[Skimmertalk] My QS1R died during CQ WW CW

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

K8ND modified a QS1R for anticipated hot/humid conditions in PJ2 - vent 
holes and a tiny muffin fan IIRC. Maybe some internal heat sinks too.

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 12/7/2014 10:19 PM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
> Update:  local SDR expert WA6KBL determined that the 1.2V voltage regulator
> chip on my QS1R board, which feeds the FPGA hardware, seems to have failed.
>    The measured output voltage was only about 0.8V.
>
> Apparently this is not the first time this chip failed when someone was
> running Skimmer Server, which really taxes the hardware.  This chip gets
> really hot.
>
> WA6KBL is going to experiment by replacing it with a different voltage
> regulator, perhaps one with a heatsink bolted to the side of the case.  If
> anyone has already gone through this exercise, or added a cooling system to
> the QS1R, please share.
>
> I'm encouraging WA6KBL to write up the modifications once testing is
> complete.
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
>
> On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 8:21 AM, Bob Wilson, N6TV <n6tv at arrl.net> wrote:
>
>> It appears that my QS1R had a hardware failure just after 0947z November
>> 30th (during CQ WW CW), after it ran Skimmer Server continuously for a
>> couple of days.
>>
>> Rebooting Windows and power cycling the SDR makes no difference.
>>
>> Skimmer Server reports an error and repeats "Reloading FPGA."   CW Skimmer
>> reports "FpgaCommand/usb_control_msg failed."  HDSDR reports "Cannot read
>> from SDR".
>>
>> The red PWR LED on the QS1R is lit, and the USB device is detected OK by
>> the Windows device manager (under "libusb-win32 devices/QS1R Direct
>> Sampling Receiver", so I suppose the power supply is OK (it's the 2A
>> supply).
>>
>> Maybe it overheated?  Time for a new QS1R board?  It's an older one, not
>> of recent generation.  Has anyone else on this list experienced a similar
>> failure?
>>
>> 73,
>> Bob, N6TV
>>
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