Behind the Curtain With Jim

Inside views from the product development team

Optimizing RF Range

a) Set the wheel on the bottom of the Base Station to any VALID ID Number (anything other than ID 0 TESTING MODE). Do not leave a job site with any RF base station set for ID 0.

b) In the MX Editor Software program select the RF Settings for the remote control:

1. Set SIGNAL to RF

2. Set the RECEIVER ID Number in your MX Editor software to the same ID Number you set on the rotary wheel at the bottom of the RF Base Station, located under the sliding mounting plate.

3. Turn the Front IR Blaster (Front LED) OFF. That’s the big window on the front of the RF base station. Almost all professionals never use this blaster, although in some jobs it can help. If you forget and leave it on you run the risk of severe IR overload.

4. Trace the emitter lines back to the RF Base Station and mark them with the correct line output number. This way you won’t have to rip apart your rack to find the correct emitter wire. Make sure that you set each device for the actual IR Line Output that you used for that emitter connected to the specific device. Do NOT use the ALL setting, using ALL will add to the nightmare of troubleshooting. If you use ALL you will likely cause severe IR overload and you will think that you have an RF problem, when in fact you will be flooding the devices with too much IR. If your system operates correctly when using RF, but one device acts sluggish or inconsistent, you have IR overload. TiVo, DVR’s, SAT and Cable boxes are all easily overloaded with too much IR output.

5. Now you can download from your PC into the remote control.