U4 Remote Replacement

[Mr Electrickery]

What is considered the best all round remote to replace u4 remote?
I have a Logitech Harmony remote (not sure what model) that has started to have problems presumably with dirt on some keys.
Also I have a V2 system that is unused in box. Could I use it and if so what is involved?

Thanks
Iain

[prl]

What is considered the best all round remote to replace u4 remote?
...
Also I have a V2 system that is unused in box. Could I use it and if so what is involved?

A V2 remote will work with a U4. It has the same code set. IMO, it's a nicer remote to use than the U4's original. However, the V2 remote is missing the WizTV/HDMI IN button.

[Mr Electrickery]

Thanks Peter

[prl]

No problem.

[Paul_oz53]

What is considered the best all round remote to replace u4 remote?
I have a Logitech Harmony remote (not sure what model) that has started to have problems presumably with dirt on some keys.
Also I have a V2 system that is unused in box. Could I use it and if so what is involved?

Thanks
Iain

I have four Harmony remotes all repaired with Harmony kits from https://buttonworx.com/ . They all work perfectly now though the odd button may require a firmer press. Currently $12.95 US plus postage. It comes with instructions.

However, for some strange reason, I suffered 63 days of delay in the post as the Australian Border Force insisted on inspecting the letter for contraband.

You need a sharp tool and care and patience to peel back the cover over two screws at the top on the rear of the remote, a small screwdriver for a total of six screws holding the case together, and a couple of guitar pick-like tools to pry the case apart. Take your time. I find it easiest to start at the battery end when prying the case open.

Take care to remove the back case evenly so you don't break the battery contact connectors away from the circuit board. Tricky to repair if you break one, as I did.

Three screws are inside which must be removed from the circuit board to expose the keypad. Cleaning it with isopropyl alcohol will often bring it back to life for a while. The kit is a lasting fix. It involves carefully peeling several small sticky pads and accurately positioning them as per the instructions.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly but be careful to position the shield over the front LEDs before attempting to fit the back cover.

[prl]

I have a Logitech Harmony remote (not sure what model) that has started to have problems presumably with dirt on some keys.

I have four Harmony remotes all repaired with Harmony kits from https://buttonworx.com/ . They all work perfectly now though the odd button may require a firmer press. Currently $12.95 US plus postage. It comes with instructions.

ButtonWorx has 7 different kits for different series of Harmony remotes. Your price and detailed instructions may not apply to the remote that Mr Electrickery has.

But I'm glad you posted the link. They now have a kit for my Harmony 785 (which was marketed as a 720 in some countries). When you did your repair, did you clean the dome buttons, and if so, what did you use for the cleaning instead of their recommended Deoxit?

[Paul_oz53]

I have a Logitech Harmony remote (not sure what model) that has started to have problems presumably with dirt on some keys.

I have four Harmony remotes all repaired with Harmony kits from https://buttonworx.com/ . They all work perfectly now though the odd button may require a firmer press. Currently $12.95 US plus postage. It comes with instructions.

ButtonWorx has 7 different kits for different series of Harmony remotes. Your price and detailed instructions may not apply to the remote that Mr Electrickery has.

But I'm glad you posted the link. They now have a kit for my Harmony 785 (which was marketed as a 720 in some countries). When you did your repair, did you clean the dome buttons, and if so, what did you use for the cleaning instead of their recommended Deoxit?

I just used isopropyl alcohol but didn't really have a problem with any of the dome buttons. They suggest buying deoxit locally because it can't be sent by post.

[prl]

Thanks. Jaycar has a Deoxit swab kit, but it's considerably more expensive (AUD33) than the button repair kit (USD8).

[sub3R]

Jaycar has a Deoxit swab kit, but it's considerably more expensive (AUD33) than the button repair kit (USD8).

It is expensive. I bought some DeoxIT® D-Series D100L 2ml Squeeze Tube just over 12mths ago & the cheapest I could get it was on-line from Totally Technical at Bowen Hills Qld (suburb of Brisbane).

I just looked up their website & they still stock it.
https://www.totallytechnical.com.au/brand/deoxit/

[sub3R]

... They all work perfectly now though the odd button may require a firmer press. ...

That’s the problem I noticed when I repaired one of our Harmony 650 remotes using the buttonworx kit made for that remote. I have to press some of the small buttons quite hard. Our other non-repaired Harmony 650 doesn’t have this problem though - no extra pressure required for the small buttons.

I’ve repaired a few other different brand remotes with the individual various size buttons from buttonworx & they work perfectly, even the very small buttons. I don’t know what it is about the Harmony 650 I repaired.

I bought quite a few different size buttons from buttonworx & I think this is the better way to go, although it is a lot more time consuming than fitting the dedicated kit.

[prl]

I bought some DeoxIT® D-Series D100L 2ml Squeeze Tube just over 12mths ago & the cheapest I could get it was on-line from Totally Technical at Bowen Hills Qld (suburb of Brisbane).

Thanks, Dennis.

[Mr Electrickery]

Thanks for detailed responses. Unfortunately between failing eyesight and a pretty bad tremor I doubt could perform surgery On my remote. I bought a second hand Harmony 650. Hope I just haven't bought same Problem.
Thanks every body
Iain

[Paul_oz53]

Thanks for detailed responses. Unfortunately between failing eyesight and a pretty bad tremor I doubt could perform surgery On my remote. I bought a second hand Harmony 650. Hope I just haven't bought same Problem.
Thanks every body
Iain

I'm not much better medically but my eyesight is good enough. I bought a secondhand Harmony 650 but it was old and required cleaning and the kit to fix it. I had to pull it apart and clean it but couldn't get the RED button working so I ordered a kit to fix it. Now it works well enough.

I live near Melbourne Airport nowadays. If you want to get the kit and get it and the harmony remote to me I'm happy to have a go at fitting it for you, on an "all care, no responsibility basis" and you pay postage if needed. I'm not comfortable trying to open the Beyonwiz remotes though. If you go that route there can be a major delay in postage as I noted earlier - 60+ days!

[paullings]

My U4 remote has finally given up the ghost and yes I've replaced the batteries
I have a Harmony Ultimate One which dear wife uses and I purchased a replacement U4 remote from Beyonwiz a few months ago which turned out to be a T3 remote anyway. My problem is when I change the U4 to use the T3 remote my Harmony then doesn't work.
So I have a couple of questions please.
1. Does anyone have a U4 or V2 remote they might be willing to sell.
2. Can I change the Harmony remote codes using the MyHarmony app so I can use both the T3 and Harmony remotes.

Thanks

[prl]

2. Can I change the Harmony remote codes using the MyHarmony app so I can use both the T3 and Harmony remotes.

You should be able to reconfigure the Harmony to use T3 codes by removing the U4 device and adding a T3 device. You'll probably need to make some other adjustments to integrate the T3 device back into its activities in place of the U4.

[MrQuade]

You should be able to reconfigure the Harmony to use T3 codes by removing the U4 device and adding a T3 device. You'll probably need to make some other adjustments to integrate the T3 device back into its activities in place of the U4.

You can avoid the headaches of adding a whole new device and reconfiguring activities and customizing button layouts.

The U4 device on your Harmony setup can be configured to use one of its "alternate code sets". One of the alternate code sets corresponds to the T3's IR command codes.

I'm chuckling at the concept of a his and hers remote control arrangement too . I'm picturing myself glaring at my wife whilst we duel.

[paullings]

I'm chuckling at the concept of a his and hers remote control arrangement too . I'm picturing myself glaring at my wife whilst we duel.

Thanks prl and MrQuade.
It's just that I preferred using the U4 remote when I top and tail my recordings. The buttons were in a better arrangement for using cutlist editor.

[prl]

I ended up buying a Buttonworx repair kit fpr the Harmony 720 to fix my 785, on the assumption that they have the same button layout.

My first problem with the kit was that the instructions start: "Disassemble your remote." Nothing more about how to do it.

I found the 4 screws in the battery compartment, and I was able to start popping the back off the remote starting from the bottom, but when I reached hear the top of the remote, I couldn't get any further and it was clear that something else needed to happen before the back would come off the remote completely.

A bit of Googling told me that there are two more screws under the central panel on the front of the remote, either side of the Activities button, but none of the photos in the article were still available. Anyway, I worked out how to get the panel off, and after I undid those two screws, disassembly was fairly straight-forward.

However, when I tried the overlay sheet with the metallic contacts in the Buttonworx kit, they didn't match where the contacts were on the PBC.

I went back to a picture of the 720, and then I noticed that while it looks very like the 785, it's missing the row of coloured buttons that the 785 has. So the kit was no use to me. Fortunately it cost less than $20, so a small lesson learned about looking properly before I decide that two things that look alike are actually the same.

Anyway, I then used isopropyl alcohol to clean the PCB contacts and the conductive pads on the buttons. There didn't seem to be any practical way of cleaning under the dome buttons.

So, in the end, the remote is now working better, even the dome contact buttons, despite me not having actually done anything to them.

So, if anyone has a 785 that's acting a bit flaky, and wants to try cleaning its contacts, I can post detailed disassembly instructions if you want.

[Jan]

I repaired 2 Harmony 650's with the button kits last week. I had 2 dead and one dying remote! I had purchased the kits nearly two years ago, when I first read about them here, but hadn't ever got around to doing the repairs! Then when the current remote started having issues with the buttons, I finally got cracking on it. My only real issue doing it, was getting all the screws out! On each of them, there was one screw that I just couldn't budge - and of course it was a different one on each of them! They were just too tight for these old, arthritic hands!! I ended up having to go to my daughter's house and get my son-in-law to get them out for me. Unfortunately I had completely stripped the head on one of them. Anyway, long story short, I successfully did the repairs. First one was a learning curve, but second one was easy peasy. I didn't bother getting the DioxIT, and just used Isopropl. Luckily there was a Instruction video for the 650.

They both work perfectly now. I had to re-program one of them, as it was an old one and didn't have the V2 on it.

[prl]

However, when I tried the overlay sheet with the metallic contacts in the Buttonworx kit, they didn't match where the contacts were on the PBC.

I went back to a picture of the 720, and then I noticed that while it looks very like the 785, it's missing the row of coloured buttons that the 785 has. So the kit was no use to me. Fortunately it cost less than $20, so a small lesson learned about looking properly before I decide that two things that look alike are actually the same.

Anyway, I then used isopropyl alcohol to clean the PCB contacts and the conductive pads on the buttons. There didn't seem to be any practical way of cleaning under the dome buttons.

So, in the end, the remote is now working better, even the dome contact buttons, despite me not having actually done anything to them.

Unfortunately, the "squishy" buttons on our Harmony 785 deteriorated fairly quickly after my "fix".

But I found that the top part of the Buttonworx overlay for the Harmony 720 exactly matched the button contacts at the top of the remote, and the buttons between the row of coloured buttons and the screen. The bottom part of the Buttonworx overlay matched the number pad button contacts below the coloured button row.

So with a little surgery on the overlay, I now have the overlay in place over all the buttons that it's intended to work on except the coloured buttons. If the colored buttons go bad on me, then I'll just buy another Buttonworx kit and just use one row of it.