Yet ANOTHER Hard Drive Failure! SICK OF IT!!!!

[Jim S.]

I have a hopper 2 that has had many hard drive failures in the past year and a half. I do the unplug reset sometimes I lose everything some times I don't . It's still the same drive that came with the box so I personally think there is more to the so called drive failure. It makes me think it is also a software bug .

My own experiences with the Hopper HD fiasco are posted back a year or so ago. To summarize, I don't think it's so much a "bug" as just a failure to try to correct non-catastrophic errors, preferring to take the easy way out and reformat the drive instead.

(I've built many computers that ran 24/7 for years with consumer-grade drives. The only time I've ever lost more than a file or two [which in itself was rare, and usually the result of something like writing on a Linux partition from Windows or vice-versa] was a catastrophic hardware failure of a proven-bad brand of drive -- which, ironically, was advertised as high-quality, almost server-grade! [IBM Deskstar 40, or was it 80?])

 

[gadgtfreek]

This

http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=10202

And two cheap WD drives will cure all your ills.

 

[Rixos]

My hopper amd hopper with sling had red nas western digital drives and they were both reliable. And i also use them in my nas server. I don't know if they changed the hard drive brand or it could be an overheat issue. Also with 16 tuners, people recording more stuff so more use of harddrive means can cause premature failure. Any of these or one of them is causing the issue. I would get an ext hd and transfer most important recordings or all of them. H3 is too new and only time will tell if there is any real issue woth harddrives.

 

[budda]

I have the Hopper 3 now. Have 2 inchs on each side. 5 inchs on the top for clearance. A x4000 amp below Hopper. No front door on cabnit .About 8 inchs above amp for air. I have been with Dish for twelve years. Had 622 722 722k Hopper 2 and now the H3. One failed hard drive? I think it was the 722. My kids/young adults now. 18 and 20. Record everything! It gets a work out. Most issues I have had were software related. Not sure how irradiated I would get if a few died in a row. Hope I never find out. But I think it's pretty normal to expect a better experience. JMO

 

[gadgtfreek]

My hopper amd hopper with sling had red nas western digital drives and they were both reliable. And i also use them in my nas server. I don't know if they changed the hard drive brand or it could be an overheat issue. Also with 16 tuners, people recording more stuff so more use of harddrive means can cause premature failure. Any of these or one of them is causing the issue. I would get an ext hd and transfer most important recordings or all of them. H3 is too new and only time will tell if there is any real issue woth harddrives.

When I get home from work every afternoon I transfer my recordings from the previous night over to the EHD and watch everything off it. If the Hopper dies I figure I’ll just lose a few programs and can deal with that.

 

[NR2D]

I would keep the sides and the top clear. Even though there aren't any vent holes on the top of a Hopper some heat will dissipate upward. Also I would not set,the Hopper on top of something that generates any heat. With today's TVs you would not have that problem though.

Good luck in your search for a solution.


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[JSheridan]

No, the Hopper. the 622/722 vented out of the top.

The 722K has no vents on the top. They're on the sides. I just checked one to be positive.

 

[osu1991]

The 622/722 vent out the sides also. Top is solid. I put 2 inch foam squares under the feet of my 722 to raise it up and give airflow under it too. I've only had 1 failure. My original 722 hard drive finally gave out after 5 or 6 years in 2013, been on the replacement since then and still running strong. My dad put a fan on the side of his 722 after the original failed and the replacement only lasted a year. The 2nd replacement has been going good for 5 years or so now.

 

[Hall]

I put 2 inch foam squares under the feet of my 722 to raise it up and give airflow under it too.

I do that with my AV receiver and Dish receiver (been doing that since the 522) as well. I use rubber speaker cabinet feet (like these, https://www.parts-express.com/penn-elcom-f1558-rubber-cabinet-foot-15-dia-x-0625-h--260-771) to raise devices up.

 

[Hall]

I found a picture showing the Hopper 1 or 2 without the top cover. When facing the front, the power supply is on the right-hand side. It takes up almost the entire depth of the receiver too. On the left-hand side is a fan. My presumption is that this fan draws air in and the airflow is actually left to right, not right to left (I also said right to left above and may be mistaken now). Reason I believe it draws air in vs discharging air is based on the location of the power supply, no doubt the hottest part of the equipment. If the fan was discharging air, that would mean ambient air comes in the right side, crosses the power supply and heats up. This heated-up air then has to pass over the mainboard, the CPU, etc, etc, which I'm not sure you'd want to do.

Any thermodynamic experts around ?

 

[VideoWhiz]

I have all my equipment plugged into a very expensive and top rated power conditioner, so I do know that isn't the problem.

There is an advantage having an UPS for equipment using a hard drive. An UPS will allow the HDD to keep working for a few minutes until the user can shut it down gently. Sudden removal of power before safely reapplying may well protect most electronics from surges or sudden dropouts but there is no guarantee data will be saved as it likely would be with an UPS.
(I presently have mine also plugged into a top rated conditioner but have considered an UPS if only for the DVR for that reason.)

 

[Shoot To Thrill]

I found a picture showing the Hopper 1 or 2 without the top cover. When facing the front, the power supply is on the right-hand side. It takes up almost the entire depth of the receiver too. On the left-hand side is a fan. My presumption is that this fan draws air in and the airflow is actually left to right, not right to left (I also said right to left above and may be mistaken now). Reason I believe it draws air in vs discharging air is based on the location of the power supply, no doubt the hottest part of the equipment. If the fan was discharging air, that would mean ambient air comes in the right side, crosses the power supply and heats up. This heated-up air then has to pass over the mainboard, the CPU, etc, etc, which I'm not sure you'd want to do.

Any thermodynamic experts around ?

Yes, looking directly at the DVR, the fan is on the left side.

They are going to upgrade me to and H3 - I am going to buy a usb powered fan and let is assist the cooling.

 

[navychop]

I suspect they haven't manufactured new HWS in about a year.

 

[ralfyguy]

The 622/722 vent out the sides also. Top is solid. I put 2 inch foam squares under the feet of my 722 to raise it up and give airflow under it too. I've only had 1 failure. My original 722 hard drive finally gave out after 5 or 6 years in 2013, been on the replacement since then and still running strong. My dad put a fan on the side of his 722 after the original failed and the replacement only lasted a year. The 2nd replacement has been going good for 5 years or so now.

I put my 722 on four A/C compressor feet and swapped the top with a louvered one from a 222. This top had louvers all the way on top. Fit just fine. No more heat issues.

 

[osu1991]

I put my 722 on four A/C compressor feet and swapped the top with a louvered one from a 222. This top had louvers all the way on top. Fit just fine. No more heat issues.

Forgot about you mentioning that. Probably made a great difference with the louvre top

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[ralfyguy]

Forgot about you mentioning that. Probably made a great difference with the louvre top

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Yes. Google the 222 and look at images. The whole thing is slotted. It has identical dimensions and screw holes like the 722. It is a direct swap.

 

[ralfyguy]

I wish they would have used the same tops for both from the factory. But the 222 came out way later.

 

[Hall]

Believe it or not, the case was probably designed based on having a closed, solid top. Putting a slotted one may impact the cooling design.

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[ralfyguy]

Believe it or not, the case was probably designed based on having a closed, solid top. Putting a slotted one may impact the cooling design.

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This is true because of the way they i implemented the fan. Yet my 722 ran A LOT cooler than with the closed top. At least 15 degrees. Closed it maxed out at 135 degrees, and that was with sitting in open space. With the slotted top it barely made it to 120 with heavy recording use.

 

[Scherrman]

In my experience with hard drive failures it usually comes down to crappy luck, something wrong with the install or the environment around the receiver. I have only failures ever, one with a 722k and one with a HWS.