Rack cooling

[jostber]

I have received my new Pro Audio Bono rack last week. As I have 3 large amps in this rack with a lot of valves I wondered about installing some cooling. Does anyone has some recommended solutions for this? The rack is not enclosed, but I would like some cooling from above the amp.

[Ali Tait]

Some folk have used pc cooling fans for this purpose. Could be attached to the rack, or a box made up of MDF or wood with the fans inside, the box would then go underneath the amp to give airflow up through vents in the bottom of the amp, assuming it has any.

[jostber]

Thanks, I need to have the fans above the amp(s), there is no room under them as they stand on their separate anti-vibration shelfs. I have seen these possible solutions recently:

http://www.activethermal.com/page16.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ANTEC-COOLER-GB-VERIS-MEDIA/dp/B000VE61XK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

There are certainly a lot of other possibilities as well, but I guess these parameters would be important:

- Effective cooling
- Silent operation and low noise
- No introdution of RFI in the mains
- Endurance and stability in construction and operation

[bobbasrah]

Large diameter low rev DC fans at the back of the rack will push the convection currents from the amps forward of the rack to disperse into the room?

[jostber]

Thanks! Will check out more on that.

[bobbasrah]

Thanks! Will check out more on that.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article63-page2.html
Plenty of other sites around for alternative models Jostein, but pretty much the same principle. Unless you have a need to switch them on temperature, the easy way is to have them running continuously at low speed.
125s are pretty silent on low revs, resistors in line to reduce the speed.....

[jostber]

I found a Norwegian distributor for the active thermal fans. Might check out these.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Studio gear is available which offer 19" rack mounted fans with baffles to funnel the stream where you want it.
Audio Research used to make something similar:

Ventilators - http://www.arcdb.ws/RMV3/RMV3.html
Fan bases - http://www.arcdb.ws/FB/FB.html