Many thanks for a prompt response to my query about upgrade from the PC, but I forgot to ask about cables, and don't want to be caught short on Christmas morning, as it were.

I downloaded the instruction manual for the 9200, and it specifies an RS232 connection. The drawing shows that I will need a female-female cable.

I already have male-to-female RS232 and USB-to-female RS232 cables. Will I need (a) a gender-bender; or (b) a whole new f-f cable; or (c) will it work over USB?

Thanks yet again.

I'm not complaining, but isn't RS232 a bit old-tech these days?

Oh, and one more query whilst you're all in the mood to help:

Does the 9200 play over the RF connection, and if so, is it tuneable? I currently route all RF TV signals, including my current VCR and DVD recorder, via a distributor in the loft. This gives us playback all through the house. Can the 9200 do that? The only reference I can find in my downloaded manual is right at the back where it refers to 'Preset Channel: CH36". Is that it, and can it be changed?

Thanks again in advance.

Quote: Does the 9200 play over the RF connection, and if so, is it tuneable? I currently route all RF TV signals, including my current VCR and DVD recorder, via a distributor in the loft. This gives us playback all through the house. Can the 9200 do that? The only reference I can find in my downloaded manual is right at the back where it refers to 'Preset Channel: CH36". Is that it, and can it be changed?





Good luck with this. I had the same arrangement as you but I had to alter it so that the 9200 was on it's own downlead from amplifier. It was causing interference on most of the common channels but mainly Channel5. If I want to distribute to another TV I think I'll try a video sender. You can alter the UHF channel from 36.
Last edited by Kansas : 18-12-2006 at 10:56

Yes it can. I use the RF output (you can select the channel via a menu option) to distribute it via coax to the bedroom. I also bought a TVLinkPlus that let's you use the little SKY magic eyes to use your remote from the remote location too.

Thanks for that: I'll watch out for it.

I'm not sure I have exactly the same setup as you, though. I bring the downlead from the roof aerial directly to my VCR and DVD recorder, then back to the amplifier/distributor in the loft. All TVs (and VHF radios) in the house are fed from that, except of course that I use SCART for my main TV in the living room. You mention a downlead from the amplifier: in my setup it's an uplead from the players to the amp.

Substituting the Humax for the VCR in this setup, how would it cause interference? Isn't that exactly what many people do anyway with RF output from any type of video recorder, or are you saying that everybody uses SCART and nobody has noticed that the Humax RF tuner is such poor quality that it won't lock a channel properly?

Yes. I had this system exactly. I don't know why but when I introduced the 9200 in the loop I had the formentioned problem. Let's hope it was just my setup that showed this and you have better luck.

Thanks for that, and to stevecasey, who seems to have had better luck, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

One possibility, though: did you try retuning the 9200 output to a channel well away from the main 5? Could it have simply been cross-channel interference? Certainly, I had to be very careful when tuning my VCR & DVD output.
Where I live (west of London), the main 5 channels are:

BBC1 26
BBC2 33
ITV1 23
CH4 30
CH5 37

and I have my boxes tuned to:
VCR 47
DVD 40

If your 9200 is still at 36, it might be interfering with CH5.

Just a thought!

Yes, tried numerous permutations but to no avail. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Is the male-to-female RS232 ... a null modem cable?

If not order one of theses today.

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/cab...1?sck=33710786

Today is the last first class posting day before Xmas.