Key Features
- High quality Micron or similar memory chips
- Expands TiVo from 16MB to 32MB
- Speeds up menu operations
Important Notice
You must understand that opening your TiVo is potentially dangerous. High voltages are present inside the TiVo and you can be hurt if you open the case. You must also understand that it will void your TiVo warranty by merely opening the TiVo. Don't even touch those Torx screws unless you fully understand this and are prepared to write off the TiVo if something goes wrong. The assembled TurboNET cards are fully tested to insure that they are in working condition when dispatched.
Product Description
Now that you have increased your TiVo's storage capacity and now navigating through the TiVo menus is slow and sluggish. As the storage capacity of the TiVo goes up, the menu response goes down. Well, you can make things faster with the ElectricLegs Memory Upgrade Kit.
The ElectricLegs Memory Upgrade Kit consists of the two Micron or similar brand memory chips that are soldered to the TiVo motherboard. This will increase the memory from 16MB to 32MB.
Please note that these kits require soldering very small surface mount intergrated circuits and should be carried out by an experienced person competent with working with SMD. If you are not comfortable with this type soldering, consider taking your TiVo and parts kit to a local electronics shop for them to perform the installation for you. As with any electrical repair, it is always recommended to check all connections for continuity and short circuits with a multimeter before powering up the TiVo for the first time after the upgrade.
Also, this upgrade is for standalone TiVos and not DirecTiVo units since they already have 32MB of memory.
Installation
The red arrows show where the memory chips should be installed:
The completed installation:
Soldering Tips
Tools required
- A 15-25W soldering iron with a freshly sharpened long pointy tip. Pitted or blunt tip retains too much solder and you'll end up connecting a more than one pin together.
- Moist sponge to clean the iron's tip and do it often!
- LIQUID FLUX! Get it and don't leave home without it! Use it generously and often.
- Flux remover.
- Small diameter rosin or solid solder (26 SWG).
- Solder removal tool or solder wick to get excess solder off components.
- Digital multimeter.
- Tweezers or miniature needlenose pliers for chip placement.
- Keen eyes or have access to a magnifying glass.
Technique
Put a load of flux on the pads and place the chip. Without adding solder yet get a single corner leg tacked so it holds the chip in place. This initial positioning is all-important in getting these chips in correctly. Heat and reheat that one leg until it's perfect then tack the other corner on the same side making sure it perfect again. It helps to look at the dark spaces between the legs in a shadow to look for alignment.
To solder the legs, touch the iron to the pad and slide it to the chip leg and back off. Instead of adding solder to the joint, add it to the iron and use the iron to apply it to the joint with this slide technique. Only solder about 6 legs and let them cool for about 15 seconds before continuing. Let the chip cool between every few legs and be generous with the flux. Check the legs with a magnifying glass and the multimeter to check for open and short circuits. Backlighting the board with a light source would make it easy to look for legs that are shorted together.
Useful Links
This product is CE approved for use in the EU. |
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