# MX-810 and MRF-350 addressing problem



## ohiobrits (May 19, 2009)

I have 2 MX-810's one for the bedroom, one for the home theater. I've been using the home theater set up for about a year and it works perfectly. I've since added a second zone. Set up is as follows: - 

Home theater (in basement) 
Marantz AV7005
DirecTV DVR
OPPO BDP-83 blu-ray player
Panasonic PTAE4000

The MRF-350 is located in the rack with this equipment. 

Bedroom 
Panasonic LCD TV
DirecTV receiver (not a DVR but same IR codes as the DVR in the theater)
Marantz SR1601 (uses almost identical IR codes to the AV7005). 

I'm currently using the AV7005 in the theater to route signals via the HDMI 2 out. The AV7005 is set to output audio and picture over the HDMI using the "TV" setting in the HDMI set up menu. The HDMI signal is sent to the bedroom using a HDMI to Cat 5 extender. This part works very well - 1080p picture and lossless audio in to the SR1601 in the bedroom. I thought that would be the hard part.

I have dedicated "flasher" outputs for all devices in the home theater as follows. This means each one has a wired connection to either a rear flasher connection on the equipment or to a flasher mounted to the front of the device: - 

Flasher 1 - Projector
Flasher 2 - Marantz AV7005
Flasher 3 - Oppo BDP-83
Flasher 4 - DirecTV DVR
Flasher 5 - not used
Flasher 6 - not used

The devices in the home theater are configured as RF only and routed to the appropriate flasher above in the software. Devices in the bedroom are set at IR only.

Problem - when the devices are controlled using the device screens all is OK - each device controls independently. When I activate an Activity which runs a macro to switch various components on, set inputs etc, the MX-810 and/or MRF-350 sends a signal to ALL flashers and sends IR also for all devices, even those set to RF only. This would not be an issue for those with no identical devices but in my case it adjusts settings on both Marantz's and both DirecTV boxes. 

The URC manual for the MRF-350 indicates that to control identical devices, they must all be set to RF only and routed to an individual flasher. OK. I connected the SR1601 in the bedroom to Flasher 6 on the MRF 350 using a Cat 5 extension and plugged into the back of the SR1601, reconfigured software to route correctly and to be RF only. Still does not work. Both Marantz's controlled together on the activity macro.

So to recap - devices are controlled independently via "devices" buttons, macros loaded to activities buttons are sent via RF and IR to all flashers. As noted above, this is only an issue with identical devices.

I've seen some other posts on the net that indicate this is a known issue but have not seen a resolution. I have an email out to URC tech support - they have responded promptly in the past to questions but no response yet.

Anyone out there with any experience of this? If this is a known issue with no resolution, I have about $1000 worth of assorted paperweights.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

This sounds like a macro programming issue. It seems silly that the MRF-350 would send a signal to all of the devices. The only workaround that I can think of, until URC gives you a better solution, is to remove one of the systems from the MRF-350.

Unfortunately I have no experience with URC remotes so I can't help, but keep us up to date on what URC advises. :T


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## nholmes1 (Oct 7, 2010)

If you want to send me the archive file from the mx-810 I will look at it and see if there is anything out of the ordinary.


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## ohiobrits (May 19, 2009)

nholmes1, I sent you an email - can you forward your email to me so I can attach the file and send? Thanks.


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## nholmes1 (Oct 7, 2010)

Check your email, once we resolve it I will post what the fix was.


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## ohiobrits (May 19, 2009)

A quick update - 

Nick has had a look at my setup file and has been very helpful with some good suggestions of potential issues but no luck yet in resolving the problem. Also no response from URC - they promise a 2 working day turnaround which was end of day today. It's looking less likely this will be a simple fix.

One suggestion Nick had was that the way I use the ProModel software to build macros could be stripping the addressing codes from the commands. Here's how I program the remote: - 

1) Get all the devices set up using the ProWizard guided steps. This includes getting buttons laid out correctly with downloaded or learned IR codes attached to each.
2) Set up Activities but do not use the ProWizard guided menus to set up macros - I skip through those programing screens. 
3) Open the Browser and build the macros I want by dragging and dropping button commands onto each activity, add delays etc. 
4) Set RF settings.

The approach above may cause some issues. I did try building some devices individually again from scratch and going through the ProWizard menus to configure on/off input selection etc. This seemed to work for the DirecTV boxes but I had the same issue with the Marantz's. As soon as I did any drag and drop in the Browser for the DirecTV receivers I had the same issues again.

So.....there must be others out there who have used the ProWizard software. How have you used it? Use the menu driven approach or step into the Browser and drag and drop? Any issues with addressing?


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## ohiobrits (May 19, 2009)

Problem solved :T

URC tech support did answer my email today and asked that I call in due to the complexity of potential causes of the problem. I discussed the issue with a guy in the tech support group. He suggested several of the obvious things to check (interference, pot on MRF-350 set to 0) all of which I had checked out previously. I did ask him about how the ProWizard software works and if the programming method described in the post above (drag and drop in the browser) would cause issues. He said most certainly it would. Addressing codes will only be maintained if you use the ProWizard guided menus to build the macros for activities.

I reprogrammed the remote tonight diligently using the menus in the software and it works well. I have an issue with one of the DirecTV boxes not turning off but this, I think, will be easily fixed (I can see the LED flashing so it is receiving a signal - probably an on command).

Nick, thanks for taking the time to review my file - your suggestions helped me move toward the solution.


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## nholmes1 (Oct 7, 2010)

Glad to see you got it all resolved, the URC support teams are good guys, so it was the addressing via the programming that caused the problem. Good to know.

Now go enjoy your system! :T


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