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  • #1

    S3 cablecard problem and questions

    I set up a used S3 and put cablecards in it last week. The other night CC #2 died. I got errors on the screen about it and once the Tivo even rebooted. I've tried contacting Comcast and it's paired fine so they sent a couple refreshes or whatever they do but it's still dead. I'm going to swap it this morning but are there any other reasons this could happen? Do the card slots ever go bad?

    2nd question, more general, This S3 doesn't FF and Rew as smoothly as my S2 did. Is that par for the course maybe because of HD vs SD data?

    At least with 2 CCs, if one dies, I still have TV!!
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  • #2
    Quick update, a new (new to me) card did the trick. I'd still like to hear some suggestions on why it quit so quickly. Bad card, power supply, cable signal, TiVo slot? Are bad cards common?

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    • #3
      My guess is, bad power supply. When we see CableCARD problems in Series3 TiVos, the often relate to failing power supplies.

      See this page for info about how to spot a bad power supply visually:

      http://www.weaknees.com/bps
      Been here a long time . . .

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      • #4
        Thanks Michael. Is the power supply ruining the card? I've done CAP jobs on a few PC boards and will get a look inside mine soon.

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        • #5
          Doubt it - just not supplying enough power to it.
          Been here a long time . . .

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          • #6
            So far so good, no more dead cablecards. I pulled the cover off my S3 and found a bad cap. 2200uf 25V. The rest have no indication of bulging in the least. I tried to insert a pic but I can't.

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            • #7
              That is most likely the entire source of the problems.

              We have replacement power supplies here:

              http://www.weaknees.com/ps
              Been here a long time . . .

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              • #8
                Thanks for the offer Michael, but I'm a DIY kind of guy. I very much appreciate the help and knowledge here. The S3 and HD power supplies look very similar. What's the difference?

                Here's a pic of that cap

                https://public.dm2301.livefilestore....810.JPG?psid=1

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                • #9
                  I can't speak to the exact differences, but they're definitely not interchangeable.

                  That cap definitely looks bad. Be sure to check the ones under the heat sink also (can't see them in the picture, but they often fail).
                  Been here a long time . . .

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                  • #10
                    Mission accomplished. The other 2 caps under the heat sink look fine. Thanks for the advice!!!


                    About the kickstart codes, it looks like there's 54, 57 and 58 pertaining to the drive. I see you recommend 54 but what are 57 and 58 for? I'm a big fan of proactive maintenance.

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                    • #11
                      You can try the 57 and 58. We've really never found them to help much. They should be for preventative maintenance, but you could potentially get stuck with a GSOD, so in our view, the risks outweigh the potential benefits.
                      Been here a long time . . .

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