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universal remote controls and Goodmans GDB2
[Deleted User]
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Anyone managed to control their GDB2 using a universal remote? I'd be delighted if you have.
I've found that the GDB2 remote's buttons each seem to alternate between one signal and another. What I mean is, say you press the Ch+, it sends out signal 'A'; press it again, it sends out 'B'. The box seems to expect this. Try this on yours: have the box on BBC1, press Ch+ (sending out signal 'A') - it will go to BBC2. Now stuff the IR LED end of the remote in a cushion or something and press Ch+ again (sending out 'B'). Bring it out and press Ch+ a third time (sending out 'A' again) - the box will ignore you! A fourth press ('B') will take you to ITV1.
Hmm..
OK, it seems that if the box receives any IR signal at all after it receives the first 'A' for Ch+, it will then respond to another 'A' and go to the next channel fine. Weird.
All of this guff makes it hard to get a universal, learning remote to work, because the remote will learn either 'A' or 'B' for that function. This makes it useless.
I have tried both the e-pilot thing off Maplin, and also OmniRemote (on my Palm PDA), and neither seem to be able to cope with remotes like this. I have tested a circumvention by making every button a macro of: (1) some guff IR off a remote for an old bit of kit; (2) the actual signal (say 'A'), and this works OK, but makes for slow going, both in programming the thing, and use.
Any thoughts or ideas, anyone? (other than 'get out more') ....
I've found that the GDB2 remote's buttons each seem to alternate between one signal and another. What I mean is, say you press the Ch+, it sends out signal 'A'; press it again, it sends out 'B'. The box seems to expect this. Try this on yours: have the box on BBC1, press Ch+ (sending out signal 'A') - it will go to BBC2. Now stuff the IR LED end of the remote in a cushion or something and press Ch+ again (sending out 'B'). Bring it out and press Ch+ a third time (sending out 'A' again) - the box will ignore you! A fourth press ('B') will take you to ITV1.
Hmm..
OK, it seems that if the box receives any IR signal at all after it receives the first 'A' for Ch+, it will then respond to another 'A' and go to the next channel fine. Weird.
All of this guff makes it hard to get a universal, learning remote to work, because the remote will learn either 'A' or 'B' for that function. This makes it useless.
I have tried both the e-pilot thing off Maplin, and also OmniRemote (on my Palm PDA), and neither seem to be able to cope with remotes like this. I have tested a circumvention by making every button a macro of: (1) some guff IR off a remote for an old bit of kit; (2) the actual signal (say 'A'), and this works OK, but makes for slow going, both in programming the thing, and use.
Any thoughts or ideas, anyone? (other than 'get out more') ....
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It is complicated stuff, but take a look at the capabiities of JP1 at www.hifi-remote.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jp1 for more info. JP1 also enables you to turn a OFA remote into a PC programmable one.
My OFA4 universal remote wasn't able to control the GDB2 when I received it, so I had to send it to OFA for an upgrade. They added "device code 1284" to the OFA4.
I then found that the widescreen function wasn't coded, so after a bit of experimenting, I added it manually. It's "button code 238". Now it all works fine. And the OFA4 ALSO has this signalA/signalB behaviour.
If you need a replacement remote for the GDB2 you can ring their helpline (the number is listed in the GDB2 update campaign thread in the digital terrestrial catagory) but if you would like a universal remote to control the box, among other things, rather than buying one just to replace a broken GDB2 remote, then as far as I know, none of the universal remotes out there can control it! (It is the same scenario far GDB1 + 3 owners too, as far as I know.)
I hope that was clear; I couldn't explain it very well!:)
GDB2freeview:)
I just got an OFA Kameleon 6 this morning and this really helped. Thanks.
But....
The Guide button, Menu button, Info button and arrow keys aren't programmed. I've tried to make it learn these functions but the following example occurs...
Say I press red and go to interactive. If I try and scroll down, the cursor will move down once.
Before it is able to move down again, I must press a different button first.
When I made the remote learn the widescreen, I had the same problem as what happens with the arrow key. However that code 238 above has fixed this.
Do you have any more codes like the 238 above?
Cheers
Frazer
1. Activate TV volume punch-through after adjusting the GDB2's volume until it exactly matched the volume of the analogue tuner. (And then just for the hell of it, program Vol+ and Vol- into magic-fastforward and magic-fast-reverse.)
2. Program Setup-menu (339) into Magic-menu. (The Guide was already programmed into the menu button.)
3. Program Wide (238) into 16:9 button.
I don't know what the Guide button and arrow keys are because they were already programmed into the OFA4 with library 1284. You can either find them by going through all 256 magic codes, or you can ask One For All via the contact-us button on their website. They can take 10 days to reply.
Do tell us in this thread, when you get them.
I've foundquite a few that actually do something however I haven't taken a note of them.
Perhaps after work...
Seems my remote doesn't recognise the library code "1284" and I'm stuck with 0200 for now. I hope that the helpline is open tomorrow.
The function codes seem to do the same though. Here's what I've got so far...
Anyway, she said that because the code is so new that it had to be downloaded over the phone. Absolutely great
All is done and I can now use code 1284
Some more function codes...
universal remote control that will operated the GDB-2?
Ta
Carl
I've used remotecentral.com and found all my equipment apart from the poxy DTR2 or infact anything by Vestel.
Big thanks
Lea
With the adjustment (volume, brightness) buttons, when you hold the button each code it sends is the same and the function continues to adjust.
However if you hold a number button slightly longer you don't get a repeat digit on the page number or channel selection, this wouldn't be useful. You have to press and release and press again. And 'toggle code' is how the receiver knows you have done so.
As an aside, the cheap learning remotes that I have (£4.99 specials from Aldi and Lidl, electronically the same device) do correctly handle head-to-head copying of the original remotes' toggle codes.
Whereas my expensive (15+years ago) Philips RC775 does NOT, despite Philips RC5 system itself incorporating (requiring) them.