Powering Cocktail Lamps

[CWorley]

I have a question regarding powering the lamps in my cocktail cabinet.  I'm using six 12-volt lamps to light up my control panels and coin door.  I'm planning to wire these in parallel.  I was also planning on using the connectors and wires of a cheap 80mm case fan to power the lamps.  My problem is I don't know exactly how to do that.

Here is a link to the case fan I'll be hacking up:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007

The fan itself has three wires coming from it: red (5 volts), yellow (12 volts), and black (ground).  These wire go to a three pin connector like one that would plug into a motherboard sys_fan connection.  Then, the red and black wire branch off into a 4 pin molex connector.

So how exactly do I do this?  I'm thinking that I'd cut off the fan and extend the yellow and black wires to the lamps.  But can I just plug the 4 pin molex into my psu when there are only a red and black wires going to it?  Can I use the motherboard to power the lamps through the sys_fan connection?

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks!

[kahlid74]

To make sure I'm on the same page as you, you're molex connector to PS is something like this right?


If that's the case the short answer is no, you need the Yellow from the molex to power your lamps.  You'll need to pickup something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-3Pinto4PinAdapter-3-Pin-4-Pin-Adapter/dp/B000BSJGL0/ref=pd_cp_e_0

and then you can string all the yellows together and the black grounds together and you're good to go.

[CWorley]

Thanks kahlid!

Could I pick up one of these Molex to SATA cables, clip off the the SATA end, and extend the yellow and black wires to my lamps?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3780246#

[wivelden]

Do you have a pic of how you installed the lamps and where did you get them from?

[kahlid74]

Thanks kahlid!

Could I pick up one of these Molex to SATA cables, clip off the the SATA end, and extend the yellow and black wires to my lamps?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3780246#

Yeah man, that should work fine.  All you need is the yellow and it's black ground so make sure to leave the SATA connector on there and the red in there.  otherwise if you cut the whole SATA clip off that's fine too just make sure you protect the red from touching anything.

[CWorley]

Do you have a pic of how you installed the lamps and where did you get them from?

I don't have a pic at this time.  I got the lamps from www.therealbobroberts.net.  I believe they're the 161 wedge 12Vs.

[CWorley]

Thanks kahlid!

Could I pick up one of these Molex to SATA cables, clip off the the SATA end, and extend the yellow and black wires to my lamps?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3780246#

Yeah man, that should work fine.  All you need is the yellow and it's black ground so make sure to leave the SATA connector on there and the red in there.  otherwise if you cut the whole SATA clip off that's fine too just make sure you protect the red from touching anything.

Cool.  Thanks!