I see the new Icy Dock MB973SP-B ( http://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=119 ) spins down the fan when the disks are spun down. This is a feature I really like although it seems IcyDock hasn't ported this to a 5-in-3, yet anyway.

 

Does any other 5-in-3 sport this feature?

I emailed Icy Dock, and this was the response:

 

We do have plans on making a 4 in 3 enclosure like the MB973SP-B which should be coming out with in a couple months. It should have the same fan controller as the MB973SP-B as long as we can get it all to fit in the case. We do not have any current plans on making a 5 in 3 enclosure. If you have any questions please ask.

This is not a direct answer to your question but I use one of these http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/061/ks01_detail.html with my hot swap cages. With a bit of fudging, I've managed to get one temperature probe inside each cage so that the fan(s) only cut in when the drives start to get warm and cut out when they are cool (idle). 

You can also unplug the fan from the cage, and instead use a fan header on the mobo, and control it yourself based on drive temps.

This is not a direct answer to your question but I use one of these http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/061/ks01_detail.html with my hot swap cages. With a bit of fudging, I've managed to get one temperature probe inside each cage so that the fan(s) only cut in when the drives start to get warm and cut out when they are cool (idle). 

 

How well does that work when say the sensor is between the middle hard drives and only on of the outside ones is spinning?

 

Does that controller do both on-off and PWM speed control based on temp? As in, the fan is off and the temp goes up a bit so the fan comes on at a low speed. If the temp goes up more the fan speed increases.

 

Peter

 

This is not a direct answer to your question but I use one of these http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/061/ks01_detail.html with my hot swap cages. With a bit of fudging, I've managed to get one temperature probe inside each cage so that the fan(s) only cut in when the drives start to get warm and cut out when they are cool (idle). 

 

How well does that work when say the sensor is between the middle hard drives and only on of the outside ones is spinning?

 

Does that controller do both on-off and PWM speed control based on temp? As in, the fan is off and the temp goes up a bit so the fan comes on at a low speed. If the temp goes up more the fan speed increases.

 

Peter

 

 

After a lot of experimentation, I ended up putting the sensors at the rear of the cages, between the back of the drives and the front of the fans. It works reasonably well but there is a couple of degrees variation between drive temperatures.

I set each fan to "Auto". In this mode you set the desired temperature. When the actual temperaure reaches 1 degC above the set temperature, the fan starts slowly, speeding up or slowing down depending on the difference between desired and actual temperature. I'm not sure if it uses pwm or just varies the voltage. When the temperature drops 1 degC below the set temp, the fan stops completely. So there is about 2 degrees of hysteresis. In practice, what happens is that the fan(s) will cycle on and off at low speed. My ambient is a fairly constant 22 degC and I have the fans set to come on at 31 degC. The highest reported disc temperature I've seen during a parity check has been 35 degC.

You can also unplug the fan from the cage, and instead use a fan header on the mobo, and control it yourself based on drive temps.

 

I'd like to see this personally. I wonder how hard it would be with 3 drive cages

Unless I am missing something, my mobos minimum fan speed is 50%. I want a silent box until the fans are needed.