the mask.
Next, in the very rear hole of the pod on the side, you will need to do a little dremel work to make sure that the back of the switch(rectangle) will fit through the black hole, but not the big circle part, and then some dremel work to make the small circle fit through the clear pod, but again, not the big circle. So you have the big circle in the middle of the black mask and the clear pod.
After that, connect one terminal of th efan to the switch and electrical tape it or solder it. Then attatch the project box to the back of the mask, right below the strap. Inside the project box, you should use the 9v battery holder to hold the battery, and then drill a hole through the box and mask to run the leads from the battery in.
Connect the same color lead from the battery connector to the switch as the color from the fan, then connect the other wire from the connector to the other wire of the fan. Tape all of the wires against the mask so they wont **** with you while you play.
To keep the visor from flipping forward due to lack of a center post, drill a small hole right in the middle of it about 1/4 inch from the top, and through the mask behind it. Then use a bolt/nut combo to secure it.
Toggle the switch to see if it works. Its really easy to change from blowing in to out, all you have to do is remove the visor and flip the fan around. Hope this helps all of you with nVaders. I'll have pics up soon, and my mask is pretty tight looking. I have screws sticking through most of the holes in the pods, not unlike the mask that one guy wears in Slipknot. It looks pretty tight, but its kinda heavy. Oh well, everyone knows us paintball players care more about looks than performance...;)

[Colicious]

ya, those fans are for computers, and they (comp fans) are made to run at 12v max, but since those are 40mm, they may even run at 5v, so you may be killin them runnin at the 24 or whatever.

but all you really need is 1 or 2 9v batteries, wire, a switch, and the fan. i think you may be able to squeeze the batteries underneithe the visor, eh?

but thats awesome that you did that yourself. are the fans suppose to blow on the inside, or outside? or are the supposed to blow out of the inside??

[BAGGED89]

does my radio shack suck? they only have a 1 9/16" fan. thats the smallest. I found a fan about 3/4" at another place but it was $28 which kind of defeats the purpose.

[russpaintballer]

Hmm. I just took a CPU fan out of a dead computer, and ran the wires into the 9 volt plug from an kid's old walkie talkie.

The battery wouldn't stay put, so I hot glued it in.:laugh:

I can always rip it out later.

[ViperXT]

I have a couple old 286 computers somewhere. Do they have fans in them that would be a good size?

[chigell]

is there anywhere that I can buy 25mm fans that arn't 15 bucks?

[Megilar]

Which way do the fans blow air(pumps air in, or out)? I've tried the trial-and-error method, but it just confuses me.

[mikek2111987]

chigell-sorry for the very, very late response, but you could get them for ebay.

and the fans can either blow or suck, depending on which way you flip them. Havnt you ever seen one?

[Megilar]

grah! I was referring to which way (out or in) was more effecient.

[mikek2111987]

ah, yes, im retarded.

Both will work good, but if it was hot out blowing in would work better. And if its not so hoy then i suppose sucking out would work good.

[w00zy]

I recently fanned my mask, it's a JT X-fire. It's cheap, doesn't have thermal lenses so of course it fogs up a lot.

I used some 2" Nidec blowers mounted in the side blowing into the sides of the masks. I have the fans mounted right where my temples are, the input is facing out but is under the head strap so stray paint shouldn't get in there much. The blowers are a bit more than 1/2" thick so they fit well.

I got the fans at bgmicro (http://bgm.bgmicro.com/), they have a good selection and dirt cheap prices (I buy all sorts of things there I love it). The problem is they're out of the blowers I bought (good thingi got 5, thats 3 spares)

The laptop fans are also a good bet, they're 1" and if you buy 5 you can get them for $1 each (buy 5 in case they get wet, or full of paint and stop working, keep 3 backups on hand). http://bgm.bgmicro.com/prodinfo.asp?sid=0823043981481482631862333&prodid=FAN1040&page=1&cri=FAN&stype=2

I had a small switch laying around that I used to turn the fans on and off, but you can buy those at bgmicro (http://bgm.bgmicro.com/) as well :)

My mask has foam thingers at the back edge of the mask to hold the mask off my head, so I cut one of those in half and mounted the battery under it, from the outside of the mask all you can see is the one switch and some screws holding the fans in.

The fans are run in series off the one 9v so they're running at 4.5 volts each. They put out enough air that I can feel it pretty well. I've only played once with it and I didn't do much running so it wasn't a good test but I have no doubt that they'll work.

First a picture of the fans I used. Keep in mind that these are blowers, so the one in the right is showing you where the air goes into the fan and they blow out the rectangle holes that are on the top facing in.

w00zy

[w00zy]

And a shot of the fans in the mask. You can see the fan on the far side. The battery is wrapped in duct tape under the foamy thing on the close side, and the switch is in the 4th vent from the right on the top vent holes. You can also see one screw holding in the fan on the close side.

[CoryTLElect]

Mine is a lot like killer kats but with a little variation. My fan is right infront of my mouth instead of on top where the visor goes. Its angled up allitlle so that with an nVader its easier to breath and it defoggs quite nicely. 1 9vlt battery (so it lasts longer) and a tiny tiny toggle switch just by my chin. It is soo sweet ill post some pics hear in a little while.

[shocktech3001]

I just did it to my flex & IZE, works great. I used:

1- 1 9/16 CPU fan
1- micro toggle switch
1- 9 volt adapter

since the 1 9/16's fan is a little big, I had to angle it to fit into the mask.

I screwed the toggle into the visor a little bit to the left of the little dimple for easier access while playing.

WIRING CHART:

9V positive=one prong of switch=positive wire of CPU Fan
9v negitive= CPU fan negitive

( positive= red, negitive = black)

I was able to fit the 9v. under my visor, its taped to the inside of the visor, so nothing shows( well, nothing but the toggle switch, and the front of the CPU fan)

hope this helps others while trying to rig this up. thanks!

[Sheridan14]

Yo i'm gonna do this mod hopefully on friday.......

mines gonna include.

2 mini fans (computer)

a toggle switch.

a 2-aa battery holder if not......9 volt

and a red led on the visor so u know when it's on(even if the fan spins_)

RADIOSHACK has everything and all under 24$$$

[Malachi_E2]

i have a sheridan prowler mask. There is about 1in x 1 1.5in. space that i could fit a fan. Think i should give it a try?

<edit> I was reading some more and someone used a fan from a geforce2. I pulled the one i have off my old gf256 or whatever it was... but it is just a little too long to fit above the lense... are there any other good places to put it? <edit>

[Speedballer109]

mine went over the lens:eyes: (the fan) and when i put my mask on it hurt so bad.........so i got Helmet foam (froma bike store cut it up and used epoxy to keep it in place....omg is that stuff stong it aint comin off.......now it's so comfy.

[IamBatman]

I think the most efficient way to position the fans (if you have two) Is to place one pumping in and one puming out. I tried all other combinations and I found this one to work the best. And It doesnt really matter what kind of switch you use just get whichever is cheaper. The chances of a toggle switch getting hit AND breaking are one in a million. And if it happens you can always just replace it:laugh: Not a problem

[EchoX]

Wat's wrong with both pumping in?

[redcocker05]

i got a single fan setup and my battery tends to heat up really bad...even if the fan is off

so i have to disconnect the battery everytime

waht can i do to not have this happen???

[ProfRyan]

Has anyone tried a homemade fan for a Vforce shield? Anyone? :)

[EchoX]

I have.

[djemba]

Don't try to simply use just one nine volt battery to power a twelve volt fan. Battery will get really hot. Thanks for the post. I was thinking i would have to get some sort of relay or something. I am glad I check this site. Now all i need is another nine volt.

Thanks

[EchoX]

Try AA batteries. That's wat I use.

[falconfighter]

do you connect the 2 9v's in series or parallel?

Has anyone considered the possibility of running the power from a large pack of 10 subc - size cells (see R/C cars or R/C airplanes) put in a 140 rd pod?
You could get fancy and get cheap 3000 mAH NiMH's (you will put virtually no drain on them, most likely) and you could have plenty of room to mount a switch, and have any other electric stuff you wanted in there too.
Run a wire with connectors (Power Poles recomended, see www.towerhobbies.com) from the top of the pod to the mask (16 or 18ga should be enough for 2 case fans) where you can connect it to the mask by another pair of connectors.

May I reccomend Mouser Electronics (www.mouser.com) at www.mouser.com . They seem to have the best selection of electronic components around. If you need it, they have it. Except Connectors.


PS: Power Poles do have no latch to keep the connector connected, but this is a good thing. We dont want the connectors ripping the wires off the batteries.

[EchoX]

The cord from the pack to the mask would get in the way too much.

[FokusFighter]

has anyone ever tried some kind of mounting system right onto the mask?


just a thought but if its a couple of double As on each side it wouldn't be that bad



~Fokusfighter~

[eclipseauto03]

Hey, i just have one DC fan, and i got it to run, but how do i connect all three (battery, switch, fan)

[SkunkTeeth]

It matters waht type of switch, but if its a single switch (only two prongs on the bottom) do it like this

Battery(+) to switch to fan (+)
then
battery (-) to fan (-)

And heres pics of my current progress on my shield, 1" fans are in the mail, one for sucking one for blowing.

http://www.dslextreme.com/users/skunkteeth/mask/mask1.jpg

http://www.dslextreme.com/users/skunkteeth/mask/mask2.jpg

[themenz]

http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/2213/?n=1

FogTech is much cheaper.

[SkunkTeeth]

Also more expensive, and wont last as long as a fan system. I only needed to spend $2 on my system.

[themenz]

Fan, switch, wiring, batteries for $2.00. I want to shop where you shop!

[SkunkTeeth]

Fans (2 1") 1 dollar each
switch off of some old electronic project i no longer used, tons of wire from old computer fans, and loads of rechargable batteries.

[themenz]

Skunkteeth, Well done on the price. But the battery you show in the pic above is not typically rechargeable.

Can you tell us what you did about the fan noise? Most people say the fans are loud enough to interfere with communications. Can you adjust the speed?

And batteries need to be replaced fairly often-sometimes during a scrim. Can you change batteries without taking off your mask?

I think most people go to fans because they found antifogs to be unreliable. What do you think?

[Kowz_76]

I think you're trying way too hard to endorse that product.

[SkunkTeeth]

Originally posted by themenz
Skunkteeth, Well done on the price. But the battery you show in the pic above is not typically rechargeable.

Can you tell us what you did about the fan noise? Most people say the fans are loud enough to interfere with communications. Can you adjust the speed?

And batteries need to be replaced fairly often-sometimes during a scrim. Can you change batteries without taking off your mask?

I think most people go to fans because they found antifogs to be unreliable. What do you think?
It was a dead battery I just used for placement.
With a 12v fan running at 9v, there is very little noice compared to 12v, especially at 1" fans. The speed cannot currently adjusted but a small dial could be added into the circuit. I dont think I will need to change the battery in the middle of a game, I dont think it will for much in 10 minutes anyways.

[eclipseauto03]

skunkteeth, where are u mounting the fan? and on what kind of mask? im using a JT alpha, i was thinking about gettn a new mask...cause i ref, and my goggles always fog up, and i cant make clear calls

[SkunkTeeth]

V-force shield, I will post detailed pictures when the fans come and i come mount them. They are 1" fans i ordered off bgmicro that will fit perfectly above the lenses. I will have to cut a small slot out of the rubber but to big thing.

[themenz]

http://www.bgmicro.com/prodinfo.asp?sid=07032870370370376417125203&prodid=FAN1040&page=1&cri=fan&stype=3

[SkunkTeeth]

Yessir, ordered ten so I can mod my friends too :)

[eclipseauto03]

what about on a JT alpha? i dunno where to mount the fan, if i mount on top of the goggles under teh visor, then only half of the fan will be blowing on the inside of the goggles

[SkunkTeeth]

Put a type of duct system or mount them diagonally.

[Xeno]

sounds good, but i got one question. would it work on a v-force morph?

[SkunkTeeth]

Whats a morph look like without the visor?

I finished my mask, will get pics up tonight.

[SkunkTeeth]

Oops completely forgot about this thread. Here are a couple pics

[SkunkTeeth]

2

[808BOWL]

cool mask fan mods people. I've been working on a couple different ways to setup your fan system. Currently I've put fans in pmi masks (forgot which ones), nVader, and just did my Proteus. I got a 40mm x 40mm 12v fan, toggle switch, and run it with a 9v and 2 AA (equals 12v). I keep my batts in my harness pocket and run a short wire connected to a 9V batt clip, on my mask I have 9v clip to connect to. I'll post pics later so you'll see what i mean. any Q's let me know


P.S. dont forget to heatshrink your connections!!!

[Ill_Adam]

This is just my prototype my new spectra will be comeing in next week and I will be putting it in that.

[foot]

You should be able to find a 5v fan for about five bucks. Stay away from Radio Shack. You can find better sources online or at other specialty electronics stores.

[nerdcore]

mounting a fan on a sheridan prowler (which is also a diablo and gameface skul). anyone interested, pm me for pics.

Tools/Supplies (total cost should be around $20 max)
- 40x40 mm cpu fan
- mini toggle switch
- two 9v connectors
- zip ties
- super glue
- soldering gun & solder
- electrical tape

Installation *I'm Not Responsible for Any Irreversible Damage*
Fan Preparation - place the fan on the top center of the mask & draw an outline. Cut along the outline. Super-glue the front edge of the cut-out piece onto the top front corners of the fan.

Fan mounting - wrap two zip ties around the new square hole in the mask using a few vent holes to form a cradle for the fan. Slip in fan, letting unglued flap cover the zip ties then tuck the flap's back edge under the forehead guard. Should fit real snug.

Switch mounting - the switch has 2 thin nuts and 2 washers. Remove the bottom nut on the switch base & place washers back on. Poke the switch through one of the mask holes next to the fan (twisting it in helps). Screw on top nut. Done.

Battery mounting - wired the connectors to the back of the head strap & used zip ties to secure the batteries. This is temporary, since every time i change the batteries i have to cut the zip ties (the way i have em on the batteries won't be able to slide out).

Later on, i'll look for smaller fans for my profiler. Where can i find cheap 25x25mm fans?

[been_splat]

Well I did a fan job on my mask.

Take a look and let me know what you think:
http://www.pbreview.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2091249#post2091249

[presbo]

been splat. Looks good. How does it work? Do you get alot of air going thur there? Is it heavy on your head?

:D

[been_splat]

Nope it's not heavy at all and I get enough air to keep the fog and and keep me cool at the same time. However I just need to watch out for shots to the mask at the mouth piece. I have tasted paint once already...

[ICANSEEYOU7687]

im about 2 get a new mask, and i dont know what I want to get. What looks cool and fits the fans nicely? I was looking at a Proto Switch, or a Proteus. but im looking at the flex ize one now :-)

any suggestions

edit* Whats the difference between the Flex-7 and the flex-7 ize, is it just the goggles?

[ICANSEEYOU7687]

whats the best battery? I was actually thinking of going AA, or AAA. now as for connecting them, look at these

http://www.radioshack.com/search.asp?find=battery+holder&hp=search&SRC=1

i dont think that would be 2 hard 2 place.

[808BOWL]

those batt clips are fine. just make sure you have enough voltage to run the fan. I have a 12volt fan that is run by a 9volt and 2aa (in series) to get 12volts. I also made an extension wire to hold my batteries in my podpack instead of on my mask.

[ICANSEEYOU7687]

u think this will fit?
Proto Switch F.S. Thermal Paintball Goggle - Olive

http://www.actvil.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=HoHyD_z_OuDyFL3aLYMyp_ZZu8FH02f9cBI=?Pro ductID=eb%2esFAY7psEAAAD45rrju4BE# (pbgear)

I really like it, but it doesnt look like it will have much room for the fans...

i also found a flex-7 clear one (it looks white) im gonna dye it to green, or maybe green and black, and maybe use that.

[ICANSEEYOU7687]

i think someone should list all the masks that have succesfully done this to, and include pictures to show how it was done...just a thought...i figure it will stop all the, Will this fit in my mask? which i currently have several of thse, I guess i should just get a flex, its good , and not terrily expesnive...

and id also like to know if anyone has tried this on a morph, and see how much room they have...

I went ahead and got a proto switch, ill let yall know how it works out!

[got ya !]

Do you think it will be as affective if I only put one fan in ?

Jason

[STRIDER2800]

TWO WORDS DOLLAR STORE BUY CHEAP WALKIE TALKIE THERES A 9V CONNECTOR AND WIRE THEN GET 2 FANS AND A SWITCH ALL IN ALL AROUND $10 OR LESS
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[yeshess]

Just got through reading all the pages in this post. Great ideas by all. Someone said earlier on wy bother go through all this and not just use some anti-fog spray or wipe. Well....i believe that it's not just the idea of going no-fog but it's the fact that you can do it yourself and be to customise it to your liking.

I myself will be trying a combinations of suggestions and I will post my findings and pictures as well.

GREAT JOB GUYS. Hope this Thread never gets OLD.....

[Avery_mac]

i bought anti fog spray for hockey and sprayed it on and when it fogged it caked on the fog so it was even worse plus what if you forget to put on the spray and the fan keep you cool less sweat ... i put one fan in mine a mini one works great maybe i will put in another ... the guy said get everything for less then $10 not true .. one little fan is $15 at radio shack

[Maxx102]

Since no one has had any plans on how to fan a Vforce Profiler - I went ahead and I am in the process of making one.....I am almost finished and I will post some pics of it when I am I done.

[Avery_mac]

i bought a fan from radio shack and it was about $15 dollars .. i cut a square hold in the visor then cut a hole into top plastic above the mask lens and made a vent out of plastic (6th picture) then i went and got an old broken answer machine and took out the 9 volt cord and wired it to the fan and zip tied it to the mask . then i made a box out of plastic and duck taped over it to hold the batterie and then i ziped tied the box in . and then i put the batterie in and know i have my own home made defogger fan .. just like the first guy except one fan works good to.

[MaxLax44]

I looked and most good fans that are small like 2.5 or 3 inches are 20 bucks, if you get 2 which you'll probably need thats 40 bucks. Plus you need the wiring and the chance of butchering your mask. The reaseon its kinda pointless is cause most of the fans you can buy that fit into masks are 40 to 50 bucks and they fit in nice and snug without the battery case on the side. There even cheaper on eBay too. Not trying to be mean or anything, great idea and all but its the same price for people unlike you who cant just go to the stock room and take the stuff. Great idea though.

[Avery_mac]

well heres the point .. scott googles doesn't make a fan for my mask

[MaxLax44]

ok that would make alot of sense then but you still got the parts out of a stock room it would have ended up being 40-50 anyway.

[Avery_mac]

mine costed $18.00 all and all CANADIAN DOLLARS i went to radio shack got a fan for $18.00 and made a box out of duck tape twist tied it on

cost

twist ties ... free had them already
duck tape ... free had them already
9v batter ... hat it already
9v battery connector ... had it already
fan $18.00 canadian

total 18.00

i works better than my friends real mask with a fan.. becasue mine can defog peoples glasses paintball fans only defog the lens to extra blow

[MaxLax44]

I thought you got 2 fans?

[Alpine]

so any more updates on which direction the air flow should be going?

1 fan: air in, or air out?
2 fans: both in, both out, alternating

2 fans: right next to eachother, 1 on either side of mask, one high one low?

I'm getting ready to do this to my VForce Armor, just for the fun of it. :)

[Alpine]

Also, what about noise?
The one time I used a rental mask with a fan in it, it was real noisy!
Not like other people could hear me,
but I mean when it was on I felt like I couldn't hear people sneaking around the woods, like it would cover up leaves rustling, etc.
Are these 'brushless' computer fans quieter than the ones that come stock on masks?

[Avery_mac]

My Nasty But Anti Fog Machine Of A Mask

i started with a scott vectra mask.. 2 computer fans from video cards fans .. a on/off switch a 9 volt connecter and so cords.. i cut two holes into the visor then took a plastic/ cardboard container and cut it up to make vents for the air to go threw then i hot guled the fans on and wired it all up and zip tied it all up then made a little batterie holder out of duck tape then zip tied that ot the side.. and it works great and its quiet except when my hair goes into the fan and creats fun.. and hurting ...

What I Started With
http://img96.exs.cx/img96/1299/DSC01013.jpg

Top View
http://img96.exs.cx/img96/6196/DSC01015.jpg

See The Vents channels Made Out Of Cardboard
http://img96.exs.cx/img96/1485/DSC01016.jpg

[nerdcore]

Originally posted by Alpine
so any more updates on which direction the air flow should be going?

1 fan: air in, or air out?
2 fans: both in, both out, alternating

2 fans: right next to eachother, 1 on either side of mask, one high one low?

I'm getting ready to do this to my VForce Armor, just for the fun of it. :) 1 fan - air in.
2 fans - choice is yours but have at least one blowing in. Anywhere above the lens works, although in the center is preferable for even coverage.

The noise isn't a problem. You won't notice when you're playing.

[nerdcore]

Prices vary from place to place & parts used to customize each fan mod but the cost shouldn't be ridiculous.

Mine was under $20 & i bought the main parts at Radio Shack (40mm cpu fan, 9v connectors, switch). Batteries, shrink tubing & electrical tape/zip ties can be found almost anywhere and any paintballer should already have 2 of those things at all times.

Of course, Froogle is your friend. I could've saved a few bucks doing that instead.

Also, 40 mm is too big for VForces & JTs without extensive mask manipulation & creativity. Search for 25mm fans (you'll need at least 2 because of the size).

[TheBoss429]

Originally posted by Killer Kat
Radio Shack wouldn't like that!:mad: Them boys have got technology hanging all over there stores! (spy camaras)

Plus all the staff will be watching because they have nothing else to do since u are the only one in the store due to their major high prices on every common part and even higher prices on rare parts.:D

[Windu]

I am not big into wiring, but 2 5 volt fans in series will run off a 9 volt battery? Or does it need 10 volts?
Thanks,
James

[INVISNIPER]

I think it will run, just slower.

I hear the home-rigged fans are quieter, but how about the bought fans? Do they do the job just as good?

[spudz]

You guys are hardcore, I just use one of those dollar store fans taped onto my proflex, Have to get a new one everytime it gets shot off.

[yeshess]

Has anyone ever tried this on a JT HEADSHIELD??? I'm getting a headsheild an thinking of trying it. I'll post my results unless someone has any input.

[Defiler]

I installed a fan inside my mask to cool down my face and de-fog the visor. I tried to put some pictures in, but I can't get it to work.

[splatmania]

i drilled my computer fan into my mask from the outside and it got hit by a ball and stoped working lol

[surealpaintball]

i like how you molded the botom flex of the mask

[nerdcore]

I finally installed fans on my Profiler. It required no alterations to the mask itself. Here's what i did as best as i could describe it:

Supplies:
- Two 25mm fans (bought mine here (http://store.yahoo.com/first-in-technology/sepmfb25a0fa.html))
- any kind of on/off switch w/ 2 prongs (i used a pull chain designed for ceiling fans, has wires instead of prongs)
- 9v connector
- single AA battery holder (optional)
- extra wire (i got 18 guage)
- zip ties (standard & small sizes)
- shrink tubing

Tools:
- soldering iron
- wire cutters/stripper

Step 1: Remove lens & visor. Place where you want the fans to go. Now figure out where the switch will be going. Finally, find a good spot for the 9v connector (you'll only need one since a single 9v powers two 5v fans pretty well, i discovered). The optional AA battery holder is in case you want to surpass that 10v the fans add up to (one 9v + one AA = 10.5v) - just make sure the AA holder & 9v connector are connected in a series, not parallel (drew a simple illustration that might clear things up).

Step 2: Figure out how much extra wire, if any, you need to solder onto all connections. I only needed to add some to the fan wires so both fans were connected properly without bunching wires or changing the fans' positions.

Step 3: Time to solder! Now nothing should be attached to the mask at this point. You can complete the entire fan circuit without the mask. Tip: slide on appropriate length of shrink tubing onto wires before connecting them; fray the wire strands, mesh them together & twist before soldering; once solder cools, slide shrink tubing over exposed area then heat to shrink the tubing.

When you're done, you should have a halo of wire that goes, fan, fan, switch, battery connector (and second battery connector if you chose that route) then back to first fan.

Step 4: Attach circuit to Profiler. Line up fan on mask above lens area then run a tiny zip tie through one of the fan's corner holes. Repeat for other fan. I only needed one zip tie on each fan to keep them in place. Next, attach switch & battery connector(s) where you wanted them to be (zip ties are good for that). The rest of the wires can be left loose since they SHOULD neatly follow the path of the goggle strap.

[pouliot33]

isnt that kinda ugly?...just use some spray or w/e and it should work...it did for me

[Ring31]

dude... 1 word.. PARAGRAPHS!..

Well I'm very unhappy with the lack of posting around fans in this the "mask forum" So I built my own!
Things have been alittle slow at work so I brought in my flex ize, changed the lens and set out to put some kindda fan system into the bad boy, Now I'm not about to claim to be a master electrician and I can't go into a alot of theroy so if you need help with the common sense stuff don't try and do this yourself!(don't cut, or solder anything until you've got it all layed out as to where it's goin go, and stay) .

First I went to the electrical shop (you guys will have to go to Radio Shack) and got
two 1.18 " NMB 12volt dc fans,
a very small toggle switch,
three 9 volt battery's and three 9 volt battery connectors,
and 4 small bolts, nuts, and 8 washers (these have gotta fit the pre-drilled holes in the corners of the little fans)
and a couple feet of 18 gauge wire.

With your visor removed, you can (plug in your soldering irons so it's good and hot, cause you'll need it by the time your done drillin) drill out the pre-stamped hole guide of the (over your left eye) flex mask.

now place the two small fans (face label down) in between were the visiors center stem plugs back into the mask (they should butt up to the back plate that your forehead touches and form a small V shape) with any luck the holes will line up with the vent holes already in the top part of the mask for you to hold the fans in place with the nuts, bolts and washers.

Ok touch the soldering iron if this happens after you do it's ready! Cut any excess wire and connect the two fans together in series (the red off off fan # 1, to the black off of fan # 2) this will change the voltage to 24v, you should solder these connections and wrap'em with some tape too. Solder the black wire (coming off fan # 1) to one of the toggle switch terminals, solder another small piece of wire(about 8") on the other terminal of the toggle switch, put the visor back in place and tuck and hide the wires where ever you want'em.

So know you should have one red wire (coming off from the fan # 2) and the 8 inch piece coming from the toggle switch, , so that the negative terminal is on the left and the positive is on the right of battery # 1, place the other two batteries in this same alignment and tape the three 9 volt batteries together side to side, take one of the 9 volt battery connector and hook it to the positive terminal of battery # 1 and the negative of battery # 2, take another of the 9 volt battery connector and hook it to the positive terminal of battery # 2 and the negative of battery # 3. The three batteries are now also in series with a output value of approx 27v,

Now here's where I got creative! Carefully cut the third 9 volt battery connector in half and solder the negative clip to the 8 inch piece of wire coming from the toggle switch. Solder the red wire coming off fan # 2 to the positive clip, Now find a old eye glasses (pocket protector style) case, and cut it down (don't cut off the part that clips onto your belt or pocket) slip it in on the left side right between the strap on the goggles and the mask itself, use the belt clip on the case and slip that over the top of the mask (the goggle strap will hold it tight to the mask while the clip will keep it from slippin right thru),

Hook up the battery clips to the battery and slip the battery into the glasses case! Put the mask on and run around the block 4 or 5 times until you're really sweating and huffin' Now flip the switch! Try it! I think you'll like it!

[Aslan2005]

Introduction
-------------
So, I'm starting the final game of the day...it's really hot and humid. My mask starts to fog up...I suddenly remember, "I forgot to turn my fan on!" I switch it on...but it's too late. I spend the entire game crouched behind a barrel hoping that if I stay still, maybe it will unfog. No luck. I wander back to the starting location, hoping that maybe if I can get in the shade it'll clear up...but it doesn't...it's just darker fog. I hear markers firing...I take several steps...and get lit up. I fall to the ground...trying to find my barrel condom. I continue to get hit and finally the ref yells, "Okay! He's been hit already! Let him out!"

It was at that moment that I realized something must be done to stop the fogging. I tried anti-fog spray...I tried wax...I tried soap and water...I tried Rain-X...and I tried a fan (JT Vortex II). Finally, I went out an bought a thermal lens. And even though I'm confident that a thermal lens WILL solve the problem...I began thinking of other ways to deal with foggin in addition to the thermal lens. Not to mention, I still had to deal with my glasses!

Now, lets look at some options I've tried:

Anti-Fog (various kinds)- This category includes everything I've tried to put on my glasses and lenses to keep them from fogging. It works, but only in less extreme circumstances. It'll last a few games, but once you get sweat on it or need to clean your lens...you have to reapply it.

Vortex II fan- Fits nice on top of my mask, better on the Pro-Flex than the X-fire. Delivers I nice little stream of air. BUT...it's as noisy as Helck and just isn't sufficient to stop fogging, especially in the very harsh conditions.

So, after reading a post somewhere about a guy that put his own fan on a mask, I saw a small PC fan at Microcenter and got the idea to give a custom modded mask fan a try.

This will be several posts in a row where I'll address how I went about making the mask fan, the problems I encountered along the way, and the ultimate result. I'll try to add definitions when I use words everyone might not be (but probably are) aware of.

[Aslan2005]

First, what you need to do the mod.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/Partsneeded_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35386)

Essentially,all you need is a fan, a 9V battery, and a 9V battery connector. However, here's a list of items I bought:

1 pack of 9V battery connectors: $2
2 9V batteries: $3
2 small PC fans: $14
1 switch: $7

Total: approximately $26.00

Here are some other items that I used that I already had. Most of these you will have or should have to work on different paintball projects:

Wire cutters
wire connectors and heat shrink
Electric drill
Set of small screwdrivers
additional wire
electrical tape
pocket knife
soldering iron w/solder
Dremmel tool
safety glasses
2 cable ties

[Aslan2005]

Once you get the parts, decide where on your mask the parts are going to go. You're going to want the air to go into the top of your goggles, but exact placement of the fans, batteries, and the switch will depend on your specific mask.

My mask is the JT Elite X-Fire mask. It's a relatively cheap mask available at most paintball shops and department stores. The nice thing about this mask is that it has a forehead guard which will allow me to secure items to it. I took my Vortex II fan off and got the visor off my JT Pro Flex. I decide to use the visor not only so I could protect some of the parts (i.e. parts under the visor) but also to give me more options regarding where and how I can attach the items. Here is the mask before modification:

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/Mask_start_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35385)

Two additional things to strongly consider during the planning stage:
A) DO NOT do anything to your mask that will make it less safe. do not cut into the mask or goggles if it will leave you open to paintballs hitting your face or eyes.
B) These fans are meant for computers...not to get shot by paintballs. Put the fans in a place where they are unlikely to get hit by a paintball.

For my mask, the main problem was the switch. It was too big to fit between the forehead guard and the visor. I thought about mounting it on the top of the visor, but that would put the terminals in my line of sight and I'd have to run the wire under the visor.

Definition: "terminals"- the terminals are the metal things coming out of the back/bottom of the switch, where you will connect the wires.

So, as you can see in the picture,

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/Switchandholes_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35389)

I placed the switch upside down with the terminals coming out of the top of the visor. I used a drill and a pocket knife to cut out the hole. I tried using a sanding bit on the drill to widen the hole, but it wasn't working well...so I used a dremmel with a sanding bit and it worked like a charm. The important thing was not to make the hole too wide as this particular switch doesn't bolt on, it snaps in place. I also took this opportunity to mark the holes I would
need to drill for the bolts used to attach the fans to the visor.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/visor_before_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35387)

[Aslan2005]

The first problem I ran into was that the bolts that came with the PC fans were not long enough so I had to go buy some longer ones from the hardware store ($2/package).

While I was waiting, I decide to do all of the wiring. The wiring is very simple. Don't let it intimidate you. The main thing to think of is, it's a loop. If you connect the battery connector to the fan...you put the black wire from the connector to the black wire on the fan...then the same with the red wire...BOOM...it starts spinning! Now, in my case, there's a switch which is nothing more than a way of connecting and disconnecting the loop. The loop still applies, except the red from the connector will co to the switch, then the red from the fan will go to the switch...and the black wires will connect to each other per normal. Don't get all crazy about the colors of the wires...it really doesn't matter which color does what as long as you're consistent.

In my case, I had two fans with two battery connectors both going to one switch...so I had a little additional wiring to do...which pretty much just involved a 3rd wire going to the terminals. I can explain it in more detail if you want, but it's very easy, you'll figure it out.

Some things that come in handy are connectors and heat shrink wire wrap. The connectors slide right over the terminal. The wire wrap goes around the bare wire and you can use a lighter to cause it to shrink tight.

In retrospect, maybe I should have waited until I had the visor on the mask before doing the electrical connections, it could have allowed me to use less wire. I did need three pieces of wire, two used as "3rd wires" (See above) and one used because the battery connector on the far side (away from the switch) doesn't have a wire long enough to reach the switch, so I had to make it longer.

I accidentally cut the ground wire on one of the fans. You don't really need the ground wires, but the switch has a ground terminal, so I should have just connected it. I connected the ground from the second fan.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/wires_connected_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35388)

[Aslan2005]

Now, once I got the right size bolts, I attached the fans to the visor. After doing so, I realized these bolts were pretty long. I cut them with the Dremmel just to keep them out of the way.

Be sure you wear your safety glasses if you're going to be using a Dremmel to cut. The disks tend to break apart...one hit me right in the head while I was cutting the bolts.

I put a drop of Loctite on the bolts for good measure.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/FansOnDremmelling_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35390)

[Aslan2005]

Now is the time to connect the visor to the mask. Everything fit great. The batteries were a little snug however. I cleaned up the wires by first taping some together, then using a couple twist-ties to connect the wires to the forehead guard.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/VisoronMask01_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35391)

I attached the batteries to the forehead guard using cable ties. I may have to tape them as well in the future, but for now they seem to be held in place just fine.

I soldered the wires to the connectors and slid the connectors on the terminals. This is an optional step, just to make sure the wires don't come loose from the connectors. The connectors make it alot easier because if I need to do any maintenenace, I can slip the connectors off the switch terminals and not have to worry about disconnecting and re-connecting the wires. I the wrapped the connectors and terminal with black electrical tape.

[Aslan2005]

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/Mask_final01_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35392)

As you can see, I concealed the wires using a camo headwrap. I cut a slit in the top in order to provide access to the wires. I tied the slit shut using some spare strands of burlap from a guille kit. I then tried to paint the nuts on top olive green, but it didn't really stick. Hopefully they will be too small to really be seen anyways.

Sorry about the picture being crappy, it was hard to find an angle where you could see how the camo actually conceals the wires. As soon as you shine the light directly at the mask, it goes with through the material and the material looks transparent. Just take my word for it, it would be difficult to see the red and yellow wires from 15 feet away for sure...and if you're any closer than that, I already shot you!!

I'll try to get a better pic of it "in action" when I play this weekend.

[Aslan2005]

Common Questions/Concerns:

Let me get some of the questions I've seen here taken care of:

1) Why do you need to do this? Can't you just use no fog spray or a fan or a thermal lens?

Like I said, a thermal lens will work...but not on your glasses nor will it ventilate the goggle area for those of us that tend to really sweat alot. A pre-made fan will work, but provides only a small stream of air and they tend to be very noisy. No-Fog spray does not work. It'll work for a few games if you're lucky, then you need to reapply it. Maybe some spray is better than other spray, but I've tried different kinds and they all are essentially the same. In addition, they distort your vision by creating a "film" on your lenses and glasses. That film is necessary for the spray to work, so if you wipe it all away, they fog up...either way you have trouble seeing.

2) Isn't this waaaay more expensive than just buying a mask fan?

Depends. If you have the tools and some basic parts laying around, it's actually cheaper...but not by much. I bought a Vortex fan for $25 + shipping off Ebay. The parts to make the custom modification ran $23 + misc. stuff. I would say as long as you don't have to buy a major tool like a drill or dremmel, you probably will spend more on a pre-made fan.

3) I've heard mask fans are noisy. Is this modifcation going to give away my position on the field or make it so I can't hear my teammates?

No. These fans are so quiet that when I first turned them on I thought I had wired it wrong because they made virtually no noise. Pre-made mask fans are VERY noisy...but I've wore one and it won't give away your position or keep you from hearing your teammates. It'll probably just give you headache or annoy you. But these PC fans are much. much, more quiet.

4) How much mechanical ability does it take to do this?

Not much. I'm not very mechanically gifted, and I could have done this project in about 4 hours if I had all the stuff I needed right from the beginning. If you can use a screwdriver and a drill, you can do this mod.

[Aslan2005]

Evaluation

Well, the mask is complete! Time to test it out.

Well, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It didn't seem to direct as much air flow into the goggles as I thought it would. It was quiet and didn't feel very heavy on my head, but I just didn't feel the air flow like I thought I would.

After reviewing the situation, I decide to switch one of the fans around so both would be directed down at the goggles. I had originally set it up so that one fan was directed downward and one upward. That helped a little, but not much.

After again reviwing the situtation, I tried to move the fans from the visor to the top of the goggles so the fans would sit flush on the goggles. This sort of helped, but not much. And it really exposed the fans to a paintball hit so I moved them back onto the visor.

The only thing I can think of that would cause better flow would be to create vents or "ducts". See, the reason the air isn't getting into the goggles is it's blowing all around above the goggles. The holes on top of the goggles are so small that the air is finding easier pathways. A pre-made fan like the Vortex sits flush with the goggles so the air has nowhere else to go but into the goggles.

My next attempt will be to try and fit something next to the fans to see if it will help direct the air flow. Since I'm not sure when I'll get around to that, I'll post that as a follow-up later in the thread. I'm going to try and use a foam material that should also serve as a cushion for the fans in case of paintball hits under the visor.

[Aslan2005]

Well, here's the dilemma:

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/fans_no_divertors_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35490)

With the fans situated like that, the air tends to blow around and not down into the goggles where it would be most useful. So I got the idea to add "divertors" which would direct the airflow. I used some foam material that would be easy to mold.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/materials_for_mask_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35489)

I wrapped the foam in tape and spray painted it (didn't want little yellow targets poking out). Finding just the right size took alot of trial and error. One problem I noticed was that as I inserted the divertors, they wanted to slide under the mask. So thought of adding twist ties from up under the goggles that could hold the divertors in place.

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/twist-ties001_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35487)

This didn't work so well. It was very hard to fix the divertors in place and even harder to manipulate the twist tie. Here's what the divertors look like once in place:

http://www.jayloo.com/files/pics/35000/divertors0001_tn.JPG (http://www.jayloo.com/photo_gallery/show_pic.html?pIMAGE_ID=35488)

Preliminary results show slightly better airflow...but I am concerned that the divertors will pop out in a game situation...we'll give the mask a test this weekend.

[CockerFanatic]

Ok I have the dye turbine, big waste of money I think, it does work some yes but the price was disgusting. So! This looks very interesting, how do you folks have it set up one fan intake another exhaust? Both blow out??? Let me know how you worked it out!

[Johnny 5mm]

I too was very unhappy with the way my goggles would fog up after 2 minutes into every game. It's tough being a sweaty Columbian! I have used everything from thermal lenses to Rain-X antifog. I recently picked up a Vortex II fan for my JT ELite head shield, roughly $37 bucks. Piece of ****! So I decided to do some searching and ran across this topic. Very interesting and very helpful. With "nerdcore's" electrical schematic, I went to work.

I was very lucky in having a store load of PC parts laying around. I disassembled a HDD (hard drive) fan cooler which already had two fairly small fans. What was unique about these fans is that it pushed air in and to the sides of the fan, not in and then out as most fans.

The air from the fans are actually pushing forward into the goggles and backwards to the rear of the mask. Everything is hooked up to a black switch at the rear of the head shield.

The only thing I am currently working on is preventing the fan blades from rubbing against the cheeks, face cheeks, not *** cheeks! It usually does not present itself as an issue until you shake your head left and right quickly. For the most part, I tend to use the fans only when my goggles have completely fogged and I need a quick fix. Stay covered, prop gun, flip the switch, chill for about 1 minute, flip the switch off, stand up and start firing on my brother-in-law!

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/5562/img4956hp0.th.jpg (http://img115.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4956hp0.jpg)

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9594/img4957pj6.th.jpg (http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4957pj6.jpg)

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1567/img4958oc5.th.jpg (http://img115.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4958oc5.jpg)

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7565/img4955sx2.th.jpg (http://img157.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4955sx2.jpg)

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3730/img4959in6.th.jpg (http://img115.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4959in6.jpg)

I also have modified goggles for my JT. I am currently using M1944 military issued goggles which makes it easier to pull up the goggles instead of having to take off the entire head shield.

[Anubis9]

Hey, nice topic guys.
But why not put the fan into the mouth area of the mask?
I've got the same mask as Johnny 5mm does and i'm planning to attach the fan inside the frontal pannel where most of the ventilation holes are. It will be just in front of my mouth. I'll also attach some protection between my lips and the fan, some kind of grate, so my nose and mouth will aslo be protected. Attaching the fan just in front of the mouth will blow out of the mask all the hot air that i breathe out.

And i'd like to ask you how long does the 9v battery last with a single 12v fan.

[Uber_Mike]

Thats Exactally what I was thinking, It couldnt be done on the Flexes though, a good way to mount the fan would be to use twist ties thrugh the holes on the front of the mask

[Tom_D]

Aslan2005. How is the mask fan rig holding up? You have had it in service almost a year now right? I was thinking of doing a smaller version on my mask. Posibly mounting it right on the visor so the whole thing would be removeable. I dono. My mask usualy dosn't fog untill the end of the day when I'm realy hot and not moving much. And even under the foggiest conditons it has gotten, it clears right up if I move a couple hundred feet.

But I hate to have my mask dictate weather or not I have to move. So posebly two small fans and one battery. You aren't going to go through more than one battery a day are you?

How long has the two nine volts lasted?? You probably havn't had to replace them yet have you?

[Wheelz77]

Apart from getting hit, nothing ticks me off more than a good fog-up. I've thought about fitting a fan and now I think I'm convinced.
One question:
Does the flow of air tend to dry your eyes and make them irritated?

[Aslan2005]

First the easy questions:

"Why not mount it somewhere other than the visor?"
I wanted it mounted to an area that wouldn't cause me to have to cut the actual mask. Cutting up the mask could make it less protective. I also didn't want the fans where they were likely to take a direct hit. Mounting them vertically to the front means they would take a lot of shots.

"Does it tned to dry out your eyes?"
Absolutely not. Due to the low amount of air that actually makes it's way through the top and the high humidity inside the goggles...nothing like that occurs.

Now...Tom D...
It has worked very well. Much better than the Vortex fan or no fan at all.

Problems I've run into:
One time my glasses fogged up real bad. Why? The fan is so quiet that I thought it was on and it wasn't.

There have been a few times in thick brush where the bundle on top of the mask was vulnerable to branches. It's more the mesh that I have on there than the wires...but it is something in the back of my mind I always have to worry about in thick brush.

The batteries will last a weekend or longer. The only time I've run them down is when I played at the monster game...played all day both days...left them on alot (again, they are so quiet you forget they are on) when I wasn't wearing it.

Other than that, it's worked great. I wish I could get it to provide more airflow...so that it had more of a cooling effect...but I don't want to start cutting into the top of the mask and risk having someone squeeze a paintball in there somehow and take out my eye.

Hope that helps!

[kirlusodeb]

Guys came online with this idea and made it a one piece fan kit called FANZ. I think the website is ezcreation.ca they have a video, pictures and sell them online for decent price.

[GeneXian]

Halfway through my project I searched the Net for understanding how to wire the batteries. I came across your site. Very cool to see someone else with the same idea, work or play.

I eventually found someone to answer my question but I felt compelled to share this for the beginners like me trying to understand electricity.

By putting batteries in series (positive of one battery to negative of another battery) you increase the voltage. If I put two 9-volt batteries in series I will have 18 volts of electricity. Think of voltage as water pressure in a hose. If you had too much water pressure you could blow out a sprinkler. If you have too much voltage for a fan you can fry the fan.

By putting batteries in parallel (positives of batteries together and negatives of batteries together) you increase the current. If I put two 9-volt Duracell batteries in parallel I will have 580 mA (580 milliAmps = .5 Amps) x 2, because there are two batteries which would equal 1160 mA. This would allow my 12 volt, 1.9 watt, 158 mA fan to run for about 7 hours. That would double the time of one battery. Think of current as the volume of water going through the hose. If you double the size of the hose connecting to the same sprinkler, you'll get double the time because the sprinkler still only uses so much water.

I think that's pretty clear. Please add to it if anyone sees something wrong or misunderstood above.

So here was my idea...

Hard Hat Fan Ventilation Modification

holyhacker.com/carpentry/inventions/100_0218.jpg
holyhacker.com/carpentry/inventions/100_0227.jpg
holyhacker.com/carpentry/inventions/100_0228.jpg

Note: MSA does NOT approve of altering the hard hats, nor storing ANYTHING in them.

It's the middle of summer and you are up on the roof shingling. The sun is just beating down on you and sweat is just pouring off you like a pregnant nun in confession. You are told you have to wear a hard hat even though nothing but blue sky is above you.

I have access to a bunch of old computers and I removed one of the little 12 volt, 2" x 2" fans that cool the heat sink of the processor. They are only about 1/2" thick so there is plenty of room above the webbing. First I placed the fan in the hard hat and marked the area that I wanted. I took it out and drilled a bunch of 1/4" holes in the area where the fan would be. Using electrical tape I secured and sealed the fan into the hardhat. It is important that a seal is made with the electrical tape for proper airflow to take place.

I purchased a 9-volt battery, a 9-volt battery snap and a small switch. A 9-volt battery will produce around 600 mAh (milliAmp hours) of current. The fan only needs about 7 volts to run and uses about 150 mA of current. This will allow the fan to run for about four hours through the really hot part of the day. I can feel a slight cool flow of air up over my head. I decided to have the fan pull the air up through the hard hat and take the heat of my head up and out. Works great with very little noise and it is also very unnoticeable from the sides and back of the hard hat. I mounted the battery with electrical tape and ran a switch under the bill for quick and easy powering off and on.

[budgie]

hi i'm too lazy to like install a fan by buying all the parts and installing it so im just wondering is the vortex fan worth getting.

[Wheelz77]

I don't know personally, but I was told they are pretty useless if you're an average to heavy sweater.
Best if someone replies who's tried one though.

[arinker6513]

so i am thinking if you have the two fans and haveing energy problems with the one 9v or trying to go 9v with AAs i think if you took two 9v hookups and soadered them togeather to add two 9vs i think you could acheive long lasting battery power with good quality running fanns plus zip ties do wonders for that duel 9v placement problem

[kirlusodeb]

Hey
Well on our Double Fan FANZ (http://www.ezcreation.ca) product, we have averaged about 12 hours continuous play on a 9V duracell battery. Around 18 hours for a single fan.

[lawson23]

Seen a few people looking for a vforce mod.

I have attached what I think is the nicest way to place these into a V-force Shield.
One pushes air in and one pushes air out. I'm thinking of sealing off the top vents of the mask so I get great air current from one to the other.

I'm in progress they aren't wired yet. Still researching the best method for running these guys. 2 9volt or 1 9volt? series or parallel?

I ordered from BGmicro the 1" fans (5) though and a mini switch (2) and a 9 volt connector (2) cost was like 13.38 total. Can't beat that when Radio Shack wanted like $14 for a 1 9/16" fan. I did get a project enclosure that I will glue on some velcro that I will attach to my strap and also place the on/off switch into.

[BoogerTHEfantom]

I could use a fan. Maybe I'll go fool and wire up four.

[CVlaxstar]

neat

[SplatU]

I just completed a fan mod for my V Force Grill.
I installed two 16mm x 4mm 3 volt fans inside(not on top) the mask.
Directly under the vented top section. The only noticable difference from the outside is the very small zip ties used to hold the fans in.

The fans are currently powered by 2 sets of AAA batteries run in parallel inside a remotely located enclosure with an on/off switch. A little modding to the case was needed to change the connections in the case from 4 batteries in series equalling 6volts to 2 sets of two in paralell at 3volts each.
This set-up costs a little more, but it is completely protected, effectively prevents fogging and is nearly silent.
I'll post pictures shortly.

[Schecter1277]

I'm thinking the vortex fan works nicely as well
http://www.actionvillage.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=f4JcmlQvfiZdhBxa2bicMl77tsgcrpczuDk=?Pro ductID=jAOsFAY7QDAAAAD3XEqlA_2t#

[Ring31]

dont buy a vortex... they are LOUD, and u can make 1 your self for less then 10$

[warallthetime04]

this is a good idea might be time for some tooling around

[jennypaul2009]

Nice!!

[SageScout]

awesome