this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
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Does anyone know if there's an IR/RF dimmer available in any of the Chinese online stores (AliExpress and the likes)? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de
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A simple thing like this, but premanufactured. I scoured the internet trying to find one (at a reasonable price) and there is nothing. I would make one myself, but I just don't have the time currently to do that.

I need it for a mains fan control. Doesn't have to be fancy (all of the ones I encoutered were very fancy, with touch sliders and whatnot), 5 steps is enough, on/off control as well as speed control through the remote. Nothing fancy, as I said, 5 steps is more than enough. So, basically, just 3 buttons on the remote: on/off, + and - is all I need.

Also, I don't need smart/phone/app solutions, I would like it to just have a remote, that's it.

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[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

This is meant for a ceiling fan, but maybe it could be retrofitted for your needs? It is internet enabled, but it comes down ith a remote, and the internet enabled controller can be flashed with Tasmota open source firmware for local only control. It does however only has three levels, high/med/low.

https://sonoff.tech/product/diy-smart-switches/ifan04-l/

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, saw these on AliExpress as well. They're not cheap, they're like $20. I was looking for something fairly simple, like $3 to $5, nothing fancy. I would even be OK with just 3 levels if it was fairly cheap.

Oh well, I guess I'm gonna have to make one myself... simple things are off the table on online shops from what I can see.

[–] elmicha@feddit.org 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can't use a normal dimmer to control a fan. I searched for "fan controller 110v" on AliExpress and found some for <10€, but I don't know which of them are good.

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

You can, I have, it works... good enough. It's not supposed to work in that mode, with chopped up sine waves, but it's not such a big deal if you keep the motor cool, and it will stay cool because it's a fan, a table fan... just mounted on a wall... and the motor is practically exposed, so it will be directly cooled.

Could you share the links of those cheap ones? Are those IR/RF controlled? Cuz I know about these, but they don't have remotes.

EDIT: This is what I had in mind, but this is for LED lighting...

[–] elmicha@feddit.org 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Yeah, I ran into those as well, but those are for fans with separate windings for different speeds, 1, 2, 3 or low, mid, high. You can't use them for controlling a fan with one winding.

[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

20$ is pretty reasonable for what it is, including the remote and everything. And sonoff, while not UL listed, is reputable enough that I would trust it not to catch on fire, which would probably not be the case for a 5$ controller.

[–] 0x4E4F@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Might be cheap for western salaries, I make about 10K euros a year 🤷.

I can mod the controller to not catch fire... I just need a PCB anyway, I don't need the case.