Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is it 
the fan?
I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much in 
that area.
Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
Thanks

"seadog"  wrote in message 
news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the 
> Sky+ box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will 
> expire or is it the fan?
> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but 
> a lot of TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have 
> not touched much in that area.
> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you 
> can help. Thanks
>


No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient 
mechanical isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it 
across the room!


-- 
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

"Woody"  wrote in message 
news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...

> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!

Low Hum is my local Chinese restaurant. ;-)

Ian

thanks for the reply I'll have a quick look see if it can be dampened.
I thought Foo Kin and Wan Kin were the chefs in a Chinese restaurant!We must 
have a better class one than yours!Cheers
"Woody"  wrote in message 
news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...
> "seadog"  wrote in message 
> news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
>> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is it 
>> the fan?
>> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
>> TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much in 
>> that area.
>> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
>> Thanks
>>
>
>
> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!
>
>
> -- 
> Woody
>
> harrogate three at ntlworld dot com
>

"Woody"  wrote in message 
news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...
> "seadog"  wrote in message 
> news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
>> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is it 
>> the fan?
>> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
>> TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much in 
>> that area.
>> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
>> Thanks
>>
>
>
> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!

What about a noise of static electricity from the box, is that normal 
aswell?
My drive sounds like its sparking up - even when it is in standby.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message 
news:4a18667c$0$35403$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com...
>
> "Woody"  wrote in message 
> news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...
>> "seadog"  wrote in message 
>> news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>>> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
>>> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is 
>>> it the fan?
>>> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
>>> TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much 
>>> in that area.
>>> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>
>>
>> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
>> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!
>
> What about a noise of static electricity from the box, is that normal 
> aswell?
> My drive sounds like its sparking up - even when it is in standby.
No static of notice,I recently placed an amp connected to it for speaker 
surround I thought it may be that but on disconnection of the amp the low 
hum is still there.
I'm going to insulate the box,the DVD Recorder and the amp with foil see if 
that works if not it's back to the drawing board but it sure sounds like 
power hum to me.
I may check the power capacitors they can bulge and cause hum.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message 
news:4a18667c$0$35403$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com...
>
> "Woody"  wrote in message 
> news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...
>> "seadog"  wrote in message 
>> news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>>> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
>>> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is 
>>> it the fan?
>>> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
>>> TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much 
>>> in that area.
>>> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>
>>
>> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
>> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!
>
> What about a noise of static electricity from the box, is that normal 
> aswell?
> My drive sounds like its sparking up - even when it is in standby.

It does take a couple of minutes or so for the hard drive to power down 
after the box goes into standby. Hard drives, especially modern ones, do 
make a noise that sounds very like static when they're reading/writing data 
caused by the heads moving tiny amounts at a rapid rate over the surface of 
the disk. This is normal.

Also the box can be recording stuff even when it's in Standby if you have 
Sky Anytime activated, as this constantly saves programs to the disk when 
the box isn't being used for anything else.

One test, would be to put the box in standby for a while, disconnect the 
satellite feeds from the back, wait a couple more minutes. This would ensure 
there's no data for the box to be saving to the disk. Does the box still 
make this static noise now?

Of course you could also turn Anytime off in the settings somewhere.

The low hum, like another post states, is almost certainly the hard disk 
spinning. It spins at around 5000 to 7000 RPM, and acts like a Gyroscope, 
providing a lot of micro-vibration forces that seem to be capable or making 
your entire house hum sometimes! I solved my hum by placing small wedge of 
paper under one of the feet of the box. This just moves it enough and 
changes the weight distribution enough to prevent the vibration. Try stuff 
like this.

--
Vincent

"Vincent" <nospam@reply.to.newsgroup> wrote in message 
news:gvbep8019ok@news3.newsguy.com...
>
> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message 
> news:4a18667c$0$35403$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com...
>>
>> "Woody"  wrote in message 
>> news:zGBRl.90786$861.86298@newsfe12.ams2...
>>> "seadog"  wrote in message 
>>> news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>>>> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
>>>> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is 
>>>> it the fan?
>>>> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot 
>>>> of TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched 
>>>> much in that area.
>>>> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No, its just the HDD running, probably with insufficient mechanical 
>>> isolation. My PVR does it as well - I can hear it across the room!
>>
>> What about a noise of static electricity from the box, is that normal 
>> aswell?
>> My drive sounds like its sparking up - even when it is in standby.
>
> It does take a couple of minutes or so for the hard drive to power down 
> after the box goes into standby. Hard drives, especially modern ones, do 
> make a noise that sounds very like static when they're reading/writing 
> data caused by the heads moving tiny amounts at a rapid rate over the 
> surface of the disk. This is normal.
>
> Also the box can be recording stuff even when it's in Standby if you have 
> Sky Anytime activated, as this constantly saves programs to the disk when 
> the box isn't being used for anything else.
>
> One test, would be to put the box in standby for a while, disconnect the 
> satellite feeds from the back, wait a couple more minutes. This would 
> ensure there's no data for the box to be saving to the disk. Does the box 
> still make this static noise now?
>
> Of course you could also turn Anytime off in the settings somewhere.
>
> The low hum, like another post states, is almost certainly the hard disk 
> spinning. It spins at around 5000 to 7000 RPM, and acts like a Gyroscope, 
> providing a lot of micro-vibration forces that seem to be capable or 
> making your entire house hum sometimes! I solved my hum by placing small 
> wedge of paper under one of the feet of the box. This just moves it enough 
> and changes the weight distribution enough to prevent the vibration. Try 
> stuff like this.
>
> --
> Vincent
Good advice thanks for that,I'll give it go.Regards

"seadog"  wrote in message 
news:4a16e13e$1_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Finally tracked down a low hum near my set.It's coming from the Sky+ 
> box,does this mean the HDD drive is getting worn and will expire or is it 
> the fan?
> I am a former electronic engineer worked mostly on RN radar but a lot of 
> TV/Video/Microwave sets but since long retired I have not touched much in 
> that area.
> Got a feeling it's not a fan hum though.Appreciate it if you can help. 
> Thanks
Just an update to any that may get it.I raised the front of the box slightly 
and the hum went! Thanks to those who helped.Regards

"seadog"  wrote in message 
news:4a1d7d39$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> Just an update to any that may get it.I raised the front of the box 
> slightly and the hum went! Thanks to those who helped.Regards

Glad my suggestion worked. Sometimes noises aren't as bad as they might 
imply.

--
Vincent

"Vincent" <nospam@reply.to.newsgroup> wrote in message 
news:gvkc590k18@news7.newsguy.com...
> "seadog"  wrote in message 
> news:4a1d7d39$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
>> Just an update to any that may get it.I raised the front of the box 
>> slightly and the hum went! Thanks to those who helped.Regards
>
> Glad my suggestion worked. Sometimes noises aren't as bad as they might 
> imply.
>
> --
> Vincent
Yeah,it was your help that did it for me,thanks again more form the wife!she 
could hear it more than me!regards