H900 Marcos/Newbie's 1st Extender with RCA & Atlas

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ruidosobruce
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:33 pm
Location: New Mexico

Post by ruidosobruce »

sti491
In nearly 10 years of using JP1 stuff, I probably haven't de-activated any extenders for real, just a few times to understand how it works.

On the extended Atlas, there is a key-move defined on the [TV] device named DeActivate. That is a phantom key, so to deactivate my Atlas, I just change the key move from DeActivate to [Settings] and upload that. Then, if I choose [TV] [Settings] it responds **** (four flashes) and it is deactivated.

Long [Setup] press does not deactivate the extender on my Atlas.

Bruce
ruidosobruce
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:33 pm
Location: New Mexico

Post by ruidosobruce »

The RMIR file you put in the diagnostics area HERE when uploaded to my Atlas does not work correctly and behaves just as you described. I can upload my original RMIR file (that I sent you) HERE directly afterward and everything is back to functioning normally. ??
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

I can do the same thing Bruce, Thank you for confirming on your remote.

There is something about the protocol of my AppleTV upgrade that I created that conflicts with the Atlas remote. What is really weird, I can use your Apple Minimac to control my AppleTV from your file, but when I upload your device to my my file I get the same protocol error message that says the remote doesn't like it.... very strange.

I'll try a few more things before starting over. My AppleTV upgrade works perfectly on my RCA, but it corrupts the Atlas for some reason.
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

Well, not sure why all the drama... but I loaded your original file, deactivated it, went into my redone file (created from yours), removed my Apple TV device, added yours, uploaded to the remote, activated the remote, and the remote is working. Strange.

My macros are running too fast, and some other things are not right.... but seems like I am over the initial hump!
ElizabethD
Advanced Member
Posts: 2348
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:07 pm

Post by ElizabethD »

sti491,
Yesterday when I opened your file I noticed that your PVR/2000 Apple device uses 01FF- protocol that's for HCS08. It can't work in Atlas.
Try to copy the protocol out of the file you got from Bruce.
Liz
Tweeking 8910, HTPro/9811, C7-7800, 6131o, 6131n, AtlasOCAP-1056B01, RCA-RCRP05B and enjoying the ride :)
mdavej
Expert
Posts: 4636
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 7:08 am

Post by mdavej »

This Apple upgrade should work on Atlas:

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=11151
ruidosobruce
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:33 pm
Location: New Mexico

Post by ruidosobruce »

In the interest of completeness in this thread, let me say that the Apple (official) upgrade that sti491 and mdavej put together seems to work well on all my remotes.

https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=13128

The older manual protocol Apple upgrade does not work on the newer MaxQ remotes.
Bruce
6131nw (hard to beat), 1067 Comcast, 67100 Insignia, AtlasOCAP-1056B03, RCA-RCRP05B, Cox 8820bc1.3, OARUSB4, Charter C-4000 1060bc3
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

Well, I finally got my Atlas pumping on all 8 cylinders. I guess nothing is easy. Problems experienced for future reference:

1. If you add a device (Like my APPLETV device upgrade that I created) and a pop up window in RMIR says it won't work because the protocol is a problem with that remote - guess what, it will screw things up in a major way even if that device worked great on another remote.

2. When an extended remote gets all squirrely, try deactivating it, then uploading a new extended RMIR file you think is good. That's what got me out of the hole I dug for myself.

3. All macros and functions that included the TV needed short pauses between all commands. On my RCA I think there was a general macro delay command in the general tab settings... not sure if that was why the difference between needing delays in all macros and function scripts for the TV with the Atlas, vs not needing them with the RCA macros/function commands

4. My new Vizio M50 TV OEM remote was terrible as far as you had to point the remote exactly at the TV IR window. Worst I ever seen. My H900 is RF so this was a non-issue. My extended RCA was WAY better IR control of the TV than the OEM remote. I do have to point the RCA towards the TV IR window, but it wasn't obnoxious like the OEM remote IR. The Atlas IR sensitivity seems between the RCA and the OEM. It's better than the OEM but not as good as the RCA. Several times I couldn't figure out why the Atlas macro or function wouldn't work... then I got closer and made sure it was on the TV IR window when it worked fine. By trial and error I learned where to point it to have it work better, but it's not as forgiving as the RCA.

5. Of course, I had several errors translating my RCA macros, functions, etc., over to the Atlas extender nuances

...and now I have a another JP1 remote (this one under $10) that do several convenient macros that I use a lot that my H900 can't do (which costs $hundreds)... and I have back-lit Atlas buttons that the RCA doesn't have.

It just goes to show, persistence beats resistance!.... with a little help from my JP1 friends of course.

Thank you so much for the help! :D
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

Well folks, having the back-lit Atlas is nice at night. I feel like an addict needing another JP1 Challenge, but I have enough remotes now!.. I'll need to kick the habit for awhile.

It's been fun, and eventually I'll do another one. For now I think I am good.

Can't thank all of you enough. Dave especially from the beginning, Vicky, Bruce, Liz and more.... you guys really came through and spent time with my learning curve. I could not have done it without you.

So until the next remote, thanks again!

Rob :D
Thomas
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:16 pm

Extenders

Post by Thomas »

It seems you are using the v2.13 extender for Atlas. You might look here: https://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14947
for Uncle Miltie's Common extender v3.02, which is available for both the Atlas and RCRP05B.

Only caveat is that lines 142 and 144 in the RDF for RCRP05B (135 / 137 for the Atlas 1056) may still have extraneous spaces which cause Java to throw an error -- use a text editor to delete the spaces (follow pattern in line 143) and correct the problem. In his most recent releases of RMIR, alpha203-28, Graham fixed that problem. The IDs for these RDFs are 3X33 and 3X79.

These extenders have some improvement in coding and some additional features but should be basically compatible with the RMIRs you have already created.

Tom
Tom Carlson
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

Thanks Thomas.

Wish I had known about that extender before I had programmed my Atlas. Looks like my RMIR file from my RCA would have worked on it!.... But I learned some things using the At;as specific extender.

I don't think I'll change anything on either remote as they are both working well now. I did download the common extender however. If I get another Atlas, which I might, I may try it to see how well the my RCA RMIR file would work with it.
Ed
Posts: 263
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2003 12:53 pm
Location: Ft. Worth, TX

Post by Ed »

If you're using pause in your Atlas, I think you did the right thing by choosing extender 2.13 rather than the common extender 3.02. I could not get pause to work with the common extender on my Atlas, although it works fine on my RCA.

Ed
ElizabethD
Advanced Member
Posts: 2348
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:07 pm

Post by ElizabethD »

sti491 wrote:Wish I had known about that extender before I had programmed my Atlas. Looks like my RMIR file from my RCA would have worked on it!....
I don't think so, sti491. Certainly not RCA to Atlas.
Now, the common extender is very different. Button numbers for phantoms and discretes are different, macros are different (8910 style)... I'm reading about it and thinking of going there for Atlas and RCA. But it will require starting from scratch according to Bill's README, which is worth reading several times.
And don't fail to notice his key lists, or if you don't have Excel, compare RDFs of the extender you now use vs the common one.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected very quickly by the experts.
Liz
Tweeking 8910, HTPro/9811, C7-7800, 6131o, 6131n, AtlasOCAP-1056B01, RCA-RCRP05B and enjoying the ride :)
Thomas
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:16 pm

OCAP pause

Post by Thomas »

TBH, I gave up my OCAP a couple years back, when we dropped the cable. With a PC acting in lieu of Tivo, I can record more OTA programs than we ever could watch.

I currently use RCRP05B and RS15-100 remotes. When Uncle Miltie was debugging his common extender, we discovered that the pause routine was misdirecting its call -- it would pick up the correct pause setting and then jump to load the default pause duration. Patched the code to fix that, but I never tried it on OCAP.

I will see if I can locate my notes on this, if the OCAP was not patched, it is an easy fix.

Definitely have a look at the v3.02 readme file, it was very helpful to me.

Tom
Tom Carlson
sti491
Posts: 176
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:56 pm

Post by sti491 »

Thanks everyone!
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