Occasionally the HDR remote works a bit reluctantly.
I know about being nearly at right angles to the HDR face, but it takes a harder press than normal.
Things usually normalise then, for a while.

There is also another problem, reported elsewhere, that while in "Text" mode & trying to look at the next text item, the downward press of the silver ring causes me to jump out of Text & changes channel from say 102 to 101. Again this lasts for a while then normalises. Very mysterious!

Having experienced the reluctant button effect with a Sky remote I found that that was cured for about a year by opening the remote & cleaning up an oily substance with a paper tissue soaked in surgical spirit.

Does anyone know how to open the HDR remote, non destructively?

David

Mine plays up too - the OK button is a continuous frustration - I'd like to clean mine - come on someone - show us the magic area that will let us open it. This must be a relatively common fault - I've just been on EBay and there's a thriving trade in offering replacement for a remote less than 18 months old - for up to £34.95! The consulation is that if you buy one they give you a years guarantee!!!

Generally the idea is that the remote isn't repairable - they are clipped together during manufacture, and it's usually VERY diffcult to get them apart, and almost impossible without causing damage.

I think the remote on HDR is a bit non-responsive even when new so taking it apart to clean wont do anything unless you have spilt a drink on it.

I only used the original remote for a month or two and had no problems with it at all although there were loads of reports to say otherwise.

I use a Harmony remote now but that is for multi tasking and nothing to do with the Humax original remote.

As I dont use the original remote perhaps yours is not standing the test of time assuming it's got worst since new.

I reckon some of the remotes non-response is due to the slow processor in the machine and if you do several button pushes in succession the machine needs to have a rest while it decides what to do next.

I agree that it is under-responsive but restoring it to new condition by an annual clean would match my Sky remote experience & satisfy me.


It did only work within a narrow cone from the HDR, but one got used to that. The download of new firmware did seem to help me.


i wondered if someone would suggest that I "Harmonise" perhaps it will come to that.

If that was right your Harmony would also be slow, 'cos the fault/slowness was within the HDR !?

True, but I don’t do multi successive button presses but the HDR will refuse a command or be slow to respond on occasions.


It’s a bit like a computer that lacks RAM, if you click on say the icon to start MS Works the computer may not respond because it’s doing something in the back ground.

So what happens ( and I am guilty of this as well having under power non upgradeable RAM on my laptop) you click on the Works icon again, nothing happens, so gain and again and so on.

All that is happening is that your slowing the computer down even more.

Then 3 days later you get a screen saying that Works is already running.

I am no expert on the internal workings of the HDR but I reckon that is what happens with the HDR sometimes.

The very slowness can make a user think that the command was not noticed by the HDR. This then leads to multiple commands which gives the box an electronic, nervous breakdown.

The fault that most upsets me is the channel jump when I try for the next text page.


I was hoping someone could contradict this.

Perhaps I need to borrow Stanandjans sonic screw-driver.

David

Strangely my above post responded to what appeared to be a single line. After I posted I saw the rest which seems about right.
Leaves me wondering if DS is running out of RAM!

David

Unfortunately it applies to almost all remotes, they aren't designed to be repaired, and it's really not cost effective - most remotes are ludicrously cheap these days.

Nigel I guess you still work, I like many live on a pension & £34.95 for a year (see below) seems a bit dear. I've had it for 15 months & its played-up for about 4 months.


Shortly my attempts to open it will get a bit more brutal !

David

Before anyone breaks open their remotes it's an idea to press and hold the 'red' and 'ok' buttons together till the light blinks. Some people have reported some success from this after their zappers have acted untoward.

Thanks will try !

Following the Harmony solution, how long do they last & @ what cost?

David

That's pretty extortionate for a remote these days, and it's really a very poor quality and badly designed remote anyway.


That's usually what it comes down to

I've been brutal with a LOT of remotes

OffTopic-ish : I had a summer job years back working for our local cable company overhauling remotes that had been returned by customers, paid on a piecework basis!

It was usually the battery clips that went first, or people had picked off the keys - I had a big bag of battery clips, a stack of membranes, and I would cannibalise parts as needed to make working, scrubbed-up remotes. Although the clips could be prised open, often they were broken anyway, so i would just superglue the halves of the case, stick a bulldog clip on it to hold it and move to the next one...

John

Just hope I don't have one of yours ! or my brutality will need a chainsaw.
Wonder if that would invalidate a guarantee?

David (turning into a Goliath.)

Not Humax but when I had trouble with an eight year old TV remote I did find out how to locate the clips and get it apart. Lots of gunge inside. Realising that it ran on just 3v I then took the parts and put them in the dishwasher on a medium temperature. Dried off and reassembled it looked and worked like new!

Subsequently I've done this with several othe remotes with equal success. The hard part is always finding out how to get them apart and the Humax one does look challenging.

You may have already done this but its worth a mention, have you removed both plastic protective strips from the front fold down panel and also from the inside display lcd
as I had a similar problem with lack of response from the remote until I removed the inside protective strip.
Worth a look

And in simplistic terms ..
with the information in your LOGO..
who knows?
someone could be around the corner to bring their remote to prove either way so quickly..
especially with the improving weather..
I am certainly glad that i am aware of someone who i have no doubt would help..
in what wouild be then atrivial black and white situation..

Sorry Stanandjan - I've lost the plot

I think he's trying to say if you put your location in your profile someone may live near you that could lend a remote to check if the problem lies there or not.

But then again I've never met anyone who actually types in a scouse accent so I could be wrong..

Yuve gotit ded rite wac

Seemed to work for a day, then


This job would have challenged the "What's My Line" panel !


Like you I've wondered what the gunge was.
Dr Cabbage could have benefited from this trick !


Yes I did but well worth mentioning for newer sufferers.


Helps when you have a Scouse keyboard !

Got mine from the Tyne, though I bought a Gallic spare for when I needed French letters.

There is hope on the horizon, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8587486.stm , I particularly liked quote:--
Early work suggests the system, called Skinput, can be learned with about 20 minutes of training.

"The human body is the ultimate input device," Chris Harrison, Skinput's creator, told BBC News.

David

If you have a camcorder then switch it on and point the remote at it and you will see a response if the key pressed is working.If you have an old redio with Long & medium wave on it I found that if you find a quiet part of the band then you will hear each press of the button.
If the remote is faulty and you insist on dismantling the remote then firstly check for any screws, usually in the battery compartment, then GENTLY twist the remote to discover which side of the remote has the outer side of the case, that is the side that clips over the side with the pips on, this top side then has to have a flat bladed object (I use a small penknife) to slide under the join to find where the lugs are, with care release the first one and check by twisting if the case is starting to get looser, continue down one side and release all clips then ease the other clips while still twisting the case until the case opens.When dismantled and you clean the tracks,check that the I.R.diode is soldered as when a remote gets dropped then the shock can crack the soldered joints.Check for wear on the contact areas of the button membrane, if worn you can buy a small pot of repair "paint" that appears silver in colour, you paint it on and when dry reassemble the remote and hopefully all will work .

You probably already have put a new set of batteries in but just incase you haven't.. try that and then try resetting.

I checked the cells & both were 1.42 volts. (They were Duracell Basic Alkaline) This I would have thought was good enough down to say 1.3 v. However I got a couple of new "Tesco Power Hi Tech extra long life alkaline batteries" snappy little label :yawn:
Their voltage was 1.62 so I gave them a try.

I'll keep you posted, but first impression was actions correct & MUCH quicker.

Thanks GC, by resetting did you mean press red+OK ?

I cant remember the price but certainly much cheaper than:--
http://www.turbosat.com/products/Hum...e-Control.html
£30 & 12m warantee

David