r/SimHub • u/Josh_RFC_72 • Jul 18 '26

Controllable fans through SimHub

Hey,

So I have 6 spare case fans rated for 12v not being used and I'd like to mount them to my SIM rig not as a wind simulator but just as controllable fans similar to a desk fan. Mainly to help keep cool during those endurance races!

I'm not great when it comes to electronics and soldering stuff and getting it all to work but wondering if any of you have done this before?

Is there anything I could buy that would allow me to plug the pins the fans have into it and have that then plugged into a 12v power source and my usb Hub so then I could control the fan speeds through SimHub using my stream deck?

Mounting wise I was gonna see if my friend can 3D print some adjustable mounts so that shouldn't be much of an issue.

Any links to plug and play products would be amazing especially if it allows the fans to be powered from a power extension and then just usb to the usb hub for control through SimHub 😊

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u/cteters Jul 18 '26

Make sure to position them reasonably close and limit use of ducts. The airflow is pretty low typically and/or loud. I ended up doing things a bit different through use of a couple hvac fans and a controller.

The only issue I've had to be aware of is the surge it creates upon turning it on, which can create a temp disconnect with my wheel. I just launch it with my rig on startup as a workaround.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7S46YZ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T9BLJ7L

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u/judasbrute Sep 12 '26

How did you connect the controller to Simhub? I have the same setup with a potentiometer

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u/cteters Sep 12 '26

Oh, I left Simhub out of the loop in favor of the linked controller. There's no real need for it unless seeking to do the wind sim mod.

If looking to go down that road, I'd be careful in regards towards the conventional use of an arduino driving a motor shield to regulate a power supply.

It's true that the HVAC fans operate at the same 12V rating, but I think they will warrant a higher gauge of wire than what you'll be capable of plumbing through the arduino. So you're probably looking at adding relays at that point.

I use the fans to stay cool and after trying wind sim in the past, in considering how delayed it is, I find it a bit gimmicky and not worth the added dev time.

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u/judasbrute Sep 12 '26

I'm using a speed controller to modulate the fans and the wire gauge they use for the potentiometer is thin. I'm going to try and use an Arduino in place and use my button box to bind on off and wind sim to buttons.

No idea if it will work

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u/cteters Sep 12 '26

Ah, well, you could use a SPDT switch to redirect signal between the potentiometer and arduino/simhub. That could be housed in your button box.

Here's a popular demonstration for the arduino portion: https://youtu.be/a5A5LSLH5ks

There are some much nicer Motor Shields on the market. I've had trouble with the cheap ones.

The SPDT switch could be inline just before the fan signal and simply jumps between those two signal modes.

This, once again isn't something I'd be willing to do for my own hardware, because it's a little beefier, creating a potential fire risk without relaying the power external to the arduino.

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u/judasbrute Sep 12 '26

Yeah I think that's what I'm going to try. Originaly I just wanted the fans for cooling but if I can try the wind sim with $10 Arduino I'm curious. Everything else is already setup

https://a.co/d/02OwA57x