JP1 Remotes

i am using 8910 with extender 1_1.

holding set button doesnt result in anything (just the led staying on until set button is released)

never enters 'setup' mode. does the extender keep the remote from entering this mode? if so, how does one 'uninstall' the extender without using IR and the JP1 cable? so that the set button can be used in the unextended remote?

thanks!!

Just separate the batteries or remove them, press a button, let the batteries go back together then do the reset.

But what is your desire/intent? If you start doing various "set_XXX" functions, it will, of course, affect your entire upgrade, and then, I'm not sure how any changes entered in this manner will interact with the extender, so you will ultimately have to upload your upgrade via IR again.

Nils_Ekberg wrote:Just separate the batteries or remove them, press a button, let the batteries go back together then do the reset.

thanks Nils --- now i remember seeing that somewhere before. I just couldnt find it in searches.

Capn Trips wrote:But what is your desire/intent? If you start doing various "set_XXX" functions, it will, of course, affect your entire upgrade, and then, I'm not sure how any changes entered in this manner will interact with the extender, so you will ultimately have to upload your upgrade via IR again.

a very good question! i found myself in a difficult situation. couldnt upload new config with IR. had never had any trouble before with jp1 not being able to connect to this remote. but was getting a message about not being able to connect - check jp1 connection...

so-- had a remote with extender config installed, couldnt upload new config, couldnt reset to see if that would fix the situation.

had tried uploading with all batteries, batteries removed, one battery backwards, all gave the same 'check jp1 connection' messg.

eventually with enuf messing, got the connection to work. dont know how and couldnt reproduce, hope doesnt come back but am worried.

thanks!

chas6000 wrote:eventually with enuf messing, got the connection to work. dont know how and couldnt reproduce, hope doesnt come back but am worried.

My 5 cents:
One other battery/interface thing I noticed - you need to defeat gravity.
Some NIMh batteries, for instance, are slightly thinner than others. If just before or during the few seconds of upload you turn the remote over, they wobble. So the interface fails. For those, often just holding the batteries with your fingers solves the connection problem.

One of my remotes (C7) has a packed down, compacted foam on the battery cover. In normal use, a good shake actually can disable the extender. A thin piece of paper towel or something between the batteries and the cover fixes that problem.

Thanks Eliz --

Yours is a very good point.
But I was actually holding the batteries in during these problems. I am concerned about this recurring - because this is now the second recent occurence of this behavior and I have both times simply 'messed' with it until it worked. makes be worry.

When I do my 8910 with my Compaq laptop running WinME, I have to remove a battery to get IR to "talk"

Thanks Capn --

I guess you are saying it has always behaved this way for yours.

my 8910 used to work perfectly and recenlty has shown these two anomalous incidents. in the first incident removing a battery worked (where not needed to do this before!). in the second incident, no messing around with batteries (all options) solved the problem. a lot of other messing, plugging and unplugging the cable, starting/stopping IR, etc. finally resulted in success but I dont know what actually did it.

thanks!

chas6000 wrote:Thanks Capn --

I guess you are saying it has always behaved this way for yours.

Correct. I've determined that there is no consistent method.

For my 1994's, they work right with batteries installed, either fresh or weak, BUT the remote doesn't reset (double blink the LED) until I unplug the cable.

For my 2117's, I have to reverse a battery to get communications.

And as I stated above, for my 8910 and HTPros, I have to remove a battery.

I don't try to understand why, I just know it works.

Capn Trips wrote:And as I stated above, for my 8910 and HTPros, I have to remove a battery.

Hmm, in my 8910 I just leave the batteries in and have no problems. BUT I use rechargeable NiMHs which are only 1.2V each so maybe this is why I don't need to remove a battery as the voltage must be nearer optimum. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried fitting a low-resistance potentiometer between batteries to find out the optimum voltage for various remotes? Is it worth poling the membership and constructing a chart for the various remotes to advise newcomers of the correct battery/reverse battery/no battery combinations?

underquark wrote:

Capn Trips wrote:And as I stated above, for my 8910 and HTPros, I have to remove a battery.

Hmm, in my 8910 I just leave the batteries in and have no problems. BUT I use rechargeable NiMHs which are only 1.2V each so maybe this is why I don't need to remove a battery as the voltage must be nearer optimum. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried fitting a low-resistance potentiometer between batteries to find out the optimum voltage for various remotes? Is it worth poling the membership and constructing a chart for the various remotes to advise newcomers of the correct battery/reverse battery/no battery combinations?

I don't know anything about causes and effects, nor do I care to waste any time determining them, since I have figured out how to make MY remotes talk. I contend that there's an as yet uncracked "code" on what it takes for a particular computer/laptop to communicate with a particular remote, and that the variables affecting it are too many to make it worthwhile to try to analyze and document. I would also contend that removing a battery is NOT equivalent to lowering the voltage through the battery compartment (either by my "weak batteries" or "reversing a battery" or your "lower voltage NICADS" method). I have seen that the ABSENCE of batteries - i.e. no continuity through the battery compartment - has a different (unexplainable in my experience on these fora) effect than simply lower voltage. Each works under different circumstances.

underquark wrote:Is it worth poling the membership and constructing a chart for the various remotes to advise newcomers of the correct battery/reverse battery/no battery combinations?

Doubtful since it's the relationship between the voltage at the parallel port and the voltage in the remote. There's no single factor that's universal. What works for me may or may not work for the next person with the same remote.