Central Repair of Clarke Tech Boxes

[Josh]

When you least expect it, bang, your box goes wrong with something more than a software bug ie. hardware failure. Cooked power supply in my case, it does happen to CT5000s since I read it elsewhere on the German CT corner.

Since most of these boxes, if not all are imported from Germany, and could be personal imports the repair place and I believe central distributor is:

Satmedia GmbH
Ottostr.3D
76227 Karlsruhe
Germany

There is one guy that speaks English in the workshop [currently] which was the issue first of all getting a peep out of Satmedia. They seem to be first class. Best to make contact via email and phoning before return, "no returns without prior agreement".

[parad0x_i]

Did you get a replacement PSU Josh..?

..and did you mean to close this thread..? :tounge_smile:

[Josh]

Feel free to open it again... ... I now have Heath Robinson solution which I did last night so it shouldn't happen again, over heating. I bought a big Antec internal PC extractor fan which I had spare, about 5 inches across it [that's 12v]. I use a Buffalo USB Turbo drive with the CT5000C as storage and these have provision for external cooling via sort of hood fan unit that sits on top [5v]. Generally you don't need this unless it's a big drive [1 TB], so there is a pin out on the back off the Buffalo drive that comes on and off when the CT comes on and off, say via timer. So laying the extractor fan on top of the CT unit just above the power supply keeps everything cooled down.... and it's all automatic []... said it was Heath Robinson, but does the job. A pitty they don't put cooling fans in more equipment which is going to overheat.

[parad0x_i]

Good result then..

You could always post it up as a modification.. if and when you have the time & inclination

:teeth_smile:

[Josh]

Oh yes it was a new PSU, didn't see the Q.

Modification sort of easy, since I was wrecking my brains out thinking that I'd have to take the Buffalo drive with me today when I was off for an outpatients visit and didn't really want to carry it around London then arrive at Maplins to say have you got a plug that would fit. The penny dropped, last year my Becker satnav power supply [13 amp] gave up whilst in Austria with the net effect that it would cut out when on the car since it's needs a good charge which it doesn't get in use in the car.

The replacement adaptor bought out there is one of the ones with a voltage control and about ten plugs and you select the one for your appliance. Remembering where I put the strip, the smallest, the two pins of that, with a bit of bending fit into the PC drive socket power line plug of the spare fan unit, so Bob's your Uncle, a cooling fan that works in synchro to the box. Not pretty, but practical and quite.

<could be why I closed the thread ... perhaps the repair options should be on each of the manufactures threads>

[parad0x_i]

Glad you sorted it anyway..

I just bought a simialr adapter to charge/use my laptop in the car.. Came with the 10 changeable (2 pin) plugs as you describe..
Made in Asia

Seems to work ok.. but the laptop gets in the way when i'm driving.. :tounge_smile:

[Josh]

I'm sure I could make a quip about the laptop getting in the way whilst driving but I'd have to moderate myself.

Always good when you can sort stuff out yourself and make an in field repair... that's with the satnav whilst on holiday [cold charger gave the game away], Hama was the one I got with a euro two pin plug, but that's not an issue since I bought a strip adaptor for euro sockets and cut the plug off when I got home.

Yes so CT is all sorted out now and hopefully it won't happen again. I'd got to stick with it since what I recorded especially in HD is in that disc directory format which I doubt is the same across manufacturers.