DirecTV HR24s and Serial-USB adapters?

vegastech · September 2010

What kind of luck/un-luck have you guys had with the adapters? Do the usb ports lock up like the older boxes used to, or is everything copacetic at this point? We have a big system going in with 9 receivers, I really want it clean, but I also want it reliable. Thanks!

John Gonzales · September 2010

I very highly recommend adding this if you're looking for reliability:
http://www.synaccess-net.com/remote-power.php/1/19#overview

We set these to ping the satellite boxes and reboot if there's no response. It also allows manual reboot from the touchpanel, and allows the master to send a reboot command to a particular satellite box if there's a serial port lockup.

-John

TurnipTruck · September 2010

I have used Bafo BF810 serial-to-USB on several different DirecTV boxes. I have had no lockups.

John Nagy · September 2010

Our dealers have used several mixed brands without problems, just what they had convenient, so they don't appear to be too very picky. You do need to reboot the box with the USB adapter attached for it to be recognized.

DHawthorne · September 2010

The protocol document I have (dated 2007, so it's not likely the latest), specifies the IOGear GUC232A, Aten UC-232A, and Bafo BF-810. I believe early boxes had an issue with the chips in some adapters, like the Keyspan, but I also got the impression that wasn't really an issue anymore. I always just used (when I still bothered, I just go IR nowadays) the IOGear device.

vegastech · September 2010

Are there any discrete functions not supported by the serial adapter that do work with IR? I don't want to get stuck telling a homeowner that their live button is actually a toggle, you know?

John Nagy · September 2010

None we've encountered.

DirecTV HR24s and Serial-USB adapters?

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