What you'll notice
The decoder ignores the remote entirely, or responds only from very close range or at an angle.
Why it happens
Flat or incorrectly inserted batteries, a failed infrared LED, dirt or liquid damage under the buttons, or lost RF pairing on an Explora remote.
Before anything else, three checks that cost nothing and resolve most cases.
1. Batteries
Fresh ones, correct orientation. Partly-flat batteries produce exactly the "only works up close" behaviour people describe, because transmit power falls before the remote stops working entirely. Also check the contacts in the battery bay for corrosion — a common thing to find and easy to clean.
2. The phone camera test
Point the remote at your phone's camera and press a button while watching the screen. Most phone cameras see infrared, so a working remote shows a small flashing light the naked eye cannot see. No light means the remote is dead; a light means the fault is at the decoder end. This single test separates the two possibilities in ten seconds.
3. Front-panel buttons
If the buttons on the decoder itself work, the decoder is fine and the remote is not. If nothing responds anywhere, the box is the problem.
Explora remotes and lost pairing
Explora remotes use RF as well as infrared — which is why they work through a closed cabinet — and RF pairing can be lost after a battery change or a reset. Re-pairing is a documented button sequence, not a repair. Call us and we will walk you through it at no charge rather than book a callout for it.
How we fix it
We work through batteries, the camera IR test and re-pairing — all of which are free phone advice — and only recommend a replacement remote when the unit is genuinely dead.
Still not working?
If the checks above haven't restored your remote control, this usually needs a technician. Our Decoder Installation & Setup service covers exactly this fault — from R350, quoted upfront.