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Thread: New Kat5 order, IR not working

  1. #1
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    Default New Kat5 order, IR not working

    Hi, is this the right place for support? We just ordered and received today a Kat5 kit, 1 Tx and 1 Rx - everything works fine except the IR part of the Tx is not triggering our Sky+ box so we can't change channels etc. If I look directly at the IR emitter I can only barely see the light coming on (not sure if this is the IR part or just an indicator...) but if I look at an angle I can see it fully - it seems to me the IR emitter is not in the correct place??? I've tried all sorts of positions and nothing works...

    Also, I noticed we got a Mk3 Rx but only a Mk2 Tx, is that OK? At some point in the near future, once we've ironed out any problems, I want to order more Receivers but need the full IR functionality to work for all of them... not sure if that needs a Mk3 Tx??

    Many thanks,
    Jean

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durwin View Post
    received a Kat5 kit, 1 Tx and 1 Rx - everything works fine except the IR part of the Tx is not triggering our Sky+ box so we can't change channels etc. If I look directly at the IR emitter I can only barely see the light coming on (not sure if this is the IR part or just an indicator...) but if I look at an angle I can see it fully - it seems to me the IR emitter is not in the correct place??? I've tried all sorts of positions and nothing works...
    Hi Jean,

    Sorry to hear you are having problems. The LED you can see is only a visible indication, the actual IR emiiter is on the sticky side of the emitter and you cant actually see anything.

    This image shows the approximate position of where my SKY+ box has the emitter positioned.



    Some experimentation can be required as the SKY+ boxes seem to bounce IR signals around inside the case if not positioned correctly which causs the signal to get scrambled.

    An alternative to the IR emitter is to use an RF2link from www.pacelink.co.uk this plugs into the RF2 outlet on the SKY box and the flying lead then goes to the KAT5 transmitter. This is a much more reliable way of sending commands into a SKY box and many Tivo owners use those instead of IR emitters.

    Also, I noticed we got a Mk3 Rx but only a Mk2 Tx, is that OK? At some point in the near future, once we've ironed out any problems, I want to order more Receivers but need the full IR functionality to work for all of them... not sure if that needs a Mk3 Tx??
    There isnt a Mk3 TX. A Mk2 TX will work perfectly with any KAT5 receiver but multidrop IR is only possible using Mk3 Receivers which all current units are.

    Hope that helps. If not contact me off list keith at kat5 dot tv and I will try to resolve the problem. May take a few days to reply due to half term holiday.

    Regards

    Keith
    KAT5.tv - affordable high quality AV Distribution
    http://www.kat5.tv

  3. #3
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    Keith, thanks - I should be ashamed! I always understood the hole on the Sky box with the word "remote" above it to be the input hole for IR, whereas it seems this was just the indicator. I have found the correct position now, to the right of the control buttons - I have a different Sky box to you but its equivalent to about 2 inches to the right of where you indicated.

    Thanks for confirming also about the Mk3 status, that's great.

    I just wanted to clarify the situation with Multi-drop use. We have a house with Cat5 all laid out, leading back to a central patch cabinet. I'm concerned about your instructions to keep the patch lead short in this sitation, but which one needs to be short, if we take the Cat5 adaptor you have available? Obviously for the first Receiver, its about 20-30m to the wall socket, then I envision a Cat5 cable into the adaptor (can this one be long, its about 3-4m from the socket to the TV), a very short (?) Cat5 cable to the unterminated Receiver, but the second cable from the adaptor back into the wall is going to be as long as the first one, then it has to go 20-30m to the patch cabinet then another 20-30m to the next wall socket for the next TV. Is that right? Or do we have to keep ALL Cat5 cables connecting to the adaptor short and use a long Scart lead? But then the IR receiver will not be near the TV!!! Help!!! Oh, and can we order the Cat 5 Y-adaptor from Laser?

    Another Q - I like the sound of the RF2link, I've never come across it before - but I presume its the unpowered version required - and does this just go into the RF2 out socket, it obviously has some circuitry in there to deal with the signal input...

    On a final note, I can't seem to get the Scart switching working at present - Scanning through channels on Sky is not switching the TV between Widescreen and 4:3 or whatever, as I'd expect, and the TV doesn't change inputs when the Sky box is turned on ... but it could be the TV (Sony LCD), I need to check its settings... It works as expected on the main TV which is connected directly to the second Scart on the Sky box.

    Otherwise, great picture, much better than we had before, we'll need more of those receivers from you and I need to order a whole bunch of patch leads I think!
    Thanks,
    Jean

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Durwin View Post
    Keith, thanks - I should be ashamed! I always understood the hole on the Sky box with the word "remote" above it to be the input hole for IR, whereas it seems this was just the indicator. I have found the correct position now, to the right of the control buttons - I have a different Sky box to you but its equivalent to about 2 inches to the right of where you indicated.
    Finding the IR receiver is always the hard bit !!!

    I'm concerned about your instructions to keep the patch lead short in this sitation, but which one needs to be short, if we take the Cat5 adaptor you have available? Obviously for the first Receiver, its about 20-30m to the wall socket, then I envision a Cat5 cable into the adaptor (can this one be long, its about 3-4m from the socket to the TV), a very short (?) Cat5 cable to the unterminated Receiver, but the second cable from the adaptor back into the wall is going to be as long as the first one, then it has to go 20-30m to the patch cabinet then another 20-30m to the next wall socket for the next TV. Is that right? Or do we have to keep ALL Cat5 cables connecting to the adaptor short and use a long Scart lead? But then the IR receiver will not be near the TV!!! Help!!! Oh, and can we order the Cat 5 Y-adaptor from Laser?
    The main CAT5 cables can be as long as you like because they effectively become onle long cable in a daisychain configuration. The cable that has to be as short as possible is from the Y adapter to the unterminated receiver as this is a stub of the main cable run and because it is unterminated a long length of cable could cause reflections in the signal.

    Another Q - I like the sound of the RF2link, I've never come across it before - but I presume its the unpowered version required - and does this just go into the RF2 out socket, it obviously has some circuitry in there to deal with the signal input...
    Both versions are powered from the RF2 output on the Sky box. The version you need depends on whether or not you have anything already connected to the RF2 output such as a TVeye type device. If you do you will need to buy the through powere version or your existing kit will stop working as if wont get its power feed.


    On a final note, I can't seem to get the Scart switching working at present - Scanning through channels on Sky is not switching the TV between Widescreen and 4:3 or whatever, as I'd expect, and the TV doesn't change inputs when the Sky box is turned on ... but it could be the TV (Sony LCD), I need to check its settings... It works as expected on the main TV which is connected directly to the second Scart on the Sky box.
    If your main TV is doing the correct SCART and Aspect ratio switching they that is obviously connected to the TV SCART. Your KAT5 transmiter must therefore be connected to the VCR SCART. This does not have the switching signals on Pin 8 of the SCART. What you need to do is get a passive SCART splitter from Argos or similar for about £5 and plug the main TV into one socket and the KAT5 TX into the other. You will also need to open up the KAT5 TX and switch of the 4 termination switches near the SCART socket.

    Hope that helps.

    Sorry for the slow reply, been away for a few days.

    Keith
    KAT5.tv - affordable high quality AV Distribution
    http://www.kat5.tv

  5. #5
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    Keith, thanks very much, I think you've cleared everything up for me!!! Perhaps some of this info could go into a FAQ at some point?

    Would love to see your AV Switcher product get to market, I'm hoping to do a self build home in the next year or so, so I'd be looking for a whole-house network solution for AV, security cams, etc etc, it would be great to see the capability of your unit.

    Regards,
    Jean

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