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Looked at swapping out my Xantech LCD dinky link kit for the Plasma, but it's $250 versus the $150 for the LCD. For that price, I ordered an RFX9400 Wireless extender that's designed to go with the Philips Pronto TSU9400 remote as it's the same price. Just received it mid day today and tried it out without really running all the wires nicely (i.e., plugged it into wall outlet, laid it out on floor, and taped emitter to front of HR22 as well as XM tuner Xrt12. Both worked perfectly which supports the argument that some made here that the complex macros and codes of the Pronto were being corrupted by the LCD IR repeater. So, that's the solution for me. Post here if the resistor solution works. I did have to spend 1 hour tweaking my config for the change to RF, and had to create some hidden pages and two new devises so that I could move IR commands on RF devises to another page, but other than that, it was really a simpler solution. No receiver had to be hidden anywhere, like with the dinky link as it's now predominantly RF (except for the TV and my home automation control of lighting and fireplace). I also got a bit fancy and moved the eject commands for the CD, DVD and BD to IR on a hidden devise so my family cannot hit them with the cabinet doors closed and break the players).
Sorry I'm late to this, but the DirecTV receivers have a notoriously sensitive IR receiver and generally do not work with the transmitter stuck directly to the unit. The generally accepted soultion it to take a piece of electrical tape, poke a small hole in it with a pin and cover the eye on the receiver. Then place the emitter over it. What I have also fould to work is to suspend or mount the transmitter several inches away and off axis with the receiver. The resistor Xantech suggested cuts the output and works as well, but isn't as easy or cheap.
I don't know about the other unit, but wanted to add to a comment Barry made about the Xantech simply repeating exactly what it is given and being tuned around a frequency range. Although the 9600/9400 are capable of much higher frequencies the Xantech repeaters will not work for some of those higher frequencies. Xantech made a unit a while back that was tuned for B&O and a few other offenders to work in the higher ranges, but it was discontinued.
So the HR22 will take the IR signal from the RFX9400? Did you have to make any kind of adjustment to the power level ouput of the signal?
How would I setup the RFX9400 if I were to go that route? The only wires I have run to my TV above the fireplace are (1) HDMI, (3) Cat6, and (1) RG6 all running back to my A/V closet in the middle of the house. I am using one of the Cat6 lines as an extension cord between the dinky link receiver and Xantech connecting block.
I ordered Xantech's "sun kit" to see if that helps, if not I'll give the electrical tape a try before I order the RFX9400.
Once I stuck the emitter right over the eye, and plugged it into the RFX9400 instead of the Xantec distribution block (i.e., used the same emitter I had), it worked perfectly and continues to do so 10 days after installation. Very pleased with the Pronto wireless extender!! Tried for hours with the emitter and the Xantec, trying the electrical tape, putting it on the inside of the door adjacent to the unit, etc. Nothing worked. The RFX was TOTALLY worth the extra money and little hastle.
This message was edited by Ted K on Sunday January 11, 2009 at 21:08.
No modifications required at all to power levels. Just update the RFX's firmware by plugging RFX into power and ethernet into PC for about 5 min (I disconnected my PC from the router to do this as it wasn't finding the RFX through the router). Then, configured three controls on back of RFX to match settings in Config (i.e., channel, RF stand alone or WiFi, and unit number), plugged into power, plugged emitters into back of RFX and taped them directly over component receiver. Then downloaded new configuration file to TSU9400 console. Worked first time out. Took less than 15 min to install.
The only other thing to consider is you may need to make changes to your configuration file. Nothing major, but changes nonetheless. I had to spend an hour modifying my configuration. My main changes were (i) In my current configuration file, I had many macros in the activity based home screens (e.g., watch TV, watch Blu Ray, listen to XM, etc.) that pulled IR Codes right from MY DATABASE. I had to now put some hidden pages on each devise to hold the discrete on and off codes (other than the macros, I only had power toggle codes on the individual device pages). (ii) You can only make each device (i.e., and I'm referring to programming using PEPv1 not PEPv2) either RF or IR. You cannot combine transmission types for a single device. Therefore, I also created a hidden device for the TV itself as it's commands are combined on pages that primarily control the DBS box (HR22). While I wanted the DBS box controlled via RF as it's behind the cabinet door, the TV sits atop the credenza and I wanted it's commands sent IR so I could avoid having to put an emitter on the front. By creating a separate hidden TV device, making it IR, and then linking buttons on the pages of other RF devices to this, it solved the issue. The device where the button appears is RF, but the actual command is sent IR to the TV. (iii) Finally, and as an added spousal safety measure, I put the eject/open commands for the CD, DVD and BluRay on a separate hidden device that is IR and linked the buttons on the related RF devices to it so that no one can open the trays with the cabinet doors closed and damage the players. The rest of the buttons for that device are RF.
Let me know if you have more questions, but to be honest, I wish I'd gone this route first time out. Would have saved ALOT of time and headache.
This message was edited by Ted K on Sunday January 11, 2009 at 21:16.
Thanks for all your help. I'm going to bite the bullet and order the RFX today as well. You're right, nothing else will work!!!!!
Glad you got your equipment working correctly. I'll let you know when I get mine in and how it turns out. I'm very new to the Pronto software so I may need some help.
If I mount the RFX unit in the A/V closet, how will my TV get its IR signals? can I configure the remote to send out a physical IR signal for the TV commands, and send the rest to the RFX for execution?
This message was edited by mteele on Tuesday January 13, 2009 at 10:37.
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