The new URC MX-350 remote

[MDS]

I received my new MX-350 and MRF-260 RF basestation today but as usual I am not prepared to deal with it just yet - no batteries in the house to put in the original remotes to teach the new universal.

It looks pretty much the same as my previous Osiris branded mx-350 but I could swear that the buttons are just a tad smaller - like maybe 1/16" smaller in diameter. It comes with a big warning page that says the firmware is upgraded and not to clone to or from the older osiris branded mx-350 (which is not a problem because I gave the osiris to my sister). The only visible difference is that the new one says MX-350 on the box and remote and the word Osiris is nowhere to be found.

The only reason I upgraded is the newer URC models work with narrow band RF which supposedly helps to reduce interference. The MRF-260 RF basestation is tiny and should be easily placed somewhere in the av stand. I'm sure it will work great when I get it programmed.

 

[Audioholics]

The narrow band REALLY helps. So does adding an MSC-400. I use that unit along with an MX-3000 (a writeup is due shortly in fact).

 

[Alex2507]

I finally broke down and bought an MX-350 about a month ago. I was just getting some 'learned' features programmed into it and really starting to like it, only to now discover that I have the old one without the narrow band RF. Bummer. It shouldn't matter as I had no intention of using RF.

I have yet to get to the macro programming. I do have a question about your choice for placement of the A B and C buttons from a cable box remote. I realize that there are any number of places to put them but no place stands out as a convenient place.

 

[MDS]

The first LCD page of Cable has A, B, C, LNITE (late night), PSIZE (picture size). One thing I do is try to put the function I use most on the bottom LCD button, the next most used on the second button from the bottom and so forth.

You can still use RF if you have a remote built before 1/07, you just have to use the MRF-200 or MRF-250 and not the new MRF-260 (narrow band). If the bottom of the remote says Osiris it is older; if it says MX-350 it is the narrow band version.

I've only had one minor issue with this remote. The original cable remote will scroll the guide rapidly if you press and hold the up or down arrows but the MX-350 wouldn't learn the code correctly regardless of whether I just tap and release or press and hold the arrows on the original remote. I have an old One-For-All 8811 that was taught the cable buttons years ago and I used it to teach the MX-350 the cursor up and down buttons.

 

[Alex2507]

Thanks for the reply. I found my solution to be on pg. 4 of CABLE. Letters A-E are listed there. I do much better at this kind of thing early in the day while my mind is fresh and alert.

I think you might have customized your remote to be really user friendly while I am still working on the basics.

Edit: The 1st pg. has FAVCH, PAGE+, PAGE-,HELP and MUSIC going top down.

 

[MDS]

Alex,
Keep in mind that the remote is pre-programmed from the factory with default codes so the default for cable may have A, B, C buttons as well as many other labels that don't correspond to your cable box if it is different than the default.

I use the 'C' button a lot because it brings the guide back to the current channel. Therefore, I want it on the first page. I wipe out all the default labels and put what I want where I want it. There used to be a trick where you could use 'Aux 255' as the setup code and it contained nothing but 2 power commands and no labels on the LCD. It was a convenient way to wipe out all pre-programmed setup codes but aux 255 is no longer listed in the manual and I didn't do it this time.