Strange RSP 1098 problem - remote related?

[JudgeBaxter]

Hi guys,

Just a quick ask before I box it all up and ship it back, to see if this has happened to anyone else before.

My RSP-1098 has been working fine out of the box. It's only a few months old (maybe 4 at most), so is onlt just about run in....

I only sit about 12ft away from the unit and it's been doing everything perfectly via the RR-1050 remote. Then today the remote stopped working.

Literally - one second I'm turning the volume up in my arm-chair, then next the 1098 won't respond. All the various lights come on, on the remote, and all the correct text is displayed on the remote's LCD when a button is pressed and the whole remote illuminates etc. etc.

OK then - after trekking across to the other side of the living room....the 1098 works perfectly via the knobs and buttons on the unit itself - no issues there it seems.

I then hold the remote in front of the IR sensor on the 1098 and after a few button presses, it will eventually pick up the signal of the button you are pressing, but literally only at point blank range.....

Duff remote batteries I thought - changed them for new ones - same thing happens.....changed them again just to be sure...it's not the remote batteries.....

Moved speaker that was about a meter away from my AV rack to the other side of the room (even though I know it's magnetically shielded)....it's not that.

Switched the 1098 off and on again....it's not that......did a reset on the remote......it's not that.

Only thing left to try is to reset the 1098 itself, and loose all my lovely calibrations....thought I would quickly ask here to see if anyone has had this issue, before doing that? I would have thought that the IR sensors/senders in either the remote or the 1098 itself, would either work or not....not suddenly reduce their range down to a couple of cms......but still work at that range????

I know a few people here have experience with the insides of these beasts.....any IR related issues or experience's greatly appreciated!!!

Best Regards,

David.

[hifiguymi]

I have not had preamps do that myself, but I've had issues with that remote not working. If you could, try teaching the remote to operate some of your other gear (if you haven't done that already) and see if it works normally. If it's OK then it may be the preamp. If it doesn't work, try a universal remote, if possible, that will run Rotel gear and see if the preamp responds. Maybe take the remote to your dealer and try it on a preamp in the store.

Eric

[Kevin D]

What he said ^^

I would typically suggest plasma TV or light interference, but that would normally crop up before 4 months.

It's not sitting in line of direct sunlight at certain times during the day is it?

Kevin D.

[JudgeBaxter]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Curiously, I phoned Rotel tech support in the UK, who were very helpful, but after working through all the things I'd tried, they also seemed to think it was a dodgy IR receiver on the unit itself.

Everything was powered off and I was away overnight the next day. Came back home, switched it all back on to watch a movie (all functions worked fine through the front panel controls) and hey-presto, it's working great again via the remote and has been for the past few days.........

Bizarre indeed - sun-spot? aliens maybe? not sure... but all is well now so I'm keeping everything crossed!!

I know Rotel kit is good but self-fixing processors?....... :T

thanks again guys.

Regards,

David.