d8b Forum

Hey y'all...

My Remote 24 has suddenly crapped out and stopped functioning (dead) upon booting up the HDR it's attached to. There is a dearth of tech info available upon web searching, and Mackie / Loud provides minimal if any documents at all based on what I'm seeing. To add, the Remote 48 is a whole other beast, I've downloaded what's available and there are very few similarities between the 24 & 48 channel models. That all being said, I'm doing what I can to focus my old ass eyes on the IC's involved so I can cross reference data sheets, etc and thought it might be a good idea to stop on by here to see if anyone else has attempted to suss any of this info out previously...

We all know these things are sorta like Hen's Teeth, so I'd like to determine whether this thing is repairable or it's time to begin the arduous search to find another due to this one being tits up. Anyone?!?

Thanx SO MUCH in advance for any/all info!

Hey DOK;
I don't have and aswers to your Q's BUT, I do have a extra Remote 24 should you have to replace yours or need a working one to determine if it is your HDR or the Remote 24 (If you don't know).

Cheers
Bruce

Hi Doc,

There is an internal fuse that protects the Remote. It's on the small board that the remote cable plugs into.
Also, schematics for the small remote are within the HDR service manual.

Regrds

John

Bruce Graham wrote:Hey DOK;
I don't have and answers to your Q's BUT, I do have a extra Remote 24 should you have to replace yours or need a working one to determine if it is your HDR or the Remote 24 (If you don't know).
Bruce

Hey there Bruce - how goes it, Bud... just 'Wow' man, I'll PM ya as I may very well take you up on the offer to purchase your spare. That's extremely benevolent of you, and I do mean that - I'm extremely grateful! I just need to quickly determine if this one I've got is a parts piece or not - it shouldn't be, there ain't much to it in the circuitry. I just have to follow thru on the triage first - see my comment to Jondav below...

Hi Doc,
There is an internal fuse that protects the Remote. It's on the small board that the remote cable plugs into.
Also, schematics for the small remote are within the HDR service manual.

Hey Jondav, I'm gonna have to remove my HDR from it's rack home this evening to check under the hood. The fuse (F1) on that board you referenced is the likely culprit, because +5VDC is all that's required to power up and animate that remote. That added to the fact that nothing else on the HDR is misbehaving or wonky. We shall see...

I'll chime back in when I make some headway with this annoying little bitch pill...

Thanx a bunch, Gents...

Peace

The fuse (F1) on the comm board inside the HDR that Jondav referenced above measures 0 ohms (as expected) so that ensures the +12VDC didn't blow out anything here. I think the Optoisolator (U1) isn't part of the equation (at face value) at initial triage, the voltages need to be ensured they're being passed to the remote just to get things to 'light up' (d'uh)...

That being said, I'm having a look at the mini 'choke' type inductor that's the last component directly inline with the RJ45 jack used to connect to the Remote 24:

MIDI-IN : 1 In -> 8 Out (to J1)
MIDI-OUT : 2 In -> 7 Out (to J1)
GRD : 3 In -> 6 Out (to J1)
GRD : 4 In -> 5 Out (to J1)
MIDI-IN : 16 In -> 9 Out (to J1)
+5VDC : 15 In -> 10 Out (to J1)
+12VDC : 14 In -> 11 Out (to J1)
+12VDC : 13 In -> 12 Out (to J1)

There appears to be a 'floating' ground reference for the MIDI out signal connected to the mini Inductor (L8) pin 2 input side - not important in this scenario, just point this out for any future reference or keyword search of the forum. So, concentrating on the voltages going down the wire from this point to the remote via CAT5. It's weird in a sense, because +12VDC is kind of a 'hot' voltage to be passing thru standard ethernet cables, but I'm not gonna concentrate on that right now due to there isn't any apparent visual damage to anything. SO, I'm gonna have to fire this thing up and see if I get the proper voltages to the jack, because if memory serves (I was doing a lot yesterday) I quickly took voltage measurements at the remote end of the CAT5 cable and there wasn't much happening. Can't remember if I saw +5VDC or not, but I specifically recall not seeing anything even close to +12VDC...

Once I can determine if the voltages are apparently getting all borked up - HDR comm board or Remote 24 - it will the become pretty apparent as to where I gotta begin to actually getting things repaired/replaced and back to my 'standard version of reality'...

Stay tuned - busy day ahead...

doktor1360 wrote:The fuse (F1) on the comm board inside the HDR that Jondav referenced above measures 0 ohms (as expected) so that ensures the +12VDC didn't blow out anything here. I think the Optoisolator (U1) isn't part of the equation (at face value) at initial triage, the voltages need to be ensured they're being passed to the remote just to get things to 'light up' (d'uh)...

That being said, I'm having a look at the mini 'choke' type inductor that's the last component directly inline with the RJ45 jack used to connect to the Remote 24:

MIDI-IN : 1 In -> 8 Out (to J1)
MIDI-OUT : 2 In -> 7 Out (to J1)
GRD : 3 In -> 6 Out (to J1)
GRD : 4 In -> 5 Out (to J1)
MIDI-IN : 16 In -> 9 Out (to J1)
+5VDC : 15 In -> 10 Out (to J1)
+12VDC : 14 In -> 11 Out (to J1)
+12VDC : 13 In -> 12 Out (to J1)

There appears to be a 'floating' ground reference for the MIDI out signal connected to the mini Inductor (L8) pin 2 input side - not important in this scenario, just point this out for any future reference or keyword search of the forum. So, concentrating on the voltages going down the wire from this point to the remote via CAT5. It's weird in a sense, because +12VDC is kind of a 'hot' voltage to be passing thru standard ethernet cables, but I'm not gonna concentrate on that right now due to there isn't any apparent visual damage to anything. SO, I'm gonna have to fire this thing up and see if I get the proper voltages to the jack, because if memory serves (I was doing a lot yesterday) I quickly took voltage measurements at the remote end of the CAT5 cable and there wasn't much happening. Can't remember if I saw +5VDC or not, but I specifically recall not seeing anything even close to +12VDC...

Once I can determine if the voltages are apparently getting all borked up - HDR comm board or Remote 24 - it will the become pretty apparent as to where I gotta begin to actually getting things repaired/replaced and back to my 'standard version of reality'...

Stay tuned - busy day ahead...

Replying to my own post(s)... it's actually come to this for me lately... (LMAO)

But seriously... I'm sitting back scratching my head, and not because it itches. Pulled the HDR out of the rack late last nite - did a quick visual, checked the fuse integrity, crashed and then woke up this AM to work this out. Quickly posted the above when after reading over the comm board schematic in the HDR I bullet-pointed a game plan to attack this. Connected everything up, quickly booted up the HDR (CF card)... and then I figured (imagine that) after all this, just for shitz n grinz I'd plug in the remote before checking voltages n stuff. The moment I inserted the CAT5 cable, it came right up and functions without issue. So, I'm sitting here pleasantly stunned... but yesterday was an all-out unusual day over here for me...

Here's the pinout at the RJ45 remote jack:

| 1 | Ground
| 2 | Ground
| 3 | MIDI Out
| 4 | MIDI IN
| 5 | MIDI IN
| 6 | +5VDC
| 7 | +12VDC
| 8 | Ground

Last evening, I also performed the 'standard' gymnastics we all do with these older Mackie units (D8B's n HDR's), reseating any/all cables that surrounding the circuitry involved while I had the unit opened up; did that help any... dunno. This has turned out to be one of those situations where you sorta smile, laugh nervously and move ahead - always sorta leery about 'what in the actual blue fuck just happened here?!?'...

Gonna keep a leery eye on that remote comm stuff going forward for obvious reasons...

Thanx Bruce & Jondav... doesn't go unnoticed - and Bruce, I'll PM ya. I've got something else brewing that would most likely interest you regarding the HDR's moving forward IF it all works out - I'm sure I'll post about it as it is...

Peace

Hey DOK;
These glad all is better in your world!

Look forward to hearing from you.

I still have on going issues with both my HDR's. Nothing that stops me from creating music, just unexplained things like "why doesn't THAT work" (fill in the blank on THAT).

I have a Firmware chip on it's way from across the Pond that will hopefully resolve one of those "THATs".
The other THAT is networking my HDR's. Still unable to get that working with either HDR. Need more time but the "Honey Do" list is long now that nicer weather is approaching us here in The Great Whilte North!

Cheers
Bruce