#140358 - 11/13/10 12:55 PM
DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
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Veteran Member
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 1501
Loc: New York
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So, I never replaced the fan in my DA-7. It would periodically make hissing and/or light grinding noises over the last several years but, they always then went away before they became so bothersome that I had do a replacement.
A couple of days ago, it finally started making a pretty loud and consistent report of a bearing failure. Loud and long enough that I finally decided to unpatch the desk, pull it out of the "studio" and finally tear into it and check out what it takes to replace the fan or if I could rebuild it.
As a side observation on that: The guides to doing this project here on the DA-7/Audiotalkback site are woefully inadequate. I'd be happy to do a more comprehensive write-up (w/pictures), if anyone thinks it's worth it (i.e. am I like, the last person with a DA-7 that has yet to replace the fan?)
Anyway, the part number listed for the fan here on the site (in a post by Justin) returns a part classified as a "motor" when searched in the Panasonic parts locator website. It may be the right part and just described poorly, I don't know. In any case, it's now up to like, $92.00 or some ridiculous price.
I wanted to see if I could rebuild the old fan for the time being and source a good (hopefully better quality) fan, as a replacement. I opened up the DA-7 and took the fan out and noticed it is a 60mm x 10mm 5v fan - mine is made by a company called "Shicoh."
I took the sticker off the fan, revealing the little circlip at the end of the fan shaft holding it all together and took the whole thing apart. It's not that hard to do - just pretty small parts in a tight package. Inside, the fan has a tiny little roller-cage bearing that the fan shaft sits in so, it is pretty difficult to "rebuild" it on the spot. I did the best I could to try and pack some bearing crease in the tiny little bearing through the gaps around the cage covers, I also put a little more grease on the shaft and the plain bearing that it sits in and put the whole thing together. It's noticeably quieter than it was but, it still make s slight hissing-type sound so, it's not good and will need to be replaced.
Which leads me to - I also searched for replacement fans and found quite a few sources for them. Average price for a 60mm x 10mm 5v, 3 conductor (positive, negative and "speed") fan (i.e. essentially a "direct replacement") is about $10.00 from various suppliers found on the internet.
I ended up finding a source for the EXACT fan that is in my DA-7 - the Shicoh A0160 - through Amazon. They sell them in two packs (why 2-Packs, I don't know, but...) and I bought a package of two for $9.99 - total of $15 w/ shipping. They should be here next week.
Question for those of you who got the part from Panasonic and did the fan replacement - Was the new part you got just a replacement (perhaps even the Shico brand fan that is in my DA-7) or was it an upgrade? I'm wondering if the known problem is with the OEM Shicoh fans being shitty and I shouldn't waste my time simply replacing with the original OEM fan, but upgrade to a better fan, now.
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Obama sucked. I wish I were up there instead of Obama. ~ Nick Batzdorf
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#140361 - 11/13/10 03:35 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: Knife]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 06/05/04
Posts: 1301
Loc: Brentwood, TN
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I'm sure I'll be needing to go here at some point in the near future. These guys make some of the best fans available, bu they don't have a 60mm model: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=produkte&lng=enHow about a link to the Amazon product? I'll gladly order one now.
Edited by mlange (11/13/10 03:47 PM) Edit Reason: speling
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#140363 - 11/13/10 03:45 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: mlange]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 1501
Loc: New York
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MLange: The link is below but, if your fan isn't acting up right now, I'd wait a bit - even just to see how my escapade turns out, even if no one else answers with deeper experience and more detail. It might be worth it to skip the Shicoh fans and just upgrade to a better "computer-grade" one, like an Evercool or similar. http://www.amazon.com/Shicoh-Blade-60mm-...8055&sr=8-4
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Obama sucked. I wish I were up there instead of Obama. ~ Nick Batzdorf
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#140366 - 11/13/10 08:01 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: Knife]
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Founding Member
Registered: 08/21/02
Posts: 5136
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Was the new part you got just a replacement (perhaps even the Shico brand fan that is in my DA-7) or was it an upgrade? I'm wondering if the known problem is with the OEM Shicoh fans being shitty and I shouldn't waste my time simply replacing with the original OEM fan, but upgrade to a better fan, now. Mine were supplied by Panasonic, identical to the originals. And the replacements worked fine throughout the time I had the DA7's, no issues for years until they were sold.
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#140367 - 11/13/10 08:39 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: TheHopiWay]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 1501
Loc: New York
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The replacement fan I received from Panasonic two years ago is the Shicoh, same as original. It's still in the box as I haven't need it yet. The part # on the box is YWA06105V, part name is DC Motor,0,9V. Interesting. That's the part number I sourced form Panasonic. It's listed as a "motor." It's now priced at $92.24!!! Are you SURE it's listed as "9v"? Maybe the packaging has a typo? The Shicoh fan in my DA-7 is definitely a 5v one - and as far as I can tell, Shicoh only makes them in 5, 12 and 24 volt varieties. Not 9v. My fan says "5v .18a" right on it and the full part number on the fan is, indeed, "A0160- 5v" I wonder if the Panasonic "fix" on this known-problem is to install a 12v (9v?) fan, to replace the 5v one, which maybe runs too hot in the DA-7 application?
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Obama sucked. I wish I were up there instead of Obama. ~ Nick Batzdorf
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#140374 - 11/14/10 07:02 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: rick]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 1501
Loc: New York
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Yep. The Shicoh 5v fan specs out to 0.9 watts at 0.18 amps and 5 volts. The maths works out.
That's it.
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Obama sucked. I wish I were up there instead of Obama. ~ Nick Batzdorf
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#140393 - 11/15/10 06:57 PM
Re: DA-7 Cooling Fan Update - Is This Still of Interest?
[Re: Knife]
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Veteran Member
Registered: 07/22/02
Posts: 1501
Loc: New York
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Well, if anyone is thinking about buying one of those "direct replacement" Shicoh fans that I linked to - don't (unless you want to take them apart and use them for parts, as I am now considering doing). I just got the ones I ordered today and, despite the picture on the seller's site being a clear three-conductor model and all other designations on the fan being the same, these are not the same. They are only two conductor. I assume the DA-7 actually uses the third conductor, which is typically a fan speed control lead so, I'm not going to install one of these. Since I have them though, I may take one apart and see if they are ready to accept the third lead from the old fan I have. If they are, I may "build" a replacement fan out of one of these and the leads form my old DA-7 fan. I assume doing that is not something the rest of the DA-7 community wants to get into. If not, look for replacement fans that definitely have the three conductors, elsewhere. Like: http://www.directron.com/ec6010m05ca.html?gsear=1 - $4.99 or http://www.coolerguys.com/840556093442.html - $6.99
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Obama sucked. I wish I were up there instead of Obama. ~ Nick Batzdorf
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