HiTech
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Aug 3, 2007, 11:37 AM
Post #2 of 3
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Re: [Bubbasweet] Preventative HOT maintenance?
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Heat is the enemy of electronics. Whether vacuum tubes or solid state, channeling heat away from components is paramount to longevity of the device. If computers didn't have cooling fans in them they'd become toast very quickly. It was believed that back in the days of vacuum tubed radios and televisions, if cooling fans and the like were used more often, they'd last a very, very long time. Some of today's modern tube equipment uses cooling fans. When I see a component leaning against a heatsink, I pry it away from it. It's a marginal advantagem but it's certainly better than needless direct exposure to a heat source. You may also want to consider making sure the HOT has plenty of heat sinked area to radiate to and don't forget to apply QUALITY thermal transfer paste. Some mfgrs. skip that step and it makes a difference. A heat generating component such as a power transistor should be warm to the touch when properly heat sinked. If it's of a temperature that feels like it could burn your skin, it needs measures taken to lower it, be it a larger heatsink, thermal paste, cooling fan, etc. Other than the failure of an associated component that takes out a power transistor with it, there's not much else you can do to assure reliability.
Oh, and all the above mentioned advice is pointless if a person places a heat generating electronic equipment in a cabinet that isn't well ventilated, or directly exposed to the sun, or near a heater duct!! I know of a neighbor who covers the entire back of his television set with plastic sheeting to keep out the dust. I have tried to reason with him about the ill effects that has, but he's stubborn and set in his ways. Heat needs to be channeled away from the heat-generating component and it's neighboring components, then needs to be further exhausted out of the entire device.
(This post was edited by HiTech on Aug 3, 2007, 11:41 AM)
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