Maybe if everyone committed to a minimum of 4 each, we could make it happen quickly. If you have interest, contact me directly at k2cb at comcast dot net. Give me an idea of how many you want. Min of two, preferably four. Hopefully I can get the mfg to honor the same pricing as last time.
I’ll report back as to whether or not we have enough participants to make another group buy work.
Eric
K2CB
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Posted 3 months ago
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I will take 4; I hope the QA will be a little better as one of the fans from the last batch lasted only 3 months.
Thanks;
Bill
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Dudley - WA5QPZ, Elmer
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Dudley
WA5QPZ
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- 238 Posts
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These are exact fit replacements. They come supplied with the connector pre-attached, and the same heat sink.
However, almost everyone has been opting to simply unscrew the fan from the new fan/heat sink assembly, and simply swap the fan itself onto the pre-existing heat sink.
Most have reported the process to be quite simple. Swapping the heat sink, well that is another story. But for those not wanting to send their radio in, this is a quick, simple, and cost effective way of getting their radio back in service.
Eric
K2CB
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Thank you!
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What is your direct email address, I need to order 4 - FPGA / CPU 50MM fans I have the other fan's.
Please let me know at
wx7y at arrl.net
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I made some notes on my web page about both of the types of fans used in the 6300, 6500, & 6700. There are pics, connector options, error msgs, etc.
http://nn4zz.com/FLEX6700.htm#FANs_
Regards Al / NN4ZZ
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Tnx, Jim K6JR
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k2cb at comcast dot net
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73
Andy
KU7T
- 27 Posts
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People are ordering these fans as they either have had, or suspect they may have, a fan fail outside the warranty.
Both of mine have failed after about 2.5 years.
The advantage of these particular fans, which Eric is hopefully going to be able to source, is that they are the same as the originals and so you can unscrew the fan itself from the heat-sink and replace that part only. The heat-sink is glued onto the component and is difficult to remove without danger of damage.
Hope that helps.
Steve
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I share your pain...the fans in my 6300 have always been noisy.
Bill,
Who said anything about running the radio without any fans?
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Everyone who replied directly is on the list. I apologize for not replying to everyone individually yet. I have a ton of email to catch up on after being out of town for the holiday.
We have met the minimum requirement. I will be sending everyone an email with instructions later this week, once I have confirmation from the manufacturer.
Thanks,
Eric
K2CB
- 238 Posts
- 90 Reply Likes
I have received confirmation from the manufacturer that I will be able to obtain another production run. Since they are being sourced from the factory in China, they are estimating a 10-12 week lead time. Once again, the fans will include the same oem connector preinstalled, and will be plug and play. Or should I say, screw and plug and play, if you do not wish to disturb the heatsink on the chips themselves.
Since I am doing this as a favor to the community, I am asking that everyone pre-pay at this time. I need to prepay when I place the order, as it is a special production run and non-returnable. I don't want to bankroll a few thousand dollars worth of fans, only to sit on them! I'm sure you can understand!
The process is simple -
I will accept prepaid orders up until 12/3/18. I will then place the order based on this quantity, rounded to the nearest lot size, as dictated by the manufacturer. The remaining units will be available afterwards on a first-come first-served basis, similar to the last time around. Based on the estimated demand, I expect to have fewer than 20 fans left over.
The manufacturer has raised the price 10% from last year due to the new tariffs imposed on Chinese importations. However, due to the volume of interest, and the amount I will be purchasing this time around, I was able to negotiate with the manufacturer and lower the net increase to 5%. Therefore, the pricing is $21 per fan. US shipping will be a flat rate of $10 per shipment, up to 8 fans. Over 8 fans, shipping will be quoted as necessary. For orders outside the US, please send me your exact shipping address, and I will provide you with an exact shipping cost, for both standard and priority delivery.
Please send your PayPal pre-payment to hamcables@gmail.com . I will confirm receipt within 24 hours, usually faster, depending on the time of day you send payment. I do work, so please keep that fact in mind.
I will keep everyone updated as to the progress, but please be patient. 10-12 weeks means we will not see the fans until at least the first week of February. Upon arrival from the manufacturer, I will get them out within a day or two.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me directly at k2cb@comcast.net .
Thank you for your participation.
Eric
K2CB
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Thanks for all of your legwork on this.
Lee, N2LC
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
- 4070 Posts
- 1267 Reply Likes
You have now earned the title of "official Flex Fan-boy!"
My fans on the 6500 are still running quietly and efficiently for over five years. I hope it remains that way!
Ken - NM9P
- 1787 Posts
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I'm still on my original fans ( 6700 and 5+ years ) but got 2 of them when you offered than initially. Thanks again for providing them! I've been lucky so far but glad to have them if/when they are needed.
You are definitely providing a valuable service to those of us with the original 6300, 6500 and 6700 radios. I'm sure it is a lot more effort than it seems and we really appreciate it.
Here are my notes on your fans with pictures, video, error codes and information on the case fans as well. I hope they help answer some questions for others not as familiar with the fan replacement.
http://www.nn4zz.com/FLEX6700.htm#FANs_
Al / NN4ZZ
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 & SSDR-W V 2.4.9
Win10
- 213 Posts
- 39 Reply Likes
http://www.nn4zz.com/FLEX6700.htm#FANs_
If I had those radios with those fan; that are in your notes above.
I hire a cleaning person!
That is more than a little bit of dust that's "dirt" on those fans pictured.
No wonder the fans are failing.
A Flex-6700LE fan and loving it!
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Thank you for maintaining the page and posting the link. It is a great resource.
Eric
K2CB
- 238 Posts
- 90 Reply Likes
A quick and friendly reminder for those who have expressed interest but not yet acted -
I will be finalizing the factory order on Monday 12/3/18, so if you are still interested, please be sure to respond by Monday morning.
To all those that have already responded, thank you for helping to make this group purchase possible! The response so far has been great!
Eric
K2CB
- 238 Posts
- 90 Reply Likes
Good Evening, everyone.
The factory order has been finalized, paid for, and scheduled for production as of this evening.
I expect to have approximately 20 additional fans available on a first come first served basis. If you expressed an interest earlier, and still desire to purchase fans, be sure to act soon, so as to not miss out this time around.
As stated earlier, the lead time is estimated to be 10-12 weeks, so the fans are not due in until early February. I will keep everyone updated as to the progress. Upon receipt from the manufacturer, I will get them turned around and out to everyone within a day or two, work schedule permitting.
Once again, thank you to everyone who participated to make this group buy possible.
Eric
K2CB
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I appreciate, however, that Eric is putting his money up for any that are not pre-ordered. If that turns into an issue, I am quite willing to stump up some cash to nominally "own" a couple more until someone comes along and needs them. I feel that we all owe Eric a debt of gratitude and I would like to think that we could all pull together to ensure that he isn't disadvantaged by his generosity.
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W7zac
- 238 Posts
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Like Steve stated, I don't expect to have many left, if any, by the time they arrive.
I'm just more curious, than anything, as to what FRS has switched to as their replacement.
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We still don’t know yet the actual manufacturer and part number of this supposed “new replacement fan assembly” FRS is utilizing. I’ve asked directly, but they refuse to answer. Thus my earlier request, for someone who has had this done, to please post a photo of the new part.
If your radio has not been back to Flex to have the fans changed, you can rest assured these fans are an exact match and fit. Right down to the heat sink and wiring harness. And if they did change your fans, who knows what you actually received. Some have reported receiving their radio back with the same style fan.
The fact is, the original fan was discontinued, but an exact replacement, from the same OEM, with slightly improved bearing technology, is what I have been providing. Thus the reason you can simply change the fan itself without disturbing the heatsink-to-chip bond. If you look at the original thread from last year, there is a post showing pictures of both the “old (original)” and “new (group purchase)” fan assemblies. Other than the color of the part number label, they look identical.
For the record, the last time around, FRS had Tim contact me to ask where I was getting the fans from. I wouldn’t be surprised if their “new” part is the same as my “replacement” part.......
Eric
K2CB
- 96 Posts
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If FRS has replaced your fans in the past 12 months or less, open the radio and post a picture of this supposed “new” assembly. A picture is worth a thousand words. I have yet to see this “new” fan/heat sink combo. FRS refused to comment when asked about the specifics of this “new” part.
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Thanks!
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If it’s okay I’ll post your pictures on my web page also. And add some notes to illustrate the differences between the original fans and the newer ones.
The original model (along with the replacement fans Eric supplies) should be fine for the long run. My original fans are still fine after 5 years and with 2 on hand I expect many more years.
http://nn4zz.com/FLEX6700.htm#FANs_
Regards, Al / NN4ZZ
- 96 Posts
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Did you get a chance to take the fan pics? Not a rush but just checking to make sure I didn't miss them.
Al / NN4ZZ
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 & SSDR-W V 2.4.9
Win10
- 238 Posts
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I have recently received a handful of additional inquiries. If there is enough interest I will consider a second order. I will post details if and when warranted.
Thank you, and Happy Holidays everyone!
Eric
K2CB
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Jerry WA9UKB