HR20-700 Buzzing Issue

[funkeruski]

I bought two HR20-700 right after they were released. Both make buzzing noises. The one in the living doesn't bother me. The one in my bedroom does when I am trying to sleep. I am tired of sticking earplugs in my ears to sleep. I have also tried everything to make the buzzing stop. Felt pads, cardboard, different positions, and no, it isn't the access card. The only way I can make it stop is to push very hard on the top cover. The second I release, the sound is back. I've banished it to underneath my armoire and considered puting a ten pound weight on top of it. I have given up trying to quiet it down.

This brings me to my question. Are the new HR20-700's quieter than the early release versions? I have thought about calling Directv to get them to send me another, but I want to know if would even be worth it to do that. If the new ones are just as noisy, I'm wasting my time.

And if the new ones are quieter, and I do call Directv, what are my chances of getting an HR21 instead of an HR20? I want to keep my OTA as HD for locals is not yet available in my area. Muchas Gracias for any information.

[armophob]

Nature of the beast. The newer versions -100 and HR21 are built 'better' but you can't request one. They send whatever is on hand. There are some threads with suggestions on using small wedges in between the plastic faceplate and the metal cover. I use a Targus chillmat to cool mine and its minimal weight along with the way it covers the vents, reduces 80% of my noise.

[Fish Man]

I have an HR20-700 in the living room and an HR20-100 in the bedroom.

Both tend to buzz. I found a really effective fix for the buzzing though:

I found that the buzz was the result of the front panel bezel vibrating against the metal housing. (A resonance of the vibration of the hard drive and/or the fan, apparently.)

I solved it by taking about a 1" long piece of clear package sealing tape and taping each end of the plastic front bezel to the metal housing. The part of the tape that sticks to the plastic bezel only needs to stick to the sides of it. I found it was not necessary to wrap the tape around to the front and thereby block the little door flaps.

This has STOPPED my HR20's from buzzing. Especially important in the bedroom! :)

[Stuart Sweet]

I have also had buzzing issues and found that placing pieces of felt or even wadded up TP under the feet helped a lot.

[rjf]

interesting. my new one that i got yesterday buzzes but my old one doesn't. i stopped it (for now?) by pressing on the top. i'm gonna add an external drive though, and i was hoping this would help since it seems to be the int. drive causing it

[funkeruski]

I agree, mine also appears to be the internal drive. I know its not the fan. If an external drive is used, does this shut down the internal drive? Finally, how much does it cost to add an external drive and where can I get one. I know there is a lot of info on external drives on this site, so much it makes my head spin. Can anyone give me an easy answer/link on this? Is there something that I can just plug and play? Thanks.

[rjf]

I agree, mine also appears to be the internal drive. I know its not the fan. If an external drive is used, does this shut down the internal drive? Finally, how much does it cost to add an external drive and where can I get one. I know there is a lot of info on external drives on this site, so much it makes my head spin. Can anyone give me an easy answer/link on this? Is there something that I can just plug and play? Thanks.

Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750gb works great for me on the HR20. but i'm getting the WD for my other. very easy to do. just unplug the HR20, plug in the eSATA into the HR20 (and the wall), turn on the eSATA first, then plug back in the HR20 and you're good to go. good luck!

edit: more details here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=92029)