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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:Let's be conformist
Moderator:GOVT02::BARKER
Created:Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:550
Total number of notes:3847

347.0. "Remote Remote Control" by UPROAR::WEIGHTM (Act, Don't React) Fri Feb 21 1992 12:12

I've got one of those mini-hifi gizmos which is located in the kitchen 
as a radio, tape player etc.  It has a useful timer & sleep facility as 
well as a full function IR remote control although as I tend not to sleep 
in the kitchen I've connected a spare set of speakers for the bedroom.

Unfortunately, the remote control unit is not powerful to bounce an IR 
beam all the way downstairs to the kitchen (probably just as well!), so 
what I'm looking for is some sort of 'IR repeater' which will receive the 
IR signals in the bedroom and relay them, over wire, to a re-transmitter 
in the kitchen and - hey presto - remote remote control.

Does anyone know of any such device, or even a different way of achieving 
the same end ?  I could probably build one myself but, to be honest, I'm 
getting lazy in my old age (of course, this feeling does tend to depend 
on the amount of money involved!).

Perhaps there is already something out there to do the job.
Here's hoping ...


Mike
Uxbridge, UK

PS: Cross-posted in VAXWRK::AUDIO
    and PAGODA::VIDEO (someone may have tried a similar thing for VCRs)
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
347.1Light PipeLARVAE::BARKERDo not fold, spindle or mutilateFri Feb 21 1992 13:138
	Run some fibre-optic cable from the bedroom to the kitchen then simply 
point the remote into the bedroom end & hey presto IR comes out the kitchen end 
which you have pointing at the IR receiver.

	It should be feasible to rig up a series of IR reflectors (maybe 
mirror?s) to achieve the same end.

Nigel
347.2QEDKERNEL::FLANDERSDI remember the look in your eyeFri Feb 21 1992 13:317
    
    I believe that QED do a multi-room installation system which alows what
    you are wanting to do. The only problem is that you have to do some
    wiring. These are supposedly not too expensive, but I havn't checked it
    out myself.
    
    Dave
347.3What about a Linn Matrix system :-)FUTURS::WATSONRik WatsonFri Feb 21 1992 13:3310
    I've got a pair of ``Pyramid'' shaped things which do the job. They
    cost about �60 or so which may be a little more than you want to pay.
    There ae quite a few units on the market which do this sort of thing.
    The best place to find info is in ``What Satallite''. If you want I can
    look up the details of my box when I get home.
    
    I had some problems with my transmitter unit being too close to the
    bedroom TV but now I've moved it all is well.
    
    	Rik
347.4FUTURS::WATSONRik WatsonFri Feb 21 1992 13:432
    Forgot the mention that the Pyramid system doesn't require any wireing
    as it converts the I/R signal to R/F and back again
347.5Getting warm ...UPROAR::WEIGHTMAct, Don't ReactFri Feb 21 1992 15:0526
Many thanks for the replies.

Re .1
I'd actually briefly considered mirrors, but the path is to torturous and 
alignment would be too much of a problem.  I hadn't thought of optical 
fibre though (can't think why, seems obvious now).  Any fibre specialists 
out there think this would be worth a try ?  I guess I'd have to have a 
very close coupling between the Remote Controller and the fibre to get 
sufficient energy launched into the fibre though.  Interesting.

Re .2
This sounds exactly like the thing I had in mind.  Anyone got a phone 
number for QED ? (guess I could find it in What Hifi when I get home).  
Running wires is not a problem - I've already run the speaker cables and 
have left some string in place ready to pull through another cable.

Re .3
Getting a bit pricey at #60.  Might tempt me to get the soldering iron 
out :-)  Also, I think I'd really prefer a wired rather than wireless 
system.

To be honest I'm a little surprised at the response and the potential 
products out there  - obviously I'm not as odd as I thought :-).  Thanks 
again for the pointers - I'll be following up on the QED lead.

Mike
347.6FUTURS::WATSONRik WatsonFri Feb 21 1992 15:378
    Mike,
    	I looked at the QED system but the wireing was too difficult in my
    house. They do two system make sure you get info. for the correct one,
    there expensive system is just that (>�300-00 I think). I think their
    cheap on is somewhere between 50 and 100 quid. It looks like a light
    switch - very neat.
    
    	Rik