Fanny Mac Clone (Community Feedback)

[Stephen]

I've made a dimensionally accurate 3D replica of the "Fanny Mac" but now I'd love community feedback. The fanny mac is an active cooling device which inserts into the handle cavity on early Compact Macs.

Feedback
I see feedback as fitting into three broad categories:

1. What fan is best for this? Generally speaking I think 115v is a good choice for international use and ease of wiring but there are many other fan considerations (see below). Try to be specific with suggestions if possible (e.g., make and model).
2. What should the name be? (Fanny McFan Face? Maybe a little more PG )
3. Other suggestions

Fan Consideration
The original design used a 115v blower fan — conceptually identical to modern computer fans, like this:

And that sort of feels like a funny choice because the airflow of the fanny mac is like this — it is pulled horizontally through the handle cavity and then vertically out of the fanny mac. Maybe there's a fan option that inherently meets this need?

Future Updates
Once we come to a general agreement on the three categories I'll build out the details of the model further, which I will release as open source.

 

[Trash80toG4]

Confused here, does it cool by overpressuring the case with cool air or by sucking the hot air out? The former would wreak havoc with the Compact's convection cooling setup, I'd think?

 

[retr01]

We were talking about the Fanny Mac in a recent thread. I am glad that you are doing this, @Stephen.

https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/fs-fanny-mac-cooler-for-compact-macs.1769/

@KennyPowers, @JDW, @Certificate of Excellence

 

[KennyPowers]

Pretty sure you've got the airflow backwards in your diagram. It sucks air out of the computer, not blows it in. That being the case, I think a normal blower fan like the original would be best (not sure how well those radial blower fans work in "reverse"). 115V AC like the original would make the wiring easier. Finding one that spins slow enough to be acceptably quiet would be important too. Knowing the required dimensions of the fan would be necessary for identifying specific make/model candidates.

 

[retr01]

Yeah, I agree with @KennyPowers and @Trash80toG4. Blow the air out, not suck in. Heat rises per physics.

 

[Stephen]

Knowing the required dimensions of the fan would be necessary for identifying specific make/model candidates.

Pretty confident that the original is 80mm from mounting point to mounting point. I’ll confirm general dimensions this evening.

Confused here, does it cool by overpressuring the case with cool air or by sucking the hot air out?

Pretty sure you've got the airflow backwards in your diagram. It sucks air out of the computer, not blows it in.

Fixed, thank you both!

 

[Trash80toG4]

De nada. Excited to see this repro project taking shape!

Wondering about your centrifugal blower notion anyway. Check CFM/decibel output of right sized blowers against axials for that cubic, there's plenty of height for the intake side. Shooting both air and noise directly out the backside might be a much better solution overall?

Such would have been more costly then as it likely might be now, but there's no comparison in terms of efficiency, centrifugal beats axial hands down.

 

[JDW]

Holy cow, @Stephen ! You're amazing!

Not sure if the FannyMac name copyright still exists, but if not, why not keep using it? Maybe add a fun new logo too...

(‿|‿)​

FANNY MAC​

​

The main question on my mind is how much noise do the AC fans generate as compared to their 12V counterparts? It becomes more complex and expensive to implement a 12V fan solution because you'd need an AC-to-DC power converter, but in the end, most people will ponder the noise. The goal, of course, is to get the greatest airflow with the least amount of noise.

 

[retr01]

The main question on my mind is how much noise do the AC fans generate as compared to their 12V counterparts? It becomes more complex and expensive to implement a 12V fan solution because you'd need an AC-to-DC power converter, but in the end, most people will ponder the noise. The goal, of course, is to get the greatest airflow with the least amount of noise.

If it is not quiet for @JDW, then it is too loud, right?

 

[KennyPowers]

Holy cow, @Stephen ! You're amazing!

Not sure if the FannyMac name copyright still exists, but if not, why not keep using it? Maybe add a fun new logo too...

(‿|‿)​

FANNY MAC​

​

I like it, though I believe "fanny" is slang for something else entirely in the UK, Australia, NZ...

 

[JDW]

If it is not quiet for @JDW, then it is too loud, right?

I'm not as bad as Steve Jobs who demanded "no fan at all." It is because of his demand for absolute silence that we are evening having this discussion today! But I respect the man for wanting to keep the Mac quiet. So what all of us must do is find the right compromise. And here's how...

Not sure if the fan is 60mm or 80mm, but choose the size and thickness, then buy one Noctua running at 12V and another fan of the same size running off AC power, test the airflow and listen to the sound, and take note of the intensity of fan vibrations, as that will rattle the Mac and possible make more noise. Based on that test, you know which way to go.

 

[Stephen]

This is the datasheet for the Etri 146DJ-2182-030... it's 28 dB @ 115vac / 60 hz

 

[JDW]

This is the datasheet for the Etri 146DJ-2182-030... it's 28 dB @ 115vac / 60 hz

View attachment 8471

Thanks, Stephen.
Comparing to an equivalent sized Noctua fan...

FAN MODEL	VOLTAGE	AIRFLOW	NOISE	SPEED	LIFE	ANTI-VIBRATION?
Etri 146DJ-2182-030	115 VAC fan (@60Hz)	21 CFM	28 dB(A)	2600 RPM	50,000 hours	No
Noctua NF-A8 PWM	12V DC fan	33 CFM	17.7 dB(A)	2200 RPM	150,000 hours	Yes

 

[François]

One advantage of a 12V DC fan + associated power supply is that, provided you use a universal PSU, you’ll have an international design.
With an AC fan, you’ll have to source the correct fan that will run on your country’s main power. (speaking from 220V/50Hz land)

 

[pocketscience]

Generally speaking I think 115v is a good choice for international use

Umm, not really. Plenty of places use 220-240V.. like here in Australia.

That being said the original was never sold here (to my knowledge), I think partly because the name has different connotations in local parlance... I shall say no more on that topic.

 

[JDW]

Umm, not really. Plenty of places use 220-240V.. like here in Australia.

That being said the original was never sold here (to my knowledge), I think partly because the name has different connotations in local parlance... I shall say no more on that topic.

Not to get too off-topic (we are talking about names for this thing after all), I have always considered the term "fanny" to be a much more subdued version of "ass" (the fatty part our bodies sit on). Indeed, I would say that mostly women seem to use "fanny" in my sphere, which always made me more comfortable with it. I am not one to say "kick his ass," for example. "Ass" borders on being profanity for me, so I with subtle humor tend to use the alternate word "fanny" instead. Most Americans should know that fanny means one's back side, so I am rather taken aback by Beck-Tech's use of it. It does have the word "fan" in it, but still...

With that in mind, it would be best if the name ultimately chosen is agreeable to people who speak all flavors of English, across various countries.

"MacCooler"?

"JWA"? (Jobs Wouldn't Approve)

@Stephen ?

 

[Mu0n]

Device to Apply Forced Thermodynamics Utilizing Fluid Mechanics.

 

[KennyPowers]

Haven't heard it mentioned yet...are we planning on keeping the original's ability to basically plug the mac into it and turn both the fan and computer on with a single, easily-accessible switch? Does using a 12VDC fan with an external power supply complicate that? I guess the power supply would need to sit between the switch and the fan? Or are we talking about a power supply small enough to fit inside the housing with the fan?

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

An adjustable speed knob would be neat. I also like the idea of keeping the original designs pass through but is not critical,

The name is great. My perverse mind finds subtle humor in either parlance.

 

[retr01]

Macorando
"Power cool your Mac!"​

Featuring a high-efficiency, powerful, and quiet fan, the Macorando can suck the heat out of your Mac 128k, 512k, or Plus with a tornado. Your Mac will be cool to last a long time for years of fun!