Just a few questions about the Kameleon, if anyone happens to know the answers.

1. Is it JP1 compatible?

2. If in the TV mode, can other buttons be taught functions from the CABLE mode? Such as Vol +/-, Guide, etc.

3. More importantly, if number 2. above is true, will the additional programmed buttons light up when in the TV mode, since it's advertised to only light up the buttons for the mode it's in.

4. Where can I buy it? We have about thirty Radio Shacks in my area and when you call them about availability they all just laugh and say maybe in a month or two. I don't see it online anywhere except in the UK.

Thanks!

Larry

Hope this helps:
1. According to messages at the Yahoo JP1 Forum it does appear to be JP1 compatable and specs are published there to build the interface.
2. Yes, it supports button transfers, but it has a limit of about 25 transfers or learned buttons functions.
4. If they are available in the selected mode they will show up. There doesn't seem to be a way to get other buttons to show up.
4. The Radio Shacks in South-Eastern PA have them, but not a lot of them.

I've had mine for a bit and like it very much. When you can get through to them the Support folks are very helpful and can download updated codes to the remote over the phone. You should be aware that it isn't completely user configurable and it needs to allow more than 25 learned codes but it has become my favorite remote.

Michael


This message was edited by MJFalcone on 01/01/03 11:38.45.

You can also order them from (800) THE SHACK

Rob

Thanks for the replies! Maybe I can get one of my biz partners to pick one up for me...they both live near Media, PA. We just don't have them here in the Norfolk, VA area.

I tried RS online and their toll-free order line but they are out of them. Oddly, no other online stores carry them and the OFA site hasn't got one word on it about them.

I'm thinking it will be good enough for my use as a remote for the bedroom components...Sony TV and DVD, Panasonic VCR, and Motorola/GI Cable Converter.

Larry

Can this remote be set to use the reciever for volume up and down in all modes i.e. dvd ect. The other remotes all mention "punch through" but it seems to punch through to the television volume only, I would like to do the same thing but use the reciever for all audio functions.

I don't have the remote yet, but I'm sure you can just LEARN the +/- Vol buttons on it from the Rcvr. in any mode. Even the cheapest learning remotes allow for this.

Larry

Volume punch through works for the reciever for sure, that is the way I have mine set up. They term it 'volume lock', it can also be unlocked per device as well.

I run the Kameleon in my satelite box mode normally with the mute and volume controling the reciever.

I only change to TV to do soemthing unusual like adjust the aspect ratio.

Ron

Outstanding, now if only I can find a place to buy one, all 6 of my local radio shacks have never had one, funny with the flyer I got today in my mail touting this remote for 59 bucks. The online store also says out of stock.

I have one. It's pretty cool. Two issues however.

1 - Macros still only hold 15 steps (when will someone change this)
2 - Sometimes it just flat out refuses to learn new codes.

I finally found one at a RS about an hour from here and purchased it. I'm very impressed, especially with the backlighting since I plan to use this to control bedroom components.

As e34m5 says, though, the macro learning capabilities are severely limited. The manual says 25 steps or 25 button learn instances, but the most I could get out of it was 16. I desparately need one more button to be programmed but can't.

I even tried dumping everything out of RAM and starting over thinking that would help...nope. Still came up one learn instance short :-(

For such a nice remote they should consider a more expensive version with more RAM...we'd all pay for it.

Larry

Someone has writen a preliminary version of an "extender" for the 2133. I'm pretty sure he included nestable macros, which is a good solution to the limits on macro length. I assume he will make the extender public when it's ready.

You need the JP1 software to install the extender and to define macros etc. for it.

Presently you need a JP1 cable to transfer any of that to your remote (and for the 2133 you need pogo pins or some other kludge to connect the cable). Someone else has developed and somewhat tested the software to transfer all these things (extender, macros, etc.) to the 2133 without the cable using a .wav file through the PC speaker. I assume that software also will be released soon.


The JP1 stuff can give you good work arounds for that as well.

Another JP1 approach you might consider is "device specific macros". You can use a device specific macro as the last step of a normal macro (or another DSM) and it will concatenate onto the sequence of steps. That method is available now (if you have the cable and POGO pins).

Thanks for the info...I saw some threads about this on the JP1 newsgroup.

Another issue with the Kameleon is if you're in say TV mode, then the only buttons available to LEARN other functions to are those buttons that are illuminated. This is a severe limitation since there are very few buttons available in TV. I'd like to be able to add PAGE +/- (from CBL Mode) but I can't because there are no illuminated buttons left.

I hope through JP1 there will be a way to get around this. It's still a very nice remote.

Larry

If I understood the message I got about the extender state, it is currently able to let you use key moves on keys that are not part of the current mode. It is not (yet) able to make the remote illuminate them. If he can't fix that, you'd need to press the keys from memory of what is where.

With JP1, you'll probably find it best to use the remote's learning capability primarily to investigate signals that are then assigned to keys some other way (such as a key move) rather than learning onto the keys you will actually use and leaving the signals assigned that way.

I suppose that would be my only recourse. I don't think it's worth programming unilluminated keys...there are several other keys available in the TV mode, such as PIP, MOVE, FREEZE, & SWAP that would work just fine...but I can't program them becuase of the limited RAM using just the LEARN feature of the 2133. I wonder if programming them via JP1 would get past the RAM limitation?

Larry