Scientific Atlanta remote won't learn into Sage2

[YellowBox]

Hey, how's it going. Got me a problem here.
Just picked up Hauppauge PVR250 with SageTV 2.0, and bought the USB-UIRT along with my purchase from Frey Tech.

I was trying to "teach" Sage to control my Scientific Atlanta 3100 cable box, but the UIRT wouldn't pick up the signal from the remote. No red LED, no nothin'.
At first, I tried using the cable box learned stuff from my MX-500, and when that didn't work, I tried the original remote, too. Not a single blink of the LED.
The LED lit up for every one of my remotes EXCEPT for the SA remote. Heck, it even lit up for my air conditioner's remote, so I figure something's up and I'm not sure what.

I don't necessarily need the UIRT to pick up the signals if there was some way to download the codes for my box and have it integrated into Sage.

Though I've been building HTPCs for a couple years now, I'm new to the PVR250, SageTV, and UIRT, so any help for a REbuilder would be apprectiated.

- Dan Litwin

[jrhees]

Its probably a distance issue during the learn process. First keep in mind that the USB-UIRT uses two different receive sensors -- a long-range sensor for normal (from the couch) reception, and a special short-range sensor for LEARNing. Since the Sci. Atlant remote you're using is likely a 56KHz remote (an unusual carrier frequency) and the long-range sensor on the USB-UIRT will not receive 56KHz, it is *normal* for the USB-UIRT led to *not* blink when you press buttons on your remote.

Not to worry, though, since what you want to do is LEARN your remote buttons -- and for this opration the USB-UIRT uses the short-range sensor, which *can* see your Sci. Atl. remote.

When in Sage's learn screen (where it asks you to press button 0, button 1, etc.) the USB-UIRT switches to LEARN mode and therefore uses the short-range sensor. When in this mode, you'll want to hold your remote as follows:

Hole the remote about 4 INCHES away from the USB-UIRT, aimed directly at the USB-UIRT at a point just to the left of the RED LED.

Then, when you press and hold a button on the remote you should see LED blinking indicating your remote is being seen. If not, try holding the remote closer or further away.

If you still have issues, contact support@usbuirt.com and I'll email you a little 'test' app which can help work through the learning process.

-Jon

[YellowBox]

Works fine, works great. Needed to be 2 inches away, actually, but works nonetheless. Much better than the old-school $3 Packard Bell IR receiver I had.

Now if only I could get Sage to always transmit 3 digits at a time...

Thanks again, boss.

[jrhees]

I think there's some option in Sage to 'pad' channel numbers to a number of digits...

-Jon