In general, I love my new ProntoPro, but i just have two more gripes to vent about:

1. My Pro is now set completely RF. I have noticed on several occasions that a quick easy tap on the touchpanel button gives you a beep, but doesn't send the command. When I deliberately test the feature again, it works. What I found is that if you press the button deliberately and firmly, it always works. Now, on some new rc5000i's I have noted this problem occasionally and have had macros that you sometimes needed to hold for the duration of the macro. I know what the FAQ says about thisi. It's making it difficult to test the RF setup, because I blame the remotes miscues on the RF extender. I could swear this was never an issue before I upgraded to the firmware at the time of the rollout of the 5c5000i. This problem seems worse on the Pro. Sometimes when it's been out of use for a while, I'll tap a button 2-3 times with a beep and no command, get annoyed, pick it up and really press the damn thing and it works the next 20 of 20 times. Maybe it's cold or bored.

2. In general, I like the design. It seems more elegant than the RC5000 or Pronto -- attractive design -- particularly on the charger (with that stupid charging latch). But has anybody noticed the left side of the dark gray 'frame' around the glass being soft and loose? If you press on the dark gray portion on the right side, it is very solid. Even a firm press will not flood the screen with color splotches. It is reinforced, I assume, because the buttons are right there. But the left side is another matter. A soft squeeze of that side sends the color shooting across the pad badly. And the dark gray frame is loose -- if you look in profile, it moves when you push on it, and there is a little gap where it kinda pops up there. Adding this softness to the new low profile buttons, and left-handed one hand usage is now out. I'm a dealer, so I said, "Hell, I'll just put this one on the floor and bring home another one." They're all that way. Yours too?

I felt like I was taking a hit not waiting for the Marantz version with the 3-year warranty, but I couldn't wait. I've been using both the Pro and my RC5000 around the house interchangably for the past few days and the Pro looks more elegant, but the rc5000 feels much more durable. Talking with one of our installers about my Pro the other day I told him, "The Pro is like a souped up hod rod Pronto. A whole lot of features jammed into the same size package. And hot rods require more babying and maintenance than your Jeep Cherokee..."

If this thing takes a shot to the hardwood floor, I can just see it exploding like a bomb. If Marantz Warranty Dept. isn't listening, my rc5000 has taken 2 plunges from eye level on top of my big screen to the hardwood without a hitch (other than the stroke I had before I tested it and found it was OK).

I'm not ready to send it back by any means, but...

HAS ANYBODY GOTTEN RF TO WORK ON THE HOME PANELS???

As I said before I am pretty sure the RF on home Panels will not work as there is no way to specify the extender code, ergo it was not designed to operate. I do have a friend checking with the Philips engineers, but I am willing to bet.

I noticed the same thing about the button presses.

I am going to get some of the RCA/X10/radio shack pyramid RF receivers since they work with the Pronto ($25 much better than $150). I intend to gut them and see if I can't make it fit into a standard wall box (1 or 2 gang) I will then run 4 wires to it (2 for power and 2 for IR) and run it into the Xantech IR network which runs all over the house. My system allows me to feed a PC with the IR code and the PC has a program that will send that code number to every (or specific) PC(s) on the house LAN, including the HomeSeer automation PC.

I will then be able to build screens for the ProntoPro to control the whole House. If any one is interested in tracking this, drop me an email at [email protected]

Barry,

That sounds pretty cool. Next house I build is gonna have a couple of miles of cat5 in the wall...

I still haven't tested the cone thing on any other channel or ID, but I have a hunch that is just a marker that the RCA cones ignore that the RFX6000 must make a judgement upon as to whether or not to send IR. At least that is my hunch about extender ID -- about channel I am not sure.

I just threw that about the home panel RF in there again because I'm surprised that you are the only one out there who has confirmed this problem on RC. I know Daniel T. has one and is testing RF. That poor Kabster chap has been wrestling with the Pro for weeks now...I know there are several out there playing with ProntoPros and don't we all have those RF cones around the house?

This message was edited by SteveL on 08/13/01 21:46.59.

SteveL things are well over at the kabster camp at this point and time lol :-)
Yes you are correct, It apears the screen flexes when you press on the frame to the left , which causes the dark pixel flash.

Yes I can imagin the horific explosion of plastic if this thing droped from a few feet up onto a marble floor ,I think i might cry lol

The point of the ability to set rf on home panel I believe , is to make your unit control the equipment that lives at your house and not your neighbors if he or she should happen to have a similar setup with rf , my guess

Barry sounds cool keep us posted

As a dealer I spoke up last week about the home page RF issue. From what I see no RF is available there. I'm thinking the bottom left hard key will be a jump to the "RF home page". The old home page will be an intro or graphic with a jump to a useful RF page. After spending hours programming the 6000 to find out that no RF is available on the HP, I'm still P.O. I'll be more than happy to let Philips know that if I see them at CEDIA.

Dave


This message was edited by DavidatAVX on 08/14/01 00:12.46.

Amen, Dave.

Kab, I'm not talking about setting the RF channel in the home group's system properties. I'm referring to the fact that there is no RF from the home panels at all.

I thought it would be a firmware issue, as Daniel said, but the only other person I've had confirm this problem, Barry Gordon, seems to think that this cannot be fixed via firmware.