Total loss of IR signal

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:44 am

Hi,

I have a URC 8811 that has been running an extender 3 2k for many years without issue.

Yesterday I replaced my old DVD player with a Blu-ray player, so naturally I wanted to update the remote. That's when things started to go wrong.

I have replaced components before without issue. This time I backed up my IR config and then uploaded an new config after fiddling with the Blu-ray profile in RM. The remote LED responded correctly and IR flashed twice to show that everything was okay.

Well, in fact, the remote seemed dead, except for the LED that lit up when I pushed buttons. All buttons had lost IR functionality. I then discovered that no IR signal at all was being emitted by the remote (via the digital camera test).

So, I restored my previous config through my backup. However, the remote still did not emit any IR signals!

Next, I did a full factory 981 reset. The remote reset as expected. But again, no IR signal. I programmed in a default TV code (TV button, SET, 0000, two flashes), which should work on my TV. No go. Still no IR signal at all, no matter what buttons I push.

Any ideas? What could cause this?

I did open the remote to verify that obvious connections were still intact -- though there was no reason why they shouldn't have been. Everything seemed all right.

Bottom line: no config (default or extender, factory reset or IR upload) seems to get the remote to emit an IR signal.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

B

Post by **vickyg2003** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:54 am

You didn't mention checking the batteries. When you push a button on the remote is the led flashing 1 time or 2 times? If its 2 times or not at all, chances are you are in a low voltage loop. I'd suggest replacing the batteries with new batteries.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:07 pm

vickyg2003 wrote:You didn't mention checking the batteries.

Sorry, yes, that was the first thing I did: change the batteries. The LED flashes normally on button pushes, including during manual programming (e.g. 981 reset, manual programming of TV button).

Post by **vickyg2003** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:59 pm

If you have fresh batteries and did a restart, I'd go over and talk to wnewell in the market place. He's got a low priced 8810 that you might be able to use for parts.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:21 pm

vickyg2003 wrote:If you have fresh batteries and did a restart, I'd go over and talk to wnewell in the market place. He's got a low priced 8810 that you might be able to use for parts.

Rats. You think I fried it somehow? What could have caused that and what would prevent it from happening again with another remote?

Maybe I should mention that I am using IR on a new desktop machine running Win7. The mobo had no preinstalled parallel port, so I put one in and configured it as a standard parallel port (0378/IRQ7). I'm pretty sure that's all okay. But I've also read about "voltage differentials" affecting IR.exe's ability to communicate with the remote. Could a voltage problem be at the root of my remote's apparent death? If so, how to avoid another "frying" in the future?

Also, I should mention that after the remote stopped emitting signals, I did try variations of batteries, reversing or removing batteries etc. that I've read about in other threads -- no change to the loss of signal emission. So I'm not even convinced that voltage is the problem, but I would not like to fry another remote finding out.

Any further advice or insight into possible causes of this loss of signal emission would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Post by **ElizabethD** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:29 pm

Could be the IR emitter failed. No fault of yours. Just some components eventually give up I guess

Try this
Disconnect any cables. Just you and the remote and the batteries.
Do a reset again
Do not do any manual programming, as the default devices will be restored and each should send a signal.
So, with no IR files,no cables, nothing in the way, press few buttons in, say, TV mode
Anything visible in the digital camera now?

If no, I'd suspect the IR emitter.
If yes, I have no idea, other than the voltage differences make no difference in what comes out. They can make an enormous difference in whether you can program the remote or download from it. At least that's what I remember from long ago.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:01 pm

ElizabethD wrote:Try this
Disconnect any cables. Just you and the remote and the batteries.
Do a reset again
Do not do any manual programming, as the default devices will be restored and each should send a signal.
So, with no IR files,no cables, nothing in the way, press few buttons in, say, TV mode
Anything visible in the digital camera now?

Just tried this. Nothing. Same result: LED functions as expected, but no signal emitted from the remote.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:53 am

Its sounding more and more like the remote is fried, but its pretty difficult to destroy the IR emitter.

Are you sure the camera is still working? It can still see ir from other remotes?

Did the blu-ray upgrade require a protocol? If so could you point me to the upgrade? I'd like to check that out too.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:20 am

vickyg2003 wrote:Are you sure the camera is still working? It can still see ir from other remotes?

The camera sees IR activity from other remotes, no problem.

vickyg2003 wrote:Did the blu-ray upgrade require a protocol? If so could you point me to the upgrade? I'd like to check that out too.

No protocol, just the device settings. I used the LG Blu-Ray BH200 BD300 upgrade from the DVD file section of this site. My Blu-Ray player is actually a BD 390 but I figured I'd start with the BD 300 upgrade to see if it contained enough of the right buttons.

Post by **vickyg2003** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:41 am

My condolenses.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:41 pm

vickyg2003 wrote:My condolenses.

Indeed. Thank you!

zaphod7501 · Post by **zaphod7501** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:32 pm

It's not unusual for IR LEDs to break loose from the circuit board and can be resoldered. The LEDs are fairly generic and can often be salvaged from old, junk remotes if you wanted to try replacing it also.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:53 am

zaphod7501 wrote:The LEDs are fairly generic and can often be salvaged from old, junk remotes if you wanted to try replacing it also.

Good idea! It had occurred to me, but I don't have a junk remote to salvage. I'll have a look on eBay, I guess, but shipping costs usually make such tiny purchases impractical (especially since it's uncertain that replacing the IR LED will solve the problem). I'm toying with the idea of breaking down after all these years and getting a lower-end Harmony..... Even if I get a cheap 8820 and the JP1.2 cable from Tommy Tyler, all in all it'll cost me only a little less than a sale-priced Harmony 520. Still, I would miss the fun of programming the remote manually... Ugh, I really don't know what to do. Further advice welcome.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:10 am

Radio Shack sells a generic 'high output' IR LED that I have used on a few projects. Look for p/n 276-143c, about 2 USD.

Bebel · Post by **Bebel** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:48 am

Thomas wrote:Radio Shack sells a generic 'high output' IR LED that I have used on a few projects. Look for p/n 276-143c, about 2 USD.

I'm in Canada. Is this the part I would need? (I couldn't find the part on its own. This one is part of a emitter-receiver kit, but it looks right.)

Thanks for the suggestion!