Advice Needed TM-5402 HD M3 Mk3 Super+ CI - What's inside the box?

[jeallen01]

Afternoon

Finally got the TM downstairs in the Lounge on NY's Day and connected it to the TV for the full version of the NYD concert from Vienna-> all working quite well with both the Diseqc 1.1 switch and the positioner (although I do hate the fact that every time I send the dish to a sat in the Setup menu, when I come out of Setup it persists in telling me that it is now moving the dish to the same sat!)

However, I'm now thinking about connecting an external USB disk up to allow some recording - but that got me to wondering if there is space to mount the disk INSIDE the box to avoid having another small box hanging around in the AV system cabinet ( I guess I would have to run the lead back into the box from the rear USB slot, or if there is even some sort of spare USB connector already in there?) ?

Therefore I have been looking for images of the unit with the top removed, but I can't seem to find anything like that anywhere - so, has anyone ever taken the top of one of these, and, if so, what did you find?

 

[scopus]

Not a lot in these boxes nowadays. I'm sure you could mount an external HDD inside, no USB ports inside, but if you are handy with a soldering iron, I'm sure it could be done. Heat might be your only problem, as these boxes can run quite warm, especially in an AV cabinet.

 

[jeallen01]

Not a lot in these boxes nowadays. I'm sure you could mount an external HDD inside, no USB ports inside, but if you are handy with a soldering iron, I'm sure it could be done. Heat might be your only problem, as these boxes can run quite warm, especially in an AV cabinet.

Thanks - a small USB 2.5" HDD should not create much heat and so I think that should be OK.

Edited: I already have a 2.5" 320GB disk that came out of a defunct laptop, and an external enclosure case from which I think I can remove the USB-SATA interface with a little bit of "surgery" - so I'll keep those in mind for when I try this.

Before I do take the case lid off, any idea of where I could find a pic of what I am likely to find and see how much space is likely to be available?

 

[scopus]

Give me about half an hour, will do one for you

 

[scopus]

Give me about half an hour, will do one for you

Ahh, one of those Guaratee labels...Looking through the vent holes, there is plenty of room. Best place looks in the middle, probably stuck to the receiver lid.

 

[jeallen01]

Ahh, one of those Guaratee labels...Looking through the vent holes, there is plenty of room. Best place looks in the middle, probably stuck to the receiver lid.

Thanks - I will have the same label issue for a few months, so maybe I will keep the HDD outside the enclosure until the guarantee expires.
BTW: my TM is now in the AV cabinet and it's difficult to get it out quickly or I would have had a look for myself.

 

[archive10]

Not a lot in these boxes nowadays. I'm sure you could mount an external HDD inside, no USB ports inside, but if you are handy with a soldering iron, I'm sure it could be done. Heat might be your only problem, as these boxes can run quite warm, especially in an AV cabinet.

Many (if not most) Set-Top Boxes these days are designed with heat dissipation schemes in mind, meaning that the size and form of the cabinet is carefully balanced against the heat generated by internal components. My company spent several weeks debating sizes and shapes with the vendors to achieve the smallest possible box without a fan. If we went for a smaller box, we'd have to put fans inside to control airflow, and the placement, size, and speed of fan was furthermore determined by slots in the enclosure etc.

My point is that even though a HDD "should not make much heat", it generally makes a lot of heat compared to the rest of the STB, so just sticking one inside an arbitrary box that was not designed for having one in it may raise the the temperature significantly in the box.
Some designs are made for mounting additional dishes inside, e.g. the Humax iCord Evolution and 4tune+ is dimensioned so that you can add a HDD in a drawer.
(They also have suitable fans for operation.)

Not having one, I do not know if the TM5402mk3 are suitably over-dimensioned on the ventilation side, or if adding a HDD could be done.
But just keep in mind that your mileage as a whole will vary!

 

[Lazarus]

^^^^^^
Wise comments.

 

[scopus]

Many (if not most) Set-Top Boxes these days are designed with heat dissipation schemes in mind, meaning that the size and form of the cabinet is carefully balanced against the heat generated by internal components. My company spent several weeks debating sizes and shapes with the vendors to achieve the smallest possible box without a fan. If we went for a smaller box, we'd have to put fans inside to control airflow, and the placement, size, and speed of fan was furthermore determined by slots in the enclosure etc.

My point is that even though a HDD "should not make much heat", it generally makes a lot of heat compared to the rest of the STB, so just sticking one inside an arbitrary box that was not designed for having one in it may raise the the temperature significantly in the box.
Some designs are made for mounting additional dishes inside, e.g. the Humax iCord Evolution and 4tune+ is dimensioned so that you can add a HDD in a drawer.
(They also have suitable fans for operation.)

Not having one, I do not know if the TM5402mk3 are suitably over-dimensioned on the ventilation side, or if adding a HDD could be done.
But just keep in mind that your mileage as a whole will vary!

Yes, it is quite a big box compared to some, so ventilation should be OK. But as I said they do run fairly warm with use, so personally if I were going to fit one inside I would go for a SSD one.

 

[jeallen01]

@st1
Yup, I'm well aware of the heat issues! From what I can see of the little WD 2.5" "Blue" HDD I'm going to use to start with, it hardly gets slightly warm even when pushed during formatting - so if carefully mounted to somewhere on the case with some h/s compound between them then the latter will sink most of any heat generated (that's what I expected, and what happened, when I fixed the metal-cased SDR module - which had been getting pretty warm! - to the Simple Spectrum Analyser case.

PS: from what I can find out, this little drive consumes about 2-3W - so I don't think that will have much overall heating effect on the TM!

PPS: Don't think I'll be getting an SSD any time soon - at least for the TM - because that would cost nearly as much as the TM itself.

 

[John]

Here you go John, took the cover off mine for you. A bit tight..... you might just squeeze one in sat on top of the card reader, even better if you took out the card reader if not required.

 

[jeallen01]

John

Thank you very much for the pics, which will help a lot in the long run - however, as I said to scopus, I think I'll delay taking the top off until the warrantee expires!

Therefore, this morning, I fixed the HDD - in its little portable metal USB drive case - on the centre of the outside of the top cover with some d/s tape. Later on, I will probably remount it inside the box - not quite sure where, yet, but it's a very small/thin drive and it can probably fit in quite a few places without being too close to the PSU or blocking the ventilation.

Thanks again to everyone.

John