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View Full Version : DM 800 HD 18 months on: what to do with a cooler and why?!?



goran
19-12-2009, 12:38 PM
Sounds like you have one of the boxes with a dodgy tuner! as the first batch were missing a capacitor off the tuner board, hence problems scanning

For those who still cannot sort it out, after reading all this here is a clue of what might be the problem, in objective terms.

I am re-posting it here [already in the General Sat Chat section], because there most people won't see it and this warning might save some people a few bobs, plus plenty of nerves and good will.

Seriously speaking, all might want/need to sort this out anyway, in terms of installing a cooler fan, because prevention is best and DMM are not all that good, as you will now see:


Whatever happens after 18 months of exploitation of DM800 HD [with and without a cooling fan]?!?

There are three versions of DM800 HD PVR:
1) original versions with a serious flaw - overheating [small series], as seen here: http://dreambox.org.ua/files/dm800/tuner1.jpg
2) with an attached external capacitor to remedy the flaw, as seen below
3) the capacitor is integrated into the tuner

Below, we have the first version of the tuner, REV:J, withdrawn by DMM, then modified [as you will see a bit later on, with a 22uF capacitor and a 220 Ohm resistor], plus the third version, REV:K, which has an added SMD capacitor built into the board, as seen on the image.


http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6500/dm800revjik.jpg

Just so there's no "you're imagining things".... from the tribal lot...

Here, we shall compare 2 DM800 HD's from the second series, both from May 2008, with a modified tuner, the ones with an added 22uF capacitor under the tuner itself, modified by DMM.

The first image is a measurement of internal resistance with ESR meter. It was taken in DM800 with an internal 12cm cooling fan, added by me, after 18 months of exploitation. As one can see, the value is 1.3 Ohm, slightly higher than a brand new one.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5871/18mjsaventilatorom.jpg

http://wiki.xtronics.com/index.php/Capacitors_and_ESR (http://www.sat-plus.com/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fw iki.xtronics.com%2Findex.php%2FCa pacitors_and_ESR) - see the detailed info here

The second image shows a second DM800 HD tuner, also used for 18 months but without any cooling fan installed.

It's a disastrous state of affairs: because of the overheating, the internal resistance grew to 64 OHM and the capacity fell from 22uF to 6uF.

The consequence: the infamous "TUNE FAILED" and the disappearance of any signal, which led to a complete malfunction of DiSEqC switch.

Which is why this particular DM800 HD PVR came to me, in the first place. The owner hasn't installed a fan and learned to live with the fact he had to switch the receiver off a few times, in order to finally manage to move to another satellite... until he couldn't move it any more...

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3958/18mjbezventilatora.jpg

Back then I advised everybody to install a cooling fan. Those who listened are safe now. Those who didn't - oh, well...

If one decides to change those parts...

One ought to be very careful, as there is a tiny resistor [220 OHM], that must be removed before you change the capacitor and then returned, once the new one is in place. Its lower part attaches to the transistor and the other to the capacitor itself.

Here it is, so one doesn't say "I wasn't warned"...

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7135/dm800tuner220ohma.jpg

One more observation: the seriously loudly advertised OLED display has a bit of a shortcoming - it doesn't last! Here is an image so one can judge for oneself. Btw, have a look at yours. I bet it doesn't look any better....

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4106/dm800displayostecenja.jpg

:coolgleamA:

Translated by me... and slightly improved it, too - with a few more details than in the original post, having bothered the author on MSN, Gawd help me...:svengo:

gbmitie
19-12-2009, 01:24 PM
very very useful, as a noob I cant install a cooling fan so if I buy a new DM800 HD now will it last longer? in other words has the problem been fixed?:respect-051:

gbmitie

jimrare
19-12-2009, 02:00 PM
Are you refering to clones?

Many people in here have their boxes since they came out and haven't encountered the above. My box is running freeze free some 14 months now, with no modifications. If there was some kind of hardware fault wouldn't it apply to ALL original boxes?

goran
19-12-2009, 02:02 PM
@gbmitie:

I'll have to ask Bebi but from what we have seen higher temperatures are bad for your bits and bobs, so a fan is good!

Look here, you do not have to be a pro to do it, just use some old meshed wire, a fan and voila...

http://www.sat-plus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25607&d=1215047726

...and if you want more, a thermostat from a radiator, as described below, does the trick... ;)

http://www.sat-plus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25605&d=1215047726

http://www.sat-plus.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25606&d=1215047726

:cheers2:

goran
29-12-2009, 06:58 PM
Here is a bit more helpful info, this time re. DB500s:


service could not be found

replace Q72 Transistor Type P-Channel Logic ref Part No.NDS352APCT-ND (Voltage-Rated 30 V
Current Rating 900mA) = F70 < amp 0.5


http://www.sat-universe.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16854 6&d=1254693509

http://www.sat-universe.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16854 7&d=1254693509

:respect-051:

goran
19-01-2010, 01:38 AM
I can see people asking Qs about tuners that stopped working, so a bump... ;)

Armsoft
19-01-2010, 07:16 PM
If your not comfortable `modding` your 800HD (I wasn`t!) then the next best option is to buy a `Notebook Cooling Base` which can run off of the USB port.

I have a genuine 800HD and started to get Freezing issues, but since buying the cooling base some 12 months ago I have not had an issue since.

I`m not going to start recommending which one to buy, and they are available from most decent PC/Electrical Componant Shops herein the UK.

Good Luck.

cyprusdunc
21-01-2010, 10:57 AM
I will be purchasing one for use here in Cyprus and will just aim for the one with the highest cfm figure and hope for the best.Working temp max of 35 C does not bode well for the 800 here when ambient temps frequently go above that in the summer, Dunc.