Since no one commented on my inquiries on the other thread, I decided to start a new thread showing step by step instructions, including parts, to get your H20 running COOL from extremely HOT. Please note that I do not know if this will void your warrantee so, proceed at your own risk but, since you are not modifying any D* parts or equipment I dont think it will void anything.

First get your run of the mill USB cord from any crappy peripheral device you have. I found one lying around in my box o' cables and just cut one end off. Good news is that if you mess up, you still have the other half to play with. Any USB plug that fits will do, the cheaper the better.

Once you cut the cable in half, you will need to strip it down to the 4 internal wires. A simple braided shield surrounds the 4 wires so just peel it back and carefully trim off the braided wire and foil until you see these 4 wires:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00658.jpg

The only wires you will need are the black and the red so, snip off the green and white, those are the power colors, the others (green and white) transmit data.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00659.jpg

Now you need to strip the ends of the USB wires to connect to the ends of the Fan wires. Again, red goes to the red and black to the black. The fan I used was purchased at Radio Shack for $7, here is the box it came in:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00663.jpg

The fan comes set up to use with a PC so you will just need to snip off the cables from the connector. (see photo) The cables to snip are the thin red and black. You can snip them anywhere but, I snipped them close the the connector (in case I had to return it) but you will have plenty of excess wire to play with.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00664.jpg

I mounted the fan where I felt it would have the best impact on the temperature, right above the heat sinks. The heat sinks are in the photo below and are the silver metal ribbed pieces in the middle of the photo.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00654.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00656.jpg

All you need to do is guesstimate where the cover of the H20 sits above those heat sinks. You can measure it out with a ruler, stencil the shape on the cover or just wing it. I winged it but used a pencil to mark the hole fans on the cover so I knew where to drill. Oh yes, you will need to drill out a tiny hole in the H20's top cover so the bolts (that come with the fan for free) can thread down and hold the fan to the cover. Luckily, there are so many slits in the case that you cant really mess up, just drill between the 2 vents and the hole will be large enough. Put the screws through the holes on the case, line them up with the holes on the fan body and tighten up the nuts. Now your fan and case are as one. NOTE: Drill the holes with the case UPSIDE DOWN. The downward force of the drill will cause the case to bend so, drill it from the inside of the case out with the top of the case on a flat surface.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00660.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00661.jpg


At this point you have the fan attached to the cover of the H20 and a 1 foot long dangling piece of cable. That cable need to be pulled up through the top of the case, think sewing, and pulled out of the top so it is near the USB port located on the back LEFT of the unit. Once you find the correct slot you wish to thread it through MEASURE (by eye is fine) how much cable you actually need and cut the excess. You can and should leave about 1 extra inch in case you mess up the connection between the fan wires and the USB wires.

Now this is the part that requires a little skill with a soldering iron. If you dont have one, you can just as easily twist them together and tape them or purchase those crimp thingys that you insert both cables into and crimp down to make the connection. Solder the black cable of the fan to the black cable of the USB and the red to the red. Tape it up, shrink tube it or whatever and you are done sukkas!

Here is the final result:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00665.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00666.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/notanewbie/DSC00667.jpg

Nice work - and should be totally removable so no sign of it if it blows up and DTV gets it back :D

well done! The step by step instructions should allow for almost anyone that can use a screw driver to be able to complete this mod.

im going to do this mod with some type of wire instead of the screws. Ill tie the wires in a loop in and out of where the the screws go but the rest will be exactly the same. this was a good post. I felt my case and it was super hot but I looked and verified its exactly the same as yours.

I like the using looped wire idea also but there is another option. You can buy a laptop cooling pad that is usb powered. Simply place the pad on top of the H20 and insert the usb plug. It's the same price if you don't already own soldering equipment (iron, solder). And if you ever get a new receiver as long as it vents from the top and has a usb input it's universal.

2 points:

The Don: You could try and use zip ties or cable ties (like for trash bags) but maybe the fan will rattle against the case if it isnt secure. Not saying ti will, just saying it might.

JF: Those laptop cooling pads are very expensive and hardly under 10 bucks like this mod seems to be. Also, the heat isnt coming from the bottom it is coming from the inside and heating the top of the case so I am not certain an bottom cooled solution would even work in this case.

You mentioned using it on the top but then you would completely cover the vent holes in the case that allow the hot air (that rises) to escape. That cant be a good idea.

PC's heat is generated from the bottom of the laptop but, the H20 has heat within the unit that wont be reached by a bottom chilled or top chilled device.

Wow, the case does get hot and my h20 is fully exposed on the top. I might have to try this

Prehaps you could soder thr fan directly to the inside of the usb jack. Then ad a small switch on the back....
I just don't like seeing a cable hanging out of the case. And I think if your carefull about the soder it wouldn't show if removed

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It's the Hughes E86 fan fix revisited from 5 years ago.

What temperature differential are you getting with the fan Vs without it ? 10 deg? 15 Deg?

Cigarguy, here is my assessment:

Mod: To do the mod you have to buy the fan, usb cable (if you don't have a spare one), a soldering iron and solder. And for perfectionists solder braid will be necessary to de-solder anything that was soldered on accident. This will end up costing more than the $10 you suggested. It also requires opening up the receiver.

Laptop Cooling Pad: Unpack, place on top of receiver, plug in and you're done! You can get a cooling pad for less than $15.00 with some shopping around. It's non-intrusive and easy to move from one receiver to another. Downstairs watching tV? Use it there. Going to bed? Unplug and bring it to the bedroom. As long as you have usb power, it's universal.

Now I haven't used the laptop cooling pad. It was suggested on another thread. But the way it is explained, the fan side faces downward which will suck the hot air out of the receiver. The pad then vests the air out through it's back. Again, itt was suggested elsewhere and I plan to try it. I get my H20's tomorrow. If it doesn't work well, I'll simply return the pad. Then I'll consider the mod. I'll post my findings soon.

Ok, let me try and explain this to you one more time.

A laptop cooler is designed to blow air UP from the bottom of your laptop up towards the sky. If it sat beneath the laptop and blew DOWN then the hot air would be venting onto your legs, defeating the purpose of the cooler.

Now, your intention is to place the cooler pad UPSIDE DOWN and ON TOP OF THE ENTIRE H20 to try and suck the hot air out of the case.

Problem 1: You are blocking every single one of the case vent holes with this pad actually reducing natural hot air flow upwards
Problem 2: You are using the pad OPPOSITE of the way it was designed. Instead of being on the bottom blowing cool air upwards it is being used on top of the unit sucking air out of the case.
Problem 3: Depending on where the fans on the pad are located you may or may not be above an opening in the top of the case. If you are then its lined up but, if not then that fan will be unable to pull air from a flat solid lid.

Why dont you go ahead and try it and post your results back on this thread?

As far as solder and soldering irons, you dont HAVE to use them. A simple plastic wing nut from any hardware store for a nickel can twist both cables together and conduct current. You could even hide those inside of the case to make it look clean but, solder is not a necessity.

I have a Targus laptop cooling pad. It pulls air into the pad, away from a laptop and out the back. A laptop does not lay completely flat on the pad. When you place a laptop on it, there is a little bit of space between them.

I agree there is a possibility it could raise the temperature by blocking the vents. Laptops do not have vents in the bottom of their cases. If you use a cooling pad with enough (large) fans, it seems reasonable to me that it would work.

notanewbie

excellent thread

I think this approach is much preferred over the cooling pad for reasons given

Is the fan sucking air out of the box, or blowing air into it? I guess you could switch the polarity of the wires to do either. I'm wondering which is better, does the front of the case have vents that would allow fresh air to be pulled in? If so then pulling the hot air out may be the best.

Either way, this is a great mod. I will be getting my D* installed tomorrow(after waiting almost 2 weeks!) I will be sure to try this after the tech leaves.

Can you really solder the wires to the USB port inside?

Nice work - and should be totally removable so no sign of it if it blows up and DTV gets it back :D

well...... you do need to drill holes for the screw and they may be noticable to inspection...........

But here is my question, we do mod computers cause the excessive heat will slow the cpu down or even cause it to crush (not to mention overclocking).........What's the reason to cool down the H20? is the heat causing any stability issues? If so wouldn't that be a manufacturing defect? If not why mod it?

You dont need to drill the case, you could do it with velcro, tie wraps, zip ties or even use thinner screws that will fit without modifying the case.

I did it because I felt the heat was dangerous to the longevity of the H20 itself and to the other components in the rack. I probably could have left it alone but, it was fun, cost under 10 bucks and keeping it cool doesnt hurt.

well...... you do need to drill holes for the screw and they may be noticable to inspection...........

But here is my question, we do mod computers cause the excessive heat will slow the cpu down or even cause it to crush (not to mention overclocking).........What's the reason to cool down the H20? is the heat causing any stability issues? If so wouldn't that be a manufacturing defect? If not why mod it?
Good Point.

Is the fan sucking air out of the box, or blowing air into it?
This is what I want to know too. Should the fan be blowing air in or sucking air out?

Thanks.

http://w.hdbeat.com/2006/07/21/your-directv-h20-running-hot-install-a-fan/

notanewbie, you have made the big time with your heat fix. AVS got a plug too.

:) :) :)

Nice!!

But here is my question, we do mod computers cause the excessive heat will slow the cpu down or even cause it to crush (not to mention overclocking).........What's the reason to cool down the H20? is the heat causing any stability issues? If so wouldn't that be a manufacturing defect? If not why mod it?
Really, what is a TiVo, but a specialized computer? As I recall, it runs a proprietary version of Linux and has a kernel that is more of a single use, rather than a multi purpose OS.
I would think the same concerns would apply here. Anything that makes the box run cooler is goingt o make it run more stable and lengthen it's life. Just like a PC, excess heat is not a good thing, yet it would not rise to the level of being a design defect.
I would think that you want the fan to blow air away from the heat sink (and exiting the case), thus pulling cooler air across it. While this will make the exhaust feel warmer, if it's running properly, that is what you want. To truly test the cooling effect, use the reported temp from your system info from the menu. Remember the warmer the air that is coming out, the better it is working. Seems kind of backward, but give it some thought.
I really like the design and with my particular install, I have room outside the case to externally mount the fan. This will pull the air that is naturally rising out more quickly and will not be forcing heated air against the solid parts of the grill. This also prevents me from adding something else into the case (not a problem for me, but why do it if not necessary.)
I'll post my temperature readings when I have a chance to test it.

If you put it on the inside you will have to have it blowing in, If you put it on the outside you will have to have it blowing out, other wise the air flow will be blocked by the case since the holes arn't big enough to blow air through. I think thats how it works.

This fan, or any fan, has the ability to do both (blow in or out) depending on which side faces up and which faces down. In this case, the fan is PULLING air from within the case and exhausting it OUT of the case. This draws the hot air out of the case and pulls cool air across the board as it "sucks" out the heat.

Had the fan been installed inside the caase but with the direction reversed, it would be pulling air from OUTSIDE of the case and blowing it into the unit. There are more than enough vents on the case to pull air in even with the fan inside the case.

I did this MOD. with a fan I purchased at BestBuy. Installed it inside the case above the heat sinks and attached it with plastic cable ties. With the wires from the fan being so skinny there is enough room between the top and back to bring the wires through so they don't come out the top of the unit. It is set up to pull air out of the case and is keeping the temp. much lower. Well worth it.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6307873&type=product&id=1074788291413

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It's the Hughes E86 fan fix revisited from 5 years ago.

You don't happen to have that info do you? I still have an E86 that could sure use some cooling. Thanks.

If at all possible you want the fan inside the case and blowing on the heatsink(s) to disipate the heat. As another poster mentioned, sucking the air out runs into the problem of the vent holes in the case seriously constricting the air flow. I wouldn't be so concerned about exhausting the heat as I would be about getting whatever air is already inside the case to get moving.

That said, the article is great but mounting the fan snug against the inside surface of the case still results in markedly constricted airflow. It might be better to put some spacers between the fan and the case, ¼" if there's room or whatever you can squeeze in. Merely my 2¢ worth.

You want the fan to pull the hot air out of the unit not push it back in.

You don't happen to have that info do you? I still have an E86 that could sure use some cooling. Thanks.

I second that! :D

A few things about cooling electronics with small fans. I have been playing with this in the PC world for over 15 years now. Bottom line is, a heatsink works better if the "velocity" of the air over its surface is higher. I have tried using heatsinks with fans pulling air over them, and with fans blowing directly on them. They really do work better when the air is forced over their surface. This is why that in most cases a pc will have fans that cool the air in the case, but have a heatsink directly on the CPU with a fan that forces high velocity air directly over it. Having our H20 fan pulling air out of the case will definitely cool the top of the case and help cool the components by virtue of the fact that the air temps inside the case are somewhat lower. This is all good, but we need to know where that heat is coming from and measure the change in temps of those components to see if we really made a big difference. Having the top of the case cool is not really the goal. If we assume that the devices with the large heatsinks are the ones producing the most heat, we would be better off having the fan blow directly onto those heatsinks. The air has lots of places to exit the case and will do that through the other vents in the top of the case assisted by convection.

People talked about the restriction caused by the vent grid in the case cover. This is a restriction and will cause the fan to be less efficient. It will definitely move less air than it would if it had a hole the size of its blade to pull or push through. It will also "load up" and be noisier due to air turbulence. The thing to remember though is that the restriction will be the same magnitude whether the fan is pushing air into the case or pulling it out.

I would wager that if one was to measure the operating temps of the devices that get the hottest, they would notice a significant drop in them with the fan pulling cool air into the case and blowing it as directly as possible over those devices. There is one drawback to this, unless some kind of filter is used, the unit will soon get pretty dusty inside, which means that it needs to be opened up and cleaned periodically to prevent dust insulation that can undo all of our efforts at cooling.

While the fan pulling air out of the case is far better than having stagnant air, and is definitely worth doing, I suggest that having the fan blowing directly onto the heatsinks and other components will give us more of what we want. This being cooling the components as much as possible for the benefit of more stable operation and long term reliability.

Phil P.

ppasteur & wolfman, I have a few questions for you...

ppasteur: Is there a way to use the USB port to power the fan as mentioned in this thread AND to be able to increase the fan speed? I did this mod and the fan is moving slowly, if I could increase the revolutions and get the fan blades spinning faster this would be ideal. Perhaps some diode or something? I don't know. HELP.

wolfman: The link to the fan you posted had bare wires and not a USB end. Did you do the mod as shown in this thread and add a USB connector to the end or did you power the fan through some other power source? If you DID use the USB, is your fan spinning at a high rate of speed because mine is not and I am wondering if it is the fan, the USB port or something I did incorrectly.

As far as blowing air into the case, the above mentioned issue of serious dirt and lint accumulation within the case is my biggest concern. Another would be that hot air rises and when you exhaust the air through the sides and top of the case, that air would rise to the top of the shelf the H20 is sitting on and the H20 would then recirculate that hot air back into the unit. In the way described in this thread, PULLING the air out of the case draws the cool air in from the sides of the unit, exhausts it out of the top and does not recycle hot air.

I dont disagree that blowing it over the heatsink would reduce temps further, I just dont think it is needed and if the byproduct will be lint and dirt accumulation as well as hot air recycling, then I prefer never having to open the unit and suck out the heat..so long as they both work effectively.

I ordered the fans from RS and did this last night to my two H20s. They are now not the least bit hot or warm to the touch -- except over the the fan. The exhaust feels a little warm but the box feels cool -- it used to feel like I could fry an egg on it.

Great post!

I was just about to purchase the fans from Buy.com, when I realized that I needed another USB cable, so I wondered if monoprice sold fans.
They sure do, and dirt cheap. This gets the cost down, especially if you need a few.
( I own a sports bar, so I have four H20-600s).
It makes a huge difference, I put them on top of the units, blowing up.

The same fans in this thread come in a 4 pack from Radio Shack, here is the link:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2211705&cp=&pg=9&origkw=fans&kw=fans&parentPage=search

I am still hoping someone familiar with fans and voltage can reply and tell us what we can/need to do in order to increase the fan speed via usb power. ANYONE?

The same fans in this thread come in a 4 pack from Radio Shack, here is the link:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2211705&cp=&pg=9&origkw=fans&kw=fans&parentPage=search

I am still hoping someone familiar with fans and voltage can reply and tell us what we can/need to do in order to increase the fan speed via usb power. ANYONE?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6307873&type=product&id=1074788291413
This one has more RPM and more CFM.

ppasteur & wolfman, I have a few questions for you...

ppasteur: Is there a way to use the USB port to power the fan as mentioned in this thread AND to be able to increase the fan speed? I did this mod and the fan is moving slowly, if I could increase the revolutions and get the fan blades spinning faster this would be ideal. Perhaps some diode or something? I don't know. HELP.

wolfman: The link to the fan you posted had bare wires and not a USB end. Did you do the mod as shown in this thread and add a USB connector to the end or did you power the fan through some other power source? If you DID use the USB, is your fan spinning at a high rate of speed because mine is not and I am wondering if it is the fan, the USB port or something I did incorrectly.

As far as blowing air into the case, the above mentioned issue of serious dirt and lint accumulation within the case is my biggest concern. Another would be that hot air rises and when you exhaust the air through the sides and top of the case, that air would rise to the top of the shelf the H20 is sitting on and the H20 would then recirculate that hot air back into the unit. In the way described in this thread, PULLING the air out of the case draws the cool air in from the sides of the unit, exhausts it out of the top and does not recycle hot air.

I dont disagree that blowing it over the heatsink would reduce temps further, I just dont think it is needed and if the byproduct will be lint and dirt accumulation as well as hot air recycling, then I prefer never having to open the unit and suck out the heat..so long as they both work effectively.
I splice a USB cable to the fan. Now whether the fan is running as fast as advertised I couldn't tell you . It does a good job of keeping it cool.

So, there is no way to increase the current fan speed or to know if the best buy fan moves more quickly than the RS fan. I understand what the tech sheet says but, it is based on 12v and when its powered by something other than specified, its a crap shoot.

I may have to buy one of those and do an a/b or just forget about it and leave it be.

As to fan speed, sorry I have been travelling. I think that the USB power is only 5 volts. The way to make the fan move faster is to give it more voltage. I don't think you can do that via USB. Many fans list a minimum start voltage of around 6 volts, but are designed to run at rated specifications at 12 volts. I am kind of surprised that people are getting 12 volt fans to start with the USB voltage!

The original post about using a fan with an H20 used 7 volts from the power supply. Doing it this way would give you higher fan speeds.

The other side of the fan speed equation is noise. The faster it runs, the more noise it makes. If you can get away with low speeds to get enough cooling, your ears will like it.

Someone mentioned getting more dirt in the case if the fan was pulling air into the case. Maybe, but only marginally less than with it blowing out. The fan moves air out of the case, it has to come back in from somewhere. Wherever it is coming in, it will bring dust with it. The only solution is to limit where it can come in and filter it, which is really hard. Indeed, short of sealing the case and only allowing air in from a controlled area, it is impossible. Alternately, as I do with PC case cooling, I always make sure that I have more fan volume going in than I do gpoing out. I then filter the intake fans where they are pulling air into the case, which is much easier and more effective. There are many styles of fan intake filters that are cheap, attractive, and easy to clean.

Actually, the original fan in this post was a 6v/7v fan which explains why the fan spins so slowly..it is only getting 5v from the USB port. I tried using a 12v fan originally but, it would not spin at all, only after getting a lower voltaged fan could I get it to spin continuously.

Now that I know there is no way to up the voltage, I need to find a lower rated fan that can be powered by 5v if I want it to spin faster. I will keep looking.

There was a post to the main .."Official H20" thread about installing a fan on the top cover

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.phpp=8149286&highlight=fan#post8149286

The mthod he used was to wire the fan internally to a couple of the power supply leads that he claimed provide 7 volts. Many times the "silent pc" folks use the 7 volts from the difference between the 5 volt and 12 volt power rails in a pc to slow fans down and make them quieter. Most fans will start and run fine at 7 volts, but at around half of their rated speed. That 6v/7V max number you are talking about is the minimum starting voltage for your original fan. It is ..I think, still a 12 volt nominal device. If you can find a very high speed 12 volt fan that will start at the 5 volts on the USB bus you will get more airflow.

The problem isthen the current requirements may excede the 500 millamps max the the USB can provide without further voltage sag. I can check some of my fan suppliers, but having looked at hunderds of different fans in the past, I don't remember seeing any fans that would run at their full rated speed at 6 volts or lower.

One other thing, there are devices that can increase DC voltage. They contain a circuit that basically swicthes the voltage on and off, then run it through a step up transformer. I am not sure whether such a dvice would be practical for this application. They typically are not real efficient so they give off heat, and require additional current. If you could find a 6 volt to 12 volt device, perhaps you might give it a try though. Watch the current requirements though, you only have 500 mA or half an amp to play with on the USB rail.

Phil P.

http://www.sharkacomputers.com/zaopnofanopp.html

Zalman ZM-OP1 $7.95.
Runs at 5 volts at 1400 RPM. I have not seen any airflow specs.

You my even find it cheaper if you spend some time searching.

I don't think the volume of airflow is as important as is the fact that you're getting some airflow across that heatsink where before there was none.

I'm not as concerned that the unit runs hot. However, I am very concerned that there are one or two components inside which themselves are so very hot as to contribute to or cause premature catastrophic failure.

That is why in an earlier post I stated that it would be best (for the longevity of the receiver) if the airflow could be directed inward, blowing on the heatsinks. Any airflow in any direction will serve to cool down the whole receiver, but forcing the airflow directly onto the component which is generating the heat is likely to have a more direct effect on the health and longevity of the receiver than anything else.

Compare to a PC. If you lose the "case" fan (if you even have one) it is not usually a critical issue whereas if you lose the CPU fan, you're in serious trouble. Exhausting the heat is secondary to the importance of cooling the component that is causing it.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. It's the Hughes E86 fan fix revisited from 5 years ago.

You don't happen to have that info do you? I still have an E86 that could sure use some cooling. Thanks.


It is the same idea. But instead of using a USB, use an AC adapter or use a cell phone charger (I'm sure most homes have a few from old phones not being used anymore) . The only thing you have to be aware of is to make sure the amperage of the charger (usually in the miiliamp range (it says "mA")) is greater than what the fan requires. If it is less, then it won't be able to run the fan. Think of having a battery with less amperage than what your car needs. The battery won't be able to turn-over the starter. Same thing. Just cutoff the plug, strip the wires and hook-up the fan positive-to-positive, negative-to-negative. Again, even though the FAN is 12V DC, you don't want a 12V adapter because the fan noise would be too much. 6 volts and it's nice and quiet but still has enough rpms to keep it cool.

I've had a fan on my E86 for 4 years and no problems since. Before the fan it lasted 7 months before I had to turn it in for service. I also did this on my Samsung TS-360 and have very little problems with the receiver.

FYI, I have mine on top of my receivers pulling air out for 4 years and it works fine.

It is the same idea. But instead of using a USB, use an AC adapter.........SNIP!

Thanks Kartracer. Yeah, somewhere around here I've got an old First Class FCC license, back from the days 35 years ago when I worked in broadcast. I think I can figure out the ac adapter thing. :) I was merely wondering if anyone knew of a tiepoint inside the receiver where we could pick up the necessary voltage without having to resort to an external supply.

I did the fan mod to the old E86 yesterday. However, while I had it apart I plugged in and let it run about 15 minutes to see if I could figure out what in the world is getting so dang hot. I got my answer; it's the regulator IC in the power supply.

Next I opened up the H20 (H20-100) and fired it up to perform the same "examination". By the way, the guts of my H20-100 looks nothing like the guts of the one shown in earlier posts. Mine does not have the heat sinks. (see photo below)

With the H20 opened up and plugged in, the power supply is cool as a cucumber. What's causing the lion's share of the heat is the big chip on the main board that's located under the RF Remote circuit board. That sucker runs scalding hot. Why no heat sink is beyond me. It will have a heat sink when I'm done.

Also NOTE WELL, in the attached photo the RED arrow is pointing to a pretty obvious location for a fan. Hmmm....

Also note the YELLOW arrow pointing to a USB cable with the socket actually on the main board and the cable simply extending it to the back panel. Well now, isn't that convenient?

The two WHITE arrows are pointing to the heat sources, with the major source coming from the chip hiding underneath the RF remote sub-assembly. Some slight additional heat is coming from the other smaller chip that's in plain view.

forcing the airflow directly onto the component which is generating the heat is likely to have a more direct effect on the health and longevity of the receiver than anything else.



Good advise

You guys debate the silliest things. I bought the cooling pad, placed it UNDER the H20 and the difference is hot versus cool. It works. Period. I don't care to debate whether is works better on top on the bottom or jammed in the h20. The way I described works just fine.

I agree Scott. I just got my H20-100 less than a week ago and bought the Targus chilpad....USB..2 fans. Placed directly underneath the H-20 and it remains completely cool when in operation, more so than when the unit is just idle in standby.

Like nearly every other electronic device in our home theaters, the H20 is “cooled” by convection. Cool air enters through the bottom and sides, extracts heat from the components then rises out the top. You don’t see fans in receiver/amplifiers which handle a lot more power and can get much hotter than the D* box.

While I agree, the H20 shouldn’t run as warm as it does, IMHO the fan may be over-kill. I measure an air temperature of 119.1 F @ ½” from the top of the H20 with an inlet air temperature of 76.6 F. That is a significant amount of heat that has been removed from the components by just convection.

It is important to assure that there is a couple of free inches on both sides and the top of the box and that it not stacked with any other device. The shelf it is on should be open front and back. Glass doors are pretty but impede the cooling. Having said all that, the fan mod is clever and certainly it can’t hurt.

You guys are making this haarder than it has to be. Go to Walmart online and order Targus computer cooling mat. Cost around $23. Put it under H20,plug in the USB in back and problem solved.
Go to H20 thread for more details.
Mine is cool on top

The cooling pad idea would be good inside a component system cabinet, but still does nothing to cool down the internal component(s) that is/are causing the heat.

The cooling pad concept could be compared to a computer CASE fan that ventilates the whole case. While a good idea, this approach does nothing for the poor CPU that is generating the heat. Why else would a computer manufacturer put a fan and heatsink on the CPU? By focusing our attention and cooling ideas directly on the components that are causing the heat we cool the whole unit and prolong the life of the scalding hot component.

Some addt'l.
As many as half of the 5~6 yr old Hughes E86 Platinum HD receivers being sold on eBay right now ($50~75) are more or less dysfunctional, dead or dying in some way most likely because they've been cooked. That's a tragedy because the E86 originally sold for $500 and were very nice units with popular features and a great guide, but I went through 4 eBay purchases recently just to find two that are still in good shape. The desirability of them is they allow local-into-local (LIL) reception of your OTA digital channels + the sat channels for deployment to non-HD televisions, like in the kitchen, etc. where you may not have a high-end TV but want your sat channels AND the local real-time doppler radar and crystal clear locals, etc. Otherwise you'd need a separate digital OTA receiver. They're also great W.A.F. (Wife Approval Factor) when rain fade washes out the sat... the OTA may not have her show, but there's still plenty to watch.

No, I cannot say with any authority that the others were damaged by heat, but considering they run hot as the sun, what else would an intelligent person think was the most likely cause of their premature failure? Heat is the enemy. I don't care whether it's a 5-yr old owned or brand new leased STB, I don't want the inconvenience of it crapping out on me when I have a family room full of drunken neighbors in to watch the big game. The fan fix is so easy as to be a no-brainer and putting it inside w/internal power is the icing on the cake.

The fan fix sounds great for the H20-600, but is it really needed for the cooler running H20-100?
Does the fan power on and off with the H20 or does it run constantly?

thanks
dave

The fan fix sounds great for the H20-600, but is it really needed for the cooler running H20-100?
Does the fan power on and off with the H20 or does it run constantly?

thanks
dave

The H20 does not power-off, nor for that matter do any of the DirecTV receivers. The lamp on the front goes off and the signal output is interrupted, but the receiver remains on, consuming (within a watt or so) the same amount of energy as it does when it's "on". It also runs just as hot whether "on" or "off". It stays on because it is continually receiving updates from the satellite. Try unplugging it for a few days some time and then see how long it takes to "come on".

The H20-100 is probably OK as long as it's out in the open with none of its vents blocked, top bottom and sides. However, placed inside a component rack system or tucked neatly away inside a home entertainment center and it runs scalding hot.

The H20-100 also concerns me because there are no heatsinks on the two large chips on the motherboard that produce 90% of the heat. One of those chips runs noticably warm, the other one runs scalding hot. Engineering specifications notwithstanding, that cannot be good for those components.

Perhaps I'm just paranoid, but these things all work on smoke. When you allow the smoke to escape, they no longer work.

You guys debate the silliest things. I bought the cooling pad, placed it UNDER the H20 and the difference is hot versus cool. It works. Period. I don't care to debate whether is works better on top on the bottom or jammed in the h20. The way I described works just fine.

The notebook cooling pad idea works to take care of the ambient heat coming from the H20, but does absolutely nothing about addressing the scalding hot components which are causing the heat and which will someday eventually fail.

I'm far less concerned about the temperature of the case as I am about the delicate components inside the case that are causing this heat problem. Cool the components and you will cool the whole unit and be able to "feel the joy" forever.

Cooling the case is tantamount to installing an exhaust hood over your stove. It gets the heat out of the kitchen but the eggs still boil.

Just finished reading the previous posts and have one question - will cooling the unit help resolve my H20's resetting issues?

Just finished reading the previous posts and have one question - will cooling the unit help resolve my H20's resetting issues?

Likely..... but before you try the mod, first try just removing the case (small TORX screws) and direct a small portable fan onto it. If the resets go away, then heat is the problem.

What model (suffix) is your H20? (look on the back, should say H20-xxx where the xxx is some number like 100 or 600, or....?? If yours is a -600 you might want to call DirecTV and ask them to replace it. The -100's don't seem to be quite as bad (but in my opinion still need some cooling, especially if you're wanting to put it inside a component rack system or home entertainment center.

Heat is most likely the problem, but the resets may be indicative of a component failure that's already occurred, in which case cooling isn't going to help. That's why I suggest trying it with the case off for a day or so before going to the trouble of putting a fan inside.

If you decide to do the fan mod, cut some little 1/2" squares out of a 1/4" thick sponge-rubber mouse pad then use a toothpick to poke a little hole in the center of each one. Use the miniature ty-wrap idea for mounting, but slide the little rubber pads onto each ty-wrap so it is between the frame of the fan and the case and then just "snug" the ty-wraps. This will keep the fan ultra-quiet so you don't hear any vibration.

The fan needs to go inside the case blowing inward. The "hot" components causing the overheating are slightly back from the center of the case (see previous pictures in this thread).

Thanks for taking to time to do the write-up.

OT, but this is the closest thread. Does anyone have an idea where to find a schematic for the power supply section in the E86? Thnx.

How is the noise? Is it too loud when watching TV?

How is the noise? Is it too loud when watching TV?
Not at all, only a soft whisper. With the E86 the trick is use a 12-volt fan inside the case but use a 9-volt power cube to run it. That way it's not spinning full speed. Also the foam rubber insulators on the mounting points really quieted it down (no vibration against the case). I've modified 3 of the E86s and 1 H20 so far.

Fan-modding the E86 isn't as elegant as doing one of the H20s because you have to use an external power cube. With the H20 you can steal the power from inside the box and the mod is easily un-done if you ever have to return it.

I still feel the E86 is a much better receiver.

I have the fans on top of my E86s running off 4.5V power cubes. The older one is actually a Toshiba DST-3000 running fine since 2001.

I have the fans on top of my E86s running off 4.5V power cubes. The older one is actually a Toshiba DST-3000 running fine since 2001.
"On top" is certainly a lot better than no fan at all, but coming from a technical electronics background as I do, my preference would always be to have forced-air cooling directed downward onto the hot component)s) that is/are causing or creating the heat.

That's a little harder inside the E86 because there's not a lot of room and there is more than one heat source. While most of the heat in an E86 is actually coming from the regulator in the power supply, the heat that concerns me most is coming from the microprocessor.

Cisco makes some jim-dandy miniature 5v fans that are small enough to actually be mounted sideways inside the E86 to get some air moving in the power supply. Unfortunately the little fans are quite noisey.

My HR20 is in one of the slots in my TV stand. Will it get decent enough airflow with the fan to make the mod worth it?

The same fan setup on my HR20 lowers the indicated temp from 129 to 122(typo-actually112F)

The same fan setup on my HR20 lowers the indicated temp from 129 to 122. All my fans are set to draw hot air out of the case.
Did you ever try one pointed the other way to compare the temperature drops?

First, let me correct the typo. With a fan it's 112F. I'll try it reversed and report back.

Interestingly enough, with the original sucker, 30 minutes as a blower, and 30 minutes without the fan, the temp reading remained at 120F. I did exit the menu after each reading and called it back only for the next reading. I read somewhere the HR20 has a temperature controlled fan but I never took it apart or felt any directed air movement. I have seen readings from 112F to 131F though. Maybe software changes are involved.

I don't think blowing or sucking when the fan is outside the case makes a difference. And I really do not care what the temperature is of the exhaust air or of the case. What concerns me is the sufrace temperature of the microprocessor inside the case. Unfortunately I do not have access to one of the infrared temperature guns else I would quote before & after temps of the surface of the CPU.

Ventilating the case, as you're doing, is certainly going to help, but the ultimate cooling is to cool the device that is causing the heat. The net result will be approx the same in that the case will appear cooler either way, but by using forced air and directing it onto the hot component (which you cannot do outside the case) is likely to aid more in the device longevity than just venting the case (as you're doing).

These devices all work on smoke. When you allow the smoke to escape they no longer work.

My HR20 is in one of the slots in my TV stand. Will it get decent enough airflow with the fan to make the mod worth it?
Make sure your HR20 has adequate ventilation around it. In other words, don't box it in. It also helps to put something like 3 or 4 poker chips under each of the feet to elevate the bottom and thus provide for better airflow under it.

Just with natural convection (no forced air or fans) my old series-1 TIVO (per the diag screens) runs at 118 degrees (48C) with the door closed on the home entertainment unit and 102 degrees (39C) with it open. Imagine what a fan could do.

Couple of questions: I'd like to do this mod on both my HR20 and H20.

I have a small fan like this one that has a standard wall plug attached and when plugged into a wall socket, it's not quiet. You can hear it. That's a problem.

What fan should I be looking at that is quiet?

Also, are there any fans like this that already have a USB cable connected? I don't think there are, but who knows.

Couple of questions: I'd like to do this mod on both my HR20 and H20.

I have a small fan like this one that has a standard wall plug attached and when plugged into a wall socket, it's not quiet. You can hear it. That's a problem.

What fan should I be looking at that is quiet?

Also, are there any fans like this that already have a USB cable connected? I don't think there are, but who knows.
I thought the HR20 (DVR) already had a fan in it.

What fan to use? A perfect size fan is the 3" **CASE FAN** that you can add to a typical PC tower. They're 12 volt fans, so you connect it to 5-volts which makes it run much slower (quieter) but still plenty fast enough to get the air moving.

If you don't want to "wire it in" you can also use a little 9-volt power cube (must be DC, not AC) and run the wire in through the vent holes in the case. Polarity is pretty easy to figure out, if hooked up wrong the fan won't turn. ;)

What do you guys think of this fan? (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2216874&cp)

What do you guys think of this fan? (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2216874&cp)
Expensive!!!!
A std case fan (not from Radios Hack because they are also expensive) should sell for around $7.95 to a top of no more than $11.95 - find it somewhere besides RS. Best Buy has these, so do other computer stores.

The USB cable on the one in your link suggests to me it's a 5-volt fan which means it's going to run at top speed on just 5 volts and we don't want that because chances are it will be noisey. By contrast, a simple 12-volt case fan connected to 5-volts or even a 9-volt wall wart will move plenty of air without making itself unwelcome in the room.

Scan back through this whole thread and read the ideas for mounting and etc.

Is this "ok" from Monoprice?

Want to add to H20 and HR20.....

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10804&cs_id=1080401&p_id=201&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030303&p_id=206&seq=1&format=2&style=

Figured I would cut the USB cable in half and for use in each Directv receiver.

This is alot cheaper than going to Radio Shack.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

I do see a little discrepancy here.......some are saying 12v fan is fine, others are saying that a 12v won't run on the 5v USB outlet.....some are saying it will run fine, just slower which helps with the noise problem.....then RS has the 6-7 v fan mentioned at the beginning of this thread......help..... :confused:

Is this "ok" from Monoprice?

Want to add to H20 and HR20.....

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10804&cs_id=1080401&p_id=201&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030303&p_id=206&seq=1&format=2&style=

Figured I would cut the USB cable in half and for use in each Directv receiver.

This is alot cheaper than going to Radio Shack.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

I do see a little discrepancy here.......some are saying 12v fan is fine, others are saying that a 12v won't run on the 5v USB outlet.....some are saying it will run fine, just slower which helps with the noise problem.....then RS has the 6-7 v fan mentioned at the beginning of this thread......help..... :confused:
Looks fine to me. Honestly I haven't tried feeding 5V to a 12V fan, but it should still spin (altho slower and more quiet). Optionally get a 9v wall wart (DC variety) and use that as your power source.

Looks fine to me. Honestly I haven't tried feeding 5V to a 12V fan, but it should still spin (altho slower and more quiet). Optionally get a 9v wall wart (DC variety) and use that as your power source.

Stupid question.....where to buy a 9v wall wart (DC)?

Radio Shack has many models including a variable output one that allows selecting an appropriate noise output. Very little air movement is needed to have a major effect on internal temperatures.

Radio Shack has many models including a variable output one that allows selecting an appropriate noise output. Very little air movement is needed to have a major effect on internal temperatures.

Thanks.

I think I'm going to go with the RS 6-7v fan at the beginning of this thread and wire up with a USB cable...........I was going to give a 12v fan from Monoprice a shot, but since it's mail-order, I don't want to chance having to return the fan's if they don't work with the 5v USB power on the H20.......

Can someone who has actually used the 12v fan with the H20 or HR20 and the USB connection comment?

Thanks.

I think I'm going to go with the RS 6-7v fan at the beginning of this thread and wire up with a USB cable...........I was going to give a 12v fan from Monoprice a shot, but since it's mail-order, I don't want to chance having to return the fan's if they don't work with the 5v USB power on the H20.......

Can someone who has actually used the 12v fan with the H20 or HR20 and the USB connection comment?
That's what I'm using with my H20. 80mm 12v fan powered by the USB. Works fine. I'm using the 9v power cubes with the fans in my Hughes E86 receivers.

On my H20 the fan is INSIDE the case blowing down onto the hot components.

Stupid question.....where to buy a 9v wall wart (DC)?
"wall-wart" is a slang term meaning a small power cube. They'll have these at RS but seems of late that everything RS sells is 2~3x the price it should be. I only shop there now out of complete desparation, when I simply cannot find it anywhere else. Convenience is no longer the issue. I have a RS store 3 miles from my house, everything else is 7~8 miles or further, but I'd rather drive the extra distance because the savings is so great (and better selection) - advantage I guess of living in a big city, lots of electronic gadget stores.

That's what I'm using with my H20. 80mm 12v fan powered by the USB. Works fine. I'm using the 9v power cubes with the fans in my Hughes E86 receivers.

On my H20 the fan is INSIDE the case blowing down onto the hot components.

Thanks Cap'n!

That settles it then....I'm placing an order from Monoprice today for two 12v fans and a USB cable.

Should run less than $20 shipped.

I went to RS last night and as you said everything seemed overpriced to me.

One final question: Does the fan run all the time connected to the USB port or does it power-down when the H20 is shut off?

Does the fan run all the time connected to the USB port or does it power-down when the H20 is shut off?

Unless I misunderstand your question, it runs all the time unless the power is cut off. After my first H20 fried, I tried the internal fan and the Antec Laptop cooler powered by the USB and the fan doesn't stop when I put the H20 in standby. The case seems to stay pretty cool to touch both ways.

Unless I misunderstand your question, it runs all the time unless the power is cut off. After my first H20 fried, I tried the internal fan and the Antec Laptop cooler powered by the USB and the fan doesn't stop when I put the H20 in standby. The case seems to stay pretty cool to touch both ways.

Thank you.

So the fan does run when in standby and only shuts off it you pull the plug from the wall.

I wonder what the lifetime of one of those case fans is.......

I wonder what the lifetime of one of those case fans is.......I've had two running 24/7 for 4 years.

Thanks Cap'n!

That settles it then....I'm placing an order from Monoprice today for two 12v fans and a USB cable.

Should run less than $20 shipped.

I went to RS last night and as you said everything seemed overpriced to me.

One final question: Does the fan run all the time connected to the USB port or does it power-down when the H20 is shut off?

Quick note from a hardcore computer-nerd: The 5v from the USB port might not be enough for some fans to start and/or keep spinning. Almost all computer fans are rated to run on 12v.

A better solution might be to use a power-adapter cable on the hard-disk power cable (i.e.: 4-pin to 3-pin adapter or a 4-pin "Y" adapter, depending on what connection your fan uses).

Straight in, the fan will run at the full 12v and could be noisy (again, depends on the fan). You can modify the wiring coming off the fan to make it run at a more reasonable 7v by connecting to the 12v and 5v lines instead of the 12v line and a ground. This is a common mod done on computers. Heck, there are a number of fan switches that have options for 12v, 7v, and off, or will vary the voltage between 12v and 7v. I know of no fan controller that runs fans at only 5v. As previously noted, this is because 5v is often too weak to get a fan to start and/or keep spinning.

The other advantage of running off the hard disk power lead is that the wiring job is kept completely internal. It's also easy to reverse by pulling the adapter plug and fan out of the chassis.

On my old RCA UltimateTV units, I used to have occasional lockups when trying to do too much at once. I finally put a single thin 70mm fan in a custom cutout on the top of the chassis sucking air out. While I never had any temperature readings I could access from the menus, I never had a lockup after the fans were installed - running on 2 years now.

I've had two running 24/7 for 4 years.

Thanks!

I got my fans and USB cable yesterday from Monoprice. I won't get a chance to do the mods till probably Friday on one of the boxes......work and Christmas running around is taking up too much time.

I'll report back as soon as I can.

Well, finally got around to trying this mod over the weekend and it did not work.

I bought two 12v case fans from Monoprice and a USB cable. Followed the procedure as outlined in this thread and the fan did not spin.

It looks like the 5 volt output from the USB on my H20 is not powerful enough for the 12v fan.

I guess I have a couple of options......buy two 6-7v fans (H20 and HR20) and try this again, or use the Monoprice fans with a 9v power cube (wall-wart).

Where to buy the wall-warts besides RS?

Well, finally got around to trying this mod over the weekend and it did not work.

I bought two 12v case fans from Monoprice and a USB cable. Followed the procedure as outlined in this thread and the fan did not spin.

It looks like the 5 volt output from the USB on my H20 is not powerful enough for the 12v fan.

I guess I have a couple of options......buy two 6-7v fans (H20 and HR20) and try this again, or use the Monoprice fans with a 9v power cube (wall-wart).

Where to buy the wall-warts besides RS?
Did you try reversing polarity on the fan(s)?
5 volts -should have- been enough to get in moving, albeit slowly.

Find wall warts at most any electronics surplus dealer. RS will be sky high $$$. Maybe check an office supply store for a calculator power cube, or Best Buy. The important thing is you want DC output.

Maybe do a Google search for them.

Did you try reversing polarity on the fan(s)?
5 volts -should have- been enough to get in moving, albeit slowly.

Find wall warts at most any electronics surplus dealer. RS will be sky high $$$. Maybe check an office supply store for a calculator power cube, or Best Buy. The important thing is you want DC output.

Maybe do a Google search for them.

I hooked the black to the black and the red to the red......cut off the two "excess" wires............

Will look at home for any spare power cubes.

After going thru 2 defective H20-600s I would urge anyone with one to call DirecTV. They will replace it with the H20-100, which is a far better unit without the heating issues and a guide that's roughly 5X faster.

I replaced both of my defective H20-600s thru DirecTV and would recommend anyone do the same. The 100's don't have nearly the issues that the 600's do, and you'll save the effort of doing this mod to begin with!

After going thru 2 defective H20-600s I would urge anyone with one to call DirecTV. They will replace it with the H20-100, which is a far better unit without the heating issues and a guide that's roughly 5X faster.

I replaced both of my defective H20-600s thru DirecTV and would recommend anyone do the same. The 100's don't have nearly the issues that the 600's do, and you'll save the effort of doing this mod to begin with!
I have the H20-100 and trust me, when enclosed in a home entertainment center, even with so-called adequate ventilation, the H20-100 still runs very hot. IMO the fan mod is still worthwhile.

I use the USB Laptop coolpad from Targus. It was about 17.00 from Walmart and I put it ON TOP of the H20 so it pulls from the vents. I turned it upside down. The H20 is running MUCH cooler, uses the USB port for power and is virtually silent. I like the mod described here, but just don't go for drilling/screwing, etc... on my box.

I use the USB Laptop coolpad from Targus. It was about 17.00 from Walmart and I put it ON TOP of the H20 so it pulls from the vents. I turned it upside down. The H20 is running MUCH cooler, uses the USB port for power and is virtually silent. I like the mod described here, but just don't go for drilling/screwing, etc... on my box.
Just curious, whats your temperature now?

Thanks

Just curious, whats your temperature now?

Thanks
Not sure. I did not measure it before/after but I will and let you know.

I do know it is, to the touch, considerably cooler than it was. I think it helps a lot.

I use the USB Laptop coolpad from Targus. It was about 17.00 from Walmart and I put it ON TOP of the H20 so it pulls from the vents. I turned it upside down. The H20 is running MUCH cooler, uses the USB port for power and is virtually silent. I like the mod described here, but just don't go for drilling/screwing, etc... on my box.
I've done no drilling and used no screws. The fan (inside) is held to the top by 4 miniature ty-wraps. Also I cut 4 small (approx ¼" each) squares from a rubber mouse pad to keep the fan from cinching down against the case. Result is NO VIBRATION!!

just got an h20 and was reading this thread and plan on doing this fan mod, wondering about the dust problem are most having to remove the cover once in a while to blow the dust out, also is there any chance that running the fan 24/7 off the usb connection could cause any other problems in the long term, thanks.

just got an h20 and was reading this thread and plan on doing this fan mod, wondering about the dust problem are most having to remove the cover once in a while to blow the dust out, also is there any chance that running the fan 24/7 off the usb connection could cause any other problems in the long term, thanks.

Sorry for the tardy reply, but yes, accumulation of dust (over time) will need to be periodically addressed, especially if you have cats or dogs that spend a lot of time indoors. Aside from that there is no issue with 24/7 use of the USB port.