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Keeping the 6300 quiet and cool

Steve N4LQ
Steve N4LQ Member ✭✭
edited October 2019 in New Ideas
I bought this laptop cooler at Big Lots for $10 and sat the 6300 on it. The case temp dropped 5 degrees and the internal fan never kicks up during long winded CW QSOs now. It has a USB power pigtail and you can plug it into the 6300's USB port. I stuck 4 equipment feet on the bottom of the cooler to keep it up off the carpet. http://www.biglots.com/p/ihome-15in-notebook-cooling-pad
It fit the 6300 perfectly and makes no noise. 
Steve N4LQ

Comments

  • W5XZ - dan
    W5XZ - dan Member ✭✭
    edited June 2019
    i thought the usb connector on the 6000's was 'forbidden' ?? maybe not so much?? great idea, steve.

    73, w5xz, dan

  • Steve-N5AC
    Steve-N5AC Community Manager admin
    edited February 2017
    You can plug in a device that draws up to 500mA.  Today, we do not look at nor support data exchange over USB.
  • W9OY
    W9OY Member ✭✭
    edited July 2014
    Good idea
  • Ernest - W4EG
    Ernest - W4EG Member ✭✭
    edited October 2019

    Steve,

    I went to my local Big lot! and bought one of the 15" fan that you mentioned. 

    My F6.7K appreciate the air produced by the new fan.  The radio does not turn the internal fan on. I am now noise free from the radio blower.

    I operate mainly JT65 & 9 and the radio internal fan were turning on very often.

    Thank you for the suggestion.

    Ps. My original Extra license was N6LQ in 1976 

  • Iain McLachlan
    edited October 2014
    I'm assuming that the cooler's fan is quiet?!
  • Steve N4LQ
    Steve N4LQ Member ✭✭
    edited September 2015
    Yes. That's the whole idea. It's very quiet. Flex must have searched long and hard to find such a noisy little fan. 73
  • Iain McLachlan
    edited October 2014
    It is bleedin' horrible isn't it. As you suggest, it must have been a long search!

    I've just found something that looks similar, here in the UK. I've just ordered.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130881664327
  • Steve N4LQ
    Steve N4LQ Member ✭✭
    edited September 2015
    Looks good. I put some taller feet on mine to keep it up off the carpet and improve air flow. The rig runs so cool now that the fan seldom kicks up speed.

  • Iain McLachlan
    edited October 2014
    I've just ordered some 15mm tall feet also. It's bleedin' loud that fan!  
  • James Kirk
    James Kirk Member
    edited November 2014
    The bottom of the 6300 has no ventilation holes, they are only on each side.
  • Steve N4LQ
    Steve N4LQ Member ✭✭
    edited September 2015
    Exactly captain. 
  • Iain McLachlan
    edited November 2014
    The bottom of the 6300 is a sheet of metal, which gets rather hot.

    I now have my £4 laptop cooler - it makes a lot of difference. Amazingly, the width of the unit is exactly the width of the 6300.
  • Steve W6SDM
    Steve W6SDM Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2014
    I use a bread rack type shelf to give the 6300 some air flow.  It holds my KPA500, KAT500, Shuttle and two power supplies, plus some other stuff.  It's solid as a rock and allows for a lot of air flow around everything.  I mounted a copper ground bus to the back along with a power **** for my AC cords and a Rig Runned for 12 volt distribution.  There are still a lot of wires, but they are less of a rats nest than I had with everything on the desk.

    It's solid and doesn't wobble at all - the weight of the equipment adds to the stability.

    The rack looks like this:
    http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6070-3437-Supreme-3-Tier-Shelving/dp/B004BDP69M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1414947280&sr=8-4&keywords=black+metal+shelf


  • AE5WT
    AE5WT Member
    edited July 2015
    Hmmm... Never thought about the tiny feet on the bottom of the rig. Guess I need to go down to my bin and put the larger feet I have in stock on it to make more air flow underneath.
  • mdavid01
    mdavid01 Member
    edited August 2015
    I love the fact that I can keep my radio, batteries and power supply in the back room while operating from the living room.
    image
    The only "problem" I'm having so far is that when operating next to the river the glare can get fierce.
    image
  • Johan _ SE3X
    Johan _ SE3X Member ✭✭
    edited January 2019
    Watch up with this last post from "Emma"!!!  Look's like spam or something even worse. I suggest don't click the link.  

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