Universal Remote Control Complete Control MRF-260 User manual

MRF-260 Installation Manual

Optimizing Narrow Band Reception

with Complete Control Remotes

COMPLETE

™

Universal Remote Control®

CONTROL

COMPLETE

The information in this manual is copyright protected. No part of this man-

ual may be copied or reproduced in any form without prior written consent

from Universal Remote Control, Inc.

UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL, INC. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR OPER-

ATIONAL, TECHNICAL OR EDITORIAL ERRORS/OMISSIONS MADE IN

THIS MANUAL.

The Home Theater installation on the cover was designed and installed by

Stone-Glidden of King of Prussia and Doylestown, PA.

The information in this manual may be subject to change without prior

notice.

Complete Control is a registered trademark of Universal Remote Control,

Inc.

All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks

of their respective companies or organizations.

500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528

Phone: (914) 835-4484 Fax: (914) 835-4532

TABLE OFCONTENTS

Introduction 1

Features and Benefits 2

Parts Guide 2

Installation 3

Testing 5

Front Blaster Overload 6

Disabling the Front Blaster - Step by Step via PC 6

Controlling Four Identical Components/Zones 7

Identical Components/Zones - Step by Step via PC 7

Programming For Multiple Equipment Locations 10

USA Limited Warranty Statement 11

Frequently Asked Questions 12

Specifications 12

Page 1

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Introduction

The MRF-260 base station is an “addressable” base station. RF

Addressing gives you the ability to control as many as 60 identical

components throughout a house. To enable better range and reliabili-

ty the MRF-260 is equipped with the Narrow Band RF reception (like

the MRF-350), so is only compatible with other Narrow Band remotes.

1. MX/TX remote controls send

radio waves in every direction, so

your client enjoys “No More

Pointing” operation!

NOTE: The MRF-260 is ONLY compatible with Narrow Band remotes: the

current versions of the MX-3000, MX-950, MX-900, TX-1000, MX-850, MX-650

and the MX-350 remote controls. The MRF-260 is compatible with all MX-

950s, MX-900s and TX-1000s, but is NOT compatible with MX-850, MX-650

or MX-350 remote controls manufactured before November 1, 2006 or an

MX-3000 built before April, 2005. You can identify the build date of a remote

control by looking at the serial number. The first 6 digits indicate the build

date. If the serial number appears as 122905 014054, the first 6 digits indicate

that the remote was built on December 29, 2005.

2. The MRF-260’s integrated Narrow

Band RF receiver receives com-

mands from any Narrow Band

remote control.

3. The MRF-260’s built-in Front

Blaster sends commands to compo-

nents in the same cabinet space as

the MRF-260.

4. Self-adhesive “Flashers” affix to the

front panels of your client’s compo-

nents (over the built-in IR sensor).

The Flashers relay commands to

components out of sight of the MRF-

260’s Front Blaster. The flashers plug

in to the MRF-260’s rear flasher line

outputs via their 10 foot cables.

Uniquely, the MRF-260 can also con-

nect to rear panel IR Inputs via its

two adjustable Outputs.

Page 2

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Features and Benefits

Interference Rejection and Extended Range via Narrow Band

The MRF-260 receives RF (radio frequency) signals via its integrated

RF receiver and antenna. The MRF-260 displays RF interference via a

bright red Status LED, which flickers when interference is present if the

ID is set to 0. Simply relocate the MRF-260 should interference occur.

Two Fixed IR Outputs

The MRF-260 is equipped with two fixed IR line outputs with standard

3.5 jacks for standard IR emitter/flashers.

Two Variable IR Outputs Match Rear Panel IR Inputs

The MRF-260 is equipped with two adjustable IR line outputs. Each

output can be individually matched to rear panel IR inputs on any

component that is designed to be operated by a standard IR repeater.

The outputs utilize a 3.5mm jack and are compatible with standard IR

emitter/flashers as well.

Up To Fifteen Equipment Locations With Identical Components

Each MX/TX remote is “addressable.” They can be programmed to

specifically control components in a particular room by installing an

MRF-260 base station at each location. In operation it’s simple: when

you select a device located in the Den, the MX/TX remote only sends

commands to the Den. When you select a device located in the

Family Room, the MX/TX remote only sends commands to it.

A Single MRF-260 Can Control an Array of Identical Components

or Identical Zones of a Multi Zone Preamp/Matrix Switcher

Each MRF-260 has four “addressable” IR Line Outputs. For example,

you can control up to four identical TV’s with one MRF-260 or route

volume commands for a specific zone to a particular zone IR input on

a multi-zone preamp. If you have more than four identical compo-

nents or zones, up to 15 additional MRF-260s can be installed to con-

trol them (thus allowing up to 60 identical components or zones in

one house).

Parts Guide

The MRF-260 RF Base Station includes:

1 - MRF-260 Base Station

1 - Mounting Plate for wall mounting

the MRF-260

4 - Screws for wall mounting

1 - 9V-300mA Power Supply

4 - Visible Flashers with 10 foot plug in

cables.

4 - Extra self adhesive pads for

Emitters

12 - Labels for IR Line Outputs

1 - Screwdriver for Variable Outputs

Page 3

Installation

1. Unplug the MRF-260. Test all IR commands and macros line of

sight.

2. Power on all AV components including the TV. Turn on all of the

lights and lower all dimmers to 50%. Power on anything that

may create RF Interference (particularly devices with high speed

microprocessors or hard drives).

3. Check that the address wheel on the rear of the MRF-260 is set

to ID#0 (the interference “sniffing” position).

4. Connect the MRF-260 to its DC wall adapter and plug the wall

adapter into a live AC outlet. Place the MRF-260 in a location at

least 3 feet away from satellite receivers, cable boxes, HDTV

tuners, DVRs, PCs or any other device with a high speed micro-

processor (these generate broad band Radio Frequency

Interference -RFI). Of course, you should keep in mind that the

emitter cables are 10’ long.

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Check that the arrow pointer in the center of the wheel is pointed to 0, the

default “interference sniffing” position. If it is not, use a small flat blade

screwdriver (included) to set the RF ID# to 0.

The green POWER LED indi-

cates that the MRF-260 is

powered on.

The red STATUS LED flashes

differently, based on the

Address setting:

IF SET TO ID#0

The Status LED flashes

when it receives ANY RF

signal, including RFI. This

makes ID#0 ideal for “sniff-

ing” out RFI.

IF SET TO ANY OTHER ID#

The Status LED flashes ONLY

when it receives a correctly

addressed RF command.

Page 4

5. Observe the Status LED of the MRF-260. If it is glowing or flick-

ering you must relocate the MRF-260 to a location where the

LED doesn’t flicker.

If your installation location simply doesn’t offer you any choice

and you are detecting interference everywhere you place the

MRF-260, you have two last resort options:

a. Remove the MRF-260’s antenna. This will reduce the

range enormously, but may still be enough for this client.

b. Admit defeat and install the two piece MRF-350 base

station, which can have the RF Antenna module remote-

ly located (even in another part of the house).

7. Once you have found a location that is absolutely free of RFI

with everything on, test to see if the range is ade-

quate and that macro reliability is perfect. Start

with the antenna angle set to 45 degrees and posi-

tioned so that the long side of the antenna is fac-

ing the customer’s favorite seating position.

When testing, set both the remote and the MRF-260 to the same

valid RF ID#. Keep in mind that zero (0) is not a valid RF ID#.

Watch the Status LED on MRF-260 - it should light every time

you press a button on the remote. This confirms that the signal

was received and understood perfectly. If you repeat any button

press multiple times and the Status LED lights correctly every

time, you have no interference and a very reliable installation. If

some of the presses do not light the Status LED, you still have

some RFI. Your best strategy is return to step 3 and try to find a

better location for the MRF-260.

8. Now that the location is fixed, connect each of the emitters to

the appropriate IR output and run the cable to the appropriate

component. Do not attach the emitters to the front panel yet!

Utilize the included preprinted labels to identify which emitter

goes to which component. If you’d like to make your own, the

slots for the labels have been sized at 12mm to enable a Brother

P-Touch 12mm label to fit perfectly.

NOTE: TiVo, Replay TV, other DVRs, Satellite Receivers and Cable

Boxes are all extremely sensitive to IR overload or saturation. For

this reason, it is recommended that you always connect the IR

flashers for these types of component to the Variable IR Outputs of

the MRF-260.

MRF-260 BASE STATION

45°

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Page 5

Testing

Test a few commands for each device before fixing the flasher in

place on the front panel of a device.

Since TiVo, Replay TV, Satellite Receivers and Cable Boxes are all

extremely sensitive to IR overload or saturation, you should test

them thoroughly. Put up the on screen guide and test the navigation

arrows. Compare operation via RF to the original remote control.

Operation should be identical. RF is not slower. If operation is

inconsistent or sluggish, lower the IR line output and/or reposition

the flasher.

If you still have sluggish operation, check that the remote control is

set to a particular LINE OUT, rather than ALL. When IR commands

are sent to all the flashers in a cabinet, you can have difficulty

adjusting the IR Output. Reprogram the remote control to send IR

commands only via a specific (1-4) Line Output, then readjust the

IR Line Output level.

Note: Remember, the MRF-260 will NOT respond if you select IR

line outputs 5 or 6. The MRF-260 has only four IR Line Outputs.

1. Connect an IR emitter to each IR output and run the emitter

wire to the front panel of each component. DO NOT STICK the

emitter in place. ADJUST the level first.

2. Adjust each of the IR Output levels for best operation. If the

component operates best at minimum level, but is still operating

sluggishly or intermittently, move the emitter farther away from

the components IR sensor.

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Page 6

Front Blaster Overload

A few models of audio/video components can be overloaded by the

Front Blaster. If you are having intermittent or inconsistent results

with a particular component, try repositioning the MRF-260 and

facing the Front Blaster in a different direction. If this improves the

situation but is impractical, it may be necessary to utilize the self-

adhesive flashers only and follow the steps below to Disable the

Front Blaster. This will limit the number of components your MRF-

260 can control to four. If you have more than four components

you can purchase an additional MRF-260 or upgrade to an MRF-

350.

Disabling the Front Blaster - Step by Step via PC

Note: If you are programming a URC MX “addressable” remote

control that sets up without a PC, refer to the owners manual to dis-

able the Front Blaster.

Open the PC software, then plug the MX PC programmable remote

control into the PC. Open your saved configuration and follow

these steps to turn off the front blaster:

Step 1 - Open the RF Setup Window

The RF Setup window opens after selecting RF Control or Settings

from the Program Menu of most MX/TX editors or from the Main

Menu of the ProWizard.

Step 2 - Setup the Receiver

Extend the RF Setup window by clicking on the

RECEIVERS button.

Step 3 - Turn off the Front

Blaster

Click on the cell in the IR

LED OUTPUT/IR BLASTER

column. A list box will

appear. Select OFF from

the list.

Next, click on Close to apply your change.

MRF-260 BASE STATION

Page 7

Controlling Four Identical Components/Zones

There are several considerations to take into account when you are

installing an MRF-260 to control an array of identical components:

1. The RF ID# cannot be set to Code 0, the universal setting. You

must use one of the fifteen unique IR Routing addresses.

2. Each identical component must receive IR commands ONLY

from a dedicated Flasher affixed to its front panel or a rear panel

direct IR input. The SIGNAL of the remote should be set to RF

ONLY for each identical component. IR can still be utilized for

other devices in your system!

3. You must note the NUMBER of the Flasher Output you have uti-

lized for EACH of the identical components.

Identical Components/Zones - Step by Step via PC

Step 1 - Create and Program a Device for Each Component/Zone

Try to name each device with a descriptive title. At a minimum,

label them TV1, TV2, TV3 and so on.

Step 2 - Open the RF Setup Window

The RF Setup window opens after selecting RF Control from the

Program Menu or from the ProWizard’s Main Menu. The RF Setup

window is composed of a “spread sheet” of options for EACH of

your devices.

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