CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[WayneB]

I just replace my 9-year old Runco 980 Ultra and installed my "new" Marquee 9500LC Ultra that I purchased from Curt.

I am trying to get my Logitech Harmony 628 Remote working with the Marquee. It does not work well, at least not in a usable way.

I have a Harmony 628 Remote pointed at a Xantech 490-00 Infrared Receiver (with a "talk-back" LED), to a Xantech 791-44 Amplified Connecting Block, to Xantech 283M Blink-IR Mouse Emitters on all my components (except the Marquee).
I sit under the projector. For the past 6 years I have bounced the IR signal from the Harmony off the screen and back to my Runco projector. I did not need to use the IR Repeater.
That does NOT work on the Marquee.

I programmed the Harmony remote for use with an Electrohome Marquee 8500 (I also tried 9500).
The commands to power on, off, help, etc., do work, BUT ONLY if I stand AT the screen and point directly back at the projector. I sit under the projector, so that is unusable.

The solution should be to run a wired IR emitter out to the projector from the IR Connecting Block. I tried that. I installed a Blink-IR Mouse Emitter on the Marquee IR sensor.
It did not work either. At least not consistentely. The projector recognized the command about 1 in 10 key presses.

In normal operation, when the xantech IR Receiver receives an IR command, it lights up a talk-back LED quite brightly for 1-2 seconds depending on the command. If I use the Marquee remote, it does this normally. If I use the Harmony remote for any other device except the Marquee, it does this normally. But if I use the Harmony to send a command for the Marquee, it lights up for a VERY short time and is very dim. This implies to me that an extremely short command was sent.

In addition, I tried to learn commands from the Marquee remote and teach the Harmony. I have done this many times in the past for other devices. The Harmony recognized that I pressed a key but immediately said "No IR command received, try again". I tried all the tricks, tilting, moving closer, or further away, dark room, etc. No Joy. This implies to me that it received IR, but it was too short or not recognizeable as a command.

Does anyone else have a Harmony remote working with the Marquee?

Does anyone else have a Xantech working with the Marquee?

What else should I be trying?

Thanks.....Wayne

SOLVED: The Marquee uses 336KHz IR carrier frequency. The 600 series of Harmony remotes do not support higher frequency IR. The Harmony 500 series, 800 series, 1000/1100, 720, and Harmony One remote will be able to control a device using this frequency.
I purchased a Harmony 1000 and it works perfectly.

[Tim in Phoenix]

Umm


The Marquee IR is very high frequency like 336khz, you need to check specs on the Harmony.

.

[WayneB]

Thanks Tim,
The strange thing is the Harmony has entries in its database for the Marquee and the Harmony DOES work, if you stand 10 feet away and point it directly at the Marquee, it works every time.

However, that might be a clue that the Xantech repeater might not be working.
The 490-00 Micro Link Infrared Receiver has an "Infrared modulation frequency bandwidth: 30-100 kHz."

Is anyone using an IR Repeater with the Marquee?

[Sparky015]

I have a Harmony ONE and it works perfectly with my old Marquee 8000 and my "new" Marquee 8500. As you did with your Runco, I point at the screen. It may just be your Harmony model? How far are you from the screen?

[WayneB]

Hi Sparky,
I sit 11 feet from the screen. But even standing right at the screen and pointing at the screen, it does not work. I have to be pointing directly toward the projector and within about 6 feet of the projector for it to work. Even then, it sometimes takes two presses to get it to work.

I have a model H628 which is pretty old. In fact, it was made by Harmony before they were bought by Logitech. Maybe your new model does the higher frequency (336 KHz) that the Marquee remote uses. They started using that frequency in Oct 1992, before that they used 112 KHz.

How sensitive is the Harmony One to being pointed at the screen for it to still work?

My H628 worked on the Runco no matter where in the room I was pointing it.

Do you have a IR Repeater for the other devices?

...Wayne

[Sparky015]

It's very sensitive. As a matter of fact, I'm also sitting about 10' from the screen, and I can go from the left to right side of the room and still point at the screen and have 100% reliability. The only downside to it is that there is a delay from when I press a command for it to register at the projector. I believe this is the Harmony, as the Electrohome remote is much faster. I haven't played with the delay settings on the Harmony to adjust that. For me, the Harmony is basically just powering on and off the Marquee, and that's it. Any settings on the projector I play with for convergence, etc., I use the Electrohome remote.

I don't have an IR repeater in my system, so I'm not much help there. Sounds like your H628 is at the limits of it's freq range, and can't bounce it off the screen. I do highly recemmend the ONE though. Great remote! Only negative is it can't do a PS3, but supposedly Logitech is working on a solution for that.

I'll try and play wih the delay setttings and see if that fixes my delay. Never bothered before since I just use it for power.

Paul

[WayneB]

Thanks Paul,
I looked up the manual for the Harmony One and it says it can learn commands but only for remotes up to 200 KHz. If the Marquee is 336 KHZ, I was wondering if you ever tried to teach it a command, such as Recall - 0 - 1.
...Wayne

[greg_mitch]

I didn't read your whole post because it is long and I am lazy right now but I did have a similar problem with my NEC.

The NEC IR receiver isn't activated when the full blown setup remote is plugged into it. Could that be an issue?

[WayneB]

Probably not.
The actual Marquee remote works perfect. So does the built-in remote.
...Wayne

[Sparky015]

[WayneB]

Thanks for the info Paul.
I contacted Logitech support and they gave me some very good information:
The Harmony 600 series does NOT support higher frequencies. (I have the H628 Harmony)
Here is Logitech's statement:
"Yes, the 800-series of Harmony Remotes and the Harmony One can control high frequencies such as 336 KHz. At this point, only the 500 series, 800 series, 1000/1100 and 720 remote will be able to control a device using this frequency."

So, to solve this problem, I think I will buy either the Harmony 880 or Harmony One.
Both Costco.ca and Amazon.com have the 880 at good prices. Amazon also has the Harmony One.

Since you have a Harmony One, could you please answer some questions for me.

I am concerned that the Harmony One is not as ergonomic as the 880 when held in the hand in the dark. I assume the 880 is the same as my H628, since they look to have the same shape. With my 628, I can pick up the remote in the dark, my thumb goes immediately over the Select/OK button, and I can find and touch Guide, Channel up, Volume, Previous channel, and Mute without thinking or looking at the remote.
How is the Harmony One in this regard?

I am not sure I like the idea of a touch screen. Just one more thing to go wrong, and is it sensitive or prone to miss-touches?
How do you like the touch screen?

Is there any other features you like or dislike about the Harmony One?

Thanks....Wayne

[Tim in Phoenix]

[Sparky015]

[WayneB]

Solved:
Thanks to Tim for pointing me in the right direction and Paul for recommending the Harmony One remote.

My Harmony 628 does not support higher frequencies such as the Marquee frequency of 336KHz according to Logitech support. Logitech stated: the 800-series of Harmony Remotes and the Harmony One can control high frequencies such as 336 KHz. At this point, only the 500 series, 800 series, 1000/1100 and 720 remote will be able to control a device using this frequency.

I went to purchase a Harmony One, based on Paul's recommendation, at London Drugs for $229. The manager there offered me a new Harmony 1000 for the same price (listed as $499 on Logitech website). I bought the Harmony 1000.

The Harmony 1000 works beautifully. It bounces the 336KHz IR signal off the screen and back to the Marquee without the need for an IR repeater. All the Marquee remote buttons work through the Harmony 1000.

Thanks for everyone's support.

....Wayne

[Sparky015]

Glad it worked out. Nice deal on the 1000!