Hi all,

First and foremost, let me make it clear that I've read about a dozen threads on here started by people asking for downloads of the software in question, and THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I just found myself in kind of a lousy situation, and am gathering as much information as I can.

So here's the deal. I'm not a licensed custom installer...I AM a Crestron certified installer / designer / engineer who works in institutional installations, maintenance and operation (higher ed primarily, but not strictly). As such, I'm usually the guy people ask for help installing and programming their home theater systems.

Usually, I charge. Even family. But there's this one friend I owe a favor, and guess what he asked me to do?

Very long story slightly shorter - I told him I'd need a full list of the components he wanted to use, and on that list is the URC MRF-350 RFS. This is quite honestly the first time I've encountered it, so I did my due diligence, read the F'n manual, trawled through about a dozen searches (ending up here) and learned that we needed proprietary software to program the thing. I asked him if he had it already, and he responded "I don't think so". I asked him if he could contact the dealer for the software, and he informed me he bought it from a shop that went out of business.

I urged him to consider alternatives. He told me it shouldn't be a problem, since all the components were already programmed into the remote, except....except the TV and the receiver.

I beat my head on my desk for a while.

I'm pretty much out of luck on this, right? I'm prepared to call URC with him in the room and try to work something out, but if it doesn't have to come to that, I'd rather not go that route.

Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated, any flaming encouraged. And thanks in advance.

Well the MRF-350 is a basestation and not a remote. Do you know what model remote he has?

hah...no, I don't. and I'm willing to guess he doesn't either.

I'll press him to figure it out, but isn't it more or less the same story regardless? or might I not be completely up the creek depending on the model?

You need CCP regardless of the remote!

[Link: remotecentral.com]

yeah, that's what I thought too.

Not true. He could have a non PC programmable remote. I'd check with him first and report back.

I just sent him a message - wondering if he meant the MX-350, which looks like a learning / code programmable remote rather than a PC programmable remote.

I'll report back when he clears it up, thanks for the glimmer of hope regardless!

Could be the rfs200, which is the rf20 remote and mrf100 basestation combo unit.

I thought he said he had a MRF-350? You don't need CCP for this product?

Ok, according to his reply he has both the MRF-350 base station and the "Aeros" remote - which is the MX-850, if I'm not mistaken?

He also got in touch with the guy who apparently installed the system and programmed the remote for him in the first place and asked for the program - but what the installer sent me is a folder full of .mxg and .mxf files (with a few .wrz files for good measure) - these are configuration files used by MXEditor, right?

You are in luck, this will do the job,

[Link: files.remotecentral.com]

No, the MRF350 will work with a variety of non-CCP remotes, including the MX850 that he has, as well as the MX-450, MX-350, and I believe some others as well.

Always learn something new here!:)

Thats what we're all here for ;-)

Thanks for all the help guys...but here's a new wrinkle.

I asked my buddy to lend me the remote and the sync cable for a day or two prior to installation (which is planned for Saturday) so I could play around with the software and get an idea of how to work with it (and also be sure I had the right adapter for working on a modern computer).

His response: "I don't have the cable."

sssssssssigh.

He sent me a picture of the port on the remote, which doesn't look like a serial port to me - looks more like maybe a 3.5mm jack? I'm guessing this is a proprietary cable and not the kind of thing I could easily pick up at Radio Shack or whatever, or make myself?