I'm working on a project where I need a quiet motor for a motorized phone swinger. I'm planning to power it with 12 volts and require it to run at speeds between 100-250 rpm. I want to control the speed using a simple knob. The brushed motor I initially tried was too loud, so I'm looking for a brushless DC motor that operates as silently as possible. It also needs to fit in an enclosure with a maximum diameter of 37mm. Since I need it to handle swinging four phones simultaneously, it should have enough power, but it doesn't need to be overly powerful. I've looked into RC motors, but I've been advised they need proprietary drivers, and I'm struggling to find anything affordable. I understand I'll need an external controller, but I have space for that. Any recommendations?
3 Answers
You might want to consider using an RC brushless motor along with an electronic speed controller (ESC). It's pretty straightforward to set up; you can use a simple 555 PWM pulse generator to control the speed. Just be aware to select a motor with a lower KV rating, as that will allow for good performance at the slower speeds you need.
A stepper motor with a micro-stepping driver might be the perfect fit for your needs. When mounted correctly, it can operate silently, which is ideal for your project.
Have you thought about using a low-speed PC case fan? They can be quite cheap and might do the trick, though they might not have the torque needed for your application.
Yeah, but those fans typically lack the torque you need for swinging multiple phones.
That's a good point! Looking for a lower KV motor can really help keep things running smoothly at those slow RPMs.