# False remote battery low warnings



## BillJ (May 5, 2005)

Two weeks ago I got a "remote battery low" warning on remote 2 for a 622. Since I'd replaced those batteries just 5 months ago I tested them with a multimeter. All tested very good. Today I got the warning again.

Since I'm sure the batteries are still good, I'm ignoring the message but wondering what's causing it. This remote is pointed toward and operates a 622 in the next room. The signal has to pass through a closet door 6 ft away, the closet which has a couple metal open shelves in it, and an interior structural wall before traveling 12 ft to the 622. Doesn't seem like it should be that big a problem.

Remote 2 for my other 622 is usually pointed away from the 622 it operates and the signal has to pass through a refrigerator-freezer and a structural wall. It seems to have no problem.


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## Todd Nicholson (Jan 7, 2007)

It could be that when you're testing the batteries with your mulitmeter, they're okay under a "no load" condition, but under load (during use), the voltage is dropping below the threshold of being good and thus triggering the low battery indicator.


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## samsmith (Oct 31, 2009)

Todd Nicholson said:


> It could be that when you're testing the batteries with your mulitmeter, they're okay under a "no load" condition, but under load (during use), the voltage is dropping below the threshold of being good and thus triggering the low battery indicator.


There seems to be a known problem with few dish remotes, when i called them once few months back dish rep told me that its a known issue and Remote drains batteries very quickly.

Just call dish and check with them.


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## 722921 (Jan 3, 2008)

I've been ignoring that message for months now. I'll change the batteries when it stops working.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

BillJ said:


> Two weeks ago I got a "remote battery low" warning on remote 2 for a 622. Since I'd replaced those batteries just 5 months ago I tested them with a multimeter. All tested very good. Today I got the warning again.
> 
> Since I'm sure the batteries are still good, I'm ignoring the message but wondering what's causing it. This remote is pointed toward and operates a 622 in the next room. The signal has to pass through a closet door 6 ft away, the closet which has a couple metal open shelves in it, and an interior structural wall before traveling 12 ft to the 622. Doesn't seem like it should be that big a problem.
> 
> Remote 2 for my other 622 is usually pointed away from the 622 it operates and the signal has to pass through a refrigerator-freezer and a structural wall. It seems to have no problem.


I believe the remote actually sends the alert to the receiver about low batteries.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Since you have two remotes, why not just swap the batteries between the two as a first troubleshooting plan? The remote itself sends the signal that voltage is low - it isn't the receiver saying anything about the received signal (through whatever). The one remote could happen to trigger the message with a lower voltage than "normal", or it could be true that the batteries are really low! No matter what you see on the meter, a current load could drop the voltage.

Just putting in new batteries would be a good test. So would putting the receiver into single mode and bringing the UHF remote into the same room as the receiver. You should see occasional low warnings when the remote is 3' away from the receiver if the remote is just notifying the receiver that its voltage is marginal.


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## Grampa67 (Mar 14, 2005)

I had the same thing. Remove the batteries and clean the contacts with an eraser.


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## mike1002 (Oct 11, 2002)

Are you using rechargeable batteries? Thats what I use in mine and I get the message all the time. The thing is the batteries will last a few months with that message. I seem to vaguely remember reading somewhere that rechargeables don't give 1.5v they are around 1.25v and the circuits that monitor the voltage see that as a low voltage from a regular alkaline battery. If you are using rechargeables try alkaline batteries. If they last then do what I do and just ignore the message. ;-)


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## BillJ (May 5, 2005)

I use Duracell alkaline batteries. As I said they were only 5 months old the first time I saw the message. My experience in a variety of remotes is they usually last a year to a year and a half. 

I assumed the receiver generated the message but another post says it's the remote itself. I'll try the contact cleaning tip if I get the message again.


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