I have 2 MRF-350 and 3 MX-900. Everything works perfectly except this:

I have two cable boxes plugged into an MRF-350, being controlled by a MX-900 through RF. They are plugged into Line 1 and Line 2, although using different Lines does not solve my problem. RF Control is set so that only one device outputs to Line 1, no devices output to All, and the blasters are turned off. So, in theory, the only way to flash Line 1 is from that device. The problem is, when I flash my Line 2 device, it also flashes Line 1. Not all the time, but maybe 90%. If I unplug the Line 1 flasher, nothing gets through to the Line 1 device, so the Line 2 flasher is not bleeding IR to the Line 1 device, it is coming through the Line 1 flasher. I separated the wires, tried different Lines etc. The Channel buttons (which I have been using to test) do not punch through to anything. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Richard

Only way it can happen (except hardware issues) would be if you created remote layout assigned to line one or two using copy command (from the same source, or mixing two) or aliasing commands for both devices from the same host device (device you assigned codes to at the beginning from IR DB and used for creating final user friendly remote layouts). Remember, when command is aliased, it follows routing of the "host" remote. If you are creating new device layouts based on original layout (URC default), you need to create two separate devices for two cable boxes with the same IR codes and keep them separate.

If you copy commands - all hell breaks loose - don't do it unles you do emitters - all.


Try to:
1. Save copy of the file (so you can go back)
2. Import any predefined component from IR database to final remote controling device #1
3. Test it.
It will not respond to the codes (for obvious reasons) but all of them should blink on single line. If that would be the case, recreate device using alias, not copy...


When programming, I usually create set of devices (with d- at the front e.g. d-cable) and load IR codes. Then I create devices like cable, rcvr etc., and map, punch or create macros on new devices using codes from (d-) ones. When building routing only thing I need to do is assign (d-) devices to lines. All of the rest is irrelevant since there is no actual IR codes residing on all other devices - all of them are aliases. All routing is intact.
Hope it helps...
Jacek

This can also happen due to RF interference. I was getting a mixture of all blasters lighting up / individual blaster lighting up. It was almost random, but varied depending on the location of the remote. When I moved the antenna far away from the equipment rack, it stopped happening and it all now works as expected. Definitely something to consider.

Sean

i'd ask if you have all the extra wire from the emitters all zip tied together

Your MRF-350 base station ID # is set to something other than the default of 0, right? "0" [which receives any and all RF commands in the air] causes the base station to output to All flasher ports, regardless of any routing you have programmed.

Ferrite cores on flasher cables work wonders for interferences. Not that zip-ties will not work as well :). It seems that long flasher cables work as antennas and feed back to base some nasty..well..feedback.

Thanks for all the responses. I am accustomed to forums that notify by email when I have a response, so I didn't think I had any until I checked.

I can resolve some of the comments:
The ID is set to 1, not 0.
I do not have the emitter wires zip tied, or even near each other, except where they plug in.
My antenna is about 6-8 feet away from the rack.
I would love to know where to find ferrite cores? Radio shack? That sounds promising.

As for aliasing, I'm not sure if I did that. I can say that I have had limited success with the IR database, and almost all of my codes are learned. After I learned the codes for one cable box, I used the Universal Browser to copy them to the other device. Is that what you are talking about? I suppose I could relearn the codes for the second cable box, but I'm having a hard time understanding why a learned code would need to be relearned.

Thanks,

Richard

have you tried completely covering the emitter so there is zero chance of stray ir? are the cable boxes stacked?

does it only happen when cabinet doors are closed?

if you disconnect one of the emitters and the problem stops it sounds like stray ir to me. apologies if you covered this.

i would get an mrf 260 and assign one of the cable boxes to the new mrf by itself.

It's not stray IR, because if I disconnect the emitter to line 1, line 2 no longer affects it. But I think your suggestion is strong. My other MRF-350 is not that far away, and I ran conduit to every location in this house, so I may just pull a wire and run it from the other MRF-350.

If you have a code on one remote/device and assign it to line one and then create separate device/remote, assign it to line two and then alias codes from the first one, guess what, all of the codes will be sent via line one. Like I said before, you need to create separate device for each cable box. Just do it and check if it will work...

So you have both cable boxes into a single MRF350, or separate MRF350's? Can they be put on separate MRF350's?

I finally worked out the problem through URC tech support. It was, in fact, a bleed, albeit a small one, from one device on one MRF350 to a completely different device on a completely different MRF350. (They were not aliased, and they were on different MRF350s.)

In addition to testing, the following evidence was useful. When sending codes to Unit 1, a bright red light could be seen on the emitter for Unit 1. However, in the dark, I could also see a faint red light on the emitter for Unit 2. They had no idea how that was being generated, but the solution was simple. Move the emitter for Unit 2 sideways by about an inch. At that point, the receiver could still receive signals meant for Unit 2, but the weak signals bleeding from Unit 1 were no longer strong enough to trigger Unit 2.

Thanks to everyone for your help.