Dreambox 7000S Shutdown Problem

[HB13DISH]

I have a problem with Cyfra + subscription card.
The card is inserted in the Dreambox 7000S card reader, opens the channels using CCcam (2.1.0 and 2.0.11), but after a while the receiver shuts down all of a sudden.
I thought this might be due to heating problems, so I have now a big ventilator on a stand pushing air over the box and other equipments.
I even have the front door flap open for better air circulation.
This seems to help to increase the time till it shuts down, but it still shuts down during a timer recording in the small hours when it is not attended (not to the internal HDD to avoid more heating, but to external DVR).
Could this be related to the card reader voltage being 5V and the Cyfra + card is probably a 3.3V (no idea if this this is the case, but I am only guessing).
Any similar experience with same or other card packages?

 

[HB13DISH]

An update on the shutdown problem
I didn't use the Dreambox 7000S over the last few weeks.
Today I made time to investigate and hopefully to solve the problem.
The Cyfra+ card has nothing to do with it. It was just a miserable coincidence.
Suspected the latest image Gemini 4.6.0 or the several plugins that are installed, so I thought I would start from scratch. Did a factory reset, selected NO Diseq and when it started to scan the channels halfway, it went into shutdown.
Waited few minutes, started it again, scan and once again shutdown.
While looking THROUGH the CI slot (without a module inside), I noticed a strange red illumination coming from inside the box and it seemed to get higher intensity while the scanning was going on.
So I took the cover out, took the HDD completely out, plugged the power cord only. It started but after waiting ten minutes, I didn't see any red illumination from inside the box.
Put the cover back on (HDD still out), connected everything, switched on and this time I was able to go through the whole scanning process.
After about thirty minutes, it shutdown again.
The red light illumination was still visible also.
My hunch is that this could be something to do with the power supply, possibly one or more capacitors need replacement, although I didn't notice anything strange with any of the capacitors.
With the HDD out, it didn't need to supply as much power as before and this is possibly why it was able to work for thirty minutes instead of just few minutes.
Will have to make time for another session.

 

[HB13DISH]

Didn't use the Dreambox over the past few weeks because of this problem.
Opened it again and looked for any components that might be discoloured, leaky capacitor, or any other visual sign, but UNFORTUNATELY no such signs.
So closed the box, thought it might be the latest Gemini image 4.6 might be causing it.
Flashed with the previous version 4.5 but during setup, it shutdown while doing the satellite scan.
Waited few minutes, did the rescan again, and this time it finished the whole cycle.
Made minor adjustments, put few channels in the Favourite bouquete,
viewed channels over the past three or four hours (I hope I am not jinxing it now), still no abrupt shutdown.
HDD is still out.
Fan is blowing on it, as it is a really hot day today.
Hope it stays this way (the Dreambox, not the hot weather )

 

[Topper]

Glad you are having some success, it does sound like an overheating problem, what interests me me is the speed of shut down. This is only a guess, but one component I would suspect would be the transformer. Some transformers have a thermistor on the primary transformer winding, if this is faulty then this could happen, do you have to wait before it will power up again or is it instantaneous?

 

[HB13DISH]

Thanks Topper for the suggestion. Will look into the transformer more closely when I open it again.
Would the thermister be visible and easily accessible for replacement, or it could be hidden inside the form?

Yesterday I left it working on the simple setup without any plugins and it worked for several hours, but with fan blowing.
Then inserted a Seca CAM (old version with firmware 1.05) in the CI slot, and Cyfra + card, and it worked also without any problems. Opened channels as normal.
I would be happy to leave it at that, but there is something wrong with the audio selection.
When I choose English instead of Polish, there is no sound.
The only way to get English audio is to install CCcam.
Then I decided to start adding plugins, and put the card into the card reader, and as I expected, it shut down all of a sudden.
It takes about two minutes to power up again, but I needed to press the on switch on the front panel, as using the remote didn't help.

This is really driving me nuts.
Why would the CCcam has any effect on the shutdown?
Is it causing more power consumption which leads to accelerated temperature rise?
Will do some tests over the weekend and time out the shutdown period just to make sure it is indeed an overheating problem.
Without the fan first and then with the fan working on different speeds (It has three speeds)

Also, any suggestions on getting the English audio working?
Perhaps changing the image might help.
Which image is recommended for 7000S, instead of Gemini?

 

[choco]

I too have a DM7000 and luckily haven't had this weird problem so far.
Are you referring to the Flash Image or to the Multiboot Image?
Does your DM7000 behave like that on both Images?
If yes, I would personally do a factory re-set, re-install Gemini 4.60 in the Flash, format the USB stick and re-install the same Gemini Image on Multiboot.
I hope you sort things out to your satisfaction.

About the English Audio, you may wish to try this:-
Open Enigma Web Interface
Click on Config and on Settings
Goto Audio Channels Priority
Copy/paste the following on the blank Line:-

English#Englisch#dos#haa#qaa#org#ORY#esl#Tonoption 2#Original#AudiRJ#

Click Save and Exit Enigma Web Interface
Restart Enigma.

 

[HB13DISH]

I too have a DM7000 and luckily haven't had this weird problem so far.
Are you referring to the Flash Image or to the Multiboot Image?
Does your DM7000 behave like that on both Images?
If yes, I would personally do a factory re-set, re-install Gemini 4.60 in the Flash, format the USB stick and re-install the same Gemini Image on Multiboot.
I hope you sort things out to your satisfaction.

About the English Audio, you may wish to try this:-
Open Enigma Web Interface
Click on Config and on Settings
Goto Audio Channels Priority
Copy/paste the following on the blank Line:-

English#Englisch#dos#haa#qaa#org#ORY#esl#Tonoption 2#Original#AudiRJ#

Click Save and Exit Enigma Web Interface
Restart Enigma.

Hello choco, how are you?
Haven't seen you around for sometime.
Thanks for your suggestions.
I don't have a multiboot, just one Gemini image version 4.5 (don't want to use 4.6, as 4.5 was stable for quite a long time).
Did format the USB stick and still no joy.
I will try without the USB stick next time I have the time, hopefully CCcam can install on the Dreambox memory alone.
Interesting about the audio suggestion. Will give a try. But just like to emphasise that I am having this problem with the Common Interface module. With CCcam it works very well.
So please let me know if you meant it as a solution for Common Interface or not.
Thanks again.

 

[Topper]

Would the thermister be visible and easily accessible for replacement, or it could be hidden inside the form?

the ones I have come across are all buried deep within the winding, where the temperature will be greater sooner.

 

[choco]

Hello choco, how are you?
Haven't seen you around for sometime.
Thanks for your suggestions.
I don't have a multiboot, just one Gemini image version 4.5 (don't want to use 4.6, as 4.5 was stable for quite a long time).
Did format the USB stick and still no joy.
I will try without the USB stick next time I have the time, hopefully CCcam can install on the Dreambox memory alone.
Interesting about the audio suggestion. Will give a try. But just like to emphasise that I am having this problem with the Common Interface module. With CCcam it works very well.
So please let me know if you meant it as a solution for Common Interface or not.
Thanks again.

You said that you don't have Multiboot and that you formatted the USB stick. I don't quite follow becaue we use the USB stick only for Multiboot. I guess that the trouble could easily be a corrupted Flash Image. I would download the Image again (and not use one which you have on your PC) and Flash your box with the newly-downloaded Image using a Null Modem Cable and Dreamup. Then, after setting up the Flash Image with Channel Settings etc I would then use FWPRO to put the same Image on Multiboot on a USB Stick.
The USB stick provides more Memory space, hence a smoother working Image.
Unless it is some faulty component, by this method you should sort everything out, Audio problem included. And if you do sort things out, you may then paste that Line about the Audio which would put the English audio as default.
Wish you luck.

 

[Turok]

Hello!
sorry,i dont see this topic yet..!

some questions
!is the time,of the shootdown,after restart always the same?
uf so,maybe there is set a timer?,when you dont find something in the powersuppy itself?
when it is a heating problem,try to use,a fan,with cold air,inside your box,or install a cpu fan inside,normaly this should help a little bit,stop then the time of the shootdown process again!,after first reboot!
good luck!

 

[nstone24]

the shutdown problem lives - this time on my 7000S with a motor.

Basically the shutdown will occur at least once, or may occur over and over again.

I can't see it's an overheating problem because the box may power up again and work for a good few minutes before 'outing' again.

The most likely things to me seem to be either:

1. The power supply is not enough, especially with the motor attache, although when the shutdown happens I am just watching, not moving anything. Surely if the power is not adequate it would be when most power is required - i.e. when turning the dish and running the box together.
2. There is a power short somewhere. When you touch the outside of the box you can feel a current going through it - especially when connected to antenna cable - also my motor is totally metal casing and I think the same is true of the motor.
3. Water is causing problems in the motor. I didn't seem to get any problems before the first bit of rain a few weeks back after installing the motor and disk with my system. May be a coincidence.

Other things to note are that I am running Nabilo Dark Star 2 on HDD. I am going to run the flash memory image a bit to see if it is just as bad.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Do you think if I got a DM800 it might sort this out - it's an HD box, and I need to upgrade at some point. I'd be gutted if it was a motor problem though - especially considering how long and hard it took to connect it up.

Any help appreciated.

Nick