Changing frequency on 2117

[maxse]

I have yet another question. As you can tell im finally setting everything up how I want (sorry about all these posts, but this board is just so helpful and knowledgable). Now I have a couple of 2117 remotes.

The bad thing about that is when I want to control my directv on one floor and some is watching directTV using the same remote on another floor as yo can imagine we change each other channells since either one of them is using the RF base so u can control it from anywhere. Now for some reason all of the bases use the same RF freuqency... What can I do to fi this? IS there a way you can change the frequency on each base so that it doesnt listen to every single remote. And if not, can I just take out the RF antenna in the remote temporaily to basically make it IR only?

[Mark Pierson]

IS there a way you can change the frequency on each base so that it doesnt listen to every single remote.

I don't think this is possible for a mere mortal.

can I just take out the RF antenna in the remote temporaily to basically make it IR only?

You can permanently disable/remove the RF "puck" inside the remote (which essentially makes the 2117 a 2116). You might be able to rig up an external switch to disable it temporarily.

[maxse]

that sux. So basically if I want to remove the RF function I would have to remove the thing forever? Its not that hard is it?

[sfhub]

The two ways I alleviate this trouble are
1) see if the items I want to control support unique subunit codes
2) cover the IR transmitter of the RF base and instead use the IR blaster
cable to more accurately direct the IR to just the components that need
them.

[maxse]

huh? I want to stop RF transmission, not IR. Covering anything will not work.

[gfb107]

Have you checked if your DirecTV receivers support unit codes? Some DirecTV manuals refer to this as setting the receiver mode. ALso AV1 and AV2 modes.

What make/model receivers do you have?

[maxse]

recievers? I was talking about the 2117 reciever, that recieves the RF from the remote. Not the directTV reciever. for DTV I have the an old hughes model.

[MaskedMan]

Hughes satellite receivers have 6 remote addresses, address #1 is SAT code 0742, and #2 address should be Hitachi SAT code 0819. So if each SAT receiver was set to different setup codes, there wouldn't be any interference.

[The Robman]

Max,
The point that Greg and Masked Man are trying to make is that there may be an alternative solution to your problem than the one you are trying to find.

There is no known way to make each 15-2117 only talk to it's own base unit, so you're going to get cross-talk, there's nothing you can do about it.

So, that being said, what other alternatives do you have? Well, it sounds like the Hughes DirecTV devices support the concept of unit codes, which means they can be controlled independantly. If each DTV unit were to be set to a different unit code, and each 15-2117 were programmed to send the correct unit code, then you could have both DTV units on top of one another and you'd still be able to control them properly, so controlling them in seperate rooms would still be OK. What setup code are you using to control your units? Or if you're using an upgrade, could you post a link to it, as this will help us figure out what codes you might need.

Of the two setup codes, that masked Man posted:

SAT/0742 is RC-5 device code 4
SAT/0819 is NEC1 device codes 12.251 (this is normally for the Hughes HIRD satellite)

So I don't think these are your 2 unit codes.

[MaskedMan]

What I actually meant to write is 0749, instead of 0742. It was 2 o'clock in the morning.

Rob, he posted he had an old hughes, so I take that to be standard Hughes SAT instead of a Dtivo.

[The Robman]

OK then, SAT/0749 is also NEC1 with device codes 12.251, so I took a closer look at the button codes themselves and all the OBCs in SAT/0819 are 128 higher than those in SAT/0749, which makes sense.

[maxse]

hmm I see what you guys are saying. I just got in and its about 2 AM here so im going to take a look at them tomorrow. Basically there should be a switch on the Hughes reciever itself that will let me set the frequency I want to use? Is that correct?

[MaskedMan]

It would be in the menu of the receiver, it isn't just a switch. Check at the back of manual, usually one of the last things in the manual. If you don't have the manual, check http://www.directv.com

Nothing is as easy as just a switch, sorry.

[sfhub]

huh? I want to stop RF transmission, not IR. Covering anything will not work.

You have an RF receiver base unit that came with the 2117.

Right now it takes everything from any 2117 (via RF) and blasts the IR
to all devices within range of its transmitter.

You have Sat receivers in each room. Let's say you don't care about
controlling the Sat receivers from different rooms, but you do care about
controlling the other devices (which happen to be different brand)

You can effectively take the Sat receivers out of the picture by covering
the IR transmitter in the base unit, and using the individual IR pucks,
that connect to the base unit, to send IR only to the devices you care
about controlling.

Obviously this workaround wouldn't be useful to you if you wanted to
control the Sat receivers, so you'd need to look at the subunit functionality
if it exists.

[maxse]

thanks everyone. I have been really busy lately so I still havent gotten to it. But here is a question. After I change the frequency in the menu. How will I know which protocol to use on the remote now?