Living in WI and playing ball in the snow and slush of winter, even the best anti-fog lens/ solution will not last more than one game. Sometimes it doesn’t even make that. Now add in some cold spring rain, and a fan becomes a mandatory evil for the masks. The problem comes in that no commercially make fan is available for the V-Force profiler.

I wanted something small that would fit behind the visor. The smallest fans ( and cheapest! ) that I found were from an e-bay store called Robobugs R/C. They have both 12volt fans and 5 volt fans in the 25mm ( 1 inch!! ) size. I have used both of these fans for mask fans and they both work equally well. The 12 volt fans are super quiet when hooked to a 9volt battery – you can hardly hear them even with the mask on. The 5 volt fans also run off of the 9 volt battery just fine (I believe that they have internal regulators.) They are noisier than the 12 volt fans, but they push a LOT more air. I tend to use the 5 volt fans in winter and spring ( for max air movement ) and then switch to the 12 volt fans for summer/ fall play where they are not needed for de-fogging ( although they will do a good job of it ) but more for that nice cool breeze…….


Here is how I made my own fans for the mask….

1. Acquire the materials needed this project. I used 2 fans, but you could also use only 1 (or 3 if you’re so inclined.) You will also need a 9volt battery connector, a Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) switch. You can get both of these from radioshack. I was planning on using a Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) switch so I could reverse the fans, but this proved not to work as these fans do not run backwards. You will also need a 9volt battery (duh!)

2. The fans are wired in parallel so they each receive the same voltage. Here is my cheesy made wiring diagram:



3. The fans need to mount so they don’t interfere with visor. I mounted my fans by drilling some small holes and using skinny screws. I got the screws from my local hobby shop. Look in the airplane section. They need to be just a little longer than the thickness of the fans, but you also don’t want those sticking eight inches into your line of sight! Here is how mine are mounted.



4. I zip-tied my switch to the battery and then stuck the battery behind the mask strap.



Another zip-tie keeps it all snug and secure.



I have not had any problem with either the fans/switch or battery moving around during games

Feel free to post your own mask fan mods!

Have you experimented with the fans drawing air out as well as pulling in? Also, does the air circulation aggravate your eyes at all?

No, the air does not bug my eyes at all ( and I wear contacts ) as it doesn't blow right in them.

I tried using the "suck" meathod when I had my Jt mask/fan. It never worked as well.

I think I'm going to give this a try in a Proto Switch. How long does a battery last you before you have to swap it out?

Umm, well, I change it about once a year, just on principle.

very nice how-to, man. good photos.

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Cruisin' Mos Espa in my DeLorean...

Thanks alot Drewed I will be doing this this afternoon. I'll have pics up this evening.

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Stand and fight, win or die

I did this on my own Profiler Mask.. i was tho very unlucky with my fans.. way to noisy. But i went for a flip switch that went thru my sun screen.

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Ok best place to mount them from above or below?

* 12/16/06*

Do'h! I am such an FNG! I just realized they were mounted from the top

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Make the other sob for his team instead!

A-5, Mk 46 SAW kit, Saw stock (duh), 16" barrel, 450 rd hopper, 32 degrees remote, 20 oz. co2 bottle, hydration vest for humping said bottle and ammo, SAW ammo box (muhahahaha), adjustable bipod, NcStar 42mm red dot scope, egrip as soon as I can get my grubby hands on one!

I recommend adding one of these to your mask. I have a Proto Switch and have been using one on my mask for a few months. I love it, no fog and very quiet. Be careful when mounting though, some masks don't give you a lot of clearance up there so the fan might be sticking into your head. I had to mount mine about half an inch or so above the top of the goggles where the foam is. I used 2 zip ties. There is also a small piece of cardboard in the picture. I put that in so nothing would come up under the visor.


I cut some notches out of of the foam. It doesn't soak up the sweat as much and is a lot cooler on the face. I decided not to use a switch on my set up. I also had a hard time finding somewhere to mount the battery, so I extended the wiring enough for me to put the 9 volt in my vest. I used a pair of connectors as my ON/OFF, I just unhook when not in use.

If you go the connector route like I did, make sure you don't put both male or both female ends on the same side. This way you don't cross your wires.