Humax overheating

[Davey]

This evening, my running HDR Fox T2 would not respond to any controls,
not even the button on the front. I unplugged it, and powered it up
again, and it works.
Thanks to the Customised Firmware, I was able to see that it was
overheating, so I put a small fan on, pointing at it, and the
reported temp. inside came down from 55 deg. to 42 deg. Ok, that's fine
for tonight. Check one up for the CF; without it, I would have had no
indication what the cause of the problem was.

Tomorrow's job is clearly to open it up and clean the interior, as I am
assuming that it's plugged up with dust and cat fur. It has been in
exactly the same place for a couple of years, so this is new, and it's
not even spring yet, let alone summer.

Is opening it up as simple as I hope? If it's like a DVD player, it
will be a few Phillips screws, and the inside will be laid bare. Is it
really that simple, and are there any other things to look for while
it's opened up? It's well out of warranty.

--
Davey.

[Yellow]

In article <o88631$70n$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

>
> This evening, my running HDR Fox T2 would not respond to any controls,
> not even the button on the front. I unplugged it, and powered it up
> again, and it works.
> Thanks to the Customised Firmware, I was able to see that it was
> overheating, so I put a small fan on, pointing at it, and the
> reported temp. inside came down from 55 deg. to 42 deg. Ok, that's fine
> for tonight. Check one up for the CF; without it, I would have had no
> indication what the cause of the problem was.
>
> Tomorrow's job is clearly to open it up and clean the interior, as I am
> assuming that it's plugged up with dust and cat fur. It has been in
> exactly the same place for a couple of years, so this is new, and it's
> not even spring yet, let alone summer.
>
> Is opening it up as simple as I hope?

Yep - just some screws, three I think at the back and the cover sides
off.

> If it's like a DVD player, it
> will be a few Phillips screws, and the inside will be laid bare. Is it
> really that simple, and are there any other things to look for while
> it's opened up? It's well out of warranty.

When I changed the drive in mine I found a youtube video to follow -
worth it because the fan connector is a tricky sucker and you have to
disconnect that to change the drive.

I mention it, just in case you need to change the fan.

Meanwhile, are you sure about the overheating because all these machines
tend to run hot which is why there is a software fan package. I run mine
at 42%, permanently, as it used to go well above the 55 deg C threshold
suggested on the SMART page.

Also, although I have no experience of this on a Humax, computers tend
to be shut down by the firmware when they overheat - not just left to
crash.

But anyway, my room is quite cool at the moment and I am just watching a
recording, the Humax doing nothing else, and it is currently sitting at
39 deg C.

[Brian Gaff]

That temperature seems a little low for it to complain. I bet there is
something else going on or perhaps a chip with no temp sensor is getting
even hotter.

I have computer chips that run hotter than that when very busy.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message
news:o88631$70n$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

[Davey]

On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 09:25:54 -0000
"Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> That temperature seems a little low for it to complain. I bet there
> is something else going on or perhaps a chip with no temp sensor is
> getting even hotter.
>
> I have computer chips that run hotter than that when very busy.
> Brian
>

Maybe, but that is what the Diagnostic page showed, in bright red, as
'Failing Now', so that's what I took as the problem. It's labelled
'Airflow Temp', so may not represent an actual chip temperature, which
might be higher.

Overnight, with no external fan, it's now at 31 deg. C.

The other puzzle is that there is an indicator on the front panel which
shows, in a tiny font, 'FULL', but the 1TB HDD is only ~70% full. I
can't say whether this is new or not, I never usually look that closely
at the front panel, I always use the remote control for everything.

--
Davey.

[Max Demian]

On 18/02/2017 10:09, Davey wrote:

> The other puzzle is that there is an indicator on the front panel which
> shows, in a tiny font, 'FULL', but the 1TB HDD is only ~70% full. I
> can't say whether this is new or not, I never usually look that closely
> at the front panel, I always use the remote control for everything.

I think that means that the output is in 'full' HD. The HDD indicator is
a rectangle with up to four dots in it at the RHS of the display.

--
Max Demian

[Davey]

I had wondered if it was something to do with the display, so that
makes sense. Somewhere, I must have the manual...

I see the HDD level every time I go into Watch mode, so I know how much
of it is used. I'll look for the other display.

--
Davey.

[Davey]

Thanks for the thoughts and ideas.

--
Davey.

[Davey]

Before doing this, I installed the firmware package for the fan
control, and set it at 24% minimum speed.

Opening it up was simply a matter of, indeed, undoing three screws,
with my convenient Swiss Army Knife. But amazingly, the interior is
absolutely spotless, no dust, no cat fur, nada, as far as I can see.

So I plugged the unit into a convenient power source, and waited for the
fan to run. It did not. Blowing at it makes it rotate a little, and
then return. I will leave it for a while, in case it needs some time
before starting, but maybe I need to install a new fan. Is there a good
known source, and specification? I somehow doubt that Humax will be
interested now. I would like to run it with the external fan until I
have a new fan available, before dismantling it, unless it just
entails undoing four screw and lifting the HDD casing away? Maybe Maplin
do a suitable fan? I looked for youtube videos, but only found lots of
reviews and guides to update HDDs etc.

All help most welcome.

--
Davey.

[Indy Jess John]

I had a quick look at the Maplin website. This was the only one that
seemed to have 3 wires but I can't say if the connector is correct.
http://tinyurl.com/ztvngbn
It also doesn't say if the speed is variable. If you want to contact
Maplins, they might know.

I haven't got a Fox-T2 to look at, so I did a hunt for parts for one,
and found this: http://tinyurl.com/zpcq4r7

That shows a hard drive cradle with a fan attached. There are no
dimensions, but it did give me a view of the fan model number AUB0512LB.
I am slightly suspicious of the information because although the seller
is advertising it for Humax HDR-Fox T2 his write-up admits it came from
a Humax DTR-D1000 and it says it will probably fit other models.

I am assuming he is correct.

So I hunted for a AUB0512LB and found this one:
http://tinyurl.com/havx87e

Whether you want to take a gamble on it is up to you. I have gone as
far as I can from a theoretical point of view.

Jim

[Yellow]

In article <o896gi$q6m$1...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

>
> On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 09:25:54 -0000
> "Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > That temperature seems a little low for it to complain. I bet there
> > is something else going on or perhaps a chip with no temp sensor is
> > getting even hotter.
> >
> > I have computer chips that run hotter than that when very busy.
> > Brian
> >
>
> Maybe, but that is what the Diagnostic page showed, in bright red, as
> 'Failing Now', so that's what I took as the problem. It's labelled
> 'Airflow Temp', so may not represent an actual chip temperature, which
> might be higher.

That is "normal" and what mine did all the time until I put the software
on let me run the fan all the time.

>
> Overnight, with no external fan, it's now at 31 deg. C.

But that is not. Crumbs!

Perhaps your internal fan has just packed up?

> The other puzzle is that there is an indicator on the front panel which
> shows, in a tiny font, 'FULL', but the 1TB HDD is only ~70% full. I
> can't say whether this is new or not, I never usually look that closely
> at the front panel, I always use the remote control for everything.

I have never seen that on mine. Might be worth a question in the forum
on the Humax community website?

[Davey]

Thank you very much for the detective work.
The cradle looks good, without disassembling my re-assembled unit
again. That is a good starting point, thanks.
There is enough info. there to get data for confirmation of whether
it's right. As always, does a unit which 'may have signs of cosmetic
wear', and may possibly not be the correct model, merit purchase? I
think a new fan unit would be the best. Meanwhile, I have my mini
desktop fan to do the job, and I will only turn the Humax on when I
need it to view something. In Sleep mode, it seems to be perfectly
happy and cool.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

--
Davey.

[Indy Jess John]

Happy to help.
Good luck.

Jim

[Yellow]

In article <o89f1l$q6m$6...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

I would suspect simple fan failure.

No idea what you need to replace it with but the fan might well have a
label and if you are lucky you can then purchase an equivalent off ebay.
Or you could try Humax themselves for the spare part.

Or ask on the Humax community forum, if anyone knows what you would need
to get.


Talking of which, this thread is interesting, if maybe not directly
helpful.

https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/fan-never-spins-up-regardless-of-
temperature.3137/#post-37428

or shorter

http://tinyurl.com/gsdkyct

[Davey]

But as you say, interesting, thanks.

--
Davey.

[Davey]

On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:45:23 -0000
Yellow <no...@none.com.invalid> wrote:

> Perhaps your internal fan has just packed up?

I think so. That would seem the logical conclusion. it's supposed to be
running at 24% minimum, and it doesn't run at all.

--
Davey.

[Davey]

On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:45:23 -0000
Yellow <no...@none.com.invalid> wrote:

>

> > The other puzzle is that there is an indicator on the front panel
> > which shows, in a tiny font, 'FULL', but the 1TB HDD is only ~70%
> > full. I can't say whether this is new or not, I never usually look
> > that closely at the front panel, I always use the remote control
> > for everything.
>
> I have never seen that on mine.

It's high up on the left side of the display panel. I did find the dots
in a box that is the HDD guide, too.

--
Davey.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message
news:o88631$70n$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

Any excuse you get - is time to inspect the electrolytic capacitors on the
PSU.

At end of life, the tops of the cans sometimes bulge. there are other tell
tale signs, dodgy electrolytics often run hot - they build up a head of
steam and can expel electrolyte through the end seal instead of venting the
top, when they cool they suck the top of the can in slightly. Running hot
can also deteriorate the plastic sleeve - the capacitor can look generally
"tired". Any electrolytic running hot should be replaced - but before you
feel how hot they are, the ones on the PSU primary side; the cans will be
live!

Some component supply houses offer recap kits for various popular
equipments.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:o893v6$l1c$1...@news.albasani.net...

> That temperature seems a little low for it to complain. I bet there is
> something else going on or perhaps a chip with no temp sensor is getting
> even hotter.

Its not "danger level" too hot - but its high enough for a negative impact
on component life.

Electrolytic capacitors are the most vulnerable.

[Yellow]

In article <o89s8i$udj$5...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

I will have a closer look - thanks.

[Pete Forman]

See if you can get a voltmeter onto the fan wires. If there is zero
reading then it is probably the electronics driving the fan or the PSU
at fault.

--
Pete Forman
https://payg-petef.rhcloud.com

[Davey]

On Sun, 19 Feb 2017 08:25:04 +0000
Pete Forman <petef4...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > I think so. That would seem the logical conclusion. it's supposed to
> > be running at 24% minimum, and it doesn't run at all.
>
> See if you can get a voltmeter onto the fan wires. If there is zero
> reading then it is probably the electronics driving the fan or the PSU
> at fault.

One of those things that may be possible, but not easy, like climbing
Mt. Everest!

--
Davey.

[Davey]

On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 00:56:01 +0000
Davey <da...@example.invalid> wrote:

I have today discovered that the fan appears to be working, by setting
the minimum fan speed at 80%, and watching the temperature drop. I am
now trying to find a sensible lower speed value.
So the fan is running, but not very efficiently, which means it may be
dirty, almost dead, or just very tired. It looks as though I can run it,
for now, but need to source a replacement. Humax have not responded
to my enquiry, as yet.

--
Davey.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message

news:o8fq4g$aiv$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

I've seen someone inject fresh oil into fan bearings with a diabetic
syringe.

They don't all have a rubber bung in the hole where the bearing is, I
usually peel back the label so I can see what's going on. If you don't spill
any oil, the label will usually stick back down.

[Ian Jackson]

In message <A2KqA.513784$3L.5...@fx26.am4>, Benderthe.evilrobot
<Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> writes

I've oiled computer fans (with WD40 and 3-in-1).

Ensure where the label was is completely cleaned and de-greased using
isopropyl alcohol or meths, and if the label isn't very sticky, cut a
piece of duct tape to the same size and stick it on instead.
--
Ian

[Davey]

Yes, I'll see what happens when I take it apart, and will report.

--
Davey.

[Yellow]

In article <o8fq4g$aiv$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

That is promising because at least it points to the fan rather than the
Humax itself.

[tim...]

"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message
news:o8fq4g$aiv$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

I predict

"reset to factory defaults"

and if that doesn't work

"try it twice"

as it is their standard reply to all faults IME

tim




>
> --
> Davey.
>

[Davey]

On Tue, 21 Feb 2017 08:06:40 +0000
Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

> On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:26:48 -0000, "Benderthe.evilrobot"
> <Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >I've seen someone inject fresh oil into fan bearings with a diabetic
> >syringe.
>

> Yep. Use a light machine oil, 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil. A small
> drop on the end of a pin applied once or twice is all it needs.
>

I happen to have in stock both a 3-in-1 equivalent, and some sewing
machine oil. How convenient!

--
Davey.

[Davey]

Certainly, and encouragingly.

--
Davey.

[Paul D Smith]

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
news:h1tnac9m1pc90pj1p...@4ax.com...

On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:26:48 -0000, "Benderthe.evilrobot"
<Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> wrote:

>

>I've seen someone inject fresh oil into fan bearings with a diabetic
>syringe.

Yep. Use a light machine oil, 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil. A small
drop on the end of a pin applied once or twice is all it needs.

++++++++
If you need to replace it, consider whether you can fit a slightly larger
fan and look for the 'silent' fans sold for media player PCs. Did this
years ago with an old Xbox v1 and the result was a much quieter box - a
larger fan can often also be run slower for the same throughput.

Out of interest, how hot does this box get? I've got the Fox T2 (Freeview)
and it doesn't even have a fan.

Paul DS.

[Davey]

Until very recently, I have never watched its temperature. But when it
locked up the other evening, it was reporting an Air Temp. of 55 C.
Now, with a minimum fan speed of about 50%, it seems to stay in the
35~40 C range, even when recording two programmes at once, if that
makes any effective difference.

Noise has never been a problem, and I am hard of hearing!

I have a couple of busy days ahead, so this 'lube job' will have to wait
a little bit. But I will take dimensions and label data of the fan
while it's out of the box.

No response yet from Humax, surprise, surprise.

--
Davey.

[Woody]

"Paul D Smith" <paul_d...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:o8hds8$923$1...@dont-email.me...

You must have a strange one. I have two Fox-T2's and they both have a
fan and both make a slight whistle when they are running - annoying in
the bedroom!


--
Woody

harrogate3 at ntlworld dot com

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Ian Jackson" <ianTAKETHI...@g3ohx.co.uk> wrote in message
news:GT9tDNNi...@g3ohx.co.uk...

That's exactly what I do when needed.

I wouldn't use WD40 because its a very light fraction oil that evaporates
eventually. GT85 is the same thing, but enhanced with PTFE. It leaves a low
friction residue after its dried out. Penetrating oil is a poor choice for
lubricating - I use it for wetting bush bearings so I can run some neat
Slick 50 in.

[Paul Ratcliffe]

On Tue, 21 Feb 2017 08:22:23 -0000, Paul D Smith <paul_d...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I've got the Fox T2 (Freeview) and it doesn't even have a fan.

"Fox T2" is ambiguous. Are you talking about the HDR or the HD?
The former has a fan and the latter doesn't.
So your statement as it stands is, er, bollocks.

[Ian Jackson]

In message <oC%qA.100194$nM5....@fx44.am4>, Benderthe.evilrobot
<Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> writes

>
>"Ian Jackson" <ianTAKETHI...@g3ohx.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:GT9tDNNi...@g3ohx.co.uk...



>>

>> I've oiled computer fans (with WD40 and 3-in-1).
>>
>> Ensure where the label was is completely cleaned and de-greased using
>>isopropyl alcohol or meths, and if the label isn't very sticky, cut a
>>piece of duct tape to the same size and stick it on instead.
>
>That's exactly what I do when needed.
>
>I wouldn't use WD40 because its a very light fraction oil that
>evaporates eventually. GT85 is the same thing, but enhanced with PTFE.
>It leaves a low friction residue after its dried out. Penetrating oil
>is a poor choice for lubricating - I use it for wetting bush bearings
>so I can run some neat Slick 50 in.

Mention WD40, and someone will come along and tell you it's not what you
should be using. However, although it's OK for a while, and leaves an
oily film, I agree that it's not (literally) the perfect thing for a
long-term lubrication.

That said, I had a PC fan which was absolutely totally seized up solid,
and actually needed the touch of the tip of a very hot soldering iron on
the end of the spindle to get it freed. I couldn't find either of my
cans of my vintage 3-in-1 (bought in the late 60s!), so as a temporary
measure I resorted to WD40. The fan was still running fine over a year
later when I eventually I did a 'proper' job.
--
Ian

[Vir Campestris]

On 20/02/2017 23:06, Ian Jackson wrote:
> I've oiled computer fans (with WD40 and 3-in-1).

Both I take it?

WD40 will sometimes unstick things as the solvents go in. Then they
evaporate, and leave the sticky Water Displacing coating which is where
the product got its name.

It's not a lubricant.

Andy

[Ian Jackson]

In message <r6idndt3GM2ZMzHF...@brightview.co.uk>, Vir
Campestris <vir.cam...@invalid.invalid> writes

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=WD40
https://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts
--
Ian

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Vir Campestris" <vir.cam...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:r6idndt3GM2ZMzHF...@brightview.co.uk...

Not only that - but it washes out or dilutes any lubricant that remains from
before.

In extreme cases it can do more harm than good.

[Ian Jackson]

In message <sz2rA.418168$MU7.2...@fx18.am4>, Benderthe.evilrobot
<Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> writes

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Ian Jackson" <ianTAKETHI...@g3ohx.co.uk> wrote in message

news:QOT4kuIc...@g3ohx.co.uk...

The "special blend of lubricants" doesn't replace the original lubricants it
washed out.

Its a light fraction lubricant that evaporates - bearings can and do seize
after washing out with WD40.

[Bill Wright]

I once totally wrecked a complicated multipole switch with it.

Bill

[Ian Jackson]

In message <o8j6vs$1oip$1...@gioia.aioe.org>, Bill Wright
<wrights...@f2s.com> writes

Buy you're not supposed to apply WD40 with a hammer!
--
Ian

[Chris Green]

Exactly my experience with it. If you use it in the classic
application of getting a cold, damp petrol engine started by
squirting it on the distributor and leads (OK, old petrol engine)
then it works at the time but a few weeks later the sticky residue has
made all sorts of dirt, dust etc. stick to the HT leads etc. The
final result is often a worse problem than the simple damp that was
originally dispersed.


--
Chris Green
·

[Ian Jackson]

In message <va30od-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu>, Chris Green <c...@isbd.net>
writes

But who would spray a lubricant on a distributor and HT leads? I
wouldn't choose to (certainly not without intending to clean things up
at the earliest opportunity).

OK, WD40 disperses water, but it also leaves an oily film which never
really disappears. It is this which inhibits rust and corrosion.

As for destroying Bill's switch, I have never found any plastic or
rubber that WD40 had any bad effect on. That said, I once immersed some
small plastic parts (acrylic, I think) in white sprit to clean them, and
they immediately crazed and then disintegrated into small pieces - so
shit does sometimes happen!
>
>

--
Ian

[charles]

In article <qB+G3BDp...@g3ohx.co.uk>,

But it could have acted as a good insulator

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England

[Ian Jackson]

In message <5612575f...@candehope.me.uk>, charles
<cha...@candehope.me.uk> writes

Not if the residual oily film eventually attracts a load of dust etc.

WD40 is a great general-purpose thing always to have handy, but you do
need to be a bit circumspect about what you use it for,
--
Ian

[Davey]

Received from Humax:

"Hi,

Thank you for contacting Humax.

Sadly we no longer manufacture the HDR-FOXT2 so we no longer offer a
repair and can not advise the spec on spare parts.


Best Regards, etc."

At least they replied, which is more than some companies would have
done. But they could at least have given me the details of the fan. Oh
well.

--
Davey.

[Chris Green]

Ian Jackson <ianTAKETHI...@g3ohx.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <va30od-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu>, Chris Green <c...@isbd.net>
> writes
> >Vir Campestris <vir.cam...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >> On 20/02/2017 23:06, Ian Jackson wrote:
> >> > I've oiled computer fans (with WD40 and 3-in-1).
> >>
> >> Both I take it?
> >>
> >> WD40 will sometimes unstick things as the solvents go in. Then they
> >> evaporate, and leave the sticky Water Displacing coating which is where
> >> the product got its name.
> >>
> >> It's not a lubricant.
> >>
> >Exactly my experience with it. If you use it in the classic
> >application of getting a cold, damp petrol engine started by
> >squirting it on the distributor and leads (OK, old petrol engine)
> >then it works at the time but a few weeks later the sticky residue has
> >made all sorts of dirt, dust etc. stick to the HT leads etc. The
> >final result is often a worse problem than the simple damp that was
> >originally dispersed.
>
> But who would spray a lubricant on a distributor and HT leads? I
> wouldn't choose to (certainly not without intending to clean things up
> at the earliest opportunity).
>

This was surely one of its advertised uses.

--
Chris Green
·

[Yellow]

In article <o8jusn$hcc$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

Does the fan not have a label on it?

[Davey]

Yes, but I cannot read it without removing it from the Humax. I had
hoped to be able to order a new one, and then to be able to do
a straight swap, only dismantling the PVR once. But as I have since
found that it is working, although sluggishly, I will remove it,
photograph the label, lubricate the fan, and re-install it. I will then
have its details with which to work and find a replacement.
It might be the same as the one from a different unit described earlier,
but it might not.

--
Davey.

[Yellow]

In article <o8k6sf$hcc$4...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

I hope it goes OK and let us know how you get on.

[Davey]

On Wed, 22 Feb 2017 15:43:43 -0000

Thank you, and I will.

--
Davey.

[Dave W]

"Benderthe.evilrobot" <Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> wrote in message
news:sz2rA.418168$MU7.2...@fx18.am4...

I thought it would wash out the old stiff lubricant from a fan heater, which
it did, but I followed immediately with 3-in-1 lookalike oil from
Wilkinsons. Let's see how long it lasts.
--
Dave W

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Bill Wright" <wrights...@f2s.com> wrote in message
news:o8j6vs$1oip$1...@gioia.aioe.org...

Many electronic components are made with ABS/polycarbonate, it just crumbles
if you subject it to any kind of hydrocarbon solvent.

Once I squirted switch cleaner on a VCR mode switch and watched in amazement
as it turned into tiny granules in front of my eyes.

Most motorcycle helmets are ABS - cleaning with any kind of solvent or
applying stickers voids the warranty.

On the advice of an acclaimed bicycle maintenance book I used PTFE fortified
bicycle grease on the gear change twistgrip - about a week later the plastic
housing split open as I was changing gear.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Dave W" <dave...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:o8kekc$1vdo$1...@gioia.aioe.org...

Someone told me 3 in 1 is vegetable based oil. Apparently its prone to
solidifying in some cases.

What I use is neat Slick50. Its a bit thick and sticky to run into tiny fan
bearings, so I use WD40/GT85 to wet the bearing and to some extent dilute
the Slick50.

The fan on my PC has outlived several motherboards since being serviced with
PTFE lubricant.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Chris Green" <c...@isbd.net> wrote in message
news:4ug0od-...@esprimo.zbmc.eu...

It displaces water sure enough, but as stated; the oil film gathers dust and
grime that can cause tracking on HT leads.

Generally I find just wiping the distributor and leads with a dry absorbent
cloth does the trick.

Most motorcycles have potted coils with non replaceable HT leads - not that
it stopped me replacing a few. A film of oil such as WD40 would've made it
extremely difficult to seal the new leads in.

[Tim+]

Benderthe.evilrobot <Benderthe...@virginmedia.com> wrote:

>
> On the advice of an acclaimed bicycle maintenance book I used PTFE fortified
> bicycle grease on the gear change twistgrip - about a week later the plastic
> housing split open as I was changing gear.
>
>

Yeah but, twist grip gear changers are only fitted on bikes at the cheap
end of the market so are unlikely to be high quality in the first place.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:o8ksfr$dvm$1...@dont-email.me...

Was that remark supposed to belittle me?

I have a long memory of peoples past posting history.

[Tim+]

No, just pointing out that a twistgrip gearchange disintegrating isn't
necessarily proof of a lubricant induced problem.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:o8l0jr$t8l$1...@dont-email.me...

The guy in Halfords announced "they only last a couple of years" as he
merrily squirted GT85 on a showroom model - they're ABS and the solvent in
penetrating oil will destroy it.

The one on my bike was so old I had trouble finding a catalogue example of
the bike - it worked just fine till I lubricated it.

I'm quite pleased that you don't believe solvents damage ABS plastics -
you're the one that's going to come a cropper.

[Tim+]

I don't believe that solvents can't destroy ABS plastics, my view is that
when an item fitted to a cheap bike disintegrates it's not necessarily an
indication of anything other than the fact that it was a cheaply made
component in the first place. The lubricant *may* have been a factor but
IMO, it's not proved by one incident.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:o8l21j$2of$1...@dont-email.me...

You're not just a fuckwit - you're a very obstinate fuckwit.

Your "just one incident" is a well recognised problem across all ranges of
products that ABS plastics don't tolerate exposure to hydrocarbon solvents.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - clean a motorcycle helmet with solvents and then use
it.................................

[Tim+]

No, just making the mistake of arguing with a troll.

>
> Your "just one incident" is a well recognised problem across all ranges of
> products that ABS plastics don't tolerate exposure to hydrocarbon solvents.

Did I ever say otherwise?

Who knows what your twistgrip was made of. We only have your word for it. I
repeat, a cheap twistgrip made of an unknown plastic disintegrating is not
news and does not constitute *proof* of anything.

You may be too stupid to understand that this does deny the effect of some
lubricants on some plastics.

[Bill Wright]

On 22/02/2017 08:38, Ian Jackson wrote:

>> I once totally wrecked a complicated multipole switch with it.
>>
> Buy you're not supposed to apply WD40 with a hammer!

Now you tell me

Bill

[Bill Wright]

On 22/02/2017 10:19, Ian Jackson wrote:

> As for destroying Bill's switch,

It jammed it solid and immovable. It was a sealed switch. I squirted the
WD40 onto a slot at the end. I squirted oil in but after a week it was
still solid. It was in a spectrum analyser. I gave it away.

Bill

[PeterC]

On Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:49:48 -0000, Benderthe.evilrobot wrote:

> On the advice of an acclaimed bicycle maintenance book I used PTFE fortified
> bicycle grease on the gear change twistgrip - about a week later the plastic
> housing split open as I was changing gear.

I used some sort of lubricant spray (LPS1 IIRC - a very much better
equivalent of WD40 and pretty well inert) on something on/near a bike's
wheels (this was in the mid-'80s, so memory has faded) and the spoke-mounted
reflectors crazed and cracked. I assumed it was due to the propellant
(hydrocarbon) on polystyrene.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

[Max Demian]

That sometimes happens with 'proper' switch cleaning fluid - it's best
to work the switch/pot after application to stop it from jamming (and
determine whether the fluid is a good idea on the component).

--
Max Demian

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:o8l3km$7s8$1...@dont-email.me...

You did indeed; "just one incident" - I'm the one who made the mistake of
arguing with a troll.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"PeterC" <giraffe...@homecall.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2tuabgicdykk.18...@40tude.net...

AFAIK: all the solvent based propellants have since been banned because they
damage the ozone layer - but there's still plenty of things in aerosols that
destroy ABS/polycarbonate plastics.

Its not just solvents - ABS motorcycle helmets have a "life expectancy"
because they degrade gradually from the small amounts of leaked oil thrown
up in road spray.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Max Demian" <max_d...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:bu2dnWDAQYsuVTPF...@brightview.co.uk...

That happened to me, as I mentioned in another post - I squirted switch
cleaner on a VCR mode switch, it turned into tiny granules as I stood there
watching it.

Luckily, most switch bodies are made of a very hard thermosetting plastic
that isn't affected - but you have to watch out for the ABS ones.

[Tim+]

<*sigh*>

The effect of solvents on certain plastics (ABS etc) is well documented.
The *addition* of your personal anecdote of the failure of one component of
a low spec bike does not in itself add a useful data point.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:o8oqpe$t90$1...@dont-email.me...

Move the goal posts all you want - I cited 3 examples.

[Davey]

On Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:36:17 +0000
Indy Jess John <jimw...@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

> So I hunted for a AUB0512LB and found this one:
> http://tinyurl.com/havx87e
>
> Whether you want to take a gamble on it is up to you. I have gone as
> far as I can from a theoretical point of view.

Well, that's the correct beast.
Your link is for one that costs £4.29, plus £2.49 p+p. Then Amazon has
one for £48, and it's also used!

Maplin have one for £1, but it looks as though it is fixed speed. But
so what? Noise might be the problem, but it should keep it cool.

I took the existing one out and lubed it today, but it doesn't seem to
have improved its cooling function. I'll let it run for a while longer,
and see how it does. Stabilising at ~ 36 D at the moment, and that's
with a 70% min. speed. Mind you, Humax doesn't even run the fan below
49 C!

--
Davey.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message
news:o8se7a$ie3$2...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

Purely guesswork on my part - but I suspect the correct fan is a special
quiet flow type.

They tend to use slow-spin hard drives for the same reason.

If its going to be expensive; I'd have a look on Freegle - you might get a
box that can be used instead, or a suitable parts donor.

The fans are usually off the shelf item, so you may not have to strip
exactly the same box to get one the same.

[Davey]

I think I'll go with the £4.29 + £2.49 p&p for now.

What temperature do they normally run at? Maybe somebody here can let
me know, please.

--
Davey.

[Benderthe.evilrobot]

"Davey" <da...@example.invalid> wrote in message

news:o8sosf$ie3$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net...

Electrolytic capacitors are the most vulnerable to temperature - common or
garden ones are rated at 85C, many of the capacitor refurb kits contain 105c
rated parts.

In general; component life expectancy is closely related to temperature -
about 40 - 50c is a realistic target to aim for, anything less is a bonus.

Seagate hard drives are pretty common - there may be a product data sheet
that states an optimum temperature.

Seagate drives are shite, so they bought out everyone else - you could get
lucky and find your HDD is a Samsung in disguise - their website might be
worth a look as well.

[Yellow]

In article <o8sosf$ie3$3...@n102.xanadu-bbs.net>, da...@example.invalid
says...

You mean the Humax?

Before I installed the fan software it was always going over 55 deg C
(which may or may not have been the reason why my disk drive failed).

But with the fan software, at the moment I have it set to run at 40% and
the drive reports 40 deg C. In the Summer I was running it at 42% to get
the same temperature.

And it is currently recording one show while I am watching another.

[Davey]

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 03:11:33 -0000
Yellow <no...@none.com.invalid> wrote:


> > > The fans are usually off the shelf item, so you may not have to
> > > strip exactly the same box to get one the same.
> > >
> >
> > I think I'll go with the £4.29 + £2.49 p&p for now.
> >
> > What temperature do they normally run at? Maybe somebody here can
> > let me know, please.
>
> You mean the Humax?
>
> Before I installed the fan software it was always going over 55 deg C
> (which may or may not have been the reason why my disk drive failed).
>
> But with the fan software, at the moment I have it set to run at 40%
> and the drive reports 40 deg C. In the Summer I was running it at 42%
> to get the same temperature.
>
> And it is currently recording one show while I am watching another.

Thanks a lot. With my current setting of 70%, it seems to settle out at
about 36-38 C. I could drop the speed, and raise the temperature, but
like this, it should help extend the life of the disk, so I think I'll
leave it, and order a spare fan. I might try dropping the speed in 10%
steps, and monitor the result.

--
Davey.