Air Cooling 101
OK, so a while age I bought a digital TV stick form my local electronics store. it's a Kworld DVB-T. Doesn't get any more generic that that, huh?
Anyway I used it with my new computer, and after about a week or so, I noticed a major design flaw. I'd use it for ten minutes and the picture would start to lag up, then freeze. I quickly found out this is because it gets REALLY hot. I CBF going down to the shops to complain, so I decided to solve the problem myself.
This mod can be done to anything relatively small that gets hot, but I used teh stick cause it mattered
Anyway I used it with my new computer, and after about a week or so, I noticed a major design flaw. I'd use it for ten minutes and the picture would start to lag up, then freeze. I quickly found out this is because it gets REALLY hot. I CBF going down to the shops to complain, so I decided to solve the problem myself.
This mod can be done to anything relatively small that gets hot, but I used teh stick cause it mattered
Stuff You'l Need
OK so i'm generalising here but what you'ss need is;
Something to cool
1 cardboard box that will allow good airflow (rectangular works best as long as you can expose the most surface area of you're cooled device toward the fan)
1 Computer cooling fan (heatsinks work best due to their compact siz and high RPM, although the downside is that thry're NOISY)(I cannablised that one from my old computer whick was a hunk of sh1t, and that's why the fan's got silver tips)
Some wire
12 Volt Power Supply (be sure it matches the voltage and current needs of your fan as mine's a charger of an old power pack and it can only supply 100mA (o.1 Amps) of power.
Soldering iron, solder and some very casic soldering skillz
Electrical and/or duct Tape
The screws from the fan, but I strongly reccomend those pin things that you shove into cardboard and split and bend them at the ends to hold stuff in place. (I used the screws but they are not very secure)
Something to cool
1 cardboard box that will allow good airflow (rectangular works best as long as you can expose the most surface area of you're cooled device toward the fan)
1 Computer cooling fan (heatsinks work best due to their compact siz and high RPM, although the downside is that thry're NOISY)(I cannablised that one from my old computer whick was a hunk of sh1t, and that's why the fan's got silver tips)
Some wire
12 Volt Power Supply (be sure it matches the voltage and current needs of your fan as mine's a charger of an old power pack and it can only supply 100mA (o.1 Amps) of power.
Soldering iron, solder and some very casic soldering skillz
Electrical and/or duct Tape
The screws from the fan, but I strongly reccomend those pin things that you shove into cardboard and split and bend them at the ends to hold stuff in place. (I used the screws but they are not very secure)
Step 1; Think
Okay, now you think about how you are going to get it to work properly. To do this you will need an idea of the basic ruled of thermoconductivity:
1. anything that is hot gives the heat to other stuff around it
2. this includes air
3. the more stuff that come in direct conduct with the hot stuff gets the heat from it and thus makes the hot stuff less hot.
4. the aim or aircooling is to make the heat from the hot stuff go to the air so the hot stuff can remain cool.
5.the more area of stuff around the hot stuff and the better that stuff conducts heat the better.
So, with this in mind, you want to stick as much heat conducting stuff (metal) in direct contact with the hot stuff as possible. When we do this we get a heat sink, just google it if you don't know what one looks like,
Now when you cool you're object you want the air to take the heat way into the outside world, so you want to make sure as much air as possible is sweeping past the object. Keeping this in mind you want to position that object in the box to get the most air.
1. anything that is hot gives the heat to other stuff around it
2. this includes air
3. the more stuff that come in direct conduct with the hot stuff gets the heat from it and thus makes the hot stuff less hot.
4. the aim or aircooling is to make the heat from the hot stuff go to the air so the hot stuff can remain cool.
5.the more area of stuff around the hot stuff and the better that stuff conducts heat the better.
So, with this in mind, you want to stick as much heat conducting stuff (metal) in direct contact with the hot stuff as possible. When we do this we get a heat sink, just google it if you don't know what one looks like,
Now when you cool you're object you want the air to take the heat way into the outside world, so you want to make sure as much air as possible is sweeping past the object. Keeping this in mind you want to position that object in the box to get the most air.
Now Build It
I just screwed the fan in over the conveniently placed hole, poked holes for the wires, taped up the end of the box, put the stick in and presto, air cool1ing!
you can tell the difference it makes, like when I'm watching TV without it plugged in, it'll start to lag. Then I plug it in and it goes back to normal.
anyway, untill next time adios from your friendly neighbourhood neard dood.
you can tell the difference it makes, like when I'm watching TV without it plugged in, it'll start to lag. Then I plug it in and it goes back to normal.
anyway, untill next time adios from your friendly neighbourhood neard dood.