Disclaimer : I will not be responsible for any damage(s) to your system, yourself or worst still, someone else!! You do it at your own risk!!

So you've just hacked your casing so you can install fans to improve it's airflow and help cool down your overclocked PC. Your system now runs cooler but you're getting a headache from all the noise the fans make!! You wondered whether you can live with all the noise or is there a simple way to control the noise. Enter the Rheostat Baybus!

I'm not sure who pioneered this idea, but Cliff Anderson of Fanbus.Com was the one to build one and make it available to the masses. He has many types of Fanbus and Baybus for sale up on his site and also some very useful FAQs and guides to help fellow DIYer's like me!! So give it a look-see while surfing!!

Back to the guide, the rheostat is basically like a variable resistor, controlling the voltage supply to your fan. By turning the control shaft on the rheostat, you can vary the amount of resistance and thus varying the voltage supply to the fans. Note : I have received some emails telling me that due to the resistance, the rheostats could get pretty hot and could even burn! Yes, that is true, but ONLY if you overload the rheostats by connecting too many fans to it and exceeding the wattage rating of the rheostat. My 5.1W 120mm Sunon fan is hooked up to one of it and the rheostat does feel warm to the touch after about an hour, but NOT HOT!

OK, enough blabbering and let's continue with the guide. For this guide, I will be showing you how to make a 3 Rheostats Baybus with a Master Control Switch. You will need the following;

• 3 X 10Watts, 25 Ohms rheostats
• 3 X Control knobs
• 1 X 12VDC switch
• 1 X faceplate
• Some wire connectors
• A crimping tool
• Wires
• Male Molex Connector
• Soldering iron and solders

Start by marking out the position of the rheostats and switch on the faceplates and then cutting them up. This can be done easily with a hand drill and a filing tool. Stop occasionally to check the alignment. You should be able to obtain something like the picture below.

10Watts, 25 Ohms Rheostats & Knobs Click to enlarge

Wire connectors Click to enlarge

12VDC switch Click to enlarge

Faceplate Click to enlarge

In order for the rheostats to control different fans, you will need to make a fanbus for connecting the fan wires. I have posted the Fanbus Guide previously so I'm gonna skip it. But if you missed it the last time round, you can check the Fanbus Guide here. The only difference is that only 3 12V line wires would be utilized for each rheostat. The other one is being reserved for future use.

The Fanbus Click to enlarge

Internal view Click to enlarge

Once the faceplate is done, it is time to solder the wires to the rheostats.

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