JP1 Remotes

I have the URC-6450 OARUSB04G. It responds to both button pushes or fairly sharp acceleration. For what it is worth, the 968 command followed by pressing 1, 2, or 3 changes the duration of the backlight.

Rhys.Goodwin@Gmail.com wrote:I've two of the white URC-6440 remotes.

One thing that doesn't work too well is the automatic backlight feature. When enabled it causes the blacklight to come on automatically just by touching the remote. Problem is that sometimes the light will just come on and off by it self and waste the batteries.

Very nice feature if it worked properly.

Yep but batteries last well and rechargeables are fine. I guessed it might be using induction, and maybe it is weighty because there is an iron core inside!

Found shaking 6440 doesn't work as 3FG's OARUSB04G. With 6440, 968 gets a double blink but pressing 3 doesn't seem to lengthen duration.

The OARUSB04G arrived but the code list did not work our EU equipment and the extra leaflet provided no new info. Having adjusted the device modes, and after picking the manufacturers in simpleset.com, the download allowed 4/5 EU codes to work with an alternative for the one which failed. Altering more things in simpleset seemed to cause corruption a couple of times. Still trying to add to that one basic setup which worked...

In the various modes, so far:-
1.) The 'audio output', 'List/macro', 'prev chan(anti-clock arrow)' buttons will not learn.
2.) Audio output accepts keymoves but List/macro will not.
3.) Cannot get macros onto the Number buttons, which is a severe restriction cf.6440, especially when there are relatively few buttons.

List/macro behaves oddly when held down: after a single blink when pressed, it blinks twice more after a few moments, then once again after 8 secs but does nothing useful. It issues a short burst of IR when pressed and another when released, opening and closing the Tv 'smart hub', but there is no output when the later blink occurs. Do you know what is it for?

- and why 'audio output' won't learn,
- or can you add or correct anything, please?

3FG, not sure how much more progress you've made. But picked up one of these myself and made a Map/Image to go with your RDF. So I modified your skeleton file to be a zip including my Map/Image and a couple of changes to make it work (fixed ImageMap reference and renamed Orange button to Yellow).

If there's anything more I can do to help, let me know. It would be cool to get this working.

I just discovered something interesting. It appears that the ffwd/rew buttons send skip on a short press and ffwd/rew on a long press. Maybe some of the buttons with extra writing above them are other long press functions or macros. Or could just be how certain functions get mapped in other device modes. Perhaps the Macro key is a multi-macro. I'll do some more testing to confirm.

The ad copy says "Function-specific keys such as master power, audio input and TV input provide simple control. Six macros allows programming of specific activities, such as watching TV, watching movie and more. A proximity-sensing LED backlight illuminates the keys when the remote is in a hand and automatically turns off when the remote is not in use." Besides the Watch TV and Watch Movie macros, I don't know what the other 4 are.

EDIT: I see now that ffwd/rew short and long press functions are described in the manual.

More musings. I wonder if Watch TV/Setup is like a shift and Watch Movie is like an x-shift since each precedes a different Power macro.

3FG, how did you get the bin file into a human readable format?

Well spotted for the ffwd/rew buttons' description in the manual, which seems to be the same for both 6440 and OARUSB04G. The download for the latter manual is oddly named 'URC6540_manual' but it only features '6440' in the text. A different manual named 6540 also exists for that old model.

Found that skip back/rew and skip fwd/ff and skip back/rew are indeed default dual functions for those buttons with STB code 2443 Humax Foxsat HDR on the PVR button, but not with STB code 1808 Humax PVR9300T on the DVD button, set up as a second STB-type device. Code 2051 Samsung TV (which records to external hard drive) does not have a native skip function but incidentally the ff & rew buttons repeat quickly, useful to wind up or down the speeds instead of needing the standard clumsy multiple key presses.

email@uebv.com has responded quickly and helpfully to requests for 6440 things has not seemed able to explain much about problems with OARUSB04G. Perhaps no one yet knows how it works, or maybe mine is just faulty...

tranx wrote:3.) Cannot get macros onto the Number buttons, which is a severe restriction cf.6440, especially when there are relatively few buttons.

List/macro behaves oddly when held down

...can you add or correct anything, please?

Have you tried using Setup like a shift key for assigning macros to the number buttons or any other buttons for that matter? Typically it takes 2 shifts (Setup) to run a macro on a shifted number button.

I'm not seeing any odd behavior of List/macro. I think this may be related to your failed learn attempt. I still haven't determined what the "macro" part actually means. You can assign macros to most other buttons (except numbers), correct?

I've also found that you cannot send EFCs directly. Can you assign them using 994?

You can also change a device button's device type using 992. I think this is specified in the instructions as well.

Checking OARUSB05G once more, this is what I found starting from 981 and setting things up with Tv carrying 2051 for Samsung F8000, etc., but before any other customisation:-

re.List/macro in TV device
1. List/macro behaves oddly when continuously held down: as might be expected it issues a single blink when pressed, and opens the 'smart' screen, but then it blinks twice more after a few moments and closes the 'smart' screen, then twice again after a couple of secs and stays on for several secs after the button is released. blinks twice and goes off.

2. In 1, if it is released a short time after the double blinks the smart screen closes. After 16secs, the light comes on, stays on for a moment, then goes off but that does nothing.

3. If pressed and held for less than 2 secs it winks and opens the Tv 'smart' screen, and winks again when released, closing the Tv 'smart' screen.

In other devices, doing the same, the same varieties of blinking go on, and the other device's 'channel list' or 'recordings library' are opened instead of Tv's smart screen, so this might indicate similar functions, whatever they are, for each device.

re. Macros
Found the shifted macro you described for number buttons did not seem to work. Thanks for mentioning the possible need for a double press of setup to activate though.

Yes macros can be added to the other OAR buttons except for the setup, learn, device buttons, and the number buttons (6440 can carry macros on the number buttons but not on Text, which is equivalent to 'audio input', and not on AV, equivalent to '-/Tv input')

Found that 6 macros seemed to be the limit for OARUSB04G and think I got as far as 8 with URC 6440, but don't know if it can do more.

re. assigning EFCs
Yes they can be assigned to buttons of either model using 994

re. device types
Device types can be swapped using 992, but otherwise you are supposed to be able to adjust them in simpleset.com: add devices, other options, but that crashes my OAR or doesn't work properly. Other simpleset ops have also crashed it, or occasionally simpleset crashes itself, so I have been obliged to keep away from it with OAR.

re. setting up activities[edited] Uk Support was in the dark when they suggested there were only 4 options for WatchTv and WatchMovie, see later for the new manual which is specific to OARUSB04G and which shows five options, so I have deleted from the file section the copy of the instructions they sent.

You probably saw my OARUSB04G problems in Non-JP1, but it would be useful to know if you can replicate the Tv Ch+ and Ch- commands being sent in the Watch Movie activity for the second PVR, with your remote.
(think I posted a .bin so if you would care to have a go with it to demonstrate what happens...perhaps my example of OAR is faulty?)

how did you get the bin file into a human readable format?

I mostly use HxD hex editor.

Thanks to you both.

CH buttons are also mapped to TV in Movie mode for me. I'd call it a bug.

Vox Support has explained that there are some updates that will be posted to the web site shortly, and kindly sent me a preview of the new manual which is specific to the OARUSB04G, and which explains everything.

There are 5 options (instead of 4 for URC6440) for setting up the way the WatchTv and WatchMovie modes each operate various devices together. Unfortunately in WatchMovie mode there is no option which allows an STB2 device's own 'Channel up/down' commands to work in combination with it's other functions (which can anyway be achieved by pressing the relevant device button instead). However everything can be set to the Tv in WatchTv mode (which I had been using for STB1, with STB2 on WatchMovie) in order to 'use up' that idiosynchracy.

Although it is not documented, (edit: with 9xx commands) macros which work straight away, and exceeding 6 in number, can be set up only on the non-digit buttons, instead of having to press the List/macro button and having to wait 3 seconds before pressing a digit to issue a macro as instructed.

I was about to post the new manual but found eferz has already done so! [edited - wrong]

That's a manual for the OARI06G, which is a JP1.4 remote with a 6 pin header.
Thanks for contacting VOX support. I'm interested in the preview version for the OARUSB04G, and of course any upgrade that they can provide.

Thanks here is the new one for OARUSB04G http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=12385

Review of OARUSB04G vs URC6440 - moved to Non-JP1

Hello all!

I have HTPc setup with 3 devices as below:
TV: LG
AMP: Yamaha
HTPC: with Windows Media Center

I control this setup with Microsoft Remote Control model 1039


It excellent at controlling my HTPC, very fast and perfect. It can also switch on/off my TV. But it cannot really control my AMP. I have to manually switch AMP on/off. So, it is time to upgrade the remote.

Minimum requirements I want:
Backlit
Long battery life
Fast - no input lag like on Harmony remotes.
Control 3 devices
TV: Switch on/off
AMP: Switch On/Off
AMP: Volume control
HTPC: Sleep/Wake Up
HTPC: Windows Media Center control

Optional but nice to have requirements:
1. AMP: to control some other functions like switching between Stereo and 5.1 sound stages.

I studied many options. Harmony looks interesting but it has input lag and it is not very cheap. then I saw OneForAll remote in the shop and the question is - can it fulfill my requirements above?
http://www.oneforall.com/urc6440-simple-4.html



All opinions will be appreciated.