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  • Andy Herdherdingdata@mastodon.scot
    Apr 14, 2025, 4:57 PM

    I am very chuffed with my recent discovery that with the following components you can make a very portable, compact and powerful (yet efficient!) USB-C desk fan:

    1. Arctic P14 max (computer cooling fan, large) £12
    2. Couple of 140mm metal grates £6
    3. “PWM 4pin speed controller” (literally a 3d printed case around a very simple circuit with a USB-C input) ebay.co.uk/itm/296502185149 £6
    4. Some teeny tiny bits of lego technic to make a stand

    A picture of a small fan on my desk. It’s a white 140mm fan originally intended to live in a computer. There’s a pen in front of it which is approximately the same width. There’s a small black box with a potentiometer next to it which is the controller.
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Replies

  • Andy Herdherdingdata@mastodon.scot
    Apr 14, 2025, 5:02 PM

    It amazed me that looking around for a USB-C fan to come travelling, most of what’s out there is A) cheap plasticky trash;and B) mostly USB-A.

    I refuse to buy USB-A accessories in the year 2025. The format is dead to me. I want to always have the right cable with me for all my devices (don’t even get me started on this being extremely not solved for USB-C 😅)

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  • Andy Herdherdingdata@mastodon.scot
    Apr 14, 2025, 5:10 PM

    It’s funny how some niches get EXTREMELY well-solved with good engineering (e.g. computer cooling) and yet never marketed for use cases beyond the original very narrow case, despite being very capable & cross functional.

    I often reverse a large trailer in unfamiliar places at night. I was looking for 2x “red torch” to be markers. Every torch I found was either hideously expensive or not rechargable / only charges with USB-A. Until brainwave: rear bicycle lights are cheap as chips & USBC!

    Two red “rear” lights for bicycles. They are strapped around tiny plastic boxes so that they can stand on their own when placed on the ground. An extra detail as a treat to YOU as a reward for reading the alt text - the tiny plastic boxes are actually oversize lego blocks which were originally salt and pepper shakers
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