RE: Hacking fan controller

["Neil Ball" <neilball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As the start-up current of the motor is stated then that takes care of
the
loading for the dimmer although is the 2A rating of C-Bus for inductive
loads or simple resistive loads?

Neil B.

-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Paul Gale
Sent: 29 January 2008 14:35
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Hacking fan controller

Thanks - looks like the slider is fairly flimsy but reasonably big (40-50mm
long).

Although Li just reminded me that I could use a CBus dimmer channel which
would be potentially easier to rig up and more controllable? - especially
through your gateway and control via HV. I would lose manual control from
the controller (wouldn't actually fit the controller) although this could
then be done via a CBus
switch.

This is the fan:

http://www.vent-axia.com/products/commercial/acp.asp
ACP200-12A

Looks like it'd need a 2A dimmer channel as S.C. (startup current???) is
1.52A with F.L.C. (full load??) at 0.68A and 150W power consumption.

Does that look about right? I'd need to buy another 2A dimmer pack as I've
used them all up now.

Paul.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Kevin Hawkins
> Sent: 29 January 2008 14:07
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Hacking fan controller
>
> So at one end the full resistance is inline and at the other it is
> effectively zero ?  Does the pot look a very light duty ie electronic
> circuitry type (few ma) or might it be beefier - handling a heavy
> current / high voltage (mains even)   ?  If it's electronic circuitry
> you may have some other options eg analog input , but otherwise as you
> say you can switch in/out some equivalently rated resistors with
> relays.  If you wire a few in series it would give you multiple speeds
> eg 3 would give you six speeds plus full on/off.. ( 3 different values
> -
> maybe divide original resistance by 8 and have 1x 2x and 4x ).  Look
at
> the linearity of the existing pot vs speed and also whether the pot is
> a
> logarithmic or linear version.
>
> You will need some software  'smarts' to sequence the relays in a
> binary
> fashion eg a HomeVision macro via the HV outputs or C-Bus relays
> (slight
> overkill)  via your gateway.
>
>  Paul Gale wrote:
> > 3 but two at one end are soldered into the same track, so it's
across
> the entire adjustment renge.
> >
> > Paul.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> Behalf
> >> Of Kevin Hawkins
> >> Sent: 29 January 2008 13:35
> >> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> >> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Hacking fan controller
> >>
> >> How many wires to the pot Paul - 2 or 3 ?
> >>
> >>     K
> >>
> >> Paul Gale wrote:
> >>
> >>> I've now got the fan and controller in the new Node0. At
the moment
> >>> the fan is manually controlled or a simple on/off via
CBus.
> >>>
> >>> I want to hack into the speed controller to give me a few
speed
> >>> options. The speed of the fan in controlled by a 470K
sliding pot.
> >>>
> >> Can
> >>
> >>> I simply hack into this via a number of relays and
provide my own
> >>> alternative resistances? Or might there be another way of
achieving
> >>>
> >> this?
> >>
> >>> Paul.
> >>>
> >>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>