2020 Update - MARCO SPECIALTIES IS SELLING A "QUIET FAN UPDATE" that is NOT a pinmonk Quiet Fan kit, and does not have a custom wire length specifically for the Spike power supplies, no connector (naked wire), no thread cutting screws, and no instructions. Basically, it's the DIY fan I linked to in this post - but instead of $10-15 for a naked fan, they're charging $25. Buyer beware.

NOTE: Due to popular demand, a plug and play solution with the custom fan and correct thread-cutting screws is now available if you don't want to bother with the DIY solution outlined in this original post below. This is available in my pinside store, Pin Monk (https://pinside.com/pinball/market/shops/1170-pin-monk) and pinmonk.com. International isn't working through pinside, so use pinmonk.com to order internationally. Otherwise, the DIY instructions to roll your own follow below. Here's what the plug n play kit looks like:

fan-kit-in-bag-sml (resized).jpg

Spooky / Multimorphic plug n play quiet fan kit is also available in the pinmonk store. SFAN-003.

May 2020 Update: Ministry of Pinball is carrying all the PinMonk fan kits now!
https://www.ministryofpinball.com/en/catalogsearch/result/?q=fan+kit

Sept 2019 Update: Pinball Life is also carrying the Spike Plug n Play Quiet Fan kit now:
https://www.pinballlife.com/stern-spike-system-plug-n-play-quiet-fan-kit.html

Aug 2019 Update: Working on a possible plug and play version for the previously-unsupported front-mounted fans on Stern Pro and contract pin 300W power supplies, and Spooky/Multimorphic power supplies (all three types will be the same fan specs).

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 SPIKE 2 GAMES (THE LISTED MACHINES ON THE STORE SALE PAGE THAT HAVE THE FAN ON THE TOP OF THE POWER SUPPLY). IF YOU'RE NOT SURE USE THIS PICTURE TO COMPARE WITH THE POWER SUPPLY YOU HAVE:

PowerSupplyComparison (resized).jpg
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ORIGINAL DIY VERSION POST
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NOISY Stern Spike 1/2 power supplies can be quieted SUBSTANTIALLY
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Stern insists on using CRAZY loud fans in their power supplies (34.6dB!) when much quieter ones (12.8dB) are available. I suggest picking up one of these from Digikey. It will be so quiet you can't hear it come on - a huge improvement over what Stern ships with. The CFM is less on this one, but I've never had a problem in a temperature-controlled location. If you have your pin outside in 90 degree heat, this is probably not a good idea. But for a house or temperature-controlled location, this is fine in my experience.

Replacement part 40mm x 40mm x 20mm - use ONLY this size fan:
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/sunon-fans/HA40201V4-000U-999/259-1617-ND/3694184

(If you're concerned about airflow, this one from mouser has 30% more airflow than the one above, but is 21dB instead of 12.8dB - still less than the Stern at 34dB: https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=MB40201V2-000U-A99 )

You'll need to get 2 thread cutting screws (NOT sheet metal, but they can work - look for "thread cutting" screws specifically) because the holes on this are a little bigger and the stock screws will not work to put it back in.

Stern used to have different power supplies in the Pro and Prem/LE, but it seems like they've settled on the Prem/LE type power supply for Pros, too, so this fan should work in all the recent Spike power supplies that have a small fan pointing up at the top edge of the power supply. If you have a larger fan in the middle of the PS on your older pro power supply, it's not nearly as loud, and you'll need to source a different fan.

Before you start this POWER OFF the machine and UNPLUG IT from the back of the head.

Here's the original Stern Fan:
original-Stern-fan (resized).jpg

Here's the newer, quieter fan:
new-fan (resized).jpg

This is the Stern Power Supply with the noisy fan:
powersupplyjpg (resized).jpg

Loosen (do not remove!) the two nuts on the left side of the power supply, then loosen the two on the right side of the power supply, then remove the three nuts in yellow below. Once you've done that the bottom cover will come forward and off:
power-supply-screws (resized).jpg

Once the lower cover is off, disconnect the two revealed connectors here:
power-supply-connector (resized).jpg

Remove the power supply by sliding it up and then pull it forward over the 4 loosened nuts. After removing the power supply, remove the two screws at the top end that hold the fan in:
power-supply-end (resized).jpg

Remove the 6 screws around the edge of the top side of the power supply and remove the lid, revealing the inside. The connector you need to disconnect is here pointed out here:
open-power-supply (resized).jpg

FAN KIT NOTE: To remove the existing fan, you need to free the wiring from the glob of white goo. If you don't have precision cutters for this task, you can get a pair for like $4-5 on Amazon with free shipping, locally at Harbor Freight if you have one in your town, or at pinmonk.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Pliers-Electrical-Cutters-Cutting-Diagonal/dp/B0188DHO40

Some of the fan wires are near the top of the white blob and can be pulled out gently. Others you need to cut free. If you need to cut, CUT CAREFULLY and shallow, a little at the time and test-pull after each snip or two. Don't go crazy here. And watch that white connector to the left of the blob. If you disturb that, your machine may not turn on.

SPLICING DIY WARNING: If you decide to splice your new fan wires onto the existing connector and wire, MAKE SURE you shrink wrap each lead (black, red) SEPARATELY and then shrink both together. If you shrink both without first shrinking each side individually, you'll create a short and damage the power supply.

FACTORY LOOK CONNECTOR DIY NOTE: If you don't want to splice this in (don't blame you), you can get the connector and contacts to crimp to make a factory-look with these Digikey parts:
Housing JST XHP-2
https://www.newark.com/jst-japan-solderless-terminals/xhp-2/wire-to-board-connector-receptacle/dp/72M6922

Crimp on connectors to snap into the XHP-2 connector:
https://www.newark.com/jst-japan-solderless-terminals/sxh-001t-p0-6/contact-socket-28-22awg-crimp/dp/49Y1258

Slide out the old fan, splice the connector onto the new fan (keep the color orientation the same, use shrink tubing to cover each color and a slightly larger tubing to cover both those) and re-install. NOTE THAT YOU MUST INSTALL THE FAN WITH THE LABEL FACING THE OUTSIDE OF THE CASE (NOT THE CIRCUIT BOARD) so it will vent the power supply! You'll need two new Thread Cutting screws to attach the new fan since the holes are little larger. Sheet metal screws will do in a pinch, but try to get the thread creating ones. I used these ones from Ace Hardware:
replacement-screw (resized).jpg

The new fan is so quiet you can't tell when it comes on, so to test my work, I leave the backglass off and put a torn off piece of paper towel over the fan vent on the top of the power supply so I can tell that the fan is coming on (when it blows the paper towel piece off) to make sure I did everything right before putting the backglass back on and calling the job done. Just play the game to put the power supply to work and look up every now and then to see if the paper towel has blown off. Sometimes it can take 20 minutes or even more (if the room is cool/cold) for the fan to kick on.

The amount of time before the power supply reaches the thermal threshold to turn on the fan (122 degrees) can vary WIDELY from machine to machine. Ghostbusters turns on very frequently. Games like KISS not as much. I haven't had a defective fan sent out yet, but it's why I recommend you ALWAYS do the paper towel test, even if it takes a long time before the fan comes on. That way you know everything's working as it should before you zip the machine back up.

If you want more concrete temperature data to make sure the machine is still being sufficiently cooled, you can get a Thomas Traceable 4240 Dual Temp probe thermometer. Put one probe inside the power supply and the other probe near the top of the head. It will measure and save the minimum and max temp recorded by each probe over a day or week or month or whatever time range you want. Super handy for making sure everything's working great now that the PS is essentially silent. You can pick them up used on Ebay for around $25 shipped. Highly recommended. They look like this:

Thomas Traceable 4240 (resized).jpg

UPDATE 12/2019:
The dual probe 4240s have become pretty expensive on eBay now, with prices commonly in the $50 and up range. If you just want to monitor the temp inside the power supply (where it most matters) with memory, you can use the VWR 61161-324 single probe large display thermometer, which go for $12-25 currently.

All done with this project? Here's a couple other DIY guides I've made for newer Spike machines:

Are LED lights popping out of your spotlights (not just on Spike machines!)? Make sure they never fall out again:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fixing-led-bulbs-flashers-that-fall-out-of-spotlights#post-4402506

Targets refusing to drop sometimes when you hit them? Fix that...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fix-for-bricking-targets-that-will-not-easily-fall-on-sterns#post-7696752

Have a Stern machine from KISS or after with the softer wood cabinet? Reinforce it to prevent a splitting cab:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/reinforcing-stern-cabinet-legs-step-by-step

Want to have the option of operating the action button on your spike game with a foot pedal?
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/action-button-foot-pedal-for-bksor-godzilla-etc#post-6616394

Have an $80 alibaba hologram fan topper you want to cleanly power so it turns on and off with the machine? Do this:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/hologram-fan-or-lightedpinballmods-power-fix#post-6241182

Are your Iron Maiden speakers crackling when you crank it up? Fix that with a cheap external amp:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-on-board-amp-with-external-amp-for-iron-maiden

Add a working lockdown bar button to your Iron Maiden
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/iron-maiden-how-to-add-a-working-lockdown-bar-button

Deadpool Katana entrance protection:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/protecting-katana-lane-entrance-from-playfield-damage

Is your Spike machine occasionally resetting during hectic play, torpedoing your high score runs? This guide to fixing it might be for you:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fixing-stern-reboots-on-spike

Do you have a WoZ ECLE and think it's too loud in a quiet room? Replace two fans and make it almost silent:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/quieting-down-a-woz-ecle-machine

And here are some other plug and play mods you can just buy:
Iron Maiden Light Tree Mod for colored mode lights:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/iron-maiden-colored-mode-lens-tree-mod

Metallica F-U-E-L lights bracket:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/metallica-f-u-e-l-gauge-lens-bracket

ColorDMD gasket for Stern machines with the angled speaker panel:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/colordmd-gasket-for-angled-stern-speaker-panels

I guarantee they're buying them straight from China:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Mean-Well-LED-Power-Supply-RSP_60753566828.html

Says $20-30 per unit, and (having dealt with China manufacture extensively myself) in quantity I'm POSITIVE they could get the manufacturer to put a quieter fan in it. Their real cost may actually be less than $20/unit.

Interesting that the RSP-500 is not UL listed, but many other meanwell items are.

Well, you already know it's less because I said it was, so you won't be installing this. I have this running in 10 machines with zero problems, from KISS forward, so years of real-world testing. As I said in the OP, the reduced CFM isn't a problem if you have the machine in a temperature controlled environment.

I didn't take pictures of that, sorry. Before this last one I documented, they had another fan with a red label that had the connector pre-installed and you just had to put an adapter on it and plug it in. But that fan is NLA. I've been looking for this fan with the connector already on it for a decent price but haven't found that yet. When I do, I'll post.

Basically, you want to slide one large shrink tube on on end that covers the whole wire and leave that unshrunk, then put smaller tubes over the soldered connection of the splice of each lead and shrink those, then slide the bigger one over the two smaller ones and shrink that. You don't want the spliced leads touching each other when they have power, for obvious reasons.

19.3 dB isn't THAT quiet. If you're getting a larger fan like this you should be able to get somewhere in the 10-12Db range. You also need a 3 pin to 2 pin adapter to use that one (if the fan is even the right size).

Is this for the older Stern power supplies for the Pros that have the big fan in the middle? If not, this is the wrong fan for the ones that have the fan on the end.

It looks like this one is the newer replacement for the now-obsolete one I've been using. They obsolete fans like CRAZY.

If you try this one instead, post how it goes and if all goes well, I'll update the OP with this newer version. The one listed in the OP isn't going out of stock anytime soon, they have plenty even though it's now-obsolete.

20dB gain is 10x more sound pressure and 4x perceived loudness. So, yeah, the 19.3 is better than 34dB, but is still too loud.

I didn't stick a probe inside the power supply to get a numeric temp, but the fact that the temperature controlled fan (comes on when it's too hot inside) was only coming on intermittently tells me everything I need to know. If the CFM wasn't sufficient, the fan would never turn off, and even after this mod, it's off more than it's on.

Alternately you can get the part number and order the connectors and the housing and make a new plug for the new fan. That would be the cleanest install, but I didn't have the part information for the OP. If anyone knows what they are, please share, I'll try it and then update the OP.

No, nothing special about it. The original red label Sunon was plug and play with a 3-2 adapter, but they discontinued it. I just need to find another with the connector already attached, that's all. Until then, I've been splicing them in.

Because I can read a spec sheet?

I know how to test for temp inside the case, but that would be stupid since the fan clearly works, and the fan control is temperature based according to the spec sheet for the RSP-500-48.

The spec sheet clearly says the fan comes on when the case exceeds 122 degrees farenheit, then shuts back off once the temp goes down to 104 degrees or less. And if there's a runaway condition the power supply just shuts down. All of that's plenty good enough for me, but you're welcome to probe your power supply to your heart's content.

The ONLY thing anyone HAS to test for is whether they installed the fan with the proper orientation, and that the fan comes on occasionally.

Looks great, it's just the wrong fan. Part number says that one is 21dB, which is MUCH louder than the 12dB on in the OP.

That backbox fan mod is a waste of time, IMO. Fix the problem at the source (the power supply) and if the power supply is over 122 degrees, the fan will just stay on longer. You can't hear it anymore once it's replaced, so who cares?

No the "specs" do not say that. The newegg AD says that. The listing company can write whatever they want in there. If you go to Digikey and look up the real specs of the fan part number in the picture (KDE1204PKV2), it says 21dB. NONE of the real Sunon specs have a 5dB RANGE. They give you the sound rating - ONE sound rating.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/sunon-fans/KDE1204PKV2-MS.A.GN/259-1353-ND/1021202

Aside from being very loud, it's also an obsolete fan.

This advice from the person that thinks an ad is a spec sheet. And the CFM in that ADVERTISEMENT you keep referring to is NOT THE SPEC. The real CFM is only a little higher than the much-quieter one in the op. Like 2k CFM more - not the ridiculous 15k CFM in the advertisement.

The ultra-quiet fan in the OP is the best choice for ANY temperature controlled environment. It moves plenty of air to keep the power supply cool. The ONLY time I wouldn't recommend it is if you're in a non-temp-controlled environment (i.e. outside, or no A/C) and it's hot anyway. Even then the fan would probably be enough, but I would err on the side of safety, so I wouldn't recommend it for THAT ONE APPLICATION. So, in that ONE CASE (hot environment) the 19dB fan would be better since it moves a little more air but is still quieter than the Stern one. But ONLY that one case.

I remember the thread, and I know I posted in it, I guess I didn't remember the finer details of it.

That was back when the Pros had the big fan in the front of the power supply. End result for Prem/LE was essentially the same as this post, just with a plug and play fan that's NLA. I'm still looking for one like I used in the OP with the connector already installed. Would make this upgrade way easier.

That fan isn't 10db because the Stern power supply ONLY runs the fan at 12v speed (on/off, only), not lower 5v and 7.5v power to get them quieter. I'm not sure which size you went with, but the two smallest ones are 16.9dB and 20dB respectively, so substantially worse noise than the one in the OP here.

Plus, most people want a factory look and the larger fan isn't it, so it might be a negative when you sell.

It didn't click with me that you were using an external power supply plugged into the service plug. It seems like a waste to be pulling 115v only to convert it to 5v when the power supply already has 12v for the fan inside. But, yours is easier to undo, I'll give you that.

Heh. Gomez wasn't kidding when he said the power budget on Spike is so tight adding a single mod runs the risk of killing it. Talk about crap system...

I wasn't worried about the fan mod I did, though because it's pulling the same voltage as the stock super-loud fan, and everything happens pre-spike system. The output of the power supply is unchanged with this mod.

Do you have a hearing aid? Usually people lose the upper frequencies when they age. It should be less annoying, not more as you get older, UNLESS you have a hearing aid.

Okay, I've run a temperature test on the power supply with the lower CFM, quieter fan in the power supply, using a dual probe Thompson Scientific unit. The minimum temp is 101F. The maximum temp recorded is 110F. This is well below the max for the unit of ~170F where it would shut down. These temps inside were with an ambient temp in the closed backbox (near the top where I placed the probe, because heat rises) was 83F to 88F, and the temp in the location is 74-78F.

So, using the quieter fan still leaves temps WELL below critical temps (as in, not even close) as long as the room is temperature controlled reasonably.

We do have a location where they let it get a lot warmer before they turn on the A/C, and it's much warmer there in the summer. I might try the 22dB 7700CFM fan there and check the temp. I wouldn't be comfortably using the lower CFM "quietest" fan there. If I do that upgrade there, I'll report back.

Working on it. I have the parts, but haven't tested it yet. It's on my project list.

Sunon used to sell them to vendors with the connector, but now they mostly sell it with naked wire ends, which is a pain. I have the right connector and I believe the right female connectors. I plan to do it on the slightly louder Sunon fan I got with the 7700CFM airflow for the pin that's in a location that is not well air-conditioned.

I'll post once I have it completed and verified. It's still Ridiculous that Stern doesn't order these from their Chinese factory with at least the 7700CFM fan ALREADY IN IT. In the quantities they order, the factory would do it, no problem. CRAZY that Stern doesn't do it and leaves it to the end user when they're finally driven crazy by the obnoxious noise level of the PS fan.

Uh, did you look at the post where I monitored the temp range INSIDE the power supply and posted it? The temp inside the machine over a WEEK (min/max registration in real time 24/7 with a Thompson Scientific dual probe thermometer) was nowhere close to the max with this mod?

Also, the power supply has a safety where it just turns off completely if the temp exceeds 170 degrees. 111 degrees is the highest I've recorded with this mod. Nowhere close to the safety cutoff.

Heh, sorry. That's what I get for jumping from notification to notification to catch up instead of reading through the thread.

You CUT a hole in the front of the power supply? This kind of thing belongs in a bad B/W European container pin hack story. Not recommended because it can't be easily undone.

The little fan is temperature controlled. If it never comes on, your power supply doesn't need cooling. The ONLY job of the fan is to make sure the power supply stays in a specific temperature range while in operation. No more, no less. If it never has to come on, that doesn't mean the fan isn't working or badly designed, just that the temperature never gets above a certain level.

Permanently defacing a machine with a modification that cuts metal (not a small piece, either) is a no-no. It devalues the machine permanently and in this case, the solution is worse than the problem.

Stern had a large fan in the middle of the power supply on earlier Spike games.

But putting the fan where he did is still pulling dust/dirt into the PS through the top. Cutting aside, it's a bad idea, especially if it's bypassing the thermal control switching action of the power supply.

The stock fan is pulling hot air out of the power supply, but there's only the fan hole, so there's not a lot of flow, just more of a venting action. By cutting a hole in the power supply, you're adding flow-through, which will add a LOT more dust to the power supply, pulled through the stock fan hole and out the big newly cut fan hole.

But WHY do that when you can do the same thing with a quieter fan that is compatible with the stock socket at the top. There's no need to cut into the power supply. None.

I don't have any problem with the way you did it because your way is also completely reversible. Cutting into the perfectly fine metal face of a power supply to do a fan mod that has a number of documented better alternatives where no permanent modification of the power supply is required is not something I can recommend.

A little dust is not a bad thing, but over time it can build up and have an insulating quality that leads to overheating and/or components working harder than they should have to because it restricts the air flow around components. Which is the irony of this cutting mod.

I've bought plenty of European pins with similar weird long-way-around-to-the-solution hacks. I still bought them, but I shake my head at the thought process that produced them. And it's mostly Europe and South American pins I've seen the weird things. Never Asia and rarely North America. No idea why.

Is that the one that has the big fan on the face of the power supply (picture?) ?

You can swap it out straight across for the $70-$100 newer style with the smaller thermostat controlled fan that's the subject of this upgrade. Upgrade it with a better fan before you install it and you're good to go. Built in thermostat will only turn the fan on when it gets past 122 degrees, and shut down if there's thermal runaway.

Here's one source, but there are many others (aliexpress, etc):
ebay.com link: MEAN WELL RSP 500 48 48V 10 5A 504W Switching Power Supply

Verified with a dual temp probe, the better Meanwell with the thermostat on/off sensor that Stern's using now with a quieter fan upgrade keeps the power supply in an 11 degree range WAY below the max rating for the power supply. Running a fan 24/7 is just wearing out a wear-prone component unnecessarily.

The turn on point is 122 degrees for that thermostat, but the 13dB fan will keep it far away from the point where it would shut down, no problem, so there's really no danger to the power supply even if the fan is on for 15 minutes at a time.

However, if you go for a 21dB fan, you can get 30% more cfm than the 13dB one (7.7cfm), and it's still much quieter than the Stern one. I linked to it in the OP, but here's the link again:

https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=MB40201V2-000U-A99

This is China. Depends on how cheap they were on the fan bearing type. Could fail in just a few years. Why run it 24/7 when you don't have to?

I was talking about the stock fan. Of course you can buy something better, but if you're going to improve the power supply, move to the power supply Stern uses now that has a thermostat-controlled fan and get off the one that runs all the time.

I know what you have in yours. This is getting crossed up. I'm talking about the person just a few posts up that has the older style power supply with the fan on the face that runs all the time.

And in quantity they're likely getting these power supplies for something like $20. So yeah, it's clear why they went this route.

I've got a location that's around 85 in the summer and the 12.8dB fan runs a lot, but is still shutting off, so it's holding its own. If you have a location hotter than that, you likely shouldn't have a pin there.

That said, I've been planning to put the 7.7cfm fan in that specific pin for a while now so it cools faster when it does come on, I just haven't gotten around to it.

I didn't time it because it was shutting off (which means it was achieving proper cooling), but probably 3-4 times in an hour. 85F is a pretty warm environment. If you're putting one in a place that will be that hot consistently, I'd look at the linked 7.7cfm fan that's 21dB instead, though. Like I said, I plan to change it out at some point, but I'm not in a rush because the 12.8dB fan is still doing its job in the one pin in that warmer environment.

Is your power supply already upgraded to the quieter 12.8dB fan? Or do you have one of the Stern pros that have the factory larger fan that always runs and never shuts off?

Sorry, I lost track of which conversation went to what. If the low-volume fan is shutting off, it's clearly still doing its job, and the upper threshold for the power supply to shut down is really high temp, so you're not going to get there. But if 15 minute run times bother you, then switching to the 7.7cfm one should get it under 10 minutes in your environment, and 21dB is still a LOT better than the stock Stern one.

Weird. The only way to see if the problem is the fan or the temp sensor in the power supply is to get an accurate reading inside the power supply using a bullet probe. Something like a Thomas Traceable Dual Probe 4240 Thermometer. It records the max and minimum temp recorded on two probes (I put one inside the PS, and the other in the head when testing). Very useful. There's one on Ebay now for a decent price. Usual price is $30-$40 used.

ebay.com link: sch

The only other thing I can think of for the difference is maybe the humidity? Redding is very dry with super-low humidity. Seattle is not. Maybe that makes the warm air move less? No idea.

How warm is your environment? You can do the 12.8dB fan or if your pin is in a warmer area that's in that's in the upper 70s or better, you can do the 21dB fan. Both are significantly quieter than the stock Stern fan.

I'd go with the 7.7cfm 21dB one then. The link in the OP works fine for me...

This one. Says there are more than 3800 ready to ship:
https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=MB40201V2-000U-A99

If you want to get some connectors while you're there, you won't have to splice it in. It will be plug and play.

For some reason Sunon LOVES to keep rotating part numbers, so stuff goes non-stock all the time when they have a new one that's essentially the same thing. I think they just make a whole bunch of one, then when they make another run - new part number! It's a hassle.

Thanks for the compliments. I'm using the 12.8 db fans on all the pins and have a dual probe temp monitor inside and outside the power supply on the "warmer" locations and none of them have gotten anywhere near the safety cutoff temp, so I'll keep using the 12.8db ones.

Also note that fans will be going up 25% in price soon because they are one of the categories hit by Trump's tariffs on China. Stockpile now!

That fan is too thin. It won't fit correctly in the power supply slot. I'm also not buying the specs on that fan. Almost 20% less RPM and slightly MORE CFM? For the same diameter fan? Nope.

The two connectors are just to be there so it fits regardless of what connector you have on your PC. You only use one of them.

The stuff's like old taffy, mostly hard. It just pops off with some careful pressure.

I'm checking with suppliers in China to see if I can get these Sunon fans with the connector already on. They USED to have them, but they went NLA, so the naked wire ones are all that's out there. If I can get them for a reasonable price, I'll probably offer them for people who want a plug and play solution, but the cost will probably be $10-15 IF I can get them, since I'd be buying hundreds instead of thousands. And it's a race against the clock since there's a 25% Trump tariff taking effect very soon.

I twist, solder, shrink when I splice.

Those are not thread-cutting screws. They have to say "thread cutting".

Those are thread cutting, but they're not pan head, so they will look a little weird sticking up.

I've been working on getting a plug and play solution, and I've found an overseas manufacturer where I can get the Sunon fans and only buy hundreds instead of thousands to get custom wire length and connector, so I'm 98% sure I'll have a plug and play solution (with two of the correct thread-cutting screws) for those that want that within a month.

That's the part I don't understand. With the volume of power supplies Stern orders they could DEFINITELY request any fan they wanted in there, but they don't. It's lazy and puzzling.

Yeah, I'm not taking away the instructions for those that want to do it themselves, just going to offer a plug and play to make it easy for anyone that wants to try it since way more than I thought are afraid of their skill level to do the cutting and crimping bits of the mod when it REALLY improves the game.

I have the sample fans right now that just came in so I can check the custom length of wire, shrink tubing and connector I specified. I plan to install some this week and if it works out well, place the full order. I'll probably sell them with the thread cutting screws you need included since they're different than the two Stern has on the power supply. That way it's truly plug and play. Should be a 10 minute or less job for most people this way.

Test fitting of the sample fans from the factory worked, but the custom wire length is a little too tight, so I'm adding 3cm (about 1.25") to the length of the final version. Working on getting the matching thead cutting screws, but I should have the whole solution worked out this week to place the order. I'll have to order at least 300-400 to get decent pricing.

This is what the Spike power supply looks like with the plug and play 12.8db fan installed:

power-supply-new-fan-install (resized).jpg

Closeup of the connector
connector-ps (resized).jpg

PLUG-N PLAY kit availability announcement is here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/replacing-stern-spike-noisy-ps-fans/page/5#post-4702977

Are you talking about the connector on the power distribution board in the back box? I'm not sure which connector you're referring to.

It could work, but I prefer cleaner solutions like the DIY fan replacement or the plug and play one I'm working on that both are inside the power supply and look factory. Plus that power distribution board connector is already used for toppers (like Game of Thrones). The fan mod, and especially the plug and play one, will look completely factory except minus the noise and not use any connectors used for other things. It's also temperature controlled based on the temp inside the power supply and not on all the time.

Probably a good plan. Shipping to Europe is stupid-expensive. I have no idea how the US can have a postage treaty with China so they can send small packages to the US for virtually nothing, and we don't have the same thing for Europe.

The early pro spikes had a larger fan in the front of the unit rather than the top. Very small amount of the overall number of power supplies for spike.

Order placed for the plug and play quieter Stern power supply fan kits (fan plus two thread-cutting screws). Factory should have them done in 1-2 weeks, then 7-10 days for shipping/customs. Once it gets close and I get shipping figured out, I'll take preorders.

Factory has given me a ship date of 11/22, so I'll start taking preorders around that time.

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.

Shipping is $4.

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).

Pic of the fan replacement kit:

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!

Okay, all preordered fan kits are shipped!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Welcome to the quiet fan club!

Yes, checking your work with the paper towel test to make sure the fan is oriented properly and will come on after a while is a MUST before you put the head back together.

Glad you like it. One day in my dreams Stern will contract Meanwell to use these in the power supplies instead of the terrible noisy default one.

Be sure to do the paper towel test to check your work at the end, but you're going to love the silence compared to what Spikes ship with.

Thanks! Such a small change, but it makes SUCH a big difference in a quiet environment like a home.

Awesome. Once people hear the difference there's no going back. I really wish Stern would put me out of the fan businesss and ask meanwell to put these in theirs from the factory, but if they don't (and they likely won't), I'll keep offering these replacement to quiet the machines.

If there were enough of the front-facing power supplies out there with people that wanted a plug and play kit, I could do a custom factory order for those, too, so there's no soldering and no cutting, but the front-facing machines are a small fraction of the top mounted ones and I'd probably end up sitting on a lot of fans since I have to buy hundreds to make it pencil out and leave me enough for a #1 combo at Mcdonalds.

THAT part already exists. I'm not sure if the pins are all in the right place but you can get that fan adapter on Amazon.

Another satisfied customer. Now if Stern would just do this OBVIOUS change at the factory level!

Yes, the amount of time before the power supply reaches the thermal threshold (122 degrees) to turn on the fan can vary WIDELY from machine to machine (even longer times on all machines if the room they're in is cool/cold). Ghostbusters turns on very frequently. As you've discovered, KISS not as much. I haven't had a defective fan sent out yet, but it's why I recommend you ALWAYS do the paper towel test, even if it takes a long time before the fan comes on. That way you know everything's working as it should before you zip the machine back up.

If you do a lot of these, do yourself a favor and get one of the Thomas Traceable 4240 Dual Temp probe thermometer for like $25 on Ebay. With it, you can watch the inside of the power supply temps after install in real time to see what the temp inside the power supply is inside while you wait for it to come on. You can also just leave it in and have one probe in the power supply and one in the backbox to see the max temperature in each over whatever timeframe you want (hour, day, month, whatever). It's what I used to test these fans on location for like 6 months before I released the plug and play kit.

FYI, I'm almost out of the first batch of these fans I had made for this application. Factory is already working on the order for the next batch, but they haven't been sent yet. There's a possibility that there may be a week or two where I have no fans to send, but it will be a temporary situation.

With the existing orders, I'm completely out of these now, but will be restocked by next week, so if there's a delay when you order some, it will be short.

The new shipment of fans is in, so backorders are being filled and they're available to ship for new orders.

These fan kits will be available from distributors soon, so I made instructions on installation to go with each one. This is what they'll look like. See anything wrong (typo, etc - besides a couple words cut off at the bottom of STEP 1 I already know about) I missed? (Click to see the larger version)

Simple. A resistor will not solve the enormous NOISE of the stock fan. Sure, making it turn slower will reduce the sound somewhat, but you're not getting down from 34dB to 12dB with a resistor while also keeping any decent kind of cooling flow. The stock crappy fan also has a 30% shorter life than the replacement.

Plus I've learned with this thread that people in general don't have the skills or don't want to DIY. The vast majority want plug and play, even when I lay out all the instructions and part numbers for DIY.

And I'll say it again, Stern COULD just request a better fan like these Sunon maglevs in these power supplies from Meanwell. They buy enough that the factory would DEFINITELY do it for them. Cost would be almost the same or pennies different at the scale Stern buys them. Nothing would make me happier than to have Stern end the need for this mod. It makes no sense that they didn't do it from the start.

If you have a #1 and #2 philips, if you'd double check which works best on the tiny screws on step 4, let me know. I'm pretty sure it was a #1 but I don't have a power supply on hand to check easily.

Thanks for verifying. Those tiny screws are a pain, and I've found in the many I've upgraded that not a small number are cross-threaded from the factory and hard to get out, so having exactly the right kind of philips is critical.

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback to make the instructions better.

Thanks. I didn't intend to get into the mod business when I started with these DIY instruction threads (fan, corner bracket cab upgrade, etc) and the color DMD gasket. The fan and gasket were projects for just me that kind of exploded once I showed them. But yeah, even when I started selling the fans, I left the DIY instructions there for anyone that just wanted to make their own. Best of both worlds. But like I said, most people just opt for the time-savings and buy the plug n play kit.

Here's the revised instructions, front and back. I decided to just bite the bullet and illustrate step 2. It was less confusing than an arrow to the cover talking about what's behind it.