HD 300 Very HOT To the touch

[joe123]

I recently bought a new HD 300 from SageTV. I have 2 HD200 and needed one more.

The shipping was super fast - got it the next day after ordering.

So I setup my new HD300, dowloaded firmware, etc. All is great, execpt that I notice that the HD300 box is super HOT, even after I power it off (red led on front), the box is fairly warm/hot.

Is this normal? My two other HD200 have never gotten that hot, just a little warm.

[peternm22]

According to this review, it's normal: http://www.missingremote.com/index.p...1&limitstart=1

The case does get a bit warm (105° F) when used in my A/V cabinet, but I was assured by SageTV that this is completely normal.

[GKusnick]

Mine stays pretty cool, but it's in an open rack in an air-conditioned equipment closet. If you shut it inside a closed cabinet I imagine it could get pretty warm.

I would expect it to run warmer than the HD200 just because it's so much smaller and has to dissipate an equivalent amount of heat over a smaller surface area. More heat per square inch means higher temperature; that's basic physics.

[cncb]

Mine gets alarmingly hot too. It seems like most of the 9 watts (or whatever the energy consumption is) is given off as heat.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by cncb

It seems like most of the 9 watts (or whatever the energy consumption is) is given off as heat.

Well, sure. Where else is it going to go? The amount of power on the output connectors is (I'm guessing) a few milliwatts at most.

[PLUCKYHD]

Yeah I believe the case is the heatsink as well so it is going to get hot.

[cat6man]

mine is warmish but not enough to be concerned.
as a matter of practice, i put a usb-powered fan on it and also on my video processor (both in my home theater).........i also use usb-fans on my hdpvr boxes in the basement

[cncb]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Well, sure. Where else is it going to go? The amount of power on the output connectors is (I'm guessing) a few milliwatts at most.

Well, I guess I usually associate heat with wasted energy but I guess this is just how these (the chips) operate.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by cncb

Well, I guess I usually associate heat with wasted energy but I guess this is just how these (the chips) operate.

Not so much wasted as used up or randomized. Heat is where spent energy goes to die. That's not peculiar to electronics; it's just a basic fact of thermodynamics.

[Fuzzy]

All the energy going into the device (about 9W), has to come out somewhere. Since the device doesn't do any 'real world work', all that energy is released as heat. All the silicon is doing is constantly rerouting the electrical current through millions of different tiny paths. each path has a bit of electrical resistance, resulting in a bit of heat generation. This is the case for pretty much ALL electronics. Or all electrical use in your home for that matter. Almost every watt of energy used in your home results in a watt of heat added to the interior. The exception is whatever amount of light escapes through windows, or any devices that discharge their heat outdoors (AC Condensor).

[joe123]

Thanks all. Mine is next to our HDTV in our cool room. It sits in an open area and it is not enclosed in a cabinet.

When I say hot, I mean HOT - almost burning to the touch. Sounds like this is normal from what you guys are saying however.

Comes winter we won't need to turn on the heater.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by joe123

When I say hot, I mean HOT - almost burning to the touch. Sounds like this is normal from what you guys are saying however.

Mine is warm, but not burning to the touch. Unless you have very sensitive fingertips it should not be hot enough to burn you.

[QueOnda]

Can anyone measure the temperature? How hot is HOT?

[ericscottf]

If you're truly worried, buy something like this:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#59535k13/=916z8b
and stick it to the case at the hottest spot.

Alternately, if you're a chef or a mechanic, you might have one of these handy.
http://www.amazon.com/Raytek-MT4-Non...=pd_sbs_auto_2

Though the NCTs don't work well on very shiny or very curved surfaces. I'm not sure if the hd300 is sufficiently either of those to cause a problem.

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by joe123

Comes winter we won't need to turn on the heater.

"D-d-d-daddy, we're fr-fr-fr-freezing!"
"Don't worry kids, grab a blanket and huddle up around the HD Extender!"

[Menehune]

I checked my HD300 with a non-contact IR thermometer (I think it's the Raytek MT4 referenced above) and it is only 20F above ambient in my non-air conditioned house.

At idle (after 5 hours of standby-red power light) the case measured 97F with a room ambient of 80F. After watching a recorded show for 30 min, the HD300 read 98F with a room ambient of 80F.

My HD300 is sitting on top my old 13" sony TV and is using the recommended wireless USB card for network connection. If your HD300 is inside an entertainment center, the airflow may be reduced and the case temp higher.

In subjective terms, it was warm to moderately hot -I could easily touch it and hold it-like a hot cup of coffee or soup, but not painfully- "drop it, you're burning me" hot.

[fac13]

98F is about body temperature, it shouldn't feel like a cup of hot coffee. A hot drink would typically be around 160 to 180F.

I understand IR probes don't work very well on metal surfaces (or shiny objects in general) and the recommended method is stick a bit of masking tape on the area and point the beam at that.

My HD300 feels comfortably warm to the touch; if it was coffee it'd be going in the microwave or down the sink!

[mickdaly]

Has anyone else noticed how HOT the new extender gets?

After a few hours of operation it seems to give up, until turned off and cooled downs.

* merged *

[mickdaly]

Thanks to someone for merging my post with this thread that I couldn't find before posting!?
I second joe123 - my exact experience plus it locks solid after a few hours. Always when pressing any button on the remote.
It also happens with the cabinet door open. That has no cooling effect.
I have a usb fan in my media cabinet. If others of you only feel it WARM after an hour if use you must have asbestos fingers or ours are faulty.
Suggestions?

[valnar]

I have a infrared temperature gun and mine is around 100 degrees F. It's warm, but not burning.