Social Feed

I looked at RS 15-2117 Manual at Radio Shack website - they do look similar to RF-20 in functions scope, but RS Remotes have a lot less physical memory compare to URC models. Is it possible to switch RF ON / OFF to extend batteries life? On RF-20 its not possible. Is there Remote Extender (IR/RF Command Center) also subject to ongoing RF interference from just about anything around? Did you try to shield it in any way, and what helped, if anything?

URC MRF-100B Powerblaster RF Extender is suffering from chronic RF interference, including extreme sensitivity to wiring inside the walls, and requires fine tuned positioning to decrease interference, otherwise its saturated all the time, and emits strong IR signal blocking work of every remote in the room. Also, pressing a buttons sequence fast on the Remote saturates Powerblaster. URC makes a newer narrow band IR/RF Remote and Extender versions now which work with a set of assigned TVs independently with each, and much better shielded, but they're unreasonably expensive. Interesting IR/RF Remote & Extender comparison is given here.

zamar23 said:

I looked at RS 15-2117 Manual at Radio Shack website - they do look similar to RF-20 in functions scope, but RS Remotes have a lot less physical memory compare to URC models. Is it possible to switch RF ON / OFF to extend batteries life? On RF-20 its not possible. Is there Remote Extender (IR/RF Command Center) also subject to ongoing RF interference from just about anything around? Did you try to shield it in any way, and what helped, if anything?

....

Click to expand...

I use the 2116s not 21117, which don't have RF capability. My one4all URC model has RF, but I never use it. I use the RS pyramid things, ie the IR extenders, not RF extenders. I once tried combining the IR and RF extenders by having one extender send to the other, but that didn't work very well, as they both seem to light up when activated, and the things went into a state of oscillation. Two sets of IR extenders do everything I need.

I can't use wireless IR Extenders due to lack of direct Line-of-Sight btw them in my setup. But after posting yesterday about cheaper RF Extenders like URC MRF-100B environmental RF noise issue, I decided to do more experimenting to combat it, since I felt like URC didn't sufficiently shield the Powerblaster on purpose: try this and then buy a 10-fold costlier narrow band model. The device can detect RF 418 Mhz signals from the URC RF-20 Remote at 50-to-100 feet, and synchronously emits IR signals towards controlled equipment. RF interference is present, when both Power and RF lights on the Extender are lit continuously, and usually results in IR sensors of all equipment being saturated and impossible to control by neither their own Remotes no an URC IR/RF Learning Remote. Its real pain the *ss most of the time.

First I tried to change direction and then detached its outside antenna section, which made no difference: the device remained saturated. It took me some effort to open very tight case of MRF-100B Powerblaster without damaging it. Its 2 screws are visible on the Back Cover, but the other 2 are hidden behind glued bottom posts, plus the case and back cover are tightly held together by hidden plastic snap locks. Once open, I found RF Circuitry PCB soldered on a bigger IR PCB and totally unshielded.

Luckily, I have a high grade Cooper Foil with one side glued and covered by thick insulation paper - ideal RF shielding material. I removed the PCB from the case, cut 2 Foil pieces and placed inside both case and cover of the Extender by paper sides towards the PCBs, while not covering by foil the IR Emitters Window. The foil pieces fit inside well, if you make holes in the foil for inner Cover Posts. The foil is now shielding internal antenna section from the RF PCB, and the bigger device PCB from outside RF noise coming from all sides. I then assembled the Extender back and switched On. Its RF noise detection Light was no longer bright solid, but blinking intermittently and much weaker. OK: that's better, but still not enough.

By moving the Extender, I then found an area of the wall, where interference was minimal - it was furthest area from windows about 50 cm from the corner - and mounted the Extender on the wall there opposite to our Entertainment Center. Still some interference remained, and was apparently caused by the Extender's 9V DC Power Adapter and also internal wall wiring. Then I run the Extender's Power Cord across the wall on an angle and in cross contact with its Power Adapter, thus minimizing inductive noise in the cord, and plugged a plastic Terminator to an adjacent Power Outlet to shield it. Vu a la - RF Light on the Extender went Off and remained Off, when switching the power On/Off or walking around the room, which never happen before. I checked if it still works with RF-20 Remote, and it did work perfectly: despite the Remote's batteries were half discharged, Powerblaster was able to receive through the wall from another room a lengthy Macro sequence and transmit it without errors to a Sat STB. :up Will see how it goes on a sunny weekday, when the large city around emits a lot more RF noise.

I have a universal remote got it at walmart. Works ok for my coolsat 5000 but it will not let me set the time on the stb for some reason

OK, weekday testing revealed that the modded URC Powerblaster is well protected from environmental RF noise emitted by a large industrial city on a sunny day. However, this device still remains a subject of some non-critical RF interference at night in large multi-dwelling buildings with adjacent units having multiple electrical and electronic devices of various kind, mostly via internal wall wiring and dirty AC Power from outlets. It's for that very reason most NIM Tuners in Sat STBs are hidden inside their own metal enclosures. Not a lot more can be done to completely shield the Powerblaster's RF circuitry due to very cheap design with limited free space inside the case and complete lack of specific circuitry designed to combat interference.

Adding to the above, I recently found that URC Powerblaster will retransmit IR signal from a pointed to it URC Remote without being connected to a power outlet. That's nice, as RF residual interference is completely eliminated this way. However RF signal will not be converted by Poweblaster to IR signal, unless its powered.