OTHER X2 M1HD Issue/Recommendation

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FTA4PA

FTA4PA

Satellite Guys Family
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Nov 13, 2013
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Central Pennsylvania
I ordered an X2 M1HD from Amazon about two weeks ago and got a chance to try it this weekend. I connected everything and scanned two sats (which are fixed dishes) without issue. After I figured out how to use the editing interface (move, delete, rename channels) I actually liked it. I sat back and started watching a channel and the receiver turned off by itself then back on again. It continued to do this over and over about every two minutes until I pulled the plug. When I plugged it back in it booted so I manually shut it off with the power button on the receiver. A while later I noticed that it had turned itself back on and began the off/on loop again. The box is hot to the touch (and this is in a room thats only 67° F). I am thinking this is most likely a heat problem as the venting on it is poor. There are a decent number of holes on the bottom but there are no side vents and on the top there is only a small area (roughly only 1/8 of the surface area) that is open where an HD logo is.

M1HD Top Venting.JPG M1HD Side.JPG M1HD Bottom Venting.JPG

I don't know about any heatsink size/placement as I'm likely going to return it and don't want to open it. I saw mention of this rebooting in another thread here. This is twice that I have had problems with an X2 product. A while back I tried an X2 Mini Premium HD only to have it constantly reboot (you couldn't even get to the menus before it would reboot). Apparently some people get lucky with these but from my experience I would avoid them. :(
 
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Yeah, if it wasn't the fact my HDVR3500 is also not working I probably would return mine too. I actually burned my finger removing a metal USB drive from the back whenever I first got it. These things get awfully hot. I may take the cover off and see if there is anything I can do, as its a pretty nice box if it didn't get so hot. Not worried about the warranty, these things are actually pretty cheap.
 
If it didn't have the reboot problem, it seems like a decent box and I could actually recommend it as a low cost receiver for members with limited $$ (like me :D). Solve that and I'm in! :)
 
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I have noticed this problem also. I purchased one last October, and it failed last month. I requested warranty (has 1 year warranty). X2 replied and wanted video or photo of problem. Photo suited for mine, as it had no display on the front, and no video output. I submitted photo, and they replied some days later that they would replace it. And they did replace it with the current version.
The one I purchased last year had no connection for Ethernet, but the new one comes with USB WiFi adapter, which works good.
The new one does get hot, and I watched it go off and turn back on, even in a room at 65 deg. with the unit on a shelf below the TV. I re-positioned it so that there was open space beneath the unit, where the ventilation holes are, and it cooled off and quit cycling on/off. Hopefully, it will run cooler. Electronics really don't like too much heat, shortens their life.
Since I X2 replaced the failed unit, did not request return of it, I dis-assembled it to determine cause of failure. I found 2 electrolytic capacitors bulging - never a good sign... So I replaced them. Unit now runs again. I drilled 7 3/16" holes in the top cover over the power supply board. It now runs cooler.
I do like these units for FTA, and am not using any of the other features. They scan fairly quickly and change channels nicely. It takes a little getting used to the menus and how it works. Picture quality is good on HDMI and on NTSC A/V output.

Since they are low cost, you will not lose much in voiding a warranty by modifying. So, I suggest using a drill, 3/16" drill bit and modifying the top cover over the power supply board. These are easy to disassemble and do not require any electronics or wiring to be disturbed in order make the modification. Leave good air space around the unit. It would probably help the cooling to have taller rubber feet on the bottom, to let air into the bottom vents more easily.

Good Luck with yours.
 
I went ahead and opened mine up. It has a GX6605 chipset, according to it's website. If I look for pictures of other receivers with this chipset, essential the mainboard is the same. I think this is another one of those receivers where companies buy the boards, put them in their own cases, and then put their modified version of the stock software on there.

It does have a little room to breathe in the top cover, as it is a plastic mesh near the top of the chipset/heatsink (the area that says "HD"). I decided to take the decorative cover off and leave it -- hopefully this will give more airflow. It still should be opened up a little more above the heatsink, so I'll do that some other time after I see what kind of effect this has.

Reassembled, leaving off the decorative cover:
IMG_20160524_192629.jpg

The decorative cover that I left off:
IMG_20160524_192751.jpg
 
I just let it run for about 30 minutes just watching a single channel and the temperature at the heatsink has stabilized at 134 degrees Fahrenheit. I'd prefer that to be closer to 120 degrees, but hopefully it stays stable.
 
134 isn't too bad, but I bet you could bring that down by replacing the heat sink with a larger one and adding a small fan.
 
KE4EST said:
adding a small fan.
Click to expand...
Funny you mentioned that! I didn't want to give up on this receiver just yet so earlier this evening I pulled an 80cm fan from an old pc that I built and just laid it on top of the M1HD temporarily to see if it would solve the reboot problem. I ran it off an old 12VDC/100ma wall wart.

M1HD with Fan.JPG

I watched tv for just over three hours (6:00pm to 9:02pm) and there was no reboot at all. :) It was also 82° in the room today instead of the 67° it was the other day. So it's definitely a heat issue. Obviously it would work to just let the 80cm fan sit on top of the receiver but one or two 60cm fans could be attached permanently to the top so I ordered a few from Amazon today and will give it a try. It would be nice if the fan(s) could be powered from the supply inside the receiver. I wonder if 12VDC is available in there? :rolleyes:
 
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FTA4PA said:
I wonder if 12VDC is available in there?
Click to expand...
If not you bet there is a line that goes 13V or 18V before it gets to the RF circuit(so you don't have to worry about messing with your signal).
Grab you a low voltage drop out regulator such as a LM340T-12 and build up a small circuit that would fit right in there. :)
 
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KE4EST said:
If not you bet there is a line that goes 13V or 18V before it gets to the RF circuit(so you don't have to worry about messing with your signal).
Grab you a low voltage drop out regulator such as a LM340T-12 and build up a small circuit that would fit right in there. :)
Click to expand...
Excellent idea! I've gotta have one of those around here with all the equipment I save! :)
 
Yeah, do some research on LDO regulators, there are other part numbers that would work.
You would need a Low Drop Out version though.
The classic 7812 would not work at 13V.
 
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Well, now it's my turn. An X2 M1-HD arrived today.
During setup, it began the boot loop and when I turned it off, it restarted all by itself and did the boot loop again.
I've contacted the seller before searching for solutions on Satellite Guys.
This is a timely topic.
I purchased one a year ago and returned it when it went to black screen and showed no life at all. It didn't last an hour.
Anyway...thanks for your input here that offers some solutions.
 
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FWIW, I tried setting a fan underneath the box and then on top of the box to help cool it. I gained a few seconds of time before the boot loop started again. I will play with the box again today while I wait for a return authorization.
This is not my first box. The MicroHD continues to perform flawlessly and will operate on 12 volts. WOW!
My mission here is to set up another satellite dish and S2 box using $$ received from sales of previous dishes and keep it within that budget and still decode dolby. Everything else is in place except the box.
Peace...
 
papabruski said:
FWIW, I tried setting a fan underneath the box and then on top of the box to help cool it. I gained a few seconds of time before the boot loop started again. I will play with the box again today while I wait for a return authorization.
This is not my first box. The MicroHD continues to perform flawlessly and will operate on 12 volts. WOW!
My mission here is to set up another satellite dish and S2 box using $$ received from sales of previous dishes and keep it within that budget and still decode dolby. Everything else is in place except the box.
Peace...
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear you haven't had the best results so far. Did you use a small PC fan? If so, did you set it on top of the receiver, directly over the HD logo, so that the directional arrow on the fan is pointing up (pulling air in the bottom of the receiver and out the top)? Any fan over 60cm will hang over the top cover and not make a good seal to the surface, allowing some air to be pulled in at the edges of the fan instead of up through the receiver. My 80cm did this a bit but still worked. Bigger fans would be even worse. That's why I'm going with a 60cm fan(s) mounted directly to the top of the receiver. Best of luck getting your setup to work!
 
KE4EST said:
Yeah, do some research on LDO regulators, there are other part numbers that would work.
You would need a Low Drop Out version though.
The classic 7812 would not work at 13V.
Click to expand...
I might get a chance to work on this on the weekend and don't have time today to tear anything apart to look for one of these so I just ordered one. Only a few bucks and it will be here Friday. The fans will be here Thursday. Hopefully I can find a permanent way to cool this thing down! :flame
 
FTA4PA said:
Sorry to hear you haven't had the best results so far. Did you use a small PC fan? If so, did you set it on top of the receiver, directly over the HD logo, so that the directional arrow on the fan is pointing up (pulling air in the bottom of the receiver and out the top)? Any fan over 60cm will hang over the top cover and not make a good seal to the surface, allowing some air to be pulled in at the edges of the fan instead of up through the receiver. My 80cm did this a bit but still worked. Bigger fans would be even worse. That's why I'm going with a 60cm fan(s) mounted directly to the top of the receiver. Best of luck getting your setup to work!
Click to expand...

Good point. No, I did not. I used a small desk fan and directed it at the box from below, then above. I did not think of drawing air through the box. Thanks...
 
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papabruski said:
Good point. No, I did not. I used a small desk fan and directed it at the box from below, then above. I did not think of drawing air through the box. Thanks...
Click to expand...
You're welcome. It's a shame we have to do this at all but mine has been ok since and for under $40... :rolleyes:
 
Same heat trouble here. some channels seem to make it work harder/hotter.
now it sits on a fan kinda like this. air blowing up. cools her right down. no more rebooting.

Took me a bit to figure out what was up, as I have it on a power strip due to no switch on the box. thus not touching it. happen to grab it up to disconnect the cables after just shutting it off. it was the hottest little electronic unit I ever touched.

Other wise seems to work well. like the menu better than the other X2 models, not that the others are bad. more testing this weekend.
 
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