Sky+ upgrade fan running all the time, can this be rectified?

Faust

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I have just upgraded the HD in my Sky+ PVR2 with a Samsung Spin Point 7200rpm unit. The install went like a dream and only took about 20 minutes, the new HD is working flawlessly and is whisper quiet. The only fly in the ointment is the fan which is now on all the time. It's not as if the box isn't getting plenty of air flow around it as it sits in a well ventilated position. In fact now the fan is running constantly the Sky box is quite literally cold to the touch. Is there no way of regulating this fan so that it isn't running all the time?
 
A 100 Ohm resistor will quieten it.
 
Good question Faust.

Same as my question a day or so ago. Seems to be very little talk about either why this problem rears it's ugly head or how to solve it. Frantic Franc replied to me to replace the fan with a newer ( and hence quieter) fan.
Also the link in mobrules reply seems interesting.

SamRadford? Do what with a 100 ohm resistor? Would that involve souldering in the box?
Cheers in advance,
Papcx
 
This is what you need.
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/drrussell/
Marvellous little invention it is too! :thumbsup:

Chaps,

This is what you need http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/drrussell/
as posted in the above link. I don't personally know Darren Russell (the guy who designed this bit of kit), but he definitely knows his stuff and is extremely quick to answer any questions. I wish I would have known about this little device back in August last year as my fan was one conststantly from then until the easter weekend and I now have a nice & silent Sky + box and now the fan comes on when it needs to :smashin:

I upgraded my hard drive to a 250gb drive and the fan was on 24/7.

I did a bit of digging around and found this fan controller. It costs £20 inc postage and is quite frankly a brilliant bit of kit. It controls the fan by way of a heat sensor and you can alternate the speed of the fan from the PCB.

Believe me it's probably the best £20 you will spend if you have upgraded your hard drive and it's so easy to fit as well and Darren's fitting instructions are straight forward and very easy to follow.

Good luck,

Andy.
 
Right - we know the fan staying on all the time is a known issue with upgrading the HD in your Sky+ box, but do we know why? It certainly can't be due to heat issues as the fan comes on the minute you turn your newly upgraded Sky+ box back on following the upgrade and stays on 24/7 from there on in. E.G. my box is that cold it's a wonder I'm not having to defrost it, so is this something Sky have built into the box to deter would be upgraders?
 
The original HD contains a thermal sensor. The new one doesn't.

Papcx, if you don't understand how to connect a resistor, ignore my suggestion.
 
The original HD contains a thermal sensor. The new one doesn't.

Papcx, if you don't understand how to connect a resistor, ignore my suggestion.

Well I have come to the defence of Papcx on this one SamRadford as I too am unsure about the resistor suggestion - perhaps for the less well informed among us you could do a short "workshop" complete with a couple of pics to demonstrate how one should do this - it would really be appreciated. :smashin:
 
Just been to the local electronics store bought a resistor, fitted it into the fan circuit and it appears to work a treat. Fan still running all the time though at a much reduced speed hence a hush as fallen over the lounge (not that it was noisy before but you could hear it if there were no other sources of noise). It is still doing its job of cooling despite the slower speed. :smashin:
 
Just been to the local electronics store bought a resistor, fitted it into the fan circuit and it appears to work a treat. Fan still running all the time though at a much reduced speed hence a hush as fallen over the lounge (not that it was noisy before but you could hear it if there were no other sources of noise). It is still doing its job of cooling despite the slower speed. :smashin:

I have to say that I really have been impressed with the results of putting a resistor in the Sky+ cooling fan circuit. It may still be on all the time but it is now almost inaudible even when putting your ear to the Sky+ box, yet it is still doing its job. However, instead of a constant blast of cooling air as it was before I put a resistor in the circuit all you get now is a gentle waft yet it is still keeping the box nice and cool - great stuff. :D
 
You are welcome (and I'm modest, too!)
Donations to the Radford Retirement Fund gratefully received. Just go to my web site and click on "Donate".

(Only kidding). :)
 
had this issue with mine, i simply unplugged the fan, been going strong for at least 16 months
 
had this issue with mine, i simply unplugged the fan, been going strong for at least 16 months

Am I reading this right - you are now running your Sky+ box with larger HD without any cooling?? Brave man, I assume that it is only a 5400 rpm drive and not a 7200rpm which is what I am running?
 
Am I reading this right - you are now running your Sky+ box with larger HD without any cooling?? Brave man, I assume that it is only a 5400 rpm drive and not a 7200rpm which is what I am running?

nope samsung spinpoint 7200rpm, probably a bit insane i know but its been working fine since i did it, probably pack up at some point but then again so will they all, noise just p...ed me off:rotfl:
 
nope samsung spinpoint 7200rpm, probably a bit insane i know but its been working fine since i did it, probably pack up at some point but then again so will they all, noise just p...ed me off:rotfl:

That's exactly the same HD is I have installed 160 Gig Samsung Spinpoint 7200rpm. Does your box casing not feel pretty warm if not hot to the touch? Putting the resistor in really has cured the problem though as the fan is now inaudible.
 
That's exactly the same HD is I have installed 160 Gig Samsung Spinpoint 7200rpm. Does your box casing not feel pretty warm if not hot to the touch? Putting the resistor in really has cured the problem though as the fan is now inaudible.

Im sure it does get warm, of course i'm sure the fan is better than nothing, but its a piddly little high rpm thing, cant imaging its CFM is that high? Like I say its been absolutley fine since I upgraded it. "famous last words" lol
 
Im sure it does get warm, of course i'm sure the fan is better than nothing, but its a piddly little high rpm thing, cant imaging its CFM is that high? Like I say its been absolutley fine since I upgraded it. "famous last words" lol

Do you not think that manufacturers would not have cut costs by not fitting a fan if it was not necessary? The major cause of Sky dodgibox failures is over heating.
 
Do you not think that manufacturers would not have cut costs by not fitting a fan if it was not necessary?

Im not disagreeing with anyone, yes they feel the need for the fan to be there and i would agree, but all im saying mines been fine without it :D
 
The case fan is actually quite a good one, at least it is in the Pace - Sunon MagLev which is why it's pretty quiet. It wouldn't take you more than a couple of minutes to fit a resistor in the circuit and that would be problems solved plus piece of mind.
 

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