Sprint_MBB
join:2002-06-25
Tallahassee, FL
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | Cellular amp running hot? Try a 120mm computer fan!
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I am in a fringe area and use a Cell Mate 2000 3W amp for Sprint MBB. I noticed the other day the amp runs really hot to the touch. I had just done an upgrade for my computer case and had a spare 120mm fan. It is a "quiet" fan- very low RPM and doesn't move a ton of air. I drilled 4 holes in the amp's mounting flange and used some zip ties to secure the fan. I used a power converter to convert AC to the DC fan 4 pin plug. These fans are also available in AC power as far as I know.
The end result is the amp is no longer hot- only slightly warm to the touch.
I've attached a couple of pics to show what was done. |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA | I love "MacGyver" gadgets - well done |
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Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
| said by Jim_in_VA  :I love "MacGyver" gadgets - well done I thought when I saw the picture that you would probably get a warm and fuzzy feeling. 
Amazing what a cheap little box fan can do. Heat in electronic components seems always to be a problem. We had electronics in enclosures in areas that reached 135 degrees so you can imagine what temperatures the electronics inside were running at. |
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Max Signal
Premium
join:2008-03-07
Buffalo, NY | reply to Sprint_MBB
That's the beauty of Cyfre amplifiers. They use software driven amplification and are totally cool to the touch unlike all the other amplifiers that are hardware driven out there, just ask Jim_in_VA.
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www.MaximumSignal.Net |
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Sprint_MBB
join:2002-06-25
Tallahassee, FL | reply to Jack_in_VA
I got a similar feeling after I realized the fan was running when I took the picture. The lettering was even right side up.
Thanks Jim! |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA | reply to Max Signal
absolutely true Max - the Cyfre never gets hot at all
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA | reply to Sprint_MBB
I'm curious MBB - how do you have the power supply setup, got a pic of that?
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ |
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Sprint_MBB
join:2002-06-25
Tallahassee, FL
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| I don't have a pic, but I bought everything from a place called »www.coolerguys.com/
The power converter is called a CS 110v AC to 12v DC
Item # 840556029977
Description: Power Supply with 4 Pin Molex Adapter
It was $14.95 a couple years ago. Just looked it up on their website & same price still. It has two Molex outlets, so it can power 2 fans.
If you search for "120mm AC fan" on their site, you'll see a selection of fans powered by AC so you can skip the adapter. Be sure to add the cord to the fan- they have a couple length options. |
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caribconsult
Premium
join:2003-03-19
Mayaguez, PR
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Sprint_MBB
I wonder if you realize just how much you have extended the lifespan of your amp?
Heat is the enemy of electronics. Things expand when hot, and contract when cooled down, including all the gizmos in the amp. After a while one of them just fractures, like bending a coathanger wire back and forth till it breaks. In the case of the coathanger, the correct term is metal fatigue, but similar actions occur in any electronic device, so reducing the heat is like a shot in the arm for your amp.
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Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere. |
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Sprint_MBB
join:2002-06-25
Tallahassee, FL
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
1 edit | It should last indefinitely now that I am using a Cyfre amp!
I really couldn't complain about the Cellmate, it never caused me any problem. The Cyfre runs much cooler- it is barely warm to the touch.
EDIT
I for some reason haven't gotten the hang of having my signature display here even though the box is checked- I'm no longer using this amp. I now have a Cyfre CA-819 with a parabolic grid antenna (Jim_in_VA's setup- works great!) and LMR-400 cable with surge suppression inline. |
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