V7 HD not responding to remote.

[901]

I have been having this issue for several months now, but it wasn't too bad in the beginning, but eventually got worse, so let me first try and explain how it began, then where it is now.

This is probably just a coincedence, but not long after I began flashing the FreeSat V7 with firmware having the orange Gmedia logo on bootup, I started developing issues with the unit not responding to the remote. It initially started out like the following. I never leave the unit plugged in to power source when I am not watching anything on it. So I turn the unit on, the unit is responding to the remote like it should be. But 20 or 30 minutes later the unit would not respond to the remote, then 10 or 15 minutes later it would, then after some time which varied, it no longer responded yet again. At that point I had to unplug it from the power source, then after it booted up, the unit was responding to the remote just fine again, until maybe 20 or 30 minutes later, IOW, the same routine as I previously described.

This went on for several months like this, then the pattern changed. Now after it booted up, the unit wouldn't initially respond to the remote whatsoever, but after 10 or 15 minutes it would begin responding to the remote, but after a period of time, which varied, it would quit responding to the remote yet again. This was now the routine with it for quite some time until today.

Last night I was on 97w watching something when the remote wasn't responding once again. So eventually I unplugged the unit since I was getting ready to go to bed anyway, and figured I would just wait until today assuming it would be following the same routine, where it initially isn't reponding to the remote, then after 10 or 15 minutes it would be. But not today though. Today the unit won't respond to the remote, period. I have left the unit on for hours at a time today, still the unit is yet to respond to the remote. And no, just in case someone thinks it might be the batteries in the remote, it's not that. I put brand brand new batteries in the remote today, just in case that may have been the problem today.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this with their unit before? If yes, what caused the problem and how to fix it? What really sucks about this, the unit is currently on 97w, a Sat I rarely watch anything on, and that I can't tune to another Sat because the unit won't respond to the remote. On the front panel I can change channels and adjust the volume, but there is nothing on the front panel allowing me to change Sats.

[901]

I left the unit on all night long, still not responding to the remote. Does anyone have any solutions? Is the problem the remote, or something inside of the unit? If all I can watch is 97w I may as well throw this thing in the trash. I would buy another unit except money is tight right now. Some of us are on a fixed income, barely making it through to begin with.

[juan_vale]

Hi 901, sorry to read about your problem.... if you have a cellfone with a camera you can check to see if the remote is sending out by placing the remote close to the camera lense, and when you push a button on the control you will see a flashing on the screen of the camera. I hope I have explained OK, just locate where the camera is on the phone, flash the remote close up to it and watch the picture on the screen, you will see some flashing. If you get the flashing then it's almost 100% the problem is in the box.

PS works better with the front camera of the fone... see here >> hxxps://1drv.ms/v/s!AolfhwuvBT0tggTkrOVW4wxGshio?e=wUFVwq

[901]

Hi 901, sorry to read about your problem.... if you have a cellfone with a camera you can check to see if the remote is sending out by placing the remote close to the camera lense, and when you push a button on the control you will see a flashing on the screen of the camera. I hope I have explained OK, just locate where the camera is on the phone, flash the remote close up to it and watch the picture on the screen, you will see some flashing. If you get the flashing then it's almost 100% the problem is in the box.

PS works better with the front camera of the fone... see here >> hxxps://1drv.ms/v/s!AolfhwuvBT0tggTkrOVW4wxGshio?e=wUFVwq

My wife has a trac phone, but I'm not sure if it has a camera or not. But as to cameras, I do have a USB HD camera that I can connect to my desktop. Would a camera like that work if it turns out my wife's trac phone has no camera?

Here is something I'm contemplating giving a try, though I'm not sure if I should. When the V7 HD wouldn't boot up not too long ago, I was finally able to get it going again with a USB stick and a firmware in the root of it. But even that required using the remote. But if the unit is not even responding to the remote anymore, that idea might not work anyway. But if somehow it did, but that the unit still wasn't responding to the remote after a reflash, I would be worse off than I currently already am. What I'm thinking is, trying to reflash with a firmware from last year rather the newer ones from this year. At least now I can still watch something, but unfortunately of all the Sats for this to have happened on, it had to be 97W of all things. Had it been 125w when this happened, it wouldn't be as bad in that case. I watched a lot of stuff on 125w actually.

But if I tried a reflash and that actually worked, but that the unit was still not responding to the remote after the reflash, I would have no way to watch anything, not even 97w. Can anyone advise me what to do at this point?

[901]

Hi 901, sorry to read about your problem.... if you have a cellfone with a camera you can check to see if the remote is sending out by placing the remote close to the camera lense, and when you push a button on the control you will see a flashing on the screen of the camera. I hope I have explained OK, just locate where the camera is on the phone, flash the remote close up to it and watch the picture on the screen, you will see some flashing. If you get the flashing then it's almost 100% the problem is in the box.

PS works better with the front camera of the fone... see here >> hxxps://1drv.ms/v/s!AolfhwuvBT0tggTkrOVW4wxGshio?e=wUFVwq

It turns out my wife's cellphone does have a camera. So I tried what you said, and I saw all kinds of flashing from the remote on the screen of the cellphone, which means that we can rule out the remote as the culprit.

[Feralkiwi]

I had issues a few years back with a micro floro light bulb. While the bulb warmed up it emitted IR and blocked the remote.
Check that you do not have another source of IR somewhere, like another remote that is stuck on, or a light bulb.
You can use the camera in the dark to look for this as it will show any other remotes working as bright flashing spots.

That your unit will respond to the buttons on the panel says this is just a remote / sensor problem.
I assume you have tried using the remote as close as you can to the V7HD unit.
Some of the Freesat units do not see the remote if you are looking up to the unit, ie it is on a high shelf.
Changing software would not help as this does look like a IR sensor problem.

You could also test with the cover off the unit. Check the remote sensor is clear of dirt and spiders etc.
I have had signal loss from a spider sitting in the C band LNB between the pickup pin and the case, shorting out the signal.
Another dish had a bird nest at night in the LNB.

Other users have had issues with the V7HD over heating. Is this your issue?
Some have added a fan to the unit to cool it.

Good luck.

Owen

[Thihawatha]

Hi there I am Teddy Grimstad Civil Engineer ! Your issue with the remote is quite common with this receiver.
I have had this issue as well and and Owen explains the remote is very sensitive to NOT being able to see
the receiver eye on the unit itself. I have mounted a tiny FAN on the cooler (Changed the cooler to a bit bigger size)
and put some extra thermo "CREAM" on it and THAT HAS HELPED but another problem is also the wifi antenna
or if you use a USB Dongle for internet it increases the use of power a lot and makes the processor become even more hot.

Cordially
TG

[901]

Hi there I am Teddy Grimstad Civil Engineer ! Your issue with the remote is quite common with this receiver.
I have had this issue as well and and Owen explains the remote is very sensitive to NOT being able to see
the receiver eye on the unit itself. I have mounted a tiny FAN on the cooler (Changed the cooler to a bit bigger size)
and put some extra thermo "CREAM" on it and THAT HAS HELPED but another problem is also the wifi antenna
or if you use a USB Dongle for internet it increases the use of power a lot and makes the processor become even more hot.

Cordially
TG

Per Owen's advice, this is what I have tried thusfar. I took the cover off, cleaned the sensor, then pointed the remote directly at the sensor, maybe an inch or two away from it, still nothing. I have another unit that works, but that I'm not using. Would the sensor in that work in the Freesat? The other unit is a GeoSat Microhd.

As to overheating, I have noticed it being a bit hot before. Currently it doesn't appear to be all that hot though.

[juan_vale]

But if I tried a reflash and that actually worked, but that the unit was still not responding to the remote after the reflash, I would have no way to watch anything, not even 97w. Can anyone advise me what to do at this point?

Yes... quite a decision, if it were me I would leave it the way it is until you can get a replacement box but I would be pi**ed off later if I found a reflash will fix it. I wouldn't try replacing parts, these PCBs are not easy to work on.

[901]

But if I tried a reflash and that actually worked, but that the unit was still not responding to the remote after the reflash, I would have no way to watch anything, not even 97w. Can anyone advise me what to do at this point?

Yes... quite a decision, if it were me I would leave it the way it is until you can get a replacement box but I would be pi**ed off later if I found a reflash will fix it. I wouldn't try replacing parts, these PCBs are not easy to work on.

I will probably not try and do a replacement of parts then. So I will just forget that idea altogether. But what I'm thinking is, the Sat that it's currently on, 97w, there are no powervu chs on that Sat that can be opened that I'm aware of. But even if there is I don't currently have any of them scanned in. If I try a reflash and the unit still isn't responding to the remote after that, I still have my MicroHd I can use in the meantime. If the V7 was currently on a Sat, such as 125w, I would not try a reflash because the chs I can open on that Sat with the V7 would all be encrypted on the MicroHD. But since the V7 is currently on 97w I don't see where I have much to lose by trying a reflash. Maybe I have talked myself into it after all.

[juan_vale]

If you have a backup IRD you can use meanwhile then go for it... do the reflash.... you will know straight away as it requires you to hit 'menu' on the remote to start the process... if that works then I wud think that all will be ok... fingers crossed...GOOD LUCK.

[901]

If you have a backup IRD you can use meanwhile then go for it... do the reflash.... you will know straight away as it requires you to hit 'menu' on the remote to start the process... if that works then I wud think that all will be ok... fingers crossed...GOOD LUCK.

I tried to reflash it, tried numerous times, it never worked. I guess the only thing to do at this point is to retire it and start using my MicroHD until I can afford to buy another V7, or maybe even a later model. I will be buying another one then, I just don't know when.

[cpr43]

Easy and cheap solution

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=16050

[juan_vale]

Easy and cheap solution

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=16050

My V7HD does not have a socket for an IR extender...it would be useful if it did...

Freesat_V7HD.jpg (19.27 KiB) Viewed 2387 times

[Feralkiwi]

Maybe this then?


Owen

[901]

With the V7 HD unplugged from AC at the time, of course, and after my last post in this thread, I opened the V7 and started fidgeting with the remote sensor and ended up breaking the thing completely off the board. The unit still works though, so didn't fry anything. Is there anything I can do at this point? There is no way I could ever get that sensor soldered back onto the board. This ir extender that was just posted, would this be anything I would be able to use at this point? I have no clue how to use it or where to install it even if I had one though. If I could just get the V7 off of 97w and on to a Sat such as 125w, I would be getting somewhere.

[901]

Easy and cheap solution

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=16050

My V7HD does not have a socket for an IR extender...it would be useful if it did...

Freesat_V7HD.jpg

That Extender won't fit into the AV port?

[901]

I was rummaging thru my closet tonight and ran across an ir extender, except it's USB. I think it came with either a sat or tv tuner pci card I bought maybe 15 years ago. So I plugged it into the USB port on V7 and the extender powers up, except it doesn't respond to the remote of course. I wish I knew of a way to modify this usb extender to work with the V7 HD, but I'm guessing there is probably no way to do it.

[Feralkiwi]

Most extenders only have three wires, Ground, sensor and 5V.

That is likely the same as the sensor on the board had.

have a look at this post I made.

Good luck.

Owen