# Remote Control on/off stopped working......some questions.



## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

We have a tv sound box which is 'playing up'. I did think it had packed in but investigation shows it is just the remote on/off that is not working.
I can switch on/off on the actual box......then I can use the remote to alter the sound up/down.
Tried new batteries
Tried re-set
No success.
2 questions........
1. Anyone got any advice to fix it.
2. If I have to get a new remote will it automatically be compatible with this box.
Thanks.


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## lazybloke (20 Sep 2021)

A phone camera can see infrared, have a look to check if the remote is actually doing anything


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## DaveReading (20 Sep 2021)

Failure of individual keys on a remote's membrane keyboard isn't that uncommon. How much of an inconvenience is it to switch the box on/off manually?


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## Tenkaykev (20 Sep 2021)

Have you checked to see if there is a phone app that will control it?


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## glasgowcyclist (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> I can switch on/off on the actual box......then I can use the remote to alter the sound up/down.



I’m confused, that sounds like it’s working. What else do you need the sound box (sound bar?) to do?


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## Oldhippy (20 Sep 2021)

Books!


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## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

lazybloke said:


> A phone camera can see infrared, have a look to check if the remote is actually doing anything


As I say......it will increase/decrease volume but not switch on/off.


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## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

lazybloke said:


> A phone camera can see infrared, have a look to check if the remote is actually doing anything


Technophobe here......how do I do that ?


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## figbat (20 Sep 2021)

What model it is? I assume it is IR rather than some kind of radio connection (eg Bluetooth or similar - my TV and Sky Q remotes are both this type).

I’d concur that it is the button itself that is at fault - it may just be a bit of dirt or corrosion in the contact.


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## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

DaveReading said:


> Failure of individual keys on a remote's membrane keyboard isn't that uncommon. How much of an inconvenience is it to switch the box on/off manually?


Not a lot but its like having a d og and barking yourself.
I paid for a remote.
I have a remote
I just want it fully functional (if possible)


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## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> Have you checked to see if there is a phone app that will control it?


Didnt know that was possible tbh


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## jowwy (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> Not a lot but its like having a d og and barking yourself.
> I paid for a remote.
> I have a remote
> I just want it fully functional (if possible)


mine comes on and off when i switch the TV on/off.......mine is connected with an optical cable and the sound settings on the TV set to external speaker/sound device


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## Dave7 (20 Sep 2021)

figbat said:


> What model it is? I assume it is IR rather than some kind of radio connection (eg Bluetooth or similar - my TV and Sky Q remotes are both this type).
> 
> I’d concur that it is the button itself that is at fault - it may just be a bit of dirt or corrosion in the contact.


TV, soundbox etc all Sony.


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## figbat (20 Sep 2021)

jowwy said:


> mine comes on and off when i switch the TV on/off.......mine is connected with an optical cable and the sound settings on the TV set to external speaker/sound device


Same here. It may be something that can be enabled through the TV menus.


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## MartinQ (20 Sep 2021)

Oldhippy said:


> Books!



To throw at the box to try and turn it on and off?
A bit unlikely if you ask me, but it might be worth a try.


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## glasgowcyclist (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> As I say......it will increase/decrease volume but not switch on/off.




My LG TV does that sometimes. The fix has been to switch off and unplug the TV for 5 minutes (sound box in your case), remove the batteries from the remote control, then press and hold the power button on the remote for 20 seconds. Replace batteries, plug device back in and it should work, at least it does for my TV.


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## jowwy (20 Sep 2021)

glasgowcyclist said:


> My LG TV does that sometimes. The fix has been to switch off and unplug the TV for 5 minutes (sound box in your case), remove the batteries from the remote control, then press and hold the power button on the remote for 20 seconds. Replace batteries, plug device back in and it should work, at least it does for my TV.


a sort of hard reset of the system


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## glasgowcyclist (20 Sep 2021)

jowwy said:


> a sort of hard reset of the system



Exactly.


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## Milkfloat (20 Sep 2021)

If you are a real luddite and cannot be bothered to sync with the TV etc, then simply putting the remote control model number into eBay will probably find you a new one or a copy. I think my last remote cost me £3.50 delivered.


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## fossyant (20 Sep 2021)

Our TV control started playing up, so I opened up the remote and cleaned up the rubber keys and the circuit board with electrical contact cleaner. Works fine now.


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## lazybloke (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> Technophobe here......how do I do that ?


A bit redundant if the remote does work for volume.


But....remotes work with infra red. I don't have night vision, but any phone camera should see a flash from the LED when you press a button. It's just a basic check of whether the remote has any life.


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## icowden (20 Sep 2021)

If part of the remote isn't working, has anything been spilled on it? 

Personally unless it is very tightly glued, it may be worth taking it apart and checking to see if the buttons pad or circuit board needs a bit of a clean, or if there is damage to the underside of the button. In remotes the button usually has a conductive back that touches a printed circuit board. They are pretty easy to check and clean. If that has no effect, then there may be a bigger electrical fault somewhere, in which case a new remote is probably the best option.


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## newts (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> TV, soundbox etc all Sony.


You should be able to sync your sony tv remote to control the sony sound box & have all the functionality.


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## Gillstay (20 Sep 2021)

fossyant said:


> Our TV control started playing up, so I opened up the remote and cleaned up the rubber keys and the circuit board with electrical contact cleaner. Works fine now.


I did the same. An got the same result.


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## presta (20 Sep 2021)

If it's got a silicone rubber keypad, you can bet your bottom dollar that's what's knackered, they must be the most unreliable, short lived component in the whole of the electronics industry. My Humax handset's knackered already and it's only a couple of years old, but it has a visible LED as well as the I/R one, so you can easily see when the buttons are playing up.


DaveReading said:


> Failure of individual keys on a remote's membrane keyboard isn't that uncommon.


A membrane keypad is a different kettle of fish entirely.


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## ColinJ (20 Sep 2021)

presta said:


> If it's got a silicone rubber keypad, you can bet your bottom dollar that's what's knackered, they must be the most unreliable, short lived component in the whole of the electronics industry. My Humax handset's knackered already and it's only a couple of years old, but it has a visible LED as well as the I/R one, so you can easily see when the buttons are playing up.


I have the same problem with _MY_ Humax remote control!

It started off with the TV button (middle of top row; makes the remote control the TV) then the STB button went (left of top row; makes the remote control the Humax box), finally the On/off button itself stopped working (right of top row).

I think the PCB under the buttons flexes and eventually cracks some tracks, but I haven't taken the control to pieces to check.

I bought one of those lookalike remotes on ebay but discovered that it is only about 95% compatible! Some buttons are in a different position, but a couple of them don't exist - _Recordings_ and _List_, both of which I use a lot.

So it was back to the faulty control and some workarounds - I discovered that if you press any of the buttons labelled 0/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 that turns the Humax box on, that turns the TV on, and that turns the soundbar on! I have the system set up so the Humax box and soundbar are turned off when the TV turns off. It means I need to keep 2 remotes handy now rather than just 1.

Actually 3 controls - I turn the soundbar off at night and use headphones instead in case my neighbours or guests could hear my TV on until 3-4 a.m.!


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## All uphill (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> Not a lot but its like having a d og and barking yourself.
> I paid for a remote.
> I have a remote
> I just want it fully functional (if possible)


If you feel confident to open the remote you will almost certainly find a silicone membrane under the keys. This is to keep out crumbs, liquids.

Very often the silicone becomes a bit oily as it cures over a few years. A quick dip into the washing up then drying, followed by reassembly will almost certainly have it working like new.

It's one of my repair party tricks.


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## ColinJ (20 Sep 2021)

All uphill said:


> If you feel confident to open the remote you will almost certainly find a silicone membrane under the keys. This is to keep out crumbs, liquids.
> 
> Very often the silicone becomes a bit oily as it cures over a few years. A quick dip into the washing up then drying, followed by reassembly will almost certainly have it working like new.
> 
> It's one of my repair party tricks.


That sounds worth trying! I might give that a go this evening...


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## All uphill (20 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> That sounds worth trying! I might give that a go this evening...


It's very satisfying to do and impressive to non-technical people, unlike repairing neighbours bikes which usually results in bruises and grazes.


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## Gillstay (20 Sep 2021)

I had one I could not open, so bought another used one very cheap on e bay, broke into it, worked out how to do it with less damage, and then mended mine.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (20 Sep 2021)

fossyant said:


> Our TV control started playing up, so I opened up the remote and cleaned up the rubber keys and the circuit board with electrical contact cleaner. Works fine now.





icowden said:


> Personally unless it is very tightly glued, it may be worth taking it apart and checking to see if the buttons pad or circuit board needs a bit of a clean, or if there is damage to the underside of the button. In remotes the button usually has a conductive back that touches a printed circuit board. They are pretty easy to check and clean.


+1. Worked for me


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## Poacher (20 Sep 2021)

Dave7 said:


> TV, soundbox etc all Sony.


We have a similar problem with our Sony TV about three times a year.
Surefire solution (so far!) is to cut off power to the set, i.e. don't just switch it off, pull the plug out, leave it for about ten minutes, then plug back in and switch on.


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## ColinJ (20 Sep 2021)

All uphill said:


> It's very satisfying to do and impressive to non-technical people, unlike repairing neighbours bikes which usually results in bruises and grazes.


Hmm, I have opened up the remote looking for gunk, and I found biscuit crumbs, scraps of hair, and...







_*GUNK!!!!!!!!!!!! *_

The normal switches were bad enough but for some reason they had decided to make the power switch with a dome-shaped piece of metal held in place by a sticky pad... Gunk everywhere, including above, round, and under the piece of metal. I'm not convinced that it is all going to stay in place now I have degunked it and stuck it back down. I'm leaving it for a while for any residual drops of degunking water to evaporate. Meanwhile - enjoy some gunky pics...! 

Gunk (and detritus) on rubbery switch pad:






Gunk (and detritus) from rubbery switch pad on otherwise pristine white paper:





Gunk on the circuit board:





I'm just having a mug of tea and will then see if I have successfully...



... killed the remote control altogether!


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> I'm just having a mug of tea and will then see if I have successfully...
> 
> 
> 
> ... killed the remote control altogether!


Well, attempt #1 certainly hasn't worked... I clipped it all back together and discovered that the battery terminals have disappeared!

I'm taking it to bits again now to find out where they are...


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2021)

Attempt #2...

Battery terminals retrieved, batteries in... Ah - a switch is permanently pressed! Oh, I put the multiway switch in the wrong way round. Try again.


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2021)

Attempt #3... All back together properly. Test the switches. The power switch works now - yay!

I went through testing all of the other buttons. Yes, they all work. 

Oh, what about the STB/TV switches? 

TV - yes, the control now operates the TV instead of the STB.

I suddenly remember why I had a piece of Blutak over the TV switch... The STB switch was 100% dead before and I was convinced that it would never work again. Last time I pressed the TV button it took me days to switch back to the STB mode. And it has happened again!!! 

I agree that remote controls can get gunked up, and cleaning them before you have destroyed a switch trying to get it to work when gunked up is probably a good idea. Doing what I just did ISN'T! 

I'll put the Blutak back over the TV button and probably spend the next month trying to get the control back into STB mode. (Though leaving the batteries out overnight might do the job unless the device stores the setting in non-volatile memory.)


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## cougie uk (21 Sep 2021)

I think I'd have just got up to turn it off and on. Seems easier. 😁


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> I'll put the Blutak back over the TV button and probably spend the next month trying to get the control back into STB mode.


I finally got it going again, but I think overall it is worse than before I started! 

Still, I have confirmed that this kind of remote control DOES seem to get gunged up inside. If I have problems with one again I will give it a spring clean sooner rather than later.


cougie uk said:


> I think I'd have just got up to turn it off and on. Seems easier. 😁


The stupid thing is I had already discovered an alternative way on the remote. 

There are many functions that can only be done from the remote control but unfortunately, one of those doesn't have a button on my ebay-sourced replacement control.


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## classic33 (21 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm, I have opened up the remote looking for gunk, and I found biscuit crumbs, scraps of hair, and...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Set top box PIN 2541?


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## ColinJ (21 Sep 2021)

classic33 said:


> Set top box PIN 2541?


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## classic33 (4 Oct 2021)

ColinJ said:


>


What appears to be the most pressed.
Actually 2536.

@Dave7, you get things sorted?


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