Temperature issues with DL1608

[WK154]

On another forum for the XR18 I had a discussion about the lack of a fan with Uli B. He was of course defending B... decision not to include a fan in the product. Unfortunately it is a well known fact that for every 10C the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) drops in half. Some component values also change with aging which is also accelerated with elevated temperatures. So having wanted to always cut cooling slots into the high part of the DL1608 (between the connectors and the pots) I at least measured the case surface temperature and found the following:

 The case temp at the front (close to ambient) at 80F resulted in a temp of 110F at the a fore mentioned peak, a 30F difference. Considering that this is only the surface temperature of the housing you can add an additional 20F to the part temperature and more to get the junction temp that part specs limits are based on. If I have time I will try out a 40mm fan added to the DL1608 to alleviate this drastic temp gradient and increase the DL1608 MTBF. Typically the iPad and other tablets will fail at elevated temp above 95F and requires cooling in the audio system. Has anyone here attributed DL failures due to elevated temperatures especially in direct sunlight which typically adds another 20F compared to shade?

[DigtheDL]

WK, When I first got my DL1608 it ended up in direct sunlight at an outside show.  It wasn't in the sun when we initially set up...but as the sunlight moved the DL ended up in it's path.  It wasn't the DL that had a problem, but the docked iPad (we only had one iPad at first) that overheated and shut down.  I can remember our soundman standing in a bathroom at our local zoo holding the iPad up to the air-conditioning vent.  The iPad cooled down and the show went off without a hitch.  We learned our lesson and always made sure that the DL and iPads were kept in the shade.  We never had problems with the DL itself overheating and we played many outside shows in close too, or over, 100 degree weather.

[flyingvee]

Likewise, I’ve not had problems with my 1608 but my iPad shuts down whenever the sun is close.  I’ve resorted to putting small freezer bags on top of it for our summer shows

[JpBez]

I am always worried about temps as well in sunny South Africa.

I know that this is no solution for the inside or top of die DL1608 and iPad, but I place my unit on top of a decent laptop cooler. It has drastically reduced the bottom temperatures at least.

[Weogo]

Hi WK and All,

    I agree that forced air cooling is likely a very good thing for these mixers.
The DL32R has a fan.  The DL16S does not have a fan, and gets pretty warm, though it has never shut down.

    Like DigtheDL my DL1608 has always just worked for me, even in direct sun, and
Ipads have gotten too hot and hibernated, usually when docked.
Un-docking the Ipad and moving it to shade has allowed it to start working again in about a minute.

    Flyingvee, the ice packs sound like a great idea!
Maybe a second pack wrapped in a towel for the Ipad to sit on...

    Like JPBez I also have the DL1608 on a laptop cooler when the weather is hot.
My coolers are simple, passive devices that lift up the back of the mixer an inch or so, and
have perforated, Aluminum bases for heat dissipation and air movement.

Thanks and good health,  Weogo