I'm about to buy a MX-850 to replace my "old" MX-700... but not sure if I should also buy a RF station or not.

Is it worth the extra money and does it work as promised ?
Are there any "gotchas" ?

And is fpsgamer.co.uk really the only (and cheapest) place to buy within the EU ?

This message was edited by Beano on 08/18/05 06:20 ET.

I you don't "need" RF (ie: no components in a cabinet with a solid door or the need to control them from another room) or "want" RF (don't mind pointing during macros), then get the 850 without the base station. You can always add it on later.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

Beano,

I agree with Mike. If you have line-of-sight of your components and can simply point the remote at them, then IR will work fine for you. The MRFs are an added convenience if you have line of sight, but wish to make your system more reliable for users who may not aim the remote during macros, etc. Adding the RF later is not a problem.

It may take a little adjusting, but the RF does usually work pretty reliably.



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

If you have a power off macro that takes more than 1 second and you have a wife like mine(hit the off and lay it on the couch pointing the wrong way), RF will be well worth the cost!

I really loved my 700, exept for the above .

My 850 with an mrf-250 solved a lot of 'problems' plus, it works from anywhere in the house!

Perfect for watching tv from the dinner table or controlling outdoor speakers.

I should mention that I live in a 'rural' community town of 55,000.

I have heard of people in the 'big citys' that had some interference from rf towers that made them hit or miss.

Personally, I've never had a problem and it's the best money I've ever spent!

I've installed about 80 mrf-250's and only 18 mrf-300's, but I've never had a problem, knock wood ;-)

Thanks for the input, guys.

Obviously I don't have a line of sight to my components allways (when in abother room for example) - otherwise wouldn't be considering a RF unit :)

I was just wondering if a RF unit would have some flaws, be stable enough, or things it simply couldn't do properly. But it sounds like it does the job as promised.

The RF basestations are pretty reliable. I have had only 3 or four out of substantially more that I had problems with, and I think it was the environment vs. the RF station. I think you'd probably have pretty good luck with RF. As for which one, if you think you're going to have RF interference, go with the 300, also if you have 1/8" 'IR iN' ports on the back of your equipment, using the 300 is definatley better. But then again, I can't stand Mouse Emmitters. If it's a simple configuration, then just go with the 250.

I just left working for tweeter & I sold, programmed, & installed hundreds of these.
I wouldn't sell the 850 without it. Number one its's vital for long macro's, favorite
channels, & equipment without discrete on/off codes . It's very reliable, buy the mrf 250 for one zone, & the mrf300 if considering adding 2nd zone. It works almost 100% of the time compared to about 85% of the time without it.

"Almost 100% of the time"???

I've never had less than 100%!

Otherwise I would still be at the clients house! ;-)

Beano, go with the RF.
It's well worth the money, and , it will leave you with a feeling of 'how did I ever get along without this'!!

Ok, thanks for the info :)

my 02. just don't waste your time w/the 250 base, pony up and get the 300, it is well worth the difference...I still do not feel the RF is quite good enough yet though, maybe I am too picky...example with a hardwired IR receiver system you can channel surf at light speed, with the RF base you will have a significantly slower surf speed, with the noticable RF hickup every now and again...like I said maybe I am just being too picky, I don't want much...just perfection!

Each MRF should be chosen based on its capabilities and meeting the system's requirements. It's not at all about what to use for zone 1 or zone 2.

Can you integrate the MRF-250 successfully - up to 15 per system? Absolutely. Can you integrate the MRF-300 successfully - also up to 15 per system? Sure. Can up to 15 MRFs be used in any combination of 250 and 300? Yes. Some systems can take advantage of the direct IR out, while some barely need an MRF-250, but have it for added convenience of maintaining system integrity (keeping it in sync during macros).

The point is...each system is different, so make sure you are using the best model for the application. :)



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

This is the 'official' dealer page for Europe:
[Link: universalremoteseurope.com]

You will see that only three dealers are listed - and one is in Australia! Geography does not appear to be URC's strong point. The other two are based in the UK - and both of them supply anywhere in Europe (despite the URC website suggesting otherwise).

I am located in the UK and shopped around for a good price just a few weeks ago. I found a third UK based supplier, who also claimed to be an authorised dealer, but his prices were higher than fpsgamer. By the way, fpsgamer is trying to rebrand itself as VideoAudio (with an alternative address of www.videoaudio.co.uk). That's where I got my MX-850 and MRF-300, and I found them to be very helpful.

I am very happy with this remote and the RF facility totally solves my previous IR problems caused by most of my kit not being in direct line of sight. The much greater flexibility of the MRF-300 also seems to be well worth the extra cost.