Remote control not working DMR-EH60D

[Cairo]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and looking for a bit of help or advice please.

I have an old Panasonic DMR-EH60D DVD recorder that still has some life left in it.
I'm planning to set if up in my man cave, for the sole purpose of copying a box of old VHS tapes onto its HDD, then burning them onto DVD-R discs.

So far so good.

Unfortunately when I dug the machine out of the attic, the remote control was nowhere to be found.
According to the manual the number part number for said remote control is EUR7729KH0

A trawl on the interwebs seemed to indicate that this remote is long discontinued, and an aftermarket affair may be my only option

Question 1 - Does anyone know the number of another Panasonic remote that will (more or less) work on this machine? The reason I ask is I also have a couple of newer Panasonic Blu-ray recorders that obviously have their own remote controls but when I try either of these controls on the old beasty nothing happens, not a flicker of acknowledgment in the EH60D's display window.

I don't even get the DVD 1 OR DVD 2 indication that tells me remote is transmitting on the wrong channel so this makes me think it's not picking up the commands.

Question 2 - Does anyone know if this machines O.E. remote operates on a different IR frequency to the later Panasonic machines and therefore needs its specific remote control?

Question 3 - If the later controllers (I.e.the ones from my blue ray recorders) should work on the EH60D but don't, does this definitely indicate that its likely to be the IR reciever IC7508 that will need replacing?

My initial thoughts were to get a used or aftermarket control for this specific machine, however if someone can confirm that the other remotes should operate it, I'll try and replace the IR receiver chip first.

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can offer.

 

[Gavtech]

Welcome to the forum.

Q1 and Q2 - As far as I am aware the remote codes have always been the same for all machines throughout their history... including Bluray recorders... but I have an old EH60D which I can power up and check.
I'm away from home currently so I cannot check this until later in the week. I'll report back on that score.

All remotes work on the same 'frequency'. It is only the multi bit complex coding that is different for each manufacturer/ Equipment class / command.

Q3 A machine of this vintage is likely to be compromised in the power supply area which may be the cause of the problem. It is worth checking or routinely replacing the Electrolytic capacitors in the secondary side of the PSU.

It is rare - but I think the receiver IR diode is a more likely failure than an IC.

Also in all cases of spurious behaviour like this - remove the power from the machine for a little while, then try again - if you have not already.

 

[Cairo]

Hi Gav,

Many thanks for the prompt reply.

I'd be very grateful if you could indeed check a couple of different remotes on your machine to see if it picks up the commands.

Can I assume the diode you mention in your reply, is the "three legged" small black (looks like a transistor) component with the domed bulge on one side? I.e the first bit in the chain - it picks up the IR command when you aim the remote at it - I can take a picture of it if that would help.

If memory serves, I changed all the bulgy looking capacitors a few years ago.

It had developed a bit if a grainy stripey looking image but once the capacitors were changed, it behaved impeccably again.

I will of course check again as per your advice to make sure there's no more bulgy capacitors that need changing.

Thanks once again for your help.

P.s. the reason I thought that the 3 legged IR reciver was number IC7508 is because that is the number printed on the PCB close to where the 3 pins of the IR reviever are soldered.

 

[Gavtech]

I was mistaken.

The BD Class of remotes have a separate code system to the the DVD class.

Confirmed by my test. ( DVD have three code options DVD1 to 3. BD has six; BD1 to 6)


The EH60D had a notoriously bad batch of displays which fade to almost nothing after a few years so in the interim I had been wondering if this may have explained why you were unable to see anything - but that was a red herring.


All the Panasonic range of DVD recorders used an almost identical remote and any will operate the EH60D, so your best bet is to pick one up in the second hand market.

Here is one for example: Panasonic dvd tv video plus remote control | eBay

..' but look around.
Use 'Panasonic DVD recorder remote control' as your search term.

 

[Cairo]

That's great news Gav, thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to look into this for me.
The display is a bit dim but is still visible.
I'll pick up a used of aftermarket remote from somewhere and that will fingers crossed get it up and running again.

I'll report back once I have a remote.

All the best for now.

 

[Cairo]

Hi Gave I have an Update for you.

I managed to pick up the correct used remote control for it, but the machines still not responding to any commands from it.

The used remote control must be working as it's operating both the other blue ray recorders without any problems.

Any suggestions where I go from here? Do I replace the IR diode?

If I have to can you please add a link to where I can pick one up?

Thank you

 

[Cairo]

Follow up.

Tor anyone else who encounters this issue. Once you've established that the remote control is working, change the IR led receiver diode.
I bought one for a couple of quid from fleabay and soldered it in.

Voilla it works perfectly again.

 

[Tim nl]

Hello Cairo and others,
I seem to possibly be having the exact same issue with my DMR-EH60, the remote control is showing a light in the phone camera but the player is not reacting to the remote at all.

Do you know anything about what characteristics or properties the IR receiver should have. I can't find anything online about it. Maybe you have something like the part number of the IR receiver you bought or a link to it?

 

[Cairo]

Hi Tim,

Thus is the one I bought on eBay and it did the trick, really easy to fit too as it's right at the front of the PCB.

VISHAY TSOP34436 Infrared Receiver, Remote Control, 36 kHz, 45m, 45 °, 2.5 | eBay

Transmission Range: 45m. Carrier Frequency: 36kHz. Directivity: 45°.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Tim nl]

Thanks for the reply! I'm ordering one from a site here in the netherlands. Hope it will fix it for me too.

 

[Cairo]

Good luck with it Tim, it did the job for me.
The reason I picked that one was because the data sheet stated that its a good choice for Panasonic products.

 

[Tim nl]

Thanks so much Cairo, I put it in and the remote works now!

I hadn't opened it up yet and from what I can see there are 3 leaky capacitors in mine too though..
I found Gavtech's thread on replacing caps in his here Panasonic DMR-EH60D Repair Details. Getting more life out of this ageing machine.
I might do all of his suggested replacements or just the leaky/bulging ones I see, not sure yet. Two are ones that Gavtech also replaced on the power board but one is on the big board underneath everything, that will be so fiddly to get out :/. I'll add to that thread if I have more info on which ones are bad for me, I have the thing closed up at the moment but they were all 6.3V 680 uf elcos.

 

[MyIdenTT]

Hi, I have an Arcam A65 amp not responding to the remote (which works with the tuner and CD player). Does the remote need to be paired with these? - or does anyone know of a replacement sensor worth trying for Arcam products?
Mark on metal IR sensor enclosure reads: SBX 1810-52 0(or 'O')G3. I can only find these for sale by the thousand
Many thanks

 

[MyIdenTT]

update;
sensor has power 5.3v
output drops to 4.6v when remote is operated
are these the sort of numbers you might expect? - in which case where should I look next?