USB-UIRT and Dish VIP222

[Axeman]

I got my DishNetwork installed today but I can't get the USB-UIRT to see the signals from the VIP222 remote. I installed the USB-UIRT drivers off their website and went into the source setup for my PVR-150. I selected the UIRT to control the VIP222. It then asks me to press 0 until it reads the signal. When I do this nothing happens, the red light on the UIRT does not come on and in a few seconds it tells me the learning failed.

I know the UIRT is working because when I press keys on my ir keyboard the UIRT light comes on signaling that is sees the ir signal. It just doesn't seem to see the Dish remote signal.

I am using remote 1 which is the ir remote and I realize remote 2 is UHF and won't work. Remote 1 works fine with the VIP222 so I don't think the remote is bad.

Other forum posts indicate that their UIRT and VIP222 work fine so I must be doing something wrong. Suggestions?

[Slugger]

When in learning mode I find you've almost got to put the remote right up against the UIRT device (like literally within a quarter-inch). If you try any further away it just doesn't learn the IR codes. Give that a try.

[Axeman]

Slugger, that didn't work but while I was trying it I noticed that pressing any number except 0 would cause the light on the UIRT to come on. For some reason the 0 key seems different. I did some more searching on the forums and found this thread http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40042

A few posts down is a .ir file for the 222 that I downloaded and copied into the SageTV/Common/USB-UIRT folder and everything works now. I'm not sure what's going on with the 0 key but problem solved.

[Axeman]

Well, I thought it worked. After doing the above I had Sage change a few stations and it seemed to work but now, a few minutes later, it won't change channels. I tell it to change a channel, the UIRT light flashes 3 times but the receiver doesn't change the channel. I think the UIRT is transmitting it's just now sending the right signal.

[Axeman]

Well I've fought with this thing all last evening and a few hours this morning. I have no trouble with numbers 1-9 as long as I hold the remote very close to the USB-UIRT like Slugger suggested. I can't get the 0 to work right, though. When you press the 0 button on the remote it does not send out a steady signal like numbers 1-9 do. It sends a brief signal then stops. This signal is not long enough for the UIRT to recognize. To try and get around this I tried repeatedly pressing the 0 button. After a few seconds Sage accepts the signal and moves on. When I then try and change to a channel with a 0 in it instead of sending a single 0 it sends six 0s.

I went in and tried to edit the .ir file and take out some of the 0 repeats but it doesn't work. If I edit anything in the .ir file it just doesn't recognize the 0 at all when I try and change channels. How did you other VIP222 users overcome this?

[Axeman]

Using the lrnhelper program from the maker of the USB-UIRT I was able to get the ir code for 0. I cut and pasted this into my .ir file and left the numbers 1-9 as they were. After some more playing around I found that RepeatCount command was set at 6 and that is why I was seeing six 0s every time the UIRT tried to change to a channel with 0 in it. If I lower the RepeatCount to 1 then 0 works perfectly but the VIP222 does not see the numbers 1-9. If I increase the RepeatCount to 2 then numbers 1-9 work properly but I get two 0s for every 0 it tries to send. For some reason numbers 1-9 need a repeat of 2 or greater to bee seen by the VIP222 but the number 0 needs a repeat count of only 1, anything else causes multiple 0s to be sent.

Is there a way for me to specify a repeatcount of 1 for the number 0 and a higher repeat count for the other numbers? If not can anyone think of a way around this problem?

[Slugger]

Is your receiver an SD or HD receiver? I have remote codes for the Bell 4100 receiver from when I used to be a Bell subscriber. Bell repackages DishNet receivers since they use the same technology. The Bell 4100 is a smallish in size SD receiver. I've attached my ir file for that receiver. Since you're having problems I suppose it can't hurt for you to give it a try. I don't have any Bell receivers anymore so I can't do anymore testing for you other than to give you what I have.

Good luck.

Note: I had to append a .txt extension to upload the file here. Remember to rename the file before placing it in the RemoteCodes dir.

[Axeman]

Slugger I tried your file but it didn't work. I tried a couple of different channels on the remote but not all of them (there are 28).

I did however get it to work after a couple of emails with Jon (the guy who makes the USB-UIRT). He sent me an ir file that works for remote channel 1. With his file I can set the repeatcount to 1 and numbers 1-9 work correctly as does the 0. If I set repeatcount higher than 1 I still get multiple 0s but it is working well for now. Jon thinks I might have reliability issues with repeatcount at 1 but so far it is working.

Here is the file for anyone who my need it in the future. Just remove the .txt from the file name. Remember you must set your remote to channel 1 (see the guide that came with the VIP222k for instructions on changing the channel of your remote.)

[vbtweb]

got one box to work and change channels even from the extender for over 14 minutes!!! added second source and everything broker, no signal, errors, etc.

Channel changing worked on both but not long enough for me to run to a tv to test it.

I'm going to have bad dreams involving this software....