ZWO ASI 1600MM pro - minor fan issue | Astrophotography camera

Hi folks,
I have a minor fan issue with my zwo 1600mm pro fan (astrophotography camera) as demonstrated in the video. Any suggestions on how to resolve this are welcome, clear skies!
Music:
Moonlight sonata - Beethoven
link to my zwo asi 1600mm pro camera:
amzn.to/2ubpFyW
Website: www.astroforumspace.com/
Instagram: / astroforum

[@DeepVoid_70]

The fan is a Sunon Maglev, and as its name suggests it's a magnetic levitation fan (probably to limit the risk for vibrations when in use). An important name for a very cheap product, though :-) You can buy it on amazon for a very very few bucks, I suggest to replace the original one and see if it solves the issue. It's a 4010 model, that is 40mm x 10mm, maybe the smallest size in its series.

[@AstroQuest1]

I had the same issue with my ASI1600 six months after I purchased it. I actually sent mine back through the company I purchased it from (OPT). They (ZWO) fixed it and had it back within three weeks. This past summer it stopped working again but this time I noticed a bug had made a home in there so it was preventing the fan from turning. I took the back cover off and cleaned it and it has been working fine ever since. I would have no problem replacing the fan myself now that I see how it works and they are fairly cheap. - Good luck.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks for sharing your story astroquest. I bought this one directly from zwo. I've been in contact with them since the video and for me the best option may be to just replace the fan and see if that solves the issue. Cheers and clear skies!

[@sirmeowcelot]

The problem is the bushings with the time seize and offer resistance to the magnetic torque and the initial torque to start the spinning is regulated by a micro relay that no longer brings enough output to compensate the resistance offered by the seized bushing.that is planned obsolescence by design for the manufacturer.

[@gregorymckenna6609]

My guess is either bad bearings or dirt in the bearings. ZWO sells replacement fans for about 8-10 Euros. Check to see if one of the blades are catching on something. They are plastic so they might warp. With the power disconnected, manually turn blade by hand. Feel for ant resistance and listen for unusual sounds. Let us know if you find anything.

[@AstroForumSpace]

thanks for the tips Gregory! Nice to know replacement fans are so cheap, I'll order one and see if that solves the issue.

[@gregorymckenna6609]

AstroForum : here is the link for the fan: astronomy-imaging-camera.com/product/fan-for-cooledpro-cameras check the silver metal grate on the outside of the camera just in case it is pushed in and makes contact with the blades. Of course it is a good idea to have a spare fan anyways.

[@mentalleprechaun]

Electric motors require a starting current that is usually around 4-5x larger than the normal operating current. Because the issue seems to be only with starting (as giving it the slight boost by blowing on it starts the fan), I suspect that the cable may not be rated for the job. Double check the power cord you are using. If you arent using the stock cable then one you are using may not be rated for the required current (specifically the transformer part where the wall plug is). Otherwise there may be an issue with the fan where the motor controller is restricting the inrush current in which case it would probably be best to just replace the fan.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks! It's a stock camera. Made this video a couple of months ago but still have to replace the fan.

[@mycarolinaskies]

These fans are pretty common and were originally made for computers and for use in other electronics. My guess is that it's probably got just a little bit of dust or dirt that's accumulated at the little motor Drive Point and that's why if you give it a little bit of a push it'll start. Because it's so small and may be difficult to actually repair it and because it's so cheap it's easier to replace. If you have a local computer supply store or a specialty electronics store they may actually stock that fan.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hi, thanks for the advice. I didn't know these fans were so cheap. I'll try to replace it with a new one. Clear skies!

[@anaxsus]

I can just make out that you're using a Dirt Devil M606 power adapter for a power supply. While I can't find specific data on this power supply, it appears from related data that you are amp starving your cooling unit. The specs for the cooler are 12vDC @ 3A. An ideal power supply would have an output of 12vDC @ 5A. You should never over volt an electronic unit. However, amperage spec on a power supply is not what is being delivered to your cooler. It's the available amperage the power supply can deliver on demand when needed. Power supplies at max amp load tend to get hot and wear out quickly. The recommendation is to only use about a max of 80% the available amperage from a power supply to keep the supply cool and long lasting. 3A is 80% of 5A. Thus, an ideal power supply would be 12vDC @ 5A. What leads me to this diagnosis is that the fan will intermittently refuse to start. When a fan starts from a resting state, it draws a spike of amperage to get going. Then, it settles down to less amperage to maintain it's speed. The symptoms here, added to the likely specs of the power supply you're using, point to the cooling unit being amp starved. You can find such a power supply for as little as $14US. I hope this info helps.

[@AstroForumSpace]

cool, thanks for the info.

[@AstroPinoy]

I have 3 of these and one of them has a broken blade. I only notice when my stars on one scope is a little eggy. It broke at about 3yrs so I would say 3-4 yrs the fan could go. I bought 3 fans just in case the other two will go..

[@Just-a-Orion-on-the-internet.]

hallo ik heb dus een vraag en dat is. is een 90mm lenzentelescope goed voor bijvoorbeeld de orionnebula. gefeliciteerd met je 1k subscribers

[@AstroForumSpace]

Perfect zelfs. Alleen, je moet wel een goede astrografie telescoop kopen. Volgende week donderdag zet ik een video online die precies over dit onderwerp gaat. 😉

[@Just-a-Orion-on-the-internet.]

@@AstroForumSpace nou dat is toevallig merk is celestron

[@Just-a-Orion-on-the-internet.]

weer een vraagje is een deep sky filter ook goed als je gewoon met je ogen door een telescope kijkt

[@AstroForumSpace]

Kan helpen. Bijvoorbeeld een maanfilter kan voor beter zicht zorgen bij halvolle tot volle maan. Ik weet hier niet heel veel van omdat ik voornamelijk astrografie doe. Het geeft altijd wel een heel bijzonder gevoel in live naar de maan en planeten te kijken vind ik. Succes!

[@Just-a-Orion-on-the-internet.]

@@AstroForumSpace het geeft zeker een goed gevoel om naar de maan en planeten live te kijken

[@fusion-music]

Sounds like the fan is faulty. Not sure if they are brushless or not. I would contact the company or just replace the fan.

[@AstroForumSpace]

I'll do both, thanks for your thoughts!

[@TV2DAYproductions]

@@AstroForumSpace I used to fix huge big fans for heating. You are not supposed to fix them - but I did out of interest. These days, everything is modular - and you just replace. The description doesn't indicate a circuit failure of the board - but a simple one with the motor - which failure could simply bee dust / nicotine. Nicotine of course would only affect it during storage times if it was in that sort of environment. But I think it will be a simple fix. At least you can get it going by motivating it. There are other forms of motivation - like talking to it about the consequences of not working, but these things don't value life. I'm sure you will overcome your frustrations with this very soon.

[@brianlipsey9883]

Did you ever figure out how to resolve this issue? I have purchased and received my first zwo camera and I'm having the exact same problem.

[@AstroForumSpace]

I'm making sure my fan is running. If not,I blow in the camera which starts the fan. It's annoying and I should replace the fan. Didn't have time to do it.

[@brianlipsey9883]

@@AstroForumSpace Thanks for the response and good luck with your camera. Keep the videos coming you make excellent content and have helped me a lot in my new adventures in this hobby of astrophotography.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks Brian, I appreciate that. will let you know when i replace the fan, will make a video when i do. Clear skies!

[@killianmoore4985]

I had an issue with the cooling fan but it turned out to be a power supply issue. Try using a different 12v power supply cord.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks for the tip Killian! I've ordered the 12v adapter directly from ZWO. Maybe this will fix the issue. Clear skies

[@4ln1l4m]

Me too, with an Asi 294MC Pro, had the same situation solved with the changing of the cable.

[@VideoOneMedia]

You need to set your go to temperature and the time. 0 / 0 I would expect the cooler to shutdown and more than likely the internal logic would generate a "-1" error.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks, so should just do this in sgpro? Thanks for the tip!

[@miguelmorales9667]

Ok, this is an old video. But I had the same problem, so I put in a new fan and all worked fine afterwards.

[@RaysAstrophotography]

Strange! Some product issue or even driver issue!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hi Ray, yes. I think it's the fan itself. I'll order another one and see if that solves the issue, thanks!

[@photoggenes7443]

@@AstroForumSpace it's a shame we pay so much for the cameras to put in cheap fans.

[@darrenwarne9005]

They sell the fans on the ASI web site

[@karelroobroeck4111]

hey, jouw probleem wijst er op dat er te weinig stroom naar de ventilator gaat om op te starten. het probleem moet gezocht worden in de voeding. wat ook kan is dat het roullement van de ventilator stroef loopt waardoor de start stroom hoger is dan de voeding kan aanleveren.

[@dedskin1]

oil up your Cooler . They used Cheap Chinese Fans , clean it , remove the sticker and put some fresh oil in .Do the same to all of your fans in PC or whatever . That oil has a life time , needs changing to lubricate properly