Factory has given me a ship date of 11/22, so I'll start taking preorders around that time.
(Topic ID: 215113)
Larkspur, CA
These should be shipping from the factory in one day (they're a day ahead, so the 22nd is our 21st), so I'll probably start taking preorders on Friday once I've verified they're on the way.
If you want one of the plug and play kits (Sunon fan, custom length cable, correct connector, and two thread-cutting screws) for $12 + $3 shipping, PM me your email address and I'll send you a paypal invoice. According to the tracking, they should be here early next week and I can start shipping them out. If you want multiple fans, shipping is discounted to $1.50 for every fan after the first one since the box, tape, label is already paid for with the first one. I'll try to make sure everyone that said they were interested gets a PM, too, but I may not get everyone. Just PM me your email if you want to be sure.
And just reiterating that opening the power supply may void your warranty (likely will), so if you're unsure about that, don't do it. I have tested these Sunon 12.6dB fans extensively and even with the slightly reduced airflow vs the noisy Stern one, the temperatures inside the power supply and in the head don't get anywhere near the tolerance range for the power supply where it would cut off. I have put them in all the machines that are out on the route I help maintain and had zero problems, but again, if you're not sure, don't to it.
Also, this plug and play kit is for people who feel the instructions I made in the initial post are too hard or too much trouble. If you buy the parts (especially if you buy more than one) you can do it yourself cheaper. That option is still available, and all the instructions and part numbers are in post 1 of this thread.
Added over 5 years ago:Shipping is $4.
I tried this modification and successfully swapped the fan out, but I did run into some issues. My particular power supply had this white glue like substance that prevented me from easily removing the cable for the old fan intact. I tried removing it, but it's REALLY stuck on those components.
Edit: Looks like it was addressed earlier in this thread and I missed it.
20181111_170025 (resized).jpgQuoted from DeeGor:I tried this modification and successfully swapped the fan out, but I did run into some issues. My particular power supply had this white glue like substance that prevented me from easily removing the cable for the old fan intact. I tried removing it, but it's REALLY stuck on those components.
Edit: Looks like it was addressed earlier in this thread and I missed it. [quoted image]
If you're lucky you can just pull up and it will pop out of the goo, but depending on how much or how deep it is in the goo, you may have to carefully cut an escape path for the original cord.
Also, I've started favoring routing the cord from the fan off the left side (rather than the right where it's tighter).
I had to slice my goo, but it was fun. Who doesn't like slicing into toffee-like goo with an exacto?
Quoted from D-Gottlieb:Good of you to step and make these. I hope you sell a bunch.
Could someone summarize where to get this fan and what it costs? Thanks
Quoted from mcbPalisade:Could someone summarize where to get this fan and what it costs? Thanks
Look at post 208 (8 posts up) if you want to order one from Vireland. If you want to make your own, the first page of the thread has all the details you need.
London
Quoted from NeilMcRae:so vireland 15 for the UK folks!
Neil.
I just PMed you. I need you to PM me your delivery address to get a postal quote for shipping to your UK address.
Test fit one of the production fan kits and it works great. The little bit of extra wire length I added since the last sample run really helped. Now that I've confirmed the fit and function of the final kits, I'll start sending them out tomorrow!
Quoted from PBMAN:Sweet. Looking forward to getting that OEM out. Thanks Vireland
The difference in volume is shocking, but I put a notice with these to not get carried away because of that and remember to do the paper-towel test (leave the backglass off and tear a piece of paper towel off and rest it on the top of the power supply, then play the game until it blows off and shows the fan install was successful and it turns on when the temp gets too high). You can set the backglass brightness to 0% in the adjustments so it's not blinding you while you test.
Got my fan tonight an installed it. The sound difference is really noticeable. You will hear it in a completely quiet room, but if you're talking at a normal volume or have the TV on at a moderate volume, you will never hear this new fan. You can hear the stock fan easily under those two conditions.
DON'T MAKE MY MISTAKE! THE STICKER ON THE FAN NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUTWARD OF THE POWER SUPPLY HOUSING. I had to take the whole damn thing apart and reverse it.
I'd like to thank Vireland for taking the time and risk to get a solution for us, then going beyond that with a plug and play application he's clearly not making any money on.
Quoted from Cheddar:put the fan in my ghostbusters Saturday night and had it on freeplay at the Sacramento Gamers Expo all day Sunday. Very little downtime and worked perfectly!
Awesome to hear. It would basically have to stop working completely to create a problem since the auto cutoff for that power supply is over 150 degrees. I've never had it get over 122 with the quiet fans.
This is a must have for anyone that has a noisy fan on a spike system!!! It really is a must have to make your pin calm down and not be so crazy . I put this on my starwars pro and it is awesome !!! I don’t understand why this isn’t a factory install . No more high spinning fan noise and my pinball is playing and running just great! I used to turn my game off when watching tv because it was a distraction, but now I don’t even hear it !!!! Will
Buy more !! Thanks for the mod 
Quoted from Phatchit:This is a must have for anyone that has a noisy fan on a spike system!!! It really is a must have to make your pin calm down and not be so crazy . I put this on my starwars pro and it is awesome !!! I don’t understand why this isn’t a factory install . No more high spinning fan noise and my pinball is playing and running just great! I used to turn my game off when watching tv because it was a distraction, but now I don’t even hear it !!!! Will
Buy more !! Thanks for the mod
Thanks for the nice review. I also am completely confused as to why Stern doesn't order the meanwell power supplies with quieter fans like the one here. They're ordering thousands (3000-5000 at a time?) so the Chinese manufacturer will DEFINITELY take requests. They'd probably take requests with as little as 1000! Yes, the quieter fan does have reduced airflow, but the practical result is that when the power supply hits the turn on threshold for hear, it just runs longer before it shuts off and never gets anywhere near the critical shutoff temps built into the power supply. Who cares if it runs 5 minutes instead of 2 when you can't hear it? Until they wake up, this option will be available as a DIY with the instructions I provided or as a plug n play kit you can buy.
Quoted from PinMonk:Thanks for the nice review. I also am completely confused as to why Stern doesn't order the meanwell power supplies with quieter fans like the one here. They're ordering thousands (3000-5000 at a time?) so the Chinese manufacturer will DEFINITELY take requests. They'd probably take requests with as little as 1000! Yes, the quieter fan does have reduced airflow, but the practical result is that when the power supply hits the turn on threshold for hear, it just runs longer before it shuts off and never gets anywhere near the critical shutoff temps built into the power supply. Who cares if it runs 5 minutes instead of 2 when you can't hear it? Until they wake up, this option will be available as a DIY with the instructions I provided or as a plug n play kit you can buy.
Seems like Stern has more to worry about than this, with the issues the basic games are having. But you're right, this would be a pretty easy slam dunk.
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:Seems like Stern has more to worry about than this, with the issues the basic games are having. But you're right, this would be a pretty easy slam dunk.
Actually, their games are humming along nicely now.
2 weeks later
Vireland, thanks for making this easy. I’ve got all mine done (other than WNBJM). A lot less high pitch whine in the game room now!
WNBJM, while spike, uses a different power supply (MW SP-320-48) with a 60x60x25 fan inside. I’ve ordered a Noctua fan to replace it, especially since I might have canonibized an annoying cable or two while removing them from the other Spike games.
Quoted from jfesler:Vireland, thanks for making this easy. I’ve got all mine done (other than WNBJM). A lot less high pitch whine in the game room now!
WNBJM, while spike, uses a different power supply (MW SP-320-48) with a 60x60x25 fan inside. I’ve ordered a Noctua fan to replace it, especially since I might have canonibized an annoying cable or two while removing them from the other Spike games.
Do you have a picture? It's probably the same power supply Stern used on the original Spike Pros with the fan on the face instead of the top before unifying all models on the power supply they have in them now.
Noctua fans are great. I used 3 to make WoZ essentially silent.
2 weeks later
Bump for a great product and because these are a must have to kill the annoying fan noise ! Already put one in Starwars and couldn’t believe the difference and have another for my Munsters when it arrives 
thanks for a sweet plug and play option.
Quoted from Phatchit:Bump for a great product and because these are a must have to kill the annoying fan noise ! Already put one in Starwars and couldn’t believe the difference and have another for my Munsters when it arrives thanks for a sweet plug and play option.
Thanks for the support. It really is amazing how much quieter the Spike power supplies can be and STILL be cooled WELL inside the limits of the spec (as in, not even CLOSE to the upper limit). One day Stern will order their Meanwell power supplies with these already in them. I will be happy to see that day. Until then, I'll keep offering these even though I have to bring them in a few hundred at a time.
Quoted from PinMonk:One day Stern will order their Meanwell power supplies with these already in them. I will be happy to see that day. Until then, I'll keep offering these even though I have to bring them in a few hundred at a time.
Stern has zero incentive to do that (it can only increase their cost), so I think your awesome improved fans are safe forever
Quoted from snakesnsparklers:Stern has zero incentive to do that (it can only increase their cost), so I think your awesome improved fans are safe forever
Given the volume Stern orders those power supplies in, the net change in cost would very likely be zero. Meanwell would do it to keep the volume of power supply business Stern does with them.
But if they never do it, I'm fine continuing to supply a plug and play fix.
1 month later
Quoted from MJW:Passed paper towel test. Thanks Vireland. You are an asset to the hobby. Game has all your improvements. Spotlight electrical tape trick has also stopped pita bulbs falling out in other games.
Glad to hear it. The fan change is such a HUGE improvement in a home environment. One of the best things a person can do to improve the game. Those stock fans are obnoxious!
Quoted from NPO:Bought just now - thanks Vire for doing this!!
Post once you get it installed. I'm sure you're going to like the difference!
I've made a change to the OP and the sale page to be clearer about what pins these DO NOT work on:
NOTE: THIS FAN WILL NOT WORK ON WHOA NELLIE!, PABST CAN CRUSHER, PRIMUS OR ANY VERY EARLY PRO THAT HAS THE FAN ON THE FRONT OF THE POWER SUPPLY. IT IS FOR THE LISTED MACHINES THAT HAVE THE FAN ON THE TOP OF THE POWER SUPPLY.
They were never listed as compatible on the sale page, but it wasn't totally clear that they weren't listed on purpose until now.
Brought home a Beatles this weekend. Holy crap the game room was noisy again! Ripped out the power supply and swapped fans .. and that fan whine is gone.
Thanks!
Quoted from jfesler:Brought home a Beatles this weekend. Holy crap the game room was noisy again! Ripped out the power supply and swapped fans .. and that fan whine is gone.
Thanks!
Thanks for posting so I know for sure that Beatles isn't using the older-style power supply with the same fan as Whoa Nellie/Pabst/Primus.
Once you experience Stern spike machines without that terrible stock fan noise, you can't tolerate it in any new machine.
West Dapto - Australia
Quoted from Wotto:Just installed tonight in IMDN.
Soooooo much better.
Waited for paper test.
All good.
DP next.
Thanks for this.
Welcome to the quiet fan club!
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