EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[Qstik]

On 6/29/2020 at 2:56 PM, Superdad said:

If using our UltraCap LPS-1.2 to power the EtherREGEN please be sure you have it set to output 12V.  EtherREGEN draws a maximum of 0.8A at 12V.  At lower input voltages it will draw more current. At 9V it would draw a full 1.0A (keeping the LPS-1.2 mighty toasty) and it is rare for an LPS-1.2 to even work with an EtherREGEN at 7V because about 1.35A could be drawn.

With recent posts about UltraCap LPS-1.2 supplies working for some time and then for some reason stopping, I got concerned about the heat of my unit.  Checking it, I found that I could not hold the unit in my hand for more than a second or two because it was so hot.  I then used this non-contact infrared thermometer to check its temperature:  https://www.amazon.com/Kintrex-IRT0424-Professional-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B0058NYUC8  I found that the average temperature over about 80% of the unit was around 140 deg.F (60 deg.C).  There were a few areas around 135 deg.F; while other areas were around 145 deg.F.  While I recall that we have been reassured that these temps are well below the max rated service temps of the electronics, I'm still concerned that temps inside the unit may be significantly higher than my measured external temps.  Note that I had been running with my LPS-1.2 at 9v to power my EtherRegen.  I then reset my LPS-1.2 to 12v per Superdad's recommendation above as well as stood it on its side.  The two changes did bring the LPS-1.2 temps down somewhat (around 5 deg.F).  However, I wanted more safety headroom than that so I ordered and mounted two of these heatsinks to the top and bottom of the unit:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LD4L5T4.  I used this thermal paste:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072MSXHJD

 

Temps of the LPS-1.2 are now in the 90 deg.F (32 deg.C) range on average with localized maximums of 100 deg.F.  I do not lay the unit on its face or side with heatsinks.  It just sits on the bottom heatsink in its normal orientation. 

 

While my solution is not pretty, it is very effective and I now have peace of mind that my electronics won't prematurely heat age.

 

My system:  Spotify>Uptone Audio EtherRegen powered by Uptone Audio LPS 1.2 at 12v>RPi4b/Pi2AES running Volumio>I2S over ethernet UTP>Metrum Onyx NOS DAC>balanced AES/EBU>PS Audio SGC Preamp>balanced AES/EBU>Parasound A23>NHT Classic Towers with dual sealed NHT subwoofers using miniDSP digital xover

[Qstik]

Well, it finally happened.

 

I was hoping that my 3 year old EtherRegen would last until Gen2 was available; but unfortunately it appears that it has died.

 

I've been concerned since I got it that it ran hotter than I like.  Because of that I glued a 80mm x 80mm x 20mm aluminum heatsink to the top of it with thermal paste in the first few months of ownership.  Cooler temps may not have been necessary but it certainly wouldn't hurt, I reasoned.  Associated equipment: a Ferrum Hypsos hybrid PS at 12v and an AfterDark Emperor Double Crown Master Clock.

 

For some months now I have been having periodic problems with seeing my DDC device IP address on Spotify startup.  Multiple power restarts of my ER and my DDC (was a Pi2AES for 2 years, now a Holo Red for last 4 months) usually fixed the problem.  However, today that no longer works.  Today my ER seemed to be running exceptionally hotter than normal.  The heat sink was normally warm to the touch.  Today it was hot to the touch.  I tried all 4 A-side ethernet ports, but none worked.  I'm pretty sure it's dead.  I will try it one more time once it has cooled overnight, but I have no hope that cold restarting will fix it.  For stability and SQ, I usually left the ER, master clock, and my DDC running all the time.  They sit on the top shelf of my open AV rack with plenty of air around them.

 

I will have to make a determination after ER Gen2 comes out whether it also runs hot.  If so, I might try to heat-sink it internally, add a cooling fan and/or run it without a case.  Three year device life due to thermal issues is not acceptable in my book for a relatively expensive niche product.  Maybe not the same failure cause, but my very hot-running Uptone LPS 1.2 also died after 3 years. 

[Qstik]

16 hours ago, Superdad said:

So let’s test your EtherREGEN just as a switch—outside of your music system, and without your external reference clock—by following these steps in order:

1) Be sure that the Clock switch of the EtherREGEN is in the INT position.

2) Remove power from the EtherREGEN and then reapply power to it. [For this test, use the included UpTone-branded 36W AC>DC adapter brick--not any third-party power supply.]

3) Attach network feed into an ‘A’ side port. You should see an amber LED flickering over that port. 

4) Attach a (powered on) standard computer with display screen into ‘B’ side.  Wait a moment and you should see the green LED flickering.

5) Launch a web browser and try to browse internet with that computer. 

 

Report all results (including if the LEDs look different than above).

If you are unable to get on the internet with your computer attached to the ‘B’ port, try moving the computer to one of the ‘A’ side ports—alongside your network feed.  Again report results.

EtherREGEN is an unmanaged switch and should just work. If you can not get computer onto the internet through the EtherREGEN, then please try different LAN cables—both to the EtherREGEN from router and to computer from EtherREGEN.

 

So I reported to Superdad that I completed his diagnostics to the letter.  I could not get my ER to work feeding through from A-side to B-side.  I was only able to get it to work as a simple switch from A-side to A-side.

 

I am waiting to hear back from him, but I doubt there is anything Alex can do for me at this point.  If I'm wrong, I will let everyone know. 

[Qstik]

On 7/7/2023 at 4:01 PM, Qstik said:

So I reported to Superdad that I completed his diagnostics to the letter.  I could not get my ER to work feeding through from A-side to B-side.  I was only able to get it to work as a simple switch from A-side to A-side.

 

I am waiting to hear back from him, but I doubt there is anything Alex can do for me at this point.  If I'm wrong, I will let everyone know. 

 

Just an update as I promised:

I sent my ER to Alex at his location in California.  He could not find anything wrong with it!  He let it run continuously for a number of days and it never failed.  He notified me of such and I agreed that he should just send it back to me.  I received it weeks ago now, immediately hooked it up and, yes, it is working fine for me also!  Yes, I had tried multiple cold reboots of my entire system before sending it in to Alex.  I also moved it to an entirely new switch, cables and computer system before sending it in.  It is a complete mystery why it is working now.  Out of an abundance of caution, I am running the ER circuit board in open air (without its case) on a piece of plastic for electrical insulation.  Temps at several of the heat sinks are still around 65 deg.C (150 deg.F).  Alex assures me that those temps are normal and within component specs.   

 

Once again, Alex has demonstrated outstanding customer support.  Although out of warranty, he did not charge me for his diagnostics or return shipping.  

[Qstik]

Sadly I have to report that my ER has failed again.  I had previously sent it to Alex after it stopped working for me last August.  Very strangely he could not find anything wrong with it and returned it to me.  I also found it in working condition upon return - very odd!

 

Well, it has been working fine until yesterday when  I could not get an ethernet pass-through signal to my Holo Red.  Of course, I reset my Holo Red and power cycled everything.  I've made no recent changes to anything and my Holo Red works fine with a direct ethernet connection.  So I have to assume that my EtherREGEN has again failed.  At this point, I see no further reason to send my ER back to Alex.  Besides, my Holo Red sounds very good without the ER, i.e. there seemed to be only a very slight advantage if any when the ER was working properly - or maybe it wasn't?  Either way, I'm tired of screwing with it.

[Qstik]

20 hours ago, Superdad said:

 

Hi Mike:

Sorry to hear that you are having some connectivity trouble again.

Based on the week of testing we did on your unit here back in July, and considering the complexity of your chain, I am not at all convinced that your April 2020 EtherREGEN is the cause.

Since we now have new production stock (of original EtherREGEN 'gen1') how about sending your unit back so that we can swap in a new board?  Then if you still have trouble, it would 100% rule out the EtherREGEN being at fault.

Please contact us via private e-mail so that we can proceed.

Thanks,

--Alex C.

 Hi Alex,

 

OK - I thought carefully about your comments above and decided to try one last check before sending my ER back to you for board replacement.  Since they are low-power passive EMI filters, I hadn't considered that one of my inline DXE-ISO-PLUS modules could have failed.  However, after removing modules at the start and end of a 75 ft run of CAT 5e cable between my router and ER, I now have ethernet connectivity and a fully functioning EtherREGEN again !

 

I can only speculate that the EMI filters attenuated signal levels to a marginal range which then fell below reliable ER input levels over time.  Maybe my ISP reduced levels somewhere in their distribution system; who knows...

 

Bottom line - I'm back in business and will not be sending in my ER.  As always, thanks for your quick response and generous offer to replace my board.

 

I still tentatively plan to purchase a Gen 2 ER when they become available and use one for video streams into my Apple TV 4K and the other for audio streaming into my Holo Red.

 

Happy Holidays,

Mike