StarBox I USB overheating - a solution

[Anole]

Tron and I (and others) have talked about a thread to discuss how to make the overheating Starbox I USB units work better.

I have the original Starbox I (7021)
There is a later Starbox II (7021A)

Some people have reported heating problems; some have claimed their unit worked fine.
From what I've read, overheating applied to some Starbox I's, and nobody had any trouble with the Starbox II's.
I had problems with mine, and so did a buddy.
We sent them back, and had them replaced with two more that overheated.

The simple solution was to remount the PC board into a new case where it had adequate ventilation.
There is really no room in the Starbox case for a heatsink or fan.
Once out of the restrictive Starbox case, neither a heatsink nor a fan seemed to be needed.

Remove the label on the underside of the unit.
You'll find some screws there - remove them, and the case will come apart.
The PC board is attached to one case-half with more screws
I used those four screw holes with some plastic standoffs to mount the board into a new metal case.
As you can see, it's an old power supply box.
The top fan isn't actually connected, but it could be if needed.

Problem solved.
Twelve hours of unattended recording worked fine.
Scanning which caused shut-down before, no longer does.
If it had, a fan would have been connected, or a heatsink installed.
The hot chip is easy to locate - use your finger as a heat probe.

My buddy repackaged his in a little wire-mesh pencil holder.
The fan is in the base, and connectors are on top.
His power supply is external.
He did install heatsinks (not visible), but that's really overkill with the well ventilated case and the fan.
Hope his pictures do it justice.

I installed my power supply inside the PC power supply box.
Connectors are readily accessible through existing grill holes (or were enlarged with a nibbler).
The original on/off switch and AC power input connector are used.
Standoffs under the board are nylon, and raise it 3/4 inch above the floor.
The DC power cable is bundled at the end of the board, then is routed outside the case where it plugs into the original connector.
The unit should be easily restored to original condition, if necessary.

 

[Sadoun]

Now that is cool or what...

 

[alipik]

it seems nice solution but if only u can apply the fan of the power supply box aswell it would be much better ventilated , donot u think so?

 

[Anole]

Twinhan StarBox overheating

I intended to power the fan above the board with the 9 volts from the Twinhan power supply.
Figured that would make the fan very quiet.

I also have heatsiniks that I was going to put on the hot chips to help remove the heat.

As it turned out, neither seemed to be necessary.

I still have the heatsinks, and the fan is still mounted above the board, and if I ever have any troubles, I can use both very easily.

Because it would be more quiet to use the heatsinks than the fan, I would recommend that approach as a first step.
However, if you are located in a very hot environment, or your board is extra touchy, the fan is an available solution.

 

[CharredPC]

I've used PC power supplies as project boxes before, but this is a new use for me; good job! I like them because they are well ventilated, easy to find, have built-in power connectors and often sturdy on/off switches. Usually when I used them I'd add four rubber feet onto the bottom to make it more 'professional' - often off of another bit of junk

On your design, I'd suggest throwing in a little Radio Shack toggle switch in one of the holes between the current to the existing fan. It would take only a few minutes, and then if you ever decided you needed better cooling (on a super-hot day, maybe) it's only a click away. Of course, I'm geeky enough to toss in a variable resistor (think dimmer knob on a light) to create the perfect adjustable balance of airflow and low noise... but 9V is usually perfect to run 12v PC fans quietly.

 

[Anole]

rubber feet

When I was testing to determine if the Twinhan Starbox USB was overheating...
I pried open the top of the plastic case.
Didn't know about the screws at that time, and just assumed the case was snapped together.
I got it parted maybe 1/4 inch - just barely enough to slide a chipset fan in about half way.
Not a CPU fan - but one that goes on the motherboard chipset - very tiny.
I powered it externally, and noted that solved the temperature problem.
So, I knew that just minimal cooling would be sufficient.

My buddy and I came up with all sorts of overkill solutions for heatsinks, heatpipes, blowers, evaporators, plumbing, and liquid Nitrogen.
...Including, but not limited to cutting a hole in the existing plastic box.

As a test, he attached his naked board to a P3/Celeron heatsink meant for the Slot-1 CPUs (we have lots of old stuff around).
His heatsink and fan worked great!
My little chipset fan worked, too.
But, neither solution was elegant.
I just wanted to be done with it.
He wanted his to be a fancy conversation piece.
You see where it led us.

And actually, my box has 6 rubber feet on it.
In retrospect, I should have put more on the side, as I like to rotate the box 90 degrees to use it.

My box was way too big, until I realized there was room to put the power supply inside.
And, I -so- hate those external wall-wart power supplies.
Nothing quite like using a stock power cable.
To each his own.

 

[ziiro]

Tron and I (and others) have talked about a thread to discuss how to make the overheating Starbox I USB units work better.



My buddy repackaged his in a little wire-mesh pencil holder.
The fan is in the base, and connectors are on top.
His power supply is external.
He did install heatsinks (not visible), but that's really overkill with the well ventilated case and the fan.
Hope his pictures do it justice.

I installed my power supply inside the PC power supply box.
Connectors are readily accessible through existing grill holes (or were enlarged with a nibbler).
The original on/off switch and AC power input connector are used.
Standoffs under the board are nylon, and raise it 3/4 inch above the floor.
The DC power cable is bundled at the end of the board, then is routed outside the case where it plugs into the original connector.
The unit should be easily restored to original condition, if necessary.

hi
you all seem like people that have a lot exp with the starbox II
i got the starbox II but i'm really new to this really need help to get the FTA signal.
bab thing: i don't event know what size of dish and lnb should i get?

my email address is alex_kenyo@yahoo.com

so please contact me i really need help with this...
thank in adv.
Ziiro

 

[Anole]

Well, let's see . . .

1). I think I'd edit my post to remove that email address.
- nothing good can come of it.
2). this thread is about the overheating problem and how to fix it.
- please open a new thread in this department, and we can talk about it.
3). what satellites were you interested in receiving?
- that has an effect on which new or surplus dishes and LNBs to recommend.
( put that in your new thread)
4). welcome to SatelliteGuys