Ki Pro Mini and heat - is there an issue?

William Hohauser · January 18th, 2012, 04:39 PM

An update.

After applying the firmware update, the KI Pro Mini has been acting fine since December until last week when the building had it's heat cranked up again in this warm winter. We were recording short takes but the Ki Mini did glitch at the end of one take, fortunately after the talent had finished and the file was fine. My apparent mistake? I forgot to turn on the small fan I had installed behind the unit. It's a Holmes metal fan used by nail parlors to dry wet nails. Cost $12 on Amazon and fits in small spaces with very low noise.

We just finished a two day shoot with several 15 minutes takes. With the fan on, the Ki Mini Pro stayed modestly warm (never hot), and didn't have a problem even though the control room became hot at several points during the shoot.

Jon Thorn · January 18th, 2012, 05:25 PM

William H. - Keep in mind that the Ki Pro Mini has a variety of fan speed settings that you can select from. If you are in an above average temperature environment, you may wish to adjust the fan speed accordingly. From the operation manual:
---
Fan Speed:
Normal - Fan runs at normal fixed speed for optimum cooling.
Normal Auto - Fan runs at variable speeds for optimal cooling.
Quiet Record (default) - Fan runs at a fixed slower speed for optimum quiet.
Quiet Auto - Fan runs at normal speed until recording begins, then the fan ramps down to a slower speed for optimum quiet.
---

Also note that if the Ki Pro Mini is not placed in the optional accessory stand and is instead just laid on it's side, as noted earlier in this thread, that can impact the ability to cool the unit.

At AJA we test our products in an environmental chamber and derive the recommend operational temperatures from this testing. The operational temperature of the Ki Pro Mini is between 5 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius. As a point of comparison, this recommended operational range is comparable to a variety of cameras on the market.

Hope this information is helpful,
Jon Thorn
Senior Product Manager
AJA Video Systems, Inc.

William Hohauser · January 18th, 2012, 11:33 PM

Yes, it's in it's stand, never wasn't.

Yes, the fan is set to normal, never wasn't.

It's a good product and the studio I work in has cooling issues this very warm winter. The building heat stays on despite the actual outdoor temperature. Also, when the air conditioning is on, the circulation doesn't spead around the control room very evenly. So with a little care and a $12 dollar fan I have a flawless work experience despite the less than ideal situation the Ki Mini Pro has been placed in.

Daniel Epstein · January 24th, 2012, 03:08 PM

Hey William,
Your machine might have its own issue which only manifests itself at high temperatures. Have you actually tried to test it by running it till it fails. Leave your fan off. Seems like there should be some sort of error code which it should produce when it has an issue rather than just failing to work. What is the operating temperature supposed to be and what temp does your unit get to are all useful questions. In my experience it doesn't sound like a stable situation. I would check with AJA and see if they want to check it out.

January 18th, 2012, 04:39 PM	#16
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Re: Ki Pro Mini and heat - is there an issue? An update. After applying the firmware update, the KI Pro Mini has been acting fine since December until last week when the building had it's heat cranked up again in this warm winter. We were recording short takes but the Ki Mini did glitch at the end of one take, fortunately after the talent had finished and the file was fine. My apparent mistake? I forgot to turn on the small fan I had installed behind the unit. It's a Holmes metal fan used by nail parlors to dry wet nails. Cost $12 on Amazon and fits in small spaces with very low noise. We just finished a two day shoot with several 15 minutes takes. With the fan on, the Ki Mini Pro stayed modestly warm (never hot), and didn't have a problem even though the control room became hot at several points during the shoot. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

January 18th, 2012, 05:25 PM	#17
Jon Thorn AJA Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Grass Valley, CA Posts: 252	Re: Ki Pro Mini and heat - is there an issue? William H. - Keep in mind that the Ki Pro Mini has a variety of fan speed settings that you can select from. If you are in an above average temperature environment, you may wish to adjust the fan speed accordingly. From the operation manual: --- Fan Speed: Normal - Fan runs at normal fixed speed for optimum cooling. Normal Auto - Fan runs at variable speeds for optimal cooling. Quiet Record (default) - Fan runs at a fixed slower speed for optimum quiet. Quiet Auto - Fan runs at normal speed until recording begins, then the fan ramps down to a slower speed for optimum quiet. --- Also note that if the Ki Pro Mini is not placed in the optional accessory stand and is instead just laid on it's side, as noted earlier in this thread, that can impact the ability to cool the unit. At AJA we test our products in an environmental chamber and derive the recommend operational temperatures from this testing. The operational temperature of the Ki Pro Mini is between 5 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius. As a point of comparison, this recommended operational range is comparable to a variety of cameras on the market. Hope this information is helpful, Jon Thorn Senior Product Manager AJA Video Systems, Inc.

January 18th, 2012, 11:33 PM	#18
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Re: Ki Pro Mini and heat - is there an issue? Yes, it's in it's stand, never wasn't. Yes, the fan is set to normal, never wasn't. It's a good product and the studio I work in has cooling issues this very warm winter. The building heat stays on despite the actual outdoor temperature. Also, when the air conditioning is on, the circulation doesn't spead around the control room very evenly. So with a little care and a $12 dollar fan I have a flawless work experience despite the less than ideal situation the Ki Mini Pro has been placed in. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

January 24th, 2012, 03:08 PM	#19
Daniel Epstein Trustee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 1,267	Re: Ki Pro Mini and heat - is there an issue? Hey William, Your machine might have its own issue which only manifests itself at high temperatures. Have you actually tried to test it by running it till it fails. Leave your fan off. Seems like there should be some sort of error code which it should produce when it has an issue rather than just failing to work. What is the operating temperature supposed to be and what temp does your unit get to are all useful questions. In my experience it doesn't sound like a stable situation. I would check with AJA and see if they want to check it out.