I just tried to clean for the first time (after 7 years) my URC7560 due to a loss of sensitivity in the volume buttons.
Even if the whole remote was quite dirt (I cleaned it with warm water and I gently scrubbed the back of the volume keys with a knife so to try to improve the contact) I doesn't seem to have improved a lot the behavior (the other keys are working well).
any suggestions?
in case, what could be the best replacement for it? I know it has been discontinued, I would like to have one with macro support, ability to drive at least 6 devices and learning capabilities.
Because I live in Italy I will probably buy it over the internet (ebay is ok), so don't point me to the nearest radio shack.
You may still be able to get a URC-8910 from Rob when he's available again in a few weeks. It's JP1 and exceeds your requirements. THIS chart shows currently available JP1 remotes in green. It's has many links to their manuals so you can compare for yourself. You didn't indicate whether you use a cable or not. If not, many of the newer ones will work fine. If you do use a cable, you can use your current cable with the 8910, but you'd have to get a new cable for any of the newer remotes.
mdavej wrote:You may still be able to get a URC-8910 from Rob when he's available again in a few weeks. It's JP1 and exceeds your requirements. THIS chart shows currently available JP1 remotes in green. It's has many links to their manuals so you can compare for yourself. You didn't indicate whether you use a cable or not. If not, many of the newer ones will work fine. If you do use a cable, you can use your current cable with the 8910, but you'd have to get a new cable for any of the newer remotes.
Thanks for the answer, a good one, maybe a little bigger compared to the 7560.
I use the serial JP1 cable. It is hard to use with newer laptop, so I am evaluating to switch to an USB one.
What about the 9910? It seems like the 8910 and easily available.
The 8910 and 9910 are identical except that the 9910 is also RF and comes with an RF->IR base and IR blaster. As long as you're considering a new cable, you may like the newer JP1.2 URC-8820 better, if Rob still has any. Tommy's cables are the best.
There are some comments on the web that say the small conductive rubber disks inside molded rubber keypads deteriorate over time, and cannot be restored by surface cleaning or abrasion. That's been my experience, generally, when I've tried to rejuvinate an old, hard-to-operate keypad. There is a keypad repair kit made by MGChemicals that includes a 2-part conductive epoxy paint that can be applied to the rubber disks to give them a new, flexible, conductive surface. See description here. I've never used this material, and would be interested in hearing from anyone who has. It's not cheap, and the best source I've found for it in the U.S. is http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/20-3890 for US$18 plus shipping. I don't have a European source, but Maplin may have it.
My 8910 is also having issues with a few keys. I've washed it, other than the PCB, with soap and water to get rid of the oils that built up. Not much in the way of dirt. For the PCB, I just wiped it down with clean cloths to get rid of any surface dirt.
The cleaning mostly helped, but a few keys are 'slow'. They do work, but you need to hold it down for a bit before it registers.
How exacting is the contact resistance needed? Or is it capacitive? Would gluing aluminum foil to a contact work? Has anybody bought a cheap remote, cut off the contacts, then glued them onto an old remote? Does any glue work well with the rubber sheet?
The URC7562 is similar to the 7560 and is often seen on eBay. The problem is that it will likely be second-hand and you do not know if the seller is getting rid of it beacuse it has begun to suffer the same problem as yours. I have seen them for sale in shops in the UK (in odd places like B&Q DIY stores) for about £20.
If you are going to get a new cable anyway then you can also consider the newer JP1.2 remotes. I like the URC8820's which I got from the US but you may wish to look at the the URC7781 which is on sale in the UK from Tesco Direct for just less than £20. I have seen it advertised in Italy and I'm sure if you search you can get it cheaper or find a suplier willing to ship to Italy.
