The buttons that use the "press and hold" are programmed with that capability, just like the original HR20 remote.

Seeking some help regarding a change in my home theater configuration and believe this is likely the best thread to find it. You pros here obviously know your stuff well and seem willing to help when possible (tipping hat to JonW747 , Surf Remote and other pros here).

I have a MX900 and up until this past week, I had 1 HR20 and 2 H10-250 HDVRs connected to my television (Monoprice HDMI switcher). Everything worked perfectly for me because the H10-250s allowed for unique IR codes for each receiver (remote1 and remote2) and I only had the 1 HR20 to be concerned with. Unfortunately (or fortunately) both H10-250s had to be replaced due to the HDMI cards going bad on them at the same time (what are the odds of that?). So now I have 3 HR20-700s connected side by side. Directv CSRs had no idea how I could set unique remote codes for the receivers' remotes. I spoke with 3 different ones, all of whom told me I would have to purchase one of their RF/IR remotes (RC32RF)... which I did. I didn't want to confuse the matter with them by trying to explain I already have an IR/RF capable custom remote. It was explained to me that I would then program the new remote's av1 mode for one of the HR20s using RF, av2 mode for another of the HR20s also using RF and then use the base Directv mode to control the 3 unit set to IR. I did exactly that and it works... but with some drawbacks. I am unable to program volume control for my Onkyo receiver with the remote because it requires one of the 2 av modes being available for that.

Now getting to the MX900. I purchased it back in June of last year in an online auction before I understood all the reasons to avoid such purchases. Still it was done before URC changed their policy about software downloads. I have the MX900 editor, but it's not the latest update. My flawed reasoning in purchasing the Directv RC32RF remote (aside from getting a quick fix to an immediate remote control problem) was that I would be able to simply have my MX900 learn new unique codes to control all 3 of my HR20s. The obvious flaw was in not stopping to think that RF codes can not be learned as are IR codes.

While I believe I understand my MX900 and it's programming pretty well, I know very little about RF base stations and how they are set up to function with the remote. Because the HR20-700s have RF receivers built in (unlike the HR20-100s), I would just like to be able to directly control all 3 of my HR20s using my MX900. I know that each HR20 receiver has a unique RID 6 digit number which is used during the RF setup procedure which allows for unique codes controlling all functions.

So here's my bottom-line question(s)... Is there a way for me to have 3 sets of unique IR codes to control my different HR20s? If not, is there a way for me to program my MX900 with RF codes for the 2 newly added HR20s which are now being controlled in RF mode with my RC32RF remote... and if so, can it be done without having to purchase a MRF350 base station? Any helpful tips or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

P.S. For future purchases I know to use an authorized dealer, so I hope this post won't generate a bunch of "If you had used a custom installer or an AD..."

The HR20 has two unique IR addresses, there are 00001 & 00003 on the oem remote. to switch the receivers see this thread:

[Link: remotecentral.com]

You can then use the URC addressable basestation t control the third HR20 independently.

Edmund, thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. I did find the info at the link you provided to be helpful.

I do have a follow up question regarding RF base stations and remotes controlling them... I have a basic understanding that the remote will send an RF signal to a specific port of the base station which in turns will pass the corresponding IR code to the controlled device using an emitter. What I don't understand is how the RC code being sent from the remote is actually found or created. And does the base station have all the specific IR codes for each device which is to be controlled stored in it's memory?

I actually have taken some time to look for a simple explanation of how an RF remote communicates with a base station in order to control a particular device, but I have yet to find that clearly stated. Usually it's put into some simplistic jargon like, "remote sends RF codes to base station and base station sends the IR codes to device using an emitter". For the inexperienced, that really doesn't tell me much at all. Would you happen to have a link to a site where the remote/basestation/device relationship is clearly explained? I would be so grateful if you do.

I also do not understand why I can not send RF signals directly to my HR20-700s via my MX900 remote. Obviously I can send RF signals directly to the HR20s using my Directv RC32RF remote. Why can't I program in RF codes into the MX900 so they can be sent directly to the HR20s instead of having to go through a base station?

Thanks again, Edmund, for your help and any other suggestions or clarifications you might be able to offer me.

The remote is converting the IR signal for a specific command to a specific RF signal. The MRF base station simply converts that unique RF signal back to its corresponding IR command. There are no IR commands "stored" in the MRF (except for the MSC-400, which is another animal completely. As each device can be assigned its own specific emitter, you could conceivably have 6 identical components (like DirecTv receivers) all controlled independently, evn though they're all using the same command set.

No universal remote has the ability (except sometimes by accident) to directly control RF equipment, as it would have to either have all the available RF commands in it or be able to learn RF from another remote. Part of the reason that there are no RF universal remotes is that RF transmission and reception is governed by the FCC. Licenses are required for each RF frequency. This makes it cost prohibitive to have an RF universal remote.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

Mike, thank you so much for that clarification! It was greatly appreciated and I will be sure to remember your help when I go online to order an URC MRF350 in the next couple of weeks. I suppose the only other question I have about this is just where the emitters are attached to the Directv HR20s as I do not see any back panel IR input for them.

Thanks again Mike!

You would place the emitter over the IR receiving eye on the front of the HR20, just like you would with most equipment that doesn't have direct IR input. With the HR20, you may need to turn down the output on the MRF-350 for more reliable operation.

Mike, I got the MRF-350 which I ordered from surfremotecontrol.com, and found it was very easy to get set up with my MX-900 remote. I now am able to control the 3 identical HR20-700s which I have sitting next to each other and with the same quickness as if I was using IR individually. I took your advice and turned down the output level for the 3 flashers to it's lowest setting and that worked great.

I do have a question perhaps you or someone else would be kind enough to answer. Is there a "best way" to securely attach the flashers and the wiring to the chassis of the HR20 so that it will look good and will hold in place. I removed the paper backing of the flashers and stuck them over each of the IR sensors on the front of the HR20s. They are holding ok for now but the stickiness and holding power seems minimal. I currently have the flasher wires running back over the top of each HR20 and connecting to the MRF-350 base station. Do you have a suggestion as to what I can use to secure the wires to the top of each unit so that even simple dusting won't cause the wires to be easily pulled away? I seem to recall reading something in a post about a glue-gun being used to secure the wiring but I'm not sure about that.

Thanks for any suggestions you might be able to offer me.

Just a quick note of thanks to all of you who post such valuable knowledge. Not only does it enable me to program my 850, but it gave me the confidence to try it myself. Knowing that valuable knowledge has been posted is a huge benefit, but even better is knowing that I can reach out to the community for additional help if needed.

I just re-programmed my 850 today (first time by myself, fixing what the "professional" did so poorly) and could not be happier.

Thanks again,
G&G

I'd be interested in a .mxa file that includes the 0003 ID for the HR20.

I'm new to remote programming, but I was wondering how your codes differ from the ones that are provided in the MX-900 editor (other than the press and hold capability, which is what I really want). I need the ID 3 codes to work with my setup, and also want the press and hold. I didn't see buttons in your file for the Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue buttons, either.