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tv + Time Capsule: Safe to Stack?

ipedro

ipedro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
6,399
9,053
Toronto, ON
Hey guys, I just picked up a Time Capsule and since it has exactly the same foot print as tv, I'm thinking of stacking one on top of the other.

Has anybody done this and is either system affected by the other in terms of heat or radio interference?

Both machines have a rubber pad so I'm not worried about scratching and it seems that the rubber guards against heat transfer.

Any advice?
 
I have my 40GB :apple:TV on top my 500GB Time Capsule for about two weeks now. I haven't run into any problem.
 
:) Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm still pondering whether I should keep the TimeCapsule in a completely separate room...
 
i have both, and i had them stacked for a while, but i later decided that the time capsule took away from the looks of the apple tv and put it in a different room. for what it's worth...nothing overheated in the few weeks i had them stacked. the time capsule's fan(s) seem to make a lot of noise from time to time though. so i have it hidden away since nothing is plugged into it, it's all wireless.
 
My uncle actually had 2 External HDs on top of each other, and his 500 GB movie HD died... But then again, those HDs did not have Rubber Padding.
 
I had ATV and 500GB Time Capsule stacked. Got very very hot. Now just have thick plastic iPod Shuffle case inbetween to leave a gap for air to circulate. Doesn't seem worth the risk just so they sit flush.
 
coogee said:
I had ATV and 500GB Time Capsule stacked. Got very very hot. Now just have thick plastic iPod Shuffle case inbetween to leave a gap for air to circulate. Doesn't seem worth the risk just so they sit flush.
Click to expand...

There you go - if you have that iPod Shuffle case (anybody) or something similar to that that can separate them, then put it in between and it will air the hot air out.
 
Put Time Capsule on top

I do not know how warm an Apple TV can become, but you should nonetheless put the Time Capsule on top of the ATV. This is because the WiFi antennas are probably on top, and you do not want the ATV blocking the radio signal.

This would lead to decreased range of coverage, and might also be harmful to the WiFi transmitter (there is a low probability of this because of the low emitted power).
 
Aanon said:
I do not know how warm an Apple TV can become, but you should nonetheless put the Time Capsule on top of the ATV. This is because the WiFi antennas are probably on top, and you do not want the ATV blocking the radio signal.

This would lead to decreased range of coverage, and might also be harmful to the WiFi transmitter (there is a low probability of this because of the low emitted power).
Click to expand...

They can get HOT! I have my Apple TV sitting vertical instead of horizontal, which really makes it harder for it to overheat or anything like that.. Than again, I don't even see how the Apple TV could overheat; whatever, I'm still leaving mine vertical. >:p
 
ipedro said:
Hey guys, I just picked up a Time Capsule and since it has exactly the same foot print as tv, I'm thinking of stacking one on top of the other.

Has anybody done this and is either system affected by the other in terms of heat or radio interference?

Both machines have a rubber pad so I'm not worried about scratching and it seems that the rubber guards against heat transfer.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

I have my Mac Mini and my Airport Extreme stacked... no problems there for the last 1.5 years. I say go for it. If heat really becomes a problem, you'll see random shutdowns long before you see any permanent damage to your hardware.
 
RRutter said:
What? This thread is talking about stacking one apple tv and a time capsule. isn't it?
Click to expand...

poor attempt at humor. most people wont know the difference between the appletv and the time capsule as they look very similar to the untrained eye.
 
I got this from the Time Capsule Manual from Apple's Website. I hope it helps. I wouldn't stack them. Apple has a sense of humor :)

If you place your Time Capsule in an entertainment center with your stereo equipment, avoid surrounding your Time Capsule with audio, video, or power cables. Place your Time Capsule so that the cables are to one side. Maintain as much space as possible between your Time Capsule and the cables.

Try to place your Time Capsule at least 25 feet (7.6 meters) from any microwave oven, 2.4 or 5 gigahertz (GHz) cordless phone, and other sources of interference.

Do not place other objects (books, papers, small pets, etc.) on top of the Time Capsule. It may interfere with Time Capsule cooling.
 
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