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HDHomeRun Extend noisy fan: fix it via OVERKILL!

2 min read

A few months back I replaced my old (still working) HdHomeRun networked tuner with a newer model (recently rebranded the “HDHomeRun Extend” which provides H.264 transcoding. I was feeling cheap and so purchased a used model from Amazon for about half the price of new. It is functionally fine but has a small fan that went bad. (Nasty grindy noises from a fan: not good.)

From a bit of online investigation it sounds like SiliconDust (the makers of HDHomeRun) will repair/replace units with bad fans, but given that I got mine second hand that’s likely not an option. So, we go to idea #2: add a new fan myself.

A little online browsing pointed me to the Nexus 80mm Real Silent Case Fan and $13 and free two-day-shipping later I had one in my hot little hands. Then the fun ensued.

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The case mod on the HDHR consisted primarily of cutting a hole in the top of the case to let air through. This was accomplished quite effectively with a little cutting wheel and a Dremel tool. Also used the Dremel to drill four holes for the rubber fan mounts.

You can sort of see the hole I cut in the top looking through the middle of it here.

The old fan came out easily - just three screws holding it in - and I left the old heatsink in place. I ran the fan wires out of a vent hole in the side of the case, and had to get the soldering iron out to tin the ends of the wires so that they had enough stiffness that I could push them in to the little clip in the fan power connector.

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Wires are coming out the side and go up to the new fan…

It all went together quite smoothly and now instead of a noisy grinding fan I have one that runs almost silently to keep all that transcoding circuitry cool. A fun little project and a profitable end!

Originally published on by Chris Hubbs