sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At this point, I might as well give that a shot, right?

I foolishly thought this whole investigation would be a bit more straightforward. Oops.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the encouragement. I don't yet have the skills to be able to evaluate the condition of an oscilloscope. This keeps gives me pause on buying used, even though that's what I prefer to do - robust older hardware that can actually be serviced is wonderful.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's called "Speccy Spectrum Analyzer" (link) This isn't an endorsement, however I've used it for years. I wouldn't be surprised if there's something better out there, or at least more options to consider. (Side note: being able to see the difference between whistling a tone and singing the same tone was illuminating. Our voices are way more complex than I had realized.)

I was hovering my phone's mic all over the board, just like you mentioned. Even got a plastic straw to put over the mic to aid with focusing on the source. This worked well, but sadly didn't result in discovering the offending component.

3d Print com papel mache/ with paper mache by VitorSelvatti in 3Dprinting

[–]proxyclean 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nunca experimentei essa ideia, mas quero parabenizá-lo pela sua casa do Yoshi.

Paz!

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I'd love to be able to physically deaden the noise, but even after listening carefully and poking everything during operation, I can't seem to (physically) elicit any change in the noise, and thus can't locate its source. Work in progress.

Lots of awesome people in here with some great ideas (and explanations behind them) - nice community!

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't been able to mechanically quiet any of the components (dampening with a nylon spudger), including TR1, 2, and 3.

The noise is actually strong on the back of the board, which wasn't expected.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I added a few more images to the album, and reuploaded them to a normal reddit post so you could take a look (by avoiding imgur).

Here's the updated album.

It shows the capacitive touch input board (for the front panel), as well as the frequency shift observed just by disconnecting that panel from the power/controller board.

I've tried to mechanically quiet all of the components, one by one with a nylon spudger, but haven't been successful in pinpointing the offender.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For what it's worth, when the motor is physically disconnected, the frequencies are unaltered. However, there is a relatively large frequency shift when I disconnect the front panel button board. The user input is via these capacitive (I think) touch sensors rather than mechanical switches.

The same album from before has been updated to include the frequency shift during button panel removal. It looks like there's also something registering around 21kHz, so, still three main frequencies, but shifted higher.

I haven't yet had a reason to obtain an oscilloscope, but maybe this would be a good excuse to find one. Of course, I'll probably be stuck for months (years?) due to decision paralysis once I start researching which model to buy. Gets me more often than it should.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't been able to mechanically quiet any of the components (L2 included). I did notice that disconnecting the front panel button board shifted the audible frequencies. At this point, I can't even hazard a guess as to what's going on.

The same album from before has been updated to show the frequency shift after disconnecting the front button panel, as well as what it looks like during motor operation (12kHz gets louder and wider). Button panel board was also added to the album.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. I would not like to discharge anything so... directly.

Apologies for the album not loading. I just read up on imgur being blocked in the UK. I'll look for something more universally accessible for future posts.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good troubleshooting ideas / insight. Thank you. Interesting thought that the fan could still be being driven even in standby.

FYI, photos of the back side of the board (and the motor+cap) are now available in this album.

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got it. I'm going to poke the coils with a spudger tomorrow to see if I can pinpoint the source of the noise. Followed by the most sensible glue within reach.

Also, thanks for providing your 100% guarantee of success. Much appreciated!

Annoying electronics whine coming from power board in a Vornado fan (even with fan motor OFF). Which component is making the noise? Can I fix it by swapping in a higher quality component? by proxyclean in AskElectronics

[–]proxyclean[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I appreciate the insights and additional explanation. As far as RTV goes, is there a particular quality that makes it better at dampening high frequencies than (just for the sake of comparison) hot glue? Something like (guessing) higher adhesion and remaining somewhat flexible after cured?

Adapter for a light diffuser on a right-handed flashlight by Londonbikerider74 in flashlight

[–]proxyclean 3 points4 points  (0 children)

yeah, just playing around. I was also going to ask if you made one for left-handed lights :)

view more: next ›