MicroGem DTV converter gets pretty hot
in [Design]
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From: G-squared on 1 Jul 2010 11:31 On Jun 30, 12:39 pm, franksm...(a)nospammie.com wrote: > I just bought a used MicroGem DTV converter at an auction. The price > was right, and it works ok. But I noticed that it gets pretty hot > compared to my other converters (other brands). I also read on > several websites that these converters are known to die in a short > time because of excess heat, and many were sent back to the > manufacturer for replacement. Because of the way I bought it, there > is no warranty. Rather than let it burn out, I would like to add a > heat sink to whatever part(s) gets hot. Does anyone know what part(s) > overheats? (I might also enlarge the tiny holes in the case, or maybe > even install a small fan (like a CPU fan, if there's a proper voltage > source to run a CPU fan). > > Thanks > > Frank Unplug it from the wall and remove the cover screws to get inside. Leave the cover on and run it for an hour or so to heat it up. Unplug it from the wall and remove the cover and find out where it's really warm. You might not even have room to add a fan but they come in a wide ranges of sizes and power capacity as shown in the DigiKey website. It's actually difficult to build a power supply with such low capacity that there _isn't_ spare capacity to run a fan.Also keep in mind that the fan will _increase_ the supply capacity as it's heat that is the limiting factor and you're getting rid of it. Now if the fan STALLS you have extra problems. G²
From: AM on 1 Jul 2010 12:22
On Thu, 1 Jul 2010 08:31:38 -0700 (PDT), G-squared <stratus46(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >On Jun 30, 12:39�pm, franksm...(a)nospammie.com wrote: >> I just bought a used MicroGem DTV converter at an auction. �The price >> was right, and it works ok. �But I noticed that it gets pretty hot >> compared to my other converters (other brands). �I also read on >> several websites that these converters are known to die in a short >> time because of excess heat, and many were sent back to the >> manufacturer for replacement. �Because of the way I bought it, there >> is no warranty. �Rather than let it burn out, I would like to add a >> heat sink to whatever part(s) gets hot. �Does anyone know what part(s) >> overheats? �(I might also enlarge the tiny holes in the case, or maybe >> even install a small fan (like a CPU fan, if there's a proper voltage >> source to run a CPU fan). >> >> Thanks >> >> Frank > >Unplug it from the wall and remove the cover screws to get inside. >Leave the cover on and run it for an hour or so to heat it up. Unplug >it from the wall and remove the cover and find out where it's really >warm. You might not even have room to add a fan but they come in a >wide ranges of sizes and power capacity as shown in the DigiKey >website. It's actually difficult to build a power supply with such low >capacity that there _isn't_ spare capacity to run a fan.Also keep in >mind that the fan will _increase_ the supply capacity as it's heat >that is the limiting factor and you're getting rid of it. Now if the >fan STALLS you have extra problems. > >G� I would determine what voltage(s) the device needs to operate, and bypass the obviously under-powered supply circuit, feeding the important circuitry with a remotely dissipating source, fed by a cord to the unit. It sounds like a poor PS design at the front end of the product and less likely that it is any element of the converter circuitry itself. |