Posted by
Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ on
URL: http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/K3-COOLING-VENTS-tp2901588p2910811.html
Hi Tony,
We've looked at the fp temp range during the design, testing and now during our ongoing relaibility testing of the K3. There is nothing out of range here and we are very comfortable with it.
It is not a reliability issue at these temps, and it certainly not causing any operational issues. We are not stressing the DSP amd FP parts nearly as much as typical PCs do.
73,
Eric WA6HHQ
_..._
-----Original Message-----
From: K2ZLS <
[hidden email]>
Date: Friday, May 15, 2009 7:13 pm
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 COOLING VENTS
To:
[hidden email]
Hi Barry,
Thank you for your interest. I have received many replies both
good and bad. Bad, because many think I have some kind of heating
PROBLEM with the K3. Not so. My only intent is to try lower the FP
temp like you. Here's what I found. Your slots are a GOOD start but
not enough. No amount of fan speed will bring that temp down. WHY?
Well you only have to take the top cover off and try to follow where the
air will go. You can't , you say, because the front compartment is
isolated from the rear compartment by the panel that goes across the
middle. That's my point. The middle panel will also need vents so the
air can get back to where the fan is trying to suck it out. There is a
tremendous source of fresh air on top of the PA and that's a GOOD thing
but, it doesn't allow for a very good draw for air trapped in the front
compartment. The fan speed seems more controlled by the PA sensor than
the FP sensor. That's a good thing because we've seen that the fan has
NO effect on FP temp.
Here's what I would like to try. I would open up the side panel above
U12 and U13 with slots designed similar to that of the speaker. This
pattern is already proven and in use over the top panel and speaker.
Open up the bottom panel, just behind the front panel, with a slot
similar to those in the rear bottom panel. No big deviation here. Just
gives air better access to cool the bottom of the main board. Open up
the center internal partition with the same kind of elongated slots like
the bottom panel. Now, what you have is the side and bottom slots
providing cool air to the front enclosure. The middle partition slots
provide a way for the air to be drawn to the rear PA enclosure, to be
sucked out by the fan. I don't think this is such a radical change
that goes against existing design and I'm sure it will be an improvement.
The other driving factor here, that NOBODY seems to take
seriously, is the heating effect on the computer chips and DSP
processor. They could use heat sinks, but space limitations may be a
problem. My background is computers and I know that HEAT is their
WORST nightmare. I'm sure you have seen the latest memory sticks with
elaborate heat sinks. That's partly due to the high frequency and heat
generation affecting the timing latency. But, the idea applies to ALL
these device types. You have read all the responses regarding the
exploits of all the heat extremes that have been posted saying that
nothing bad has happened. But I ask, how many unexplained K3 events
requiring restarts and FW reloads can be attributed to this. I can't
say but, the potential is there, as long as the heat keeps building up.
So again, let me say that there is NOT any PROBLEM with K3. Only that
it could, and will get better.
73's cheers and keep the shinny side up. From Tony K2ZLS
Barry Simpson wrote:
An interesting post Tony. I have exactly the same issues with the right side
panel heating up with a typical front panel temperature reaching 43C. This
has only happened since installation of the second receiver which virtually
cuts off the airflow inside. The front panel typically runs hotter than the
PA.
> I have already gone down the road of cutting six vertical slots in the right
hand side panel to assist with air flow. Regrettably it makes no difference
to the temperature. The only way to lower the temperature significantly is
to have the fans on permanently. This way there is some air sucked through
the vents in the panel and I can drop the temp down to the low 30's.
> Given that the high temperature of the side panel does not appear to have
any detrimental effect I have now given up worrying about it.
> 73
> Barry VK2BJ
> -----Original Message-----
From:
[hidden email]
[mailto:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of K2ZLS
Sent: 14 May 2009 21:06
To:
[hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3 COOLING VENTS
> Hi,
> There have been enough posts here about the temperature inside the
K3 to start me thinking. Mine also gets very WARM on the right side by
U12 and U13. You all know how "boxed in" the Front side of the K3 has
become and now we are looking at additional features being added to the
inside of the box. The way the cooling fan is now, there is little or no
circulation of air in the front side of the K3. Another poster wanted
to add bigger fans but, you know, that will not solve the heat problem
because the air can't get to where it needs to go. I would like to
"CROSS VENTILATE" the front area by adding cooling vents, similar to the
configuration of the speaker vents, to both side panels. There does
not seem to be any worry about RF leakage at the rear vents where the
AMP is and the side vents can be fashioned the same way. I know that
Wayne feels that the cooling is adequate but, I think this would be a
worthy modification at this point, if only to let the HOT AIR ...OUT.
> If someone knows how to punch out this configuration, I would gladly
supply the panels and pay any costs involved.
> 73's and Thanks.
> Tony K2ZLS at OPTONLINE dot NET
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