# How Hot Does Your ViP622 Get?



## Bill R

I was looking around the menus on my ViP622 and I noticed that if you go to menu, (6) system setup, (3) diagnostics, counters and use the page down key to items 17, 18, and 19 you can check how warm (or should I say hot) the Vip622 gets.

My reading for there three numbers are:
(17) HDD High Temp 132 F
(18) HDD Low Temp 68 F
(19) HDD Ave Temp 98 F

I'm a little concerned about that high temp number. It seems a little high. I have my ViP622 on its own shelf (no other equipment on that shelf). It has about 10 inches of space on both sides, 4 inches of clearance on the top, and the rear of the cabinet is wide open (no back). Is anyone else seeing such a high number and should we be concerned?


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## Cardini

Bill R said:


> I was looking around the menus on my ViP622 and I noticed that if you go to menu, (6) system setup, (3) diagnostics, counters and use the page down key to items 17, 18, and 19 you can check how warm (or should I say hot) the Vip622 gets.
> 
> My reading for there three numbers are:
> (17) HDD High Temp 132
> (18) HDD Low Temp 68
> (19) HDD Ave Temp 98
> 
> I'm a little concerned about that high temp number. It seems a little high. I have my ViP622 on its own shelf (no other equipment on that shelf). It has about 10 inches of space on both sides, 4 inches of clearance on the top, and the rear of the cabinet is wide open (no back). Is anyone else seeing such a high number and should we be concerned?


I can't say what's normal, but I can tell you that the temps on my PC run something like this.

Internal Overall Temp: 100c
Video card Temp 2d mode: 48c
Video card temp 3d: 72c

Note these are Celcius. I assume the 622 is reporting in Fahrenheit.


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## Bill R

Cardini said:


> I assume the 622 is reporting in Fahrenheit.


Yes, it is. I edited my post to indicate that. Thanks


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## Mike Johnson

Bill, those temps are normal. That's close to what mine runs and similar to the DVR-942.


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## Virus

I cooked breakfast on mine this morning


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## James Long

The 'low temp' is probably from the first install. I'll have to look at mine again later - but I don't remember the low temp being that low on mine except the first day or two. I probably could use more space next to mine, but it's an open cabinet.


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## James Long

HDD High Temp: 127°F
HDD Low Temp: 113°F
HDD Average Temp: 116°F


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## Jerry G

Virus said:


> I cooked breakfast on mine this morning


What was it and did it taste electrical?


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## Rob Glasser

Sitting in an open cabinet (has a door but I don't close it):

ViP622 DVR (Top component):
HDD High Temp: 129°F
HDD Low Temp: 109°F
HDD Average Temp: 114°F

DISH Player-DVR 942 (below ViP622 DVR):
HDD High Temp: 118°F
HDD Low Temp: 107°F
HDD Average Temp: 113°F

You can see they are almost identical but keep in mind my 942 is in the middle of the cabinet with a audio receiver and DVD player below it and a 622 above it. When I had the 622 in the middle it was hotter.


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## HDuser

ViP622 DVR (Top component):
HDD High Temp: 132°F
HDD Low Temp: 77°F
HDD Average Temp: 114°F

The cabinet has a back with a glass front door and 2 shelves. DVD player on the bottom, surround rcvr in the middle, and Sat rcvr on top.. 
The only "vent" is in the middle for cord & cable access. It's about a 3" hole.

I haven't had the surround on, since the new 622. It doesn't give any sort of error message at all. The video just stop's, the audio cracks after about 20-30 sec the lights on the panel light up the fan cycles, and then shuts off. 2 min later it's back on.


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## boylehome

ViP622

17) HDD High Temp: 122F
18) HDD Low Temp: 69F
19) HDD Average Temp: 102F

Mine is located about 15 inches above the floor on glass shelf below monitor. Surrounded by open space. Average room temperature is 66-68 F.


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## Rob Glasser

HDuser said:


> I haven't had the surround on, since the new 622. It doesn't give any sort of error message at all. The video just stop's, the audio cracks after about 20-30 sec the lights on the panel light up the fan cycles, and then shuts off. 2 min later it's back on.


Try leaving the door on the cabinet open and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then the reboots are most likely related to heat.


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## cpdretired

High 122
Avg 102
Low 60
The 622 is on an open rack with about 10" seperation between shelves.


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## thecodeman

My high temp was 136 when it overheated. 

I have taken the glass inserts out of my doors and have not had a heat problem since.


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## bk63ross

Checked mine lastnight: High 120, Low 60 and Average 91. Sitting on my Pioneer set top box that sits on my Panamax Power Center.


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## hankmack

Since I fixed the glass door hinges last week I know how to remove them now. 

I can use the heat in our TV room anyhow. Cut down the propane use!:lol:


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## Mike Johnson

An interesting note. I finally got around to watching the Tech Chat from a couple weeks ago. Did anyone else notice that the photos they showed of the ViP622 DVR showed that the top of the case was completely perforated for ventilation like the 5000, 6000 and 811's are? The unit I have only has a small intake vent on the right and a large exhaust on the left. The top cover is solid. I wonder if they are changing the case on future units? (Or if it was just a stock prototype photo.)

I have my unit in an enclosed cabinet, but I installed a fan in the back when I got the 942. I also leave the front glass propped open a bit. The fan I use is one of those "silent" fans for a PC case. I have it connected to a 12 volt wall wart for power. It's quiet and seems to keep my cabinet cool.


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## boylehome

Mike Johnson said:


> An interesting note. I finally got around to watching the Tech Chat from a couple weeks ago. Did anyone else notice that the photos they showed of the ViP622 DVR showed that the top of the case was completely perforated for ventilation like the 5000, 6000 and 811's are? The unit I have only has a small intake vent on the right and a large exhaust on the left. The top cover is solid. I wonder if they are changing the case on future units? (Or if it was just a stock prototype photo.)
> 
> I have my unit in an enclosed cabinet, but I installed a fan in the back when I got the 942. I also leave the front glass propped open a bit. The fan I use is one of those "silent" fans for a PC case. I have it connected to a 12 volt wall wart for power. It's quiet and seems to keep my cabinet cool.


Having the casing with the side inlet/outlet may be better for forced air exchange. If there are too many holes the fan/cooling process may be decreased.


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## moman19

Does anyone know when the numbers update? My high temp says 140 which concerns me because other posts seem to be in the 120 range. The fan appears to be working, the box sits on an open shelf and it doesn't feel particularly hot. The vents are not blocked.


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## Radicalman

bk63ross said:


> Checked mine lastnight: High 120, Low 60 and Average 91. Sitting on my Pioneer set top box that sits on my Panamax Power Center.


I put some 2" shims under my 942 and it stays a lot cooler.


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## Jeff P

I'm resurrecting this thread, becuase I finally got my 622 on Monday and just got around to checking the temps.

My 622 is on the top shelf of a rack with a glass front cover, which I try to keep at least cracked while running components. There is also at least 4-5 inches of clearance above the 622.

Right now, my temps read like this:

High: 138 F
Low: 79 F
Average: 107 F

I guess my question is does anyone have any word from E* on what is considered "normal"? I notice that my average temp is either in line with or maybe slightly above what others have had, but my high seems on the "high side."

Does E* have any recommendations or standards on running temps?


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## ebaltz

Mine has been fairly consistant, in that the average has run between 113 and 118 with a high of 136 and for some reason the low changes, I think it was 96 last I checked. I have it by itself on a shelf with shims under it, open on all sides and a fan blowing on it, so I don't think there is much else that could be done to keep it any cooler except to turn my AC down 10 degrees. Virtually every componant I own though runs fairly hot. Someone should make a chilled cabinet. For comparison, I think the hard drive on my computer runs at about 150 degrees.


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## ClarkBar

My 622 temps are:

Hi 129
Low 86
Avg 114

622 is on a table by itself and supported by four bottle caps. A "D" model.

This temperature question is often discussed, here and on the other site, but I have yet to see the three "burning" questions answered. 

What are Normal temps? What is a "critically high" temp? How often does the readout of temps in the Diagnostic screen change?


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## harsh

From the ViP622 manual "Important Safety Instructions":

8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

From the "Proper Care" section:

• Do not place the receiver in an enclosure such as a cabinet without proper ventilation.
• Do not stack the receiver on top of or below other electronic devices as this can cause heat build-up and vibration.
• Do not install the receiver in any area where the temperature can be less than 40°F or more than 113°F. If the receiver is cold to the touch, do not plug it in immediately. Let it sit unplugged at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before plugging it in.


It seems pretty clear that receivers should not be installed in any kind of substantially enclosed space; especially with other hot gear (receivers, laser disc players, power amplifiers).

The instructions for my AV Receiver (fan cooled) are similar with additional caveats about not placing other gear near the power section (actually, above, below or to the left).

Modern computers start getting fuzzy around 140F and I've yet to see one cool down gracefully on its own.


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## rdopso

138
98
128

Unit not in a cabnet. Time for some extra cooling, I think. Can't believe an HDD can survive long at those temps.


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## Grandude

I checked my 622 yesterday and found this:

High 140
Low 116
Average 123

Here in Santa Rosa we are having a heat wave, temps in the high 90s and today is to be over 100 degrees. No AC in the house but have managed to keep the indoor temp in the 80s. 

My 622 is on an open shelf but is up about 8 feet above the floor level so it is naturally warmer up there. Being concerned, I have added two heatsinks from an old power supply underneath the box as support which should provide more circulation. Will check again this evening to see if any change in the results. 

I would expect that it may take a few days or so for the numbers to change much.


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## Allin4greeN

Grandude said:


> ... I would expect that it may take a few days or so for the numbers to change much.


My experience is that it could be as much as a few weeks.

I added a laptop chiller that forces air through and around the bottom of my 622. It lowered all temp counters by about 10 degrees F. Ambient room temp is 72F-80F and the 622 is in an open cabinet on its very own shelf.

Before chiller:
 5/18/06
HT: 136 
LT: 111
AT: 122

After chiller:
 6/11/06
HT: 125
LT: 104
AT: 113


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## Jeff P

Well, since nobody seems to know what the ideal temperature ranges should be, I ran this very UNsceintific analysis of the reported observations we have in this thread.

Of the 13 reported observations (not counting numbers used after some type of cooling device was applied), we have the following:

Average High: 130.8
Average Low: 87.8
Average Average: 111.2

Median High: 132
Median Low: 86
Median Average: 114

High Range: 120-140
Low Range: 60-116
Average Range: 91-128

What does this tell us? Probably not much, since there are so few observations, but it was fun just run the numbers... yes, I'm a nerd. :lol:


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## debpasc

141 high, 120 low and 131 av. Fans run on high now and again. Occassionally I open glass doors at night and close them in the morning. When I do this, fans don't run again until the DVR is in use. Unit is in custom built-in enclosed cabinet that runs against an outside wall, long and low cabinet with interior wood partitions, wood doors with glass inserts. DVR sits on 1" spacers atop a DVD player that is seldom used. I know these are really high temps. Everything with the DVR works and works really well. No reboots, ever. Tech advised me that high temps won't cause system failure -- though I know that can't be true. DVR installed on April 27.


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## ebaltz

Are those laptop chillers quiet?


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## Allin4greeN

ebaltz said:


> Are those laptop chillers quiet?


YMMV but, I never notice the one I'm using, it's completely silent. I sit about 9' away from my HT cabinet.


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## HarryS

Allin4greeN said:


> My experience is that it could be as much as a few weeks.
> 
> I added a laptop chiller that forces air through and around the bottom of my 622. It lowered all temp counters by about 10 degrees F. Ambient room temp is 72F-80F and the 622 is in an open cabinet on its very own shelf.
> 
> Before chiller:
> 5/18/06
> HT: 136
> LT: 111
> AT: 122
> 
> After chiller:
> 6/11/06
> HT: 125
> LT: 104
> AT: 113


Where does one get a "chiller"?


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## HarryS

My 622 has only been installed for a few days, but I'm seeing high of 136 and average of 114.


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## Allin4greeN

HarryS said:


> Where does one get a "chiller"?


I had a bunch of RewardZone coupons, so I picked one up at BB. I know that they're also available from RS and a ton of PC suppliers.

Here's the one I'm using currently.

http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=AWE01US


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## nazz

I picked up a Vantec Lapcool 3 off of eBay and it arrived today. The fans are totally silent and within 3 hours my low temp went from 108 to 100.


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## hiker

nazz said:


> I picked up a Vantec Lapcool 3 off of eBay and it arrived today. The fans are totally silent and within 3 hours my low temp went from 108 to 100.


Did you use the 622's USB port to power the Lapcool?


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## DonLandis

I have a question for those experts on the 622.

I went to the counters page and saw that my high temperature was at 138. I'm sure this was before I turned on the fan for the 622 shelf in my equipment cabinet. Now the top of the 622 feels much cooler to the touch but I don't see where I can reset the temp settings. Maybe I just overlooked it. Is resetting the counters possible? I'd like to see what the HD temp is at now with the fans running. The avg as dropped from 119 to 112 over the past 2 days since turning on the fan but I still wonder what it is running. 

I also like the idea of the lapcool. I installed a universal 12dc power supply for the cabinet to run fans and stuff so it would be easy to use this in place of the louder fan I now have. It's not as noisy as the projector but still adds to the noise in the room, especially when the HT is not in use.


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## boylehome

Don,

I think it does an internal reset at some predetermined time for the high/low. I don't know of any manual way to reset the high/low temperatures. The average temperature seems to be the current temperature.

Three of mine came with the high temp of 138. Version D dropped to from 138 to 132 after a couple of months. With a cool pad, its average temperature, in an enclosed cabinet is 118. It is cooler than my version B that averages 122 in an open air setting.

When I received version F. the outside temperature was 114 around the time UPS handed the package to me. When I opened the package the 622 was so hot that I couldn't hold it! It has the high temperature of 138. I let it cool to room temperature then hooked it up to everything and upon activation, I checked and found the average temperature at 105 and it has not exceeded this temperature to date. It is kept upstairs where the air conditioning only kicks on once the room temperature reaches 90. It always feels cooler than the other three. The exhaust air flow (left side) is no greater than any other receiver.

John


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## bmcleod

I have several components generating heat, the 622 is just latest to need attention. I haven't chosen a solution yet but this site has some of the better products I've seen. They have a nice variety depending on your situation, maybe one will work for some of you. -Bruce

http://www.activethermal.com/


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## Nyles Paris

I just talked with a Dish Advanced Tech & he told me that the HIGH Temp should be + - 120 degrees. My High is 138 degrees, he said that if I get in the Mid 140's I should be concerned.

Nyles


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## James Long

I like that answer. 

"Should be around 120°."
"Mine's 138°."
"Don't be concerned until it hits 145°."

Moving the target.

BTW: Mine is HI 131° LO 118° with a 122° Average. Personally I'd be more concerned with an Average close to the High.


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## wimcolgate

I can get to the counters on my 622 (3.63) but I do not see any counters for temperature. Scrolling down to the end ... 16) is SMS Status: 0x0020, 17) SMS Delay: 0x00B4, 18) Seq. Num: 0x1D353D60, 19) 015 Popup: 0 : 0

Has the counters information changed?

Wim


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## P Smith

Dish took your concern very seriously in new version .


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## hiker

Running L363 here and I have the HDD counters. Go to Diagnostics->Counters and use the page down key and you should find a category "Hard Drive Counters:" and items 03, 04, 05 are High, Low and Average temps.


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## HDlover

I'm blowing a fan on mine constantly. I'm sure it will prolong the life and keep heat related problems away. If I had a computer that ran this hot I would be very afraid. The Comcast DVR I had ran hot but it had vents all over the top.


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## Bill R

HDlover said:


> I'm blowing a fan on mine constantly. I'm sure it will prolong the life and keep heat related problems away.


What you are doing may shorten the life of the receiver (the receiver is trying to exhaust air and you are preventing that). On receivers like the 622 you should ALWAYS pull the air away from the receiver. If I were you I would turn the fan around so that it draws the hot air away from the receiver.


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## P Smith

It was dissected in that thead at SG and other one with pictures there


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## HDlover

Bill R said:


> What you are doing may shorten the life of the receiver (the receiver is trying to exhaust air and you are preventing that). On receivers like the 622 you should ALWAYS pull the air away from the receiver. If I were you I would turn the fan around so that it draws the hot air away from the receiver.


I'm not blowing the air through it, I'm blowing air on it. The fan is at the back of the unit.


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## turbomike

High: 138
Low: 111
Avg: 120


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## whatchel1

hiker said:


> Running L363 here and I have the HDD counters. Go to Diagnostics->Counters and use the page down key and you should find a category "Hard Drive Counters:" and items 03, 04, 05 are High, Low and Average temps.


How do I get to the HDD Counters? When I go into menu, system setup. Diags. It then shows a counters button but not hdd counters. On 3, 4, 5 of mine it shows mini watchdogs, latest watchdog type and Kernel panic. Nothing to do with temps.


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## wje

whatchel1 said:


> How do I get to the HDD Counters? When I go into menu, system setup. Diags. It then shows a counters button but not hdd counters. On 3, 4, 5 of mine it shows mini watchdogs, latest watchdog type and Kernel panic. Nothing to do with temps.


Bring up the 'counters' info, scroll down. They're there, but no longer on the first page. Some new info has been added, some taken away.

Someone asked a few days ago for some idea of what the various items mean. I never saw any response. No clues anyone? Some are fairly obvious, especially for Linux types, but some aren't obvious.


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## whatchel1

wje said:


> Bring up the 'counters' info, scroll down. They're there, but no longer on the first page. Some new info has been added, some taken away.
> 
> Someone asked a few days ago for some idea of what the various items mean. I never saw any response. No clues anyone? Some are fairly obvious, especially for Linux types, but some aren't obvious.


I can't get it to move over to the diag test screen to move down below the items that are diplayed.


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## wje

Unlike other screens, you don't actually have to move over to it. Once the counters are displayed, just press the downarrow and it will page to the next set.

Or, sitting far away from my 622, that's my recollection. I may be hallucinating, however.


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## James Long

The "Page Down" button ... up above the GUIDE button.


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## whatchel1

wje said:


> Unlike other screens, you don't actually have to move over to it. Once the counters are displayed, just press the downarrow and it will page to the next set.
> 
> Or, sitting far away from my 622, that's my recollection. I may be hallucinating, however.


When I get to counters if I press the down arrow it goes to done button.


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## wje

I just tried it. You're using the wrong down button, most likely. Either that, or E* gave you a special sw release! It's not the down button on the 4-way arrow button, it's the down that's below that. ( the ^ v buttons that are next to each other)


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## whatchel1

wje said:


> I just tried it. You're using the wrong down button, most likely. Either that, or E* gave you a special sw release! It's not the down button on the 4-way arrow button, it's the down that's below that. ( the ^ v buttons that are next to each other)


I have gotten into the screen and using the pg dwn button to move the items. Only thing is I have nothing in those screens that look anything like temps. There a 21 items on my Perform Diag test screen. I'm I at the right place?


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## Mike Johnson

whatchel1 said:


> I have gotten into the screen and using the pg dwn button to move the items. Only thing is I have nothing in those screens that look anything like temps. There a 21 items on my Perform Diag test screen. I'm I at the right place?


You are in the right place, just keep scrolling down. (At least three pushes of the Pg Down key.) It will look like this:


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## whatchel1

Mike Johnson said:


> You are in the right place, just keep scrolling down. (At least three pushes of the Pg Down key.) It will look like this:


It doesn't show Hard drive Counters only Common Counters. Thanks for the Pic it let me know that my screen is not the same as what is being talked about in the posts.


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## Mike Johnson

The Hard Drive Counters are the next section after the Common Counters. There are three screens of Common Counters. The fourth screen should be the Hard Drive Counters. The fifth screen is more Hard Disk Counters and Other Counters.

The counters for the Hard Disk should be there.


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## whatchel1

Mike Johnson said:


> The Hard Drive Counters are the next section after the Common Counters. There are three screens of Common Counters. The fourth screen should be the Hard Drive Counters. The fifth screen is more Hard Disk Counters and Other Counters.
> 
> The counters for the Hard Disk should be there.


I have the screen now didn't relize that I need to continue scrolling down thought the the end of the common counters was the end of the screens. 
High is 140
low is 116 
aver is 129


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## ebaltz

ebaltz said:


> Mine has been fairly consistant, in that the average has run between 113 and 118 with a high of 136 and for some reason the low changes, I think it was 96 last I checked. I have it by itself on a shelf with shims under it, open on all sides and a fan blowing on it, so I don't think there is much else that could be done to keep it any cooler except to turn my AC down 10 degrees. Virtually every componant I own though runs fairly hot. Someone should make a chilled cabinet. For comparison, I think the hard drive on my computer runs at about 150 degrees.


Since moving my fan to the right front my new average is 100 with high of 120 and low of 87.


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## geneband

Cardini said:


> I can't say what's normal, but I can tell you that the temps on my PC run something like this.
> 
> Internal Overall Temp: 100c
> Video card Temp 2d mode: 48c
> Video card temp 3d: 72c
> 
> Wonder if adding a small fan insdie the cabnet would help? I have the same temps on mine.


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## mikasasukasa

Just found the hard drive counters are now at 3-6 of the hard drive counter. Keep pussing page down and you'll see it.


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## malefactor

FYI, Fry's currently has the rhino brand laptop cooler for $20ish with an $8 mail in rebate.

I got one, and despite the ridiculously slow fan (which is the same as the targus et all), it seemed to do a good job moving air over time. The box no longer is hot to the touch. I'm going to gather temp data later.


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## mraroid

I can not pull up temperature stats in my 622 yet because I have not turned on service. The menus will not let me at this point. I still have antennas to mount and wire to run. But the heavy rain is keeping me off the roof for now.

****************Edit****************
After reading the last few posts, I figured out that I *can* pull up my temp stats in the 622, even before I turn on service. My numbers:

High - 122F
Low- 69F
Average- 105F

High of 122F? I did turn my 622 on briefly befoe installing my laptop coll mat. I wonder if the temps reflect a "burn in" when the unit was manufactured....?

*******************Edit**********************

I found this $9.00 temperature probe on a web site where I was ordering some computer hardware:

http://www.jab-tech.com/LCD-Digital-CompuNurse-Thermometer-w-BLUE-Backlight-pr-2642.html

It comes with about a foot to maybe 18" length of wire with a probe on the end. Using holes already in the 622 (near the bottom feet), I inserted the probe wire, and placed the probe near the hard drive, suspended above the largest two flat packs (chips) on the motherboard. The probe is suspended about 1 inch above the motherboard. Because of the way I placed the wire inside the 622, I did not have to use anything to attach the wire to keep it in place. My only attachment came when I placed the probe over the motherboard. I used some short strips of electrical tape to tie the probe in place. The wire run and the probe are placed in such a way that the wire is not close to anything hot, and probe will not fall or touch anything. The temperature display is about 1" X 1 & 1/2". It has big black numbers that are very easy to read. It has a blue LED back light, which is sort of sexy. I may remove, move, or turn away the display if it interferes with my TV viewing.

The temperature display is powered by 5V. It came with a connector that plugs into your power wiring harness inside your computer. I have a IPod powering device plugged into a power strip that produces 5V @ 800mA. It is this guy:

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=11721

So I cut the power connector off the temperature probe, and spliced the wire onto a connector from a old USB cable. I plugged this into a USB bus that I have plugged into the iPod power supply. It works great. I placed the display on the top left of the 622. I fastened the display down with a short strip of velcro. The only down side to this unit, is that it only displays in centigrade, not Fahrenheit. Not a big hurtle IMHO. I can not say how accurate this temperature probe is. I did not collaborate it with my reference laboratory grade thermometer. However, the box that the probe came in says it is accurate to + or - 1/10 of a degree C.

*****************edit*************
The probe's resolution is 0.1 degree Celsius. But it is only accurate to 1.5 degrees Celsius. My mistake

*****************edit*********

My 622 is located in a open air TV stand. It sits on a shelf all by it self. It sits on a Antec laptop cool mat:

http://www.jab-tech.com/Antec-Notebook-or-Laptop-cooler-pr-1894.html

This laptop cool mat has two fan settings; low and high. Mine is set for high, and runs 24/7. It comes with a USB connector that i plugged into my iPod power device. My viewing room is in my basement, which, in the hot summer, is the coolest place in the house, never getting warmer than about 74 or 75 F. It is winter now, and the basement is warmed to about 68F.

The fist reading I took was when the 622 was unplugged, and had sat for 24 hours:

20.9C (69.8F)

The next reading I took was after the 622 was plugged in for 24 hours, but turned off:

36.3C (96.8F)

My next step is to turn the 622 on for 24 hours and track the temperature. I turned the 622 on about a hour ago. I could see the temperature ramp up to 37.1C (98.6F) in about 10 minutes. It has stabilized at this temperature (plus or minus 1 degree C ) for the last 45 minutes or so. I will see what happens as the day goes on. With the hard drive not running, I suspect this temperature reading will still be lower than it might be when the DVR is recording.

I am going to install this fan inside my 622:

http://www.jab-tech.com/Scythe-S-Flex-Fan-SFF21D-pr-3255.html

It will sit about level with the hard drive, to the right of the hard drive. I will snake a wire for the fan's 12V power into a already made opening in the bottom of the 622 near the feet. I have a old laptop (I think it was a laptop) 12V power supply that plugs into my power strip. I am going to use that to power my fan. I think I can attach the fan, using plastic tie-wraps, to the internal support structure for the hard drive and internal fan/ venting structure. But I have not gotten that far along yet.

Below are two pictures. One is the tip of the temperature probe. The other picture shows the display installed, via velcro, on top of the 622.

mraroid


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## malefactor

Not to be rude here, but why are you bothering with such effort? If it's a hobby, go nuts man--I won't stop you. But, a $20 "notebook cooling" pad really does do the job quite well... and it's plug and play. My once-extremely-hot 622 is now very cool.

Does anyone know how to force updates to the temperature numbers? 24 hours after installing the pad, I know it's cooler but the numbers haven't changed.


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## mraroid

malefactor said:


> Not to be rude here, but why are you bothering with such effort? If it's a hobby, go nuts man--I won't stop you. But, a $20 "notebook cooling" pad really does do the job quite well... and it's plug and play. My once-extremely-hot 622 is now very cool.


I understand totally. And yes, electronics is a hobby of mine, so I enjoy doing this kind of stuff. And I know that most folks just plug in the 622 and it works great, and will continue to work great with out a care in the world about temperature. It is just my hobby. I don't recommend this to anyone, but I will post what little intel I get in case someone is nuts like me and wants to break, er, I mean modify the 622. 

Just as an aside, when a designer is building a electronic product, they look up data sheets for the chips and see the MTBF (mean time between failure) rate. Most chips/flat packs and other components have a temperature operating range attached to the MTBF figure. So when the engineer has finish a product, he or she can do some temperature range tests to make sure *ALL* the components will be in the safe operating range.

Almost always it is compromise. A part here is working at the middle of the safe range, while a part over there is working at the high end of it's operating range.

Almost always, a flat pack, chip or other electronic component will fail more often when it is operated above it's safe operating range. And, similarly, almost all electronics components like chips & flat packs will last longer when it is operated in the mid, to lower range of it's operating temperature.

Usually, most large companies (like the company that designed the 622) have done a fare amount of do-diligence and the product is made well enough to last the expected life span of the product. This is a major consideration because a company does not want a rash of returned broken product and the bad publicity that goes along with it.

But money is the name of the game. If the life of the product is judged to be, say 4 years, then if the product starts to fail in 5 years, they are not so concerned. Perhaps a engineer may want to spend $1.00 more on the design & components to bring the overall operating temperature for *ALL* componets to the center of the operating range. The people with the money may decide that spending that extra $1.00 is really not worth it. They think the life span of the product is, say, 4 years, and spending the extra $1.00 will give it a 7 year life span. So they pull the plug on spending that extra $1.00. And most of the time, most of the products will make it to it's life span with out failing.

The above is over simplified but I think you get the idea. So, mostly, I think if folks can buy a 622 and just plug it in, and they will be fine. And when the next whiz-bang DVR (or what ever they will call the future device) hits the street 3 or 4 or 5 years from now, they will buy/lease a new one and get rid of the 622.

I tend to keep stereo and video devices for way longer than the expected life span of the device. So I am fooling around with my 622, and maybe I will still be using it many years down the road. It is my hobby anyway to tinker with this stuff. It is what i do for fun.

mraroid


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## Richard Winfeld

My 622 is on the middle shelf of my TV stand. The first time I checked the counters I got a high temperature reading of 136 and an average of 116. I moved it to the right of the shelf to allow more air space on the warmer left side. I considered putting a small fan at the back, then I noticed how there was virtually no air space under the unit. I put my hand under the shelf it was sitting on, and the shelf was very hot! So I tried a really cheap (and silent) alternative - I had some black poker chips, and I put a stack of 4 under each rubber foot of the 622 to raise it up and allow some air circulation beneath. The latest reading I got was a high temperature of 127 and an average of 109, so my temps dropped noticeably just from doing this. I wonder why the design didn't include elevated rubber feet for the 622, like most amps and receivers have?


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## harsh

Richard Winfeld said:


> I wonder why the design didn't include elevated rubber feet for the 622, like most amps and receivers have?


There are two ways to "fix" a problem. One is to design it properly and the other is to document it carefully. Dish Network chose the route of "do not mount the receiver in an enclosed area."


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## James Long

Richard Winfeld said:


> I wonder why the design didn't include elevated rubber feet for the 622, like most amps and receivers have?


The primary airflow is in one side and out the other through the vents on the top/sides. I've got mine on the bottom of my equipment stack with a DVD player on top of it. HDD High 131°F, Low 116°F and Average 120°F. I have left gaps on both sides in the cabinet and the front and back on the cabinet are open (no doors or back).

When I first installed it I made the mistake of shoving the unit all the way to one side of the cabinet and it overheated within a couple of hours. No exit air flow.


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## P Smith

malefactor said:


> Not to be rude here, but why are you bothering with such effort? If it's a hobby, go nuts man--I won't stop you. But, a $20 "notebook cooling" pad really does do the job quite well... and it's plug and play. My once-extremely-hot 622 is now very cool.
> 
> *Does anyone know how to force updates to the temperature numbers?* 24 hours after installing the pad, I know it's cooler but the numbers haven't changed.


Check there http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=778796&postcount=41


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## dishbacker

I put a targus tornado coolpad under mine, plugged it into the unused USB port on the back, and it went from hot to the touch to cool to the touch. Cost $20-$30 bucks depending on who has it on sale each week.


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## Richard Winfeld

James Long said:


> The primary airflow is in one side and out the other through the vents on the top/sides...
> 
> When I first installed it I made the mistake of shoving the unit all the way to one side of the cabinet and it overheated within a couple of hours. No exit air flow.


If the primary airflow is in one side and out the other, then why did they bother to completely cover the bottom of the unit in vent slots? Unfortunately, the flat rubber feet allow almost no air circulation beneath. The bottom practically rests on the shelf, which in my case was clearly absorbing and holding heat radiated from the unit. Even though I never experienced any overheating problems, I figured that elevating the unit a bit would help by allowing more air to flow in beneath and exit from the side vents.

It sounded like a lot of people in this thread were buying cooling pads made for laptops and using them to blow air into the 622 from beneath to cool it. I was pointing out that by elevating the unit I got a pretty good reduction in heat levels without the expense, noise, and electricity usage of a fan.


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## James Long

Perhaps checking the meaning of the word "primary" would help you understand. 

Just because the design is to pull air across the unit from one side to another doesn't mean that they also cannot let heat escape out the bottom.


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## P Smith

Don't forget also - 'primary' airflow exist only 1/2 minute when you hear the fan, rest of time it doesn't rotating !


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## paulcdavis

my temps so far:

H 125
L 69
AVG 111

I'm going to try the targus laptop cooler and report back any improvement. Unit is warm (not hot) to the touch in a closed cabinet with open back. I have it on a lower shelf below any heat generating components, and is centered in a 24" wide cabinet (6" clearance each side) and about 4 inches of air space above.


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## wje

P Smith said:


> Don't forget also - 'primary' airflow exist only 1/2 minute when you hear the fan, rest of time it doesn't rotating !


Are you talking about the time just after the 622 boots? If so, that is incorrect, and has been covered earlier in this thread. The 622 has a variable-speed fan. Mine pretty much runs all the time at low speed.

You can demonstrate this by forcing higher speed by restricting ventilation, which, of course, isn't a great idea. If one's fan is running at high speed for a significant portion of the time, you probably need to do something about ventilation. If it's NOT running at high speed, then I would assume the internal temps are within what the engineers consider reasonable.

My avg temps are 120, btw, with no cooler or additonal tweaking.


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## paulcdavis

paulcdavis said:


> my temps so far:
> 
> H 125
> L 69
> AVG 111
> 
> I'm going to try the targus laptop cooler and report back any improvement. Unit is warm (not hot) to the touch in a closed cabinet with open back. I have it on a lower shelf below any heat generating components, and is centered in a 24" wide cabinet (6" clearance each side) and about 4 inches of air space above.


I tried the Targus cooler but did not like the airflow direction (sucks air out of the unit and fights the internal fan) and removed it and ordered a Vantec 2 lapcool which blows air up into the unit. I put some stick on pads on the feet on the 622 as a temporary measure. The next morning my temps were:

H 125
L 75
AVG 102

So just the little extra space underneath gave me a 9 degree improvement.

I'll report back when I get the Vantec lapcool installed.


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## ChuckA

Turn the Targus over to blow in the other direction.


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## paulcdavis

ChuckA said:


> Turn the Targus over to blow in the other direction.


Upside down might provide a cool base for the 622 (the Targus exhausts through the rear), but I think pushing air into the cooling holes should work better as the Vantec lapcool 2 will. The Vantec also has a fan speed adjustment so you can adjust the sound level of the cooler. It is the same $20 Price through Amazon.


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## paulcdavis

paulcdavis said:


> Upside down might provide a cool base for the 622 (the Targus exhausts through the rear), but I think pushing air into the cooling holes should work better as the Vantec lapcool 2 will. The Vantec also has a fan speed adjustment so you can adjust the sound level of the cooler. It is the same $20 Price through Amazon.


I tried the Lapcool 2 but the temp went up from 102 to 111, so I guess the 622 was better the way it was.

Note: your results may differ!

Paul


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## Rob Glasser

I don't think I've posted my final configuration for keeping 2 622s, a DVD player, and my AVR cool in an enclosed entertainment center. My DVD player is on the bottom where it's coolest, then my AVR, and 2 622's on top of that.

First I picked up a Active Thermal Cool Vent setup off of ebay really cheap (would have done my own thing otherwise, too expensive retail). I have this sucking in cool air from the back of my entertainment center right about the top of my AVR. 

Then, on top of the AVR I have 2 Scythe Silent IC Series 120mm fans blowing cool air coming into my entertainment center across my 622s. One on the right blowing across to the front left and the other on the left angled slighly to the left to help get the hot air coming out of the 622s away from the left vents. 

Finally I drilled a couple holes in the top of the entertainment center and on top of each of the holes I have a Sythe Silent IC Series 80mm fan sucking hot air out of the entertainment center.

Prior to all of this I used to just leave the cabinet door open with a couple of USB powered fans blowing air out of the entertainment center, no venting in back. With this setup my average temps for my 2 622s was around 120 or so. After a night of watching TV the 622s would be pretty hot to the touch, but I never had problems with them.

Now, if I leave the door open they are barely warm after a night of TV, if I leave the door shut (which I could never do before) they are pretty warm at the end of the night but not hot at all. My average temp for the one in the middle is now 114 and the one on top of only 110. Also, all these fans are very quiet, no louder than the 622s themselves.


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## Aswm

High: 140F
Low: 87F
Average: 120F

Got a chillpad. What a joke that the unit is so hot!


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## tnsprin

Aswm said:


> High: 140F
> Low: 87F
> Average: 120F
> 
> Got a chillpad. What a joke that the unit is so hot!


Not really needed until your average gets higher.


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## Ken McDonough

Thanks for the tips on this thread. I was convinced that my problems have been heat related but now that I've read through this I think it must be elsewhere. I have had (3) 622s and none have worked properly. I'm looking forward (moan) to my 4th this week. Here's my stats for what it's worth:

120 deg F high
80 deg lF ow
104 deg F average

...would have expected much higher than that but I'm not sure if the counter resets periodically. 

For the record I hit "menu", "6", "3", "Counters" and then paged down 5 or 6 times to find the temps.


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## harsh

Ken McDonough said:


> I was convinced that my problems have been heat related but now that I've read through this I think it must be elsewhere.


I would concur that it is not a heat issue. The high and low probably don't reset.


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## 459707

Mine numbers are:

138 HIGH
126 AVG
116 LOW

My ViP 622 is in a cabinet with limited airflow space. I took off the glass door and it helped, but only by a few degrees. Also the unit is pulled all the way out to the edge (it gives more room in the rear.) 

I guess I need to buy a chill pad too.

One question, If I buy a USB chill pad, can I plug the USB cable into the back of my ViP 622? Does that USB port give off the right amount of power?

Thanks

-Scott


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## icoczar

Here's what it says: high 134 low 113 average 53.....how can that be?


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## RLMesq

My 622 shut down, and displayed a heat warning message, a couple of months ago when my AC failed during a heat wave. I pulled the 622 out of the shelves and threw a fan under it.

The unit is in my closet, along with a Denon AV receiver and an Xbox 360. I bought a wire shelving unit at Home Depot for about thirty bucks and my 

Current readings:

High 132
Low 95
Avg 109


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## gfearz

sdschramm said:


> Mine numbers are:
> 
> 138 HIGH
> 126 AVG
> 116 LOW
> 
> My ViP 622 is in a cabinet with limited airflow space. I took off the glass door and it helped, but only by a few degrees. Also the unit is pulled all the way out to the edge (it gives more room in the rear.)
> 
> I guess I need to buy a chill pad too.
> 
> One question, If I buy a USB chill pad, can I plug the USB cable into the back of my ViP 622? Does that USB port give off the right amount of power?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -Scott


The USB will power a chill pad. My average temp was lowered by 5 degrees. If you are intending to use an external HD, you would need to connect one to the front of your 622 . Hanging out of the front of your unit, dosen't look great!

Gary


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## Jim5506

A small fan to pull air out of the left side is much more efficient for cooling the 622 than a laptop fan because the bottom of the 622 is mostly blocked by the motherboard. All the heat on top is not handled by forcing air into the bottom. My fan on the left side resulted in a 20-25 degree temp drop on the HDD.


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## HalfFull

Jim5506 said:


> A small fan to pull air out of the left side is much more efficient for cooling the 622 than a laptop fan because the bottom of the 622 is mostly blocked by the motherboard. All the heat on top is not handled by forcing air into the bottom. My fan on the left side resulted in a 20-25 degree temp drop on the HDD.


Just curious of where you installed the fan, and what do you use to provide the power for the fan? Did you somehow install the fan on the 622, or on left side of your equipment cabinet?

Thanks,


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## Lincoln6Echo

Don't know what my temps are at the moment, as I'm at work, but my set-up is basically like this...

Yamaha SSR on bottom, which puts out a lot of heat thru its top vents. 

Oppo Digital DV-981HD on top of the Yamaha, but pushed back as far as it can go to allow some clean vent space in the front of the Yamaha. Player puts out little if any heat.

DISH ViP622 on top of the DV-981. Puts out its normal heat.

But I've got a 10" box fan sitting on the back left side of the stack blowing on all the left-hand vents on all equipment. Keeps everything fairly cool, at least to the touch. Fan is powered by a AC plug on the back of the SSR that powers off when the receiver is off.

I'll check the heat numbers when I get home.


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## P Smith

Buy Sling and you'll be in touch with your 622 from everywhere .


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## lujan

P Smith said:


> Buy Sling and you'll be in touch with your 622 from everywhere .


Not necessarily, only places that have high speed connections. You would be surprised at all the places still that don't have internet at all or just have dial-up connections.


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## GravelChan

I cut a 4" hole in the shelf directly under my 622 and installed a 4" computer fan on the bottom of the shelf. The only place I can feel any heat is top center and just barely there. 

Temps are:

High 118
Low 32 
Average 98

I have no idea where the 32 degrees for a low came from, it certainly has not been anywhere near that for a low temp.


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## hdaddikt

Jim5506 said:


> A small fan to pull air out of the left side is much more efficient for cooling the 622 than a laptop fan because the bottom of the 622 is mostly blocked by the motherboard. All the heat on top is not handled by forcing air into the bottom. My fan on the left side resulted in a 20-25 degree temp drop on the HDD.


Mine went down from 116 to 97 using the same method (at the vents on the left side of receiver). 
I use a 4" 12v fan that has a voltage selector on the AC adapter. I presently have it at 9 volts. 
I don't think it takes a very powerful fan, just enough flow to keep that warm air moving out.


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## fredp

Well my situation is a tad bit unusual. The average temp ran consistently over the last few months at about 120. Since getting L441, as of the last weekly counters stat show a high of 134, a low of 107.... and a average of.... 66 :eek2: So whats up with this? 

Software: L441RBDD-N
Bootstrap: 1711RBDD


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## hdaddikt

fredp said:


> Well my situation is a tad bit unusual. The average temp ran consistently over the last few months at about 120. Since getting L441, as of the last weekly counters stat show a high of 134, a low of 107.... and a average of.... 66 :eek2: So whats up with this?
> 
> Software: L441RBDD-N
> Bootstrap: 1711RBDD


I read where someone else reported an average of 53! Not sure what is happening there. Maybe some receivers were in cold storage before delivery.


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## 459707

How long does it take for the HIGH/LOW/AVG temps to chage without erasing settings?

-Scott


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