Top 20 Logitech Harmony 880 LCD Remote Control - Page 5 Questions & Answers

Generally there are three possibilities (apart from the battery going bad) that can cause your battery not to charge:

1) Some folks have reported that the battery is not sitting tightly enough in the battery compartment. You can try folding a small piece of thin cardboard and place it between the battery and the back of the compartment. This will push the battery towards the front of the compartment and create a tighter connection against the contacts.

2) There have been reports of problems with some of the charging cradles in which the remote does not make sufficient contact with the contacts in the cradle. To ensure that the remote begins to charge, place it in the cradle and listen for a single beep. The slide show should start and then, after a few moments the screen should darken. If you hear two beeps at any time, it means that the remote has lost contact with the charging cradle and has 'woken' and is no longer in charging mode. Wiggle the remote to ensure that it is sitting in the cradle and making contact. There are also some fixes that can be done of the cradle itself, including opening it up and adjusting the height of the contacts. Others have had luck cleaning the contacts on the remote and the cradle with alcohol or a contact cleaner like DeoxIT. Still others have actually sanded down the plastic surrounding the contacts on the outside of the remote in order to bring them closer to the cradle contacts.

3) If you still have trouble after you have tried everything above, there may be a loose connection inside the remote itself. There is a very small plug that connects the charging terminals on the remote to the battery compartment. In some cases, this plug can become loose (especially if the remote has been dropped). If all else fails, you can open the remote and check to make sure that the plug is completely seated or attempt to push the terminal contacts slightly farther out. However, most people have found that altering the height of the contacts on the charging cradle is a better way to go. If you want to open the remote, do the following: remove the two screws - one in the battery compartment and one at the top of the remote. Then, using your thumbnail (this is really the best, unless you have a thin, rigid piece of plastic. A part of a credit-card may work), force your nail between the two halves of the clamshell casing near the bottom of the remote on the left or right side. Once you get your nail (or plastic) into the remote, angle it down at about 45 degrees and simply slide your hand up one side. This will release all the locking tabs very nicely without marring the surface of the remote. Then do the same on the other side. Once you are done exploring, simply realign the two halves and snap them back together.

Generally there are three possibilities (apart from the battery going bad) that can cause your battery not to charge:

1) Some folks have reported that the battery is not sitting tightly enough in the battery compartment. You can try folding a small piece of thin cardboard and place it between the battery and the back of the compartment. This will push the battery towards the front of the compartment and create a tighter connection against the contacts.

2) There have been reports of problems with some of the charging cradles in which the remote does not make sufficient contact with the contacts in the cradle. This sounds like it could be your problem. To ensure that the remote begins to charge, place it in the cradle and listen for a single beep. The slide show should start and then, after a few moments the screen should darken. If you hear two beeps at any time, it means that the remote has lost contact with the charging cradle and has 'woken' and is no longer in charging mode. Wiggle the remote to ensure that it is sitting in the cradle and making contact. There are also some fixes that can be done of the cradle itself, including opening it up and adjusting the height of the contacts. Others have had luck cleaning the contacts on the remote and the cradle with alcohol or a contact cleaner like DeoxIT (sounds like you tried this). Still others have actually sanded down the plastic surrounding the contacts on the outside of the remote in order to bring them closer to the cradle contacts.

3) If you still have trouble after you have tried everything above, there may be a loose connection inside the remote itself. There is a very small plug that connects the charging terminals on the remote to the battery compartment. In some cases, this plug can become loose (especially if the remote has been dropped). If all else fails, you can open the remote and check to make sure that the plug is completely seated or attempt to push the terminal contacts slightly farther out. However, most people have found that altering the height of the contacts on the charging cradle is a better way to go. If you decide to open the remote, do the following: remove the two screws - one in the battery compartment and one at the top of the remote. Then, using your thumbnail (this is really the best, unless you have a thin, rigid piece of plastic. A part of a credit-card may work), force your nail between the two halves of the clamshell casing near the bottom of the remote on the left or right side. Once you get your nail (or plastic) into the remote, angle it down at about 45 degrees and simply slide your hand up one side. This will release all the locking tabs very nicely without marring the surface of the remote. Then do the same on the other side. Once you are done exploring, simply realign the two halves and snap them back together.

This is a known problem in that some batteries have swollen to the point that the tabs holding the battery compartement door have actually broken off! Logitech has been known to replace the battery and/or the door even when the remote is no longer under warranty, though you may need to haggle with them. In the event you cannot succeed in getting Logitech to assist, you can either spring for a new battery (you can get an OEM replacement on Ebay for around $10-$12 - just be careful you don't get the battery that only works with an alternative wall charger - read the ad carefully). Or, you can carefully sand down the ribbed underside of the battery cover. Just taking off 1/16 of an inch will usually do the job. Good Luck!

You can pick up a replacement LCD screen for about $25 on Ebay. It is a very easy fix. To open the remote, do the following: remove the two screws - one in the battery compartment and one at the top of the remote. Then, using your thumbnail (this is really the best, unless you have a thin, rigid piece of plastic. A part of a credit-card may work), force your nail between the two halves of the clamshell casing near the bottom of the remote on the left or right side. Once you get your nail (or plastic) into the remote, angle it down at about 45 degrees and simply slide your hand up one side. This will release all the locking tabs very nicely without marring the surface of the remote. Then do the same on the other side. Remove the top half and set it aside. Then, remove the two screws that are at the midway point on each side of the logic board. You can gently lift the logic board almost out, but you also need to detach the small power connector that is attached to the charging contacts. Just look on the underside of the logic board and gently pull the mini-plug out of it's receptacle. Now you can lift the logic board out of the casing. The screen is connected to the logic board with a simple ribbon cable. The grey top of the ribbon cable connector is gently lifted up and off and then 4 pressure-fitted tabs are simply squeezed to lift the LCD panel off the board. To put everything back together, simply reverse the sequence. Hope this helps!

If you mean the "Transmit Light",check all of the hard buttons on the remote to see if one is stuck, it happens most commonly on the number 6. There are small rubber membranes under each button that can wear out or get stuck from a spill or just hung up.

Hey!

I thought you might want to look at the following link for how to remove the back of your Harmony Remote!!!

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=12583

Hope this helps!!!

-Kennedy

Wow! Sounds haunted! Seriously though, if your remote is behaving erratically the best thing to try first is a complete re-programming including a firmware update. To stack the deck in your favor, I would even put the remote in 'safe mode' and then do the updates. Here's how:

Launch the Logitech Remote software on your computer and click on "Downloads" (on the top menu bar). Then, take the battery out of your remote and at the same time you connect the USB cable to your remote (it should be already connected on the computer end) press and hold down the Off button at the top of the remote. This will put the remote in "safe mode". Continue to hold down the Off button until you see the message "safe mode requested" on the remote's screen and the screen starts blinking. Release the Off button and go back to your computer and click on "Firmware". An update to the remote's firmware should be executed. Then, you should be prompted to update the remote with your device/activity configuration. If all goes well, this may solve your problems. Good luck!

Hey!

I had this same issue with my Harmony Remote. Logitech sent be these steps and they got it working right!!!

1) Remove the battery from the Harmony Remote for 10 seconds and reinsert it. If this does not resolve the issue, please continue troubleshooting.
2) Ensure you have the latest version of the Harmony Remote Software (7.7).
3) Update the firmware on the Harmony Remote. The following link shows how to complete this task:
http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=10747
4) Try putting the Harmony Remote in safe mode and complete the firmware update again. The following are the steps to accomplish this:
a) Remove the battery from the Harmony Remote.
b) Press and hold the power button while reinserting the battery into the Harmony Remote.
c) To get out of safe mode, remove the battery for 10 seconds and reinsert it into the Harmony Remote.

I hope this gets the display on your Harmony Remote working too!!!

-Kennedy

Good question! There seems to be a little confusion over this. It appears that some firmware updates leave you with an option to select AM or PM hours from the System Options-->Set Time on the remote. The most recent firmware update seems to have removed this ability, so only a 12hr clock is shown, but there is no option to set AM or PM. The clock will always default to AM. So, one workaround is to simply set the time before noon! Also, the remote will pick up the correct time when connected to the computer (assuming your system clock is correct) and you update the remote.

Learn the commands from the original remote in RAW mode. See the following link:

http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/logitech_en_amr.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3859

Hope that helps. If it doesnt fix the problem, then its most likely a hardware issue with the remote.

A communication problem can be caused by a variety of issues, both hardware and software related, so this can be difficult to debug. First, make sure that you have the latest software installed and that the installation is successful. Next, make sure that the USB cable and the USB port on your computer are good. Try to upload some pictures from a digital camera, etc. They generally use the same kind of cable. If the software is ok and the USB cable/port is ok, it's time to turn off any virus software, firewalls, etc. Now you should try to connect. If the software still does not detect the remote, you can try putting the remote into 'safe mode' and then try establishing a connection to upgrade the remote's firmware. Here's how you do that:

Launch the Logitech Remote software on your computer and click on "Downloads" (on the top menu bar). Then, take the battery out of your remote and at the same time you connect the USB cable to your remote (it should be already connected on the computer end) press and hold down the Off button at the top of the remote. This will put the remote in "safe mode". Continue to hold down the Off button until you see the message "safe mode requested" on the remote's screen and the screen starts blinking. Release the Off button. Now, go back to your computer and click on "Firmware". If the software is able to communicate with the remote, an update to the remote's firmware should be executed. If this step is successful, you will be prompted to update your remote with your personal configuration (your device and activity profile). I hope this works out for you!

If your Harmony remote is not charging on the base, try pressing down on the remote, and wiggling it around. It's just that the pins are not making contact.


If pressing down helps, you can fasten it on with a elasitc band or something so that it keeps charging. Also, if it is still under warranty, I woul advise contacting Logitech's wonderful support team to get replaced.


Hope that helps!

Wow! A fair amount of people have had this problem and most have tried all of the tricks with no success. Several have reported returning their remotes to Logitech and getting warranty replacements. If you are still under warranty, you may want to contact Logitech tech support and open a case. But before you do, try at least attempting to update the remote's firmware while in 'safe mode'. To do this, do the following:

Launch the Logitech Remote software on your computer and click on "Downloads" (on the top menu bar). Then, take the battery out of your remote and at the same time you connect the USB cable to your remote (it should be already connected on the computer end) press and hold down the Off button at the top of the remote. This will put the remote in "safe mode". Continue to hold down the Off button until you see the message "safe mode requested" on the remote's screen and the screen starts blinking. Now, go back to your computer and click on "Firmware". If the software is able to communicate with the remote, an update to the remote's firmware should be executed. Then, when prompted, continue with the update to your remote's 'profile' - your personal settings that get loaded into the remote. Good luck!

Generally there are three possibilities (apart from the battery going bad) that can cause your battery not to charge:

1) Some folks have reported that the battery is not sitting tightly enough in the battery compartment. You can try folding a small piece of thin cardboard and place it between the battery and the back of the compartment. This will push the battery towards the front of the compartment and create a tighter connection against the contacts.

2) There have been reports of problems with some of the charging cradles in which the remote does not make sufficient contact with the contacts in the cradle. To ensure that the remote begins to charge, place it in the cradle and listen for a single beep. The slide show should start and then, after a few moments the screen should darken. If you hear two beeps at any time, it means that the remote has lost contact with the charging cradle and has 'woken' and is no longer in charging mode. Wiggle the remote to ensure that it is sitting in the cradle and making contact. There are also some fixes that can be done of the cradle itself, including opening it up and adjusting the height of the contacts. Others have had luck cleaning the contacts on the remote and the cradle with alcohol or a contact cleaner like DeoxIT. Still others have actually sanded down the plastic surrounding the contacts on the outside of the remote in order to bring them closer to the cradle contacts.

3) If you still have trouble after you have tried everything above, there may be a loose connection inside the remote itself. There is a very small plug that connects the charging terminals on the remote to the battery compartment. In some cases, this plug can become loose (especially if the remote has been dropped). If all else fails, you can open the remote and check to make sure that the plug is completely seated or attempt to push the terminal contacts slightly farther out. However, most people have found that altering the height of the contacts on the charging cradle is a better way to go. If you want to open the remote, do the following: remove the two screws - one in the battery compartment and one at the top of the remote. Then, using your thumbnail (this is really the best, unless you have a thin, rigid piece of plastic. A part of a credit-card may work), force your nail between the two halves of the clamshell casing near the bottom of the remote on the left or right side. Once you get your nail (or plastic) into the remote, angle it down at about 45 degrees and simply slide your hand up one side. This will release all the locking tabs very nicely without marring the surface of the remote. Then do the same on the other side. Once you are done exploring, simply realign the two halves and snap them back together.

Generally there are three possibilities (apart from the battery going bad and the remote cradle not getting power, both of which are infrequent) that can cause your battery not to charge:

1) Some folks have reported that the battery is not sitting tightly enough in the battery compartment. You can try folding a small piece of thin cardboard and place it between the battery and the back of the compartment. This will push the battery towards the front of the compartment and create a tighter connection against the contacts.

2) There have been reports of problems with some of the charging cradles in which the remote does not make sufficient contact with the contacts in the cradle. To ensure that the remote begins to charge, place it in the cradle and listen for a single beep. The slide show should start and then, after a few moments the screen should darken. If you hear two beeps at any time, it means that the remote has lost contact with the charging cradle and has 'woken' and is no longer in charging mode. Wiggle the remote to ensure that it is sitting in the cradle and making contact. There are also some fixes that can be done of the cradle itself, including opening it up and adjusting the height of the contacts. Others have had luck cleaning the contacts on the remote and the cradle with alcohol or a contact cleaner like DeoxIT. Still others have actually sanded down the plastic surrounding the contacts on the outside of the remote in order to bring them closer to the cradle contacts.

3) If you still have trouble after you have tried everything above, there may be a loose connection inside the remote itself. There is a very small plug that connects the charging terminals on the remote to the battery compartment. In some cases, this plug can become loose (especially if the remote has been dropped). If all else fails, you can open the remote and check to make sure that the plug is completely seated or attempt to push the terminal contacts slightly farther out. However, most people have found that altering the height of the contacts on the charging cradle is a better way to go. If you want to open the remote, do the following: remove the two screws - one in the battery compartment and one at the top of the remote. Then, using your thumbnail (this is really the best, unless you have a thin, rigid piece of plastic. A part of a credit-card may work), force your nail between the two halves of the clamshell casing near the bottom of the remote on the left or right side. Once you get your nail (or plastic) into the remote, angle it down at about 45 degrees and simply slide your hand up one side. This will release all the locking tabs very nicely without marring the surface of the remote. Then do the same on the other side. Once you are done exploring, simply realign the two halves and snap them back together.

the only thing I can suggest that has seemed to work is to take the batteries out. Good luck

If you can manage to open it, just clean the rubber pad, slightly rub with cotton moisten with alcohol

http://www.xdiv.com/remotes/
http://www.xdiv.com/remotes/

Ah, the 'blue screen of death'. Before you give up on this try one more thing -

Sometimes putting the remote in 'safe mode' and doing a firmware update will bring the screen back to life. Here's how:
Launch the Logitech Remote software on your computer and click on "Downloads" (on the top menu bar). Then, take the battery out of your remote and at the same time you connect the USB cable to your remote (it should be already connected on the computer end) press and hold down the Off button at the top of the remote. This will put the remote in "safe mode". Continue to hold down the Off button until you see the message "safe mode requested" on the remote's screen and the screen starts blinking. Now, since your screen is not behaving properly, you may or may not see this message, but after about 5 seconds you can release the Off button. Now, go back to your computer and click on "Firmware". If the software is able to communicate with the remote, an update to the remote's firmware should be executed. This has solved many a 'blue screen of death' problem. Good luck!