I recently switched out my old MX-3000 (manufactured 12/04) for a newer one (manufactured 01/07) due to a broken USB port. I've noticed several nice improvements made to the remote but am having a problem in one area.

I'm aware of a problem the newer remotes have in displaying the animated gif file which I believe is still supposed to contain six individual graphics to represent the charged states of 20,40, 60, 80 and 100 percent plus a sixth one for when the unit is being charged. My old unit displayed the graphic for the unit being charged but the newer one does not instead simply displaying the graphic for 100 percent charged. This is a minor cosmetic issue and perhaps can be fixed via a firmware update? Anyone know? Can changing the animated gif graphic in some way solve this issue?

My real problem involves the battery meter suddenly displaying a much lower battery level (usually 40-60 percent lower). I will be using the remote and it's showing a 100% charge when it will suddenly drop down to 60% or even 40%. It will stay there for a few seconds and then return to 100%. This is really only another cosmetic issue as long as there is sufficient batery power even at the lower displayed level. Unfortunately, as the day goes on and the battery level gets lower this problem becomes more severe. Late in the day the battery level may be down to 40-50% and then when the level suddenly drops it goes down to 10% or less thus bringing up the battery level warning even though there is actually plenty of battery life left. At this point I have to either put the remote momentarily back on the charger to restore the accurate battery level or sometimes I can push a button and the yellow battery level warning will disappear.

Has anyone else seen this problem? If you have what have you done to deal with it? Replace the unit? Live with it?

Bob

The Charging indicator will only work on the older model MX-3000. When they changed the O/S version (a couple of years ago) the battery indicator quit working correctly and no longer shows the charging indication when on the base. The problem with the battery level started with the latest software version and you will actually see your battery getting drained much faster with the newest software version. Before the new software I use to get just over 5 hours of continuous running time. Now I get about 1/2 of that even with a new battery.

You seem to be saying there's a problem with the battery level which started with the latest software version, however, you are also saying that the problem is the level is declining much faster than in the past. This is not my experience. The battery on my new MX-3000 is lasting, if anything, longer than it did for my older MX-3000. It has a new battery so this is expected but in general the battery lasts for much longer than I need it to last for a single day before I put in back on the charger. For the record my use of the remote is very heavy as I mostly utilize it with an HD DVR which requires frequent use as I am constantly fast forwarding through commercials.

To summarize, my problem with the battery level is that the meter periodically drops in strength for a few moments and then returns to the proper reading. For example it will be showing 80% charged and then for no apparent reason it will suddenly drop to 40% for a few seconds before returning to 80%. In this instance the remote is not close to needing to be charged again. This is simply a cosmetic problem as long as the incorrect battery level doesn't drop down to 10% or less at which time the yellow bar displaying the low battery level warning appears. When the low battery level warning appears I either have to put the remote momentarily back on the charger to get rid of the warning or sometimes I can push a button on the screen and it will disappear.

I am trying to determine if I have a bad unit or whether this is a known problem with remotes manufactured from the run from which mine was produced. My remote was manufactured on 01/03/07. Any help would be appreciated.

Bob

Is the USB cable connected to the MX3000 and Laptop when this happens? An under powered USB connection can cause this problem.

Yes this happened just after the last software update. Both of my MX-3000 remotes do the same thing. The battery low reminder will start coming on with as much as 50% power left even with it set to 10%. Also if you have a battery meter on your display you will see the power change rapidly on and off. See [Link: remotecentral.com]

Arcade3d - When the battery level drops the remote is not connected to any USB cable. I'm simply using the remote normally.

1ziggi1 - I do have the battery meter on my display and it does show the level periodically dropping for no apparent reason. The last software update did not cause this problem to occur with my old MX-3000. The problem only occurs with the new one manufactured on 01/03/07. Can you tell me what the maufacture date is for your two MX-3000's? It would be very helpful to know if this problem is affecting more production runs of the remote. This would tell me that my remote is likely not defective.

Is it possible that the problems with the charging graphic portion of the battery level animated gif not being displayed when the unit is on the charger and the momentary inaccurate dropping of the battery level meter issues were caused by the latest software update? If so, are these two problems only affecting newer versions of the MX-3000? If these problems are due to software bugs then why aren't more people confriming their existence?

I will be contacting URC early next week to see if they can confirm the existence of these bugs. It would certainly help if some others would state whether they have seen these two issues with their MX-3000's. If others have seen them then maybe URC can be pressured into fixing them. If others aren't seeing them then I need to seek a replacement unit.

Bob

I am definitely seeing the battery level icon periodically dropping. Must be a bug in the software...

Thanks for the confirmation. What's the manufacture date of your unit? Have you always had the dropping problem or did it seem to be introduced with a software update? Also, when you say dropping is it going down more than just 20%? If the level is right around say 60% the level readout can fluctuate between 80% and 60% for a few minutes as the battery drains. Mine will drop usually 40% and sometimes even 60% for a brief moment before returning to the proper level.

My MX3000 is a few months old. I installed a battery icon a few days ago, to check out this issue and did see the drop outs as you describe, but it is infrequent.

I will be speaking with URC about the two battery level/graphic problems in the next couple of days. I will post the results of that conversation here afterwards.

No one else has seen these two problems with the battery meter in the MX-3000?

1. The graphic indicating the remote is being charged when placed on the charger doesn't display (100% charged is shown instead).

2. The power level suddenly drops around 40-60% for no apparent reason and then returns to normal after three or four seconds.

Having just recently swapped my circa late 2004 MX-3000 for an early 2007 one I first noticed these problems (they didn't occur with the older unit). I'm trying to find out if I have a bad unit or whether, as one person here has suggested, there's a software problem. I'm going to discuss this with URC but was hoping for some more input before I call them. It's hard to believe there is a software problem when almost no one acknowledges one. I'm currently thinking my remote must be defective.

You have been told what the problem is by other people experiencing the same thing. If you think your's is defective return it to URC.

I would just expect more responses if this was affecting most MX-3000's. You may happen to have two MX-3000's from the same manufacturing run as mine (January 3, 2007) which could explain your problem and why no one else seems to be chiming in. Please, what is the date of manufacture for your remotes? Should you not know it's the first six numeric digits on the label in the battery compartment.

Bob

These are the ones I have now. The not showing charging started with the newer O/S (Windows CE version) of 4.20.004.009N2. The older O/S 4.10.908.8N with the older USB cable shows charging. Check your O/S in the system icon under the setup by holding down the main button. All have the intermittent battery-flashing problem once programmed with the latest editor version but the older O/S will still show charging even with the newer editor software version. If you don't have a battery meter you will never notice any of these problems. This is why not too many people have noticed it.

IA010207 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
090604 Shows charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
050905 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
103005 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
101705 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
A011006 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
060305 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
IA011006 Does not show charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.
090604 Shows charging. Has intermintent battery display problem.

Thanks for the input. I didn't realize you had nine MX-3000's (I assume your a CI?). Obviously this confirms a software problem. I would expect many, if not most, users to not have a battery display so they wouldn't normally see the problem with the dropping meter, however, what about when the yellow low battery warning is displayed? Just yesterday my unit was bouncing around between 80% and 100% indicating a charge of right around 80% when the yellow low battery warning (set to 10%) came on. Users without the battery meter would see this unless the display of the low battery warning somehow doesn't occur unless you have a battery meter in your configuration. Seems unlikely that would be the case but maybe I'll try deleting the meter to see if I ever get the low battery warning.

On a related subject-have you ever seen the problem on the MX-3000 where you press one button but another button is activated instead? I'm asking because I'm having this problem as well. I thought this was an old issue that had been fixed but recently when I exchanged my late 2004 unit (broken USB port) for the early 2007 unit this problem returned on the new unit I was sent by URC. I called them and reported it and was sent a second unit. Both units were manufactured on 01/03/07. I thought this problem was solved by getting a second unit but it too is now experiencing this problem. I've tried calibrating the touch screen several times in a few different ways (use finger, use stylus, tap quickly, hold down for a bit, etc.) but nothing seems to solve the problem completely. Very frustrating!

I will be calling URC tomorrow regarding these issues. Hopefully they can send me a thrid unit from a different manufacturing run which will hopefully not experience the activation of the wrong button issue. I will ask them about whether the two battery meter issues are known to them and , if so, what they are doing to fix them. Have you ever spoken to them about the battery issues?