Ultraplus f-9000HD getting hot and freezing up

[floatingkiwi]

Hi Folks

f9000 bought for my folks, has loader 1.54 and the latest octagon 1.11.70 firmware, corrected for the model.

The box seems to be getting very hot and will lock up after a few hours. Seems heat related. It is installed with good ventilation.

I took the lid off and the board hardware is V1.2 if that helps anyone.

The processor seems to be getting very hot and the larger transformer on the power supply board, almost as if the processor is working overtime and sucking the juice.

I'm about to go back to the original firmware 1.10.05 but this shouldn't really affect anything?

Any ideas?

[floatingkiwi]

well, we got a new 2.5" disk which seems to have stopped the freezing, but now we are getting a slight audio stutter every few seconds when playing back or time shifting. It also does it from an external USB so I'm sure it's not the new disk.
It's almost as if the CPU can't keep up or the audio sync (set to 0) is playing games or something. Audio connection to the tv is via the av outputs, not hdmi.
This box has been nothing but trouble actually.

[floatingkiwi]

Folks - what was the very last ultraplus firmware for this thing? And can anybody tell me where....

[gordon_s1942]

If that was mine, I would be keeping a fire extinguisher close by as I wonder if there is something in the Power supply about to pop.
When you took the top off, did you check out the caps and any encapsulated components to see if there were signs of overheating?
With the MAINS plug REMOVED from the power outlet and the STB left sit for an hour or so, check the tops and sides of any capacitors you can see and easily reach.


Most capacitor tops are slightly depressed so if its level or raised, could indicate problems as does 'bulges' or colour changes on the sides.

If its possible, check the underside of the circuit around that area and look for any discolouration or even a bad soldered joint using a very bright light and a magnifying glass.

[floatingkiwi]

Hi Gordon

Yes I've done all that (I'm an engineer...). I suspect this box just might be a dud unit. Or dodgy, it looks like it was one of the first iterations. Seems also the new HDD is corrupt. I'm doing a full format now with reference to finding bad clusters.