Cantanckerous Remote!

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DTroyer
Cantanckerous Remote!

We have a 20-in Zenith in our bedroom with a delightful snooze mode on its remote. Lately, the remote just QUITS! It flashes its little red light just fine, but with no effect on the tv. I've changed the batteries several times. Re-programmed every code on the list. Nothing.

Here's some more mystery... Of course, being a guy, I kept clicking anyway! And one day, it worked! Two months later, it quit again!

Does anyone know if the problem is more likely with the remote, or with the tv itself? I can't afford buying a replacement remote if that's not the problem. What could be causing this strange behavior?

Thanks for the help.

Matt Whitlock
Dave, welcome to the TechLore

Dave, welcome to the TechLore Community. Thank you for filling out your TechLore profile, it makes the community feel like more of... well... a community!

I'm going to take a wild guess and say there isn't a problem with either, but I'll need more info (and for you to perform an experiment) before I'll know if I'm right.

Okay, four questions:
Does the remote always work when you're close to the TV?
How far is the TV from the remote when in bed?
What angle is the TV to you?
What color are the bedroom walls?

How you answer will determine if you perform the experiment.

DTroyer
Hi, Matt - thanks for diving

Hi, Matt - thanks for diving in where all others feared to tread...

I'll answer your questions both ways...

"Does the remote ALWAYS work when you're close to the TV? - Before: yes, always- at any distance After: never - at .2" on back

"How far... TV to remote while in bed" maybe 10 feet

"Angle"... straight on - tried all angles. This remote has been so effective that you can even point it to the back wall and it will still do what you will. When it's working.

And that time when it came back on... I took out the batteries (again, in frustration), tested them, then put them back in. Then it worked. Weird.

Do you think the problem is in the remote, or in the IR sensor?

Matt Whitlock
I can't speak with complete

I can't speak with complete certainty, but my gut is telling me that the remote is the problem. Here's a few things you can do to truly diagnose the problem:

1. Try a different brand of battery - It's a long shot, but I've gotten bad multi-packs in the past... especially from Duracell. If the same thing occurs, it's not the battery.

2. Shake the remote and listen for moving parts, or see if the battery terminals have corroded. If all seems well, move to step 3.

3. Buy the cheapest universal you can find and carefully remove it from the packaging. If it controls the TV from all over the room, the problem is the original remote. Return the universal and order an OEM replacement. If the same problem happens with the universal, the problem is the TV and needs to be repaired or replaced.

DTroyer
Thank you, Matt - As a

Thank you, Matt -

As a matter of fact, the batteries I tried second were Duracell - figured I'd go with the best, but to no avail. I guess it's human nature to shake the dickens out of it to make it work. No dickens, no work either. I have a very good universal remote that I use for my RCA equip. I'll try that.

But if I judge your thinking, you feel it's the remote going bad, rather than the tv?

 

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