I don't want to open a can of worms here...but. I got very excited about all of the acalades regarding the MX3000. Having used the TSU6000 on a number of occasions, and being frustrated at times with it's RF limitations, I was ecstatic that someone had built the proverbial better mouse trap. Finally , a remote that had all of the virtues of the Pronto, but with RF that actually worked consistently. I have installed four of these remotes, all using RF. In every situation, I have found the performance to be extremely inconsistent (iffy). the range is very limited using either the MRF250, or the MRF300. playing with the delay times and pulse counts sometimes helps, but it's like pinning a tail on a donkey. When you add the MRF300 IR output adjustments as well as the remote antenna RF range control,, you have two more parameters that may or may not improve the performance relative to the adjustment of the other three.

I'm not trying to be negaive here but..... The interface of the program, it's excellent intuitive structure, speed of data transfer, and it's build quality make it a winner. Where is it's ackilese heel?? Like all the rest of these remotes......It's RF performance.

Instead of storing the long macro strings and commands in the remote and then hoping they make it intact to the reciever, why don't they store those commands in the reciever and only have the remote send an address for those commands to the reciever. That's why Crestron and AMX are able to execute commands so consistently. I mean, what's the point of designing a sophisticated piece of hardware and software only to have a critical limitation inherent in it's topology

RTI

Is the equipment you are working with weird stuff like JVC etc? Here's a dumb question - did you go thru that big list of TS's for RF? I'm assuming you've done a number of the 800/850s before the 3000 and had better luck.

new batteries in everything
direct lighting (including the plasma turned off, the laser mouse etc)
RF sniffer

I had a house just a few weeks ago that drove me crazy because of the RF interference - never could figure where it was coming from but found a dead little spot after about an hour.

I've done a boatload of 800/850s with literally tremendous success. Have you guys found the 3000 any different with regards to the RF feature? I haven't connected RF to my own 3000 yet - I was assuming there should be little to no difference in the models?

I too, have had little problems since the mrf200 became the 250. The only problems I do have is the flashers severally over flood the ir window of some components. This is, for me anyway, the only time I have had macro reliablilty issues. I end up moving the flasher 1/4" to 1/2" away from the actual window location and this helps solve the problem.

Try removing the antenna from the RF unit. It is the first thing I do when installing any of the MRF units. I don't know really know why this works, it just does. I have installed well over a hundred of these units and all work flawlessly without the antenna. The range of the remote is usually NOT affected by this either. This fix is actually direct from URC, although you won't find it in the RF troubleshooting tips.

I find my MX-3000 absolutely useless for any other purpose than viewing graphics files. In every other way my Marantz RC9200 is superior. Compared to the MX-3000 the RF of the Pronto range is rock solid. That I should find this out after having bought the MX-3000 for USD 1,000, the Azure GUI for USD 250 and Cinamar Sound files for USD 70 annoys the h*ll out of me! I just don't want to throw good money after bad, by buying the MRF-300.

I've had similar problems on a couple of jobs where the RF would work when I was there, but then throughout the day, it would just quit, then start working again after my customer put the remote back on the charger for 5 min. I thought that was odd.

Eric - if you're lurking the boards, do you have any thoughts on this?



Thank you,
Damon DG
= = = = =
http://www.ProRemotes.com - Authorized Dealer & Remote Programming

This is an interesting response. I didn't want to say it, but I have found the same thing. The RF performance of the TSU6000 is far more reliable than the MX3000. While it doesn't have the other virtues, including better build quality, I have used it more succesfully. The RF performance is far and away the most important aspect of any of the remotes in this class.

I am very eager to try removing the antenna. If this works, I will be a believer again

Teknobeam1,

I tried removing the antenna, and it seems to have made an improvement, but, for me at least, not upto a level where it is useful! I might now have reached a 50 % hit rate, but very unevenly distributed. For a 5 minute period I might have near 100 % hitrate, then it will drop to 0 % for 5 minutes. A hard reset, involving unplugginh everything, moving it around and reinstalling in a slightly different place, and the cycle starts again. Now this could, just, be almost acceptable for someone with infite patience, good will etc etc (essentially a buddhist I guess) with only single key presses (if it doesn't work the first time, just keep pressing until it does), but for people with macros it is actually worse than useless, as you completely loose control of your system and its state.

I think I will be buying the newest and best Pronto type remote very soon, unless something drastic happens in terms of improvement...

We have had the works today but not tonight thing as well as 1 day its perfect and then nothing for 5 min then ok again. we dont sell URC anymore because of that, wellat least not with a RF unit. testing with IR they were all 100%, added the RF and days were lost trying to get it to work, one job we removed the RF and installed IR repeater system and it actually worked better than the RF.

We are RTI as well and have had no problems with RF, I did a job last week and installed the antenna in a conjested area with Neon, Metal conduit, metal duct work, metal ceiling and lots of AC...above a Vantage Panel and the RTI had no problems with RF

Still get calls fron clients with URC MX3000/MRF combos saying it responds poorly, we are swapping out one next week with a T3/RP6 setup and junking the MX3000

have you guys tried to figure out what is causing the rf interference? I had a yammie dvd 2500 throw a wrench in my works today. took 10 minutes to eliminate the problem.

Do all dvd players have to screw up the rf receivers? What a pain.

Cgroth,

You are describing exactly the kind of performancnace I have experienced in every single MX3000 installation i have done (about six to date). Each time I keep telling myself that it must be the location. You hit the nail on the head when you raised the issue of patience. Most of our customers aren't going to be satisfied with anything short of a pretty consistent hit rate on commands and macros. They have no idea what happens when a macro doesn't fully execute and only part of the system gets the right codes. it's a DISASTER. At this point I'm both pissed, and dissapointed that these issues were allowed to go un resolved when they released this puppy. What were they thinking,, that we wouldn't notice?? lol

I seem to now have achieved quite satisfactory performance over a three day period. Hanging the MRF upside down, without an antenna, and switching of my Bluetooth headset, cell phone, wireless AV distribution system and Pronto RF receiver might have done the trick. Serious limitation of functionality to have to unplug my AV distribution solution, and annoying to always have to switch of the cell phone, but it now seems to work at a usefull level.

We swapped out another MX3000/mrf300 system yesterday due to poor performance with none other than a RTI T3 and RP6. Client likes the T3 much better and says it actually works. I think we will be swapping out a few more 3000's soon unless URC comes up with a better RF solution. Of the 25 of so MRF bases we have only had 6-8 actually work well. the others? well some have been switched over to IR systems and others removed and replaced with OEM, Crestron, RTI..and 1 pronto.

the few that are working took a day or two to troubleshoot, replaced based stations replaced remotes, moved emmiters, moved equipment and lost labor.

the MX3000 is a cool remote just wish the RF was better