522 Cookin at 134'F Shutdown

[Mark_AR]

4:30 AM - Just walked in the door and my 522 sez... THe current set top box temperature is 134' F. Your receiver has exceeded its recommended operation temperature.

Placing items near, around, cabinet, blah... blah... will cause this. Continued operation will damage the receiver.

Hard reboot - Nuttin - I put a 12" fan next to the chassis and the temp is down to 122' so far, but it still wont do anything. No channels, no menus.. nuttin. I've got 80+ hours on the HD.

I'm thinking the little muffin fan went south. I haven't heard it kick on. Would it hurt to open the box and check to see if the fan is spinning. I 'THINK" the box is mine. I can set a Hard drive cooler right over the Maxtor and add a couple of muffin fans. Might even go to a water cooler system.... or cut some more breather holes in the top of the case.

Ideas.. criticisms... comments???

At what temp does this POS return to normal and let me watch TV again?

I'll get some CSR outta his cubie at 4:45 AM.. Might make his night.

Thanks...
Mark-AR

 

[Mark_AR]

CSR RMA'd my unit within 2 minutes. Didn't even ask me to do any funky tests or anything.

But... Waaahhhhhhh 80+ hours of DVR events... toast...

Mostly mad that my home improvement shows, Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek Enterprise, Medium and the last 'The Screen Savers' episodes are gone.

So be warned 522 owners.. They WILL die.. This will be my 3rd in just over 18 months. If you want to keep any shows.. put it on VHS or capture it to DVD.

 

[Smith P.]

I'm using a stripe of paper, gently insert into bottom vent and you should hear a sound.
I recall I readed one idea for preserve your recordings when Dish will send you new one: temporary connect to the disk IDE/power cable from PC, backup third partition using any Linux OS, and restore it in same manner into new DVR's disk.

 

[bippi]

I have to ask this anyway: you don't have it setting on carpet, do you? The fan is on the bottom blowing up...

 

[Mark_AR]

Nope..No carpet or air circulation issues.

Its been sitting in an open air corner TV stand with 2-3 inches on each side and 2 inches on top... It is the ONLY thing on that shelf. Just as it and its predecessors has since Nov 2003.

The attached is just a representation of the layout. Take the wheels off and plop this on a big corner computer desk that is 6' from corner to end on each side and you have my multimedia center.The 19" monito on the shelp below has 2" at the top and 1" all the way around sides.

Something inside died. Checkswitch failed on tuner 2 all-together. Tuner 1 was only picking up 119. IT aslso said I had a DP44. I have a Dp34 so something inside isnt right.

Will see how long it takes to get a replacement.

 

[David_Levin]

Its been sitting in an open air corner TV stand with 2-3 inches on each side and 2 inches on top... It is the ONLY thing on that shelf. Just as it and its predecessors has since Nov 2003.

Things can get pretty toasty on the stand you have pictured. If there is a back on it, there is no cross air circulation and the heat can pool around the unit (they'll just sit and recirculate their own hot air - just like me).

I had a 508 that was overheating on such a stand until I cut out the cardboard back.

 

[Mark_AR]

Open back with roughly 12" from back of unit to corner of wall.

I'd take an actual pic, but I've already unhooked all my USB devices/hubs from the PC.

It sorta has a chimney effect drawing warm air out the back and up... It doesn't matter though.

I did a power cord reboot and waited for it to aquire.. It never did, but the overheat screen came back and went to 138/140' before I unplugged it and left it for DOA.

This morning I plugged it back in and just checked to see if the DVR events/HD was still working and it will playback my recorded events, but soon reaches the overheat temp and displays the message again.

This was just the excuse I needed to move the whole setup around and put the computer desk in another room, out of the bedroom. I'll put the new 522 on a small bedside stand and run a rg58u/59 co-ax to the TV across the room. *sigh*

Anywho.... Maybe I can stick it in the fridge and get all my important events on tape before it dies... lol

 

[TuxCoder]

Maybe I can stick it in the fridge and get all my important events on tape before it dies... lol

Hehe... some pictures would be excellent.
(I know, he was just kidding... or was he...)

 

[Stargazer]

Any company in which the hard drive has failed should be made to backup that data from the hard drive and be sent to you in a playback format or transferred to the new hard drive in the new unit that is sent to you.

 

[Mark_AR]

Any company in which the hard drive has failed should be made to backup that data from the hard drive and be sent to you in a playback format or transferred to the new hard drive in the new unit that is sent to you.

This would be simple to do too. Once they got your unit RMA'd, they can send it to your new receiver through the data stream (Like DirecPC did their internet) and E*'s future planned VOD service. It might take a few hours, but what difference would it be between their 'how to use the 522' and your saved shows?? *HINT*HINT CHARLIE!

The ONLY exception would be if the hard drive actually failed and scattered inside the chassis. That isn't my case though cuz I can playback until it overheats even with no SAT cables hooked to it.

 

[kbohip]

Any company in which the hard drive has failed should be made to backup that data from the hard drive and be sent to you in a playback format or transferred to the new hard drive in the new unit that is sent to you.

Ya, but imagine how long it would take them to "verify the data" on disks that came in full of Spice channel porn .

When I had my crappy 522 for those few weeks, I noticed the fan ran quite a bit on it, but I never had any overheating issues. The fan is loud as hell too, unlike the one on my Directivo which is rpm controlled and is always running at a very low speed.

 

[Ally68]

Is your monitor under the 522 and a tv over it? Those monitors put out alot of heat that will rise to the 522? Just a thought.

 

[Mark_AR]

I stuck a digital thermometer under the 522 (above the monitor) and it registers at 79.8' F. I still don't think that after 19 months in the same spot that it mysteriously overheats one day that I'm away from the house for 14 hours. Either a part failed inside or a surge got something, but its on a surge protector so who knows.

On another note. I got the replacement 522 today. As soon as I get my computer desk apart and moved, I will set everything back up. So I may not be back online for several hours to report on the replacement 522.

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

You got that sucker mighty quick!

 

[gutter]

My 942 did the same thing and I up 1/4 spacers under the feet to raise it and it cooled right now.

 

[jlabsher]

Does anybody have an idea as to what the optimum operating temp on this sucker should be? Mine shows 122 as high, 100 as low and 109 as avg. I put some spacers on the bottom of the thing to increase airflow but am worried about summer temps. Suppose I go on vacation and turn off my A/C whilst gone. Is that gonna fry the sucker? Hate to have to cool the whole house just for the sat box.

 

[Frank Jr.]

Does anybody have an idea as to what the optimum operating temp on this sucker should be? Mine shows 122 as high, 100 as low and 109 as avg. I put some spacers on the bottom of the thing to increase airflow but am worried about summer temps. Suppose I go on vacation and turn off my A/C whilst gone. Is that gonna fry the sucker? Hate to have to cool the whole house just for the sat box.

I used to years ago cut my air off and unplug everything but the fridge while on vacation but it gets way to hot down here. Come home and candles drooping, water in traps dry out and not so funny smells come out of the sinks drains. I just cut the a/c back some now when I go. May want to unplug your boxes if it gets really hot while away.

 

[Frank Jr.]

I remember when I was a child and would spend summer vacation up at my granparents house in Virginia. They didn't hardley run their a/c. They had huge Maple trees that surrounded the house. Never really got that hot. Of course there was no satellite tv either. My how things change.

 

[Mark_AR]

It would probably be a good idea to unhook it. Lightning could fry it while you are gone.

If I even think that there is a possibility of thundershowers, I make my rounds and unplug the high-end equipment.

 

[jlabsher]

Well, I'm not worried especially about vacation, but for those days when it isn't quite hot enough to turn on the A/C (at least until I get home from work & tell the wife it is too hot in the *&#% house) since she is always chilly.

Anyway I think 122 is too hot and was wondering if anybody had any specs other then anecdotal evidence of when I should start icing this baby down or suggestions on what to do if it starts heating up.