Here's my dilema and/or questions. I might be in the wrong forum but I follow you guys with the home theaters and know you guys know your stuff.

Im getting ready to mount a 37" Philips in our bedroom. I want to have the cable box downstairs in equipment rack. I have a cat5e wire also running down there for IR. What are the best products out there? Can someone give me a 411 on what I'll need to do to make this work? Thanks!

PS - home theater to start winter of 09'

Its pretty basic. there are many parts that will work. All you need is a Sensor (to receive the signal) and an emitter (to blast the signal). The Cat5 is just a conductor. IR works with 2 wires. just pick 2 and splice. A quick google turned up these results for products that would work for you

http://www.smarthome.com/_/Remotes_IR_Distribution/IR_Distribution/IR_Emitters/_/5/1Rj/2nn/nav.aspx

http://www.smarthome.com/8100.html

Forgot to mention you need a connection block also to provide power

something like this http://www.smarthome.com/8191.html

Looks like I need the sensor line of sight. What are others doing with this? All my connections will be behind the tv. Looks like sticking a sensor on the side of the tv but that might look a little ghetto?

Thank you phatnogin. This is exactly what I was looking for also. I am planning on wiring up the bathroom and bedroom but for obvious reasons and aesthetic reasons, it would be great to relocate my equipment in a rack downstairs.

Sweet.

Thats whats nice about the wall mount one. It likes like a switch. You other option is RF. RF will work through walls and between floors. with no wires except to the RF receiver.

Id rather go IR since I spent the time installing the cat5 and dont think I'll purchase an RF remote for this Rm. So I have to install the sensor in the wall? I looked at teh wiring diagram and for some reason Im not putting 2 & 2 together. Also looks like I need a power supply for this to work? Does that get plugged into the rack side or the tv side? Shheeesh I know Im making this harder than what it is!

theoretically, it can go anywhere inline. It would make the most sense for it to be near your rack.

Just a warning for you...while many people have been able to extend their IR by CAT5, when I tried it it didn't work. My cabling was electrically fine, but I think the signals just couldn't make it through CAT5. I had to switch to RG-6. Now I was trying to extend the IR sensor or receiver which isn't powered and was using the Hidden IR I got from Smarthome. I was running it about 30'. So you might want to investigate options that people have had good luck with CAT5. I talked to others that had the same problem with CAT5, but as I said many have got it to work.

Guy

Just a warning for you...while many people have been able to extend their IR by CAT5, when I tried it it didn't work. My cabling was electrically fine, but I think the signals just couldn't make it through CAT5. I had to switch to RG-6. Now I was trying to extend the IR sensor or receiver which isn't powered and was using the Hidden IR I got from Smarthome. I was running it about 30'. So you might want to investigate options that people have had good luck with CAT5. I talked to others that had the same problem with CAT5, but as I said many have got it to work.

Guy


I remember when Guy had problems and canceled my plans to order the Hidden IR from Smarthome and went with a Buffalo Electronic setup instead. I just ran a 50' Cat5e cable from my sensor to the connector block and it worked first try, couldn't have been easier. Prices were about the same so seemed a no brainer to me (as other people had also recommended the Buffalo Electronic setup as well).

Good luck,
Mike

as long as it is powered it will work fine over Cat5.

Can you have a longer run (say 30 feet) from your powered connecting block to your blaster thingy? I want to run a CAT5 from my Buffalo power block up to my PJ. Do they make a blaster that just plugs into CAT5? haven't run across one yet.

I can tell you in about 20 minutes :)

I'm about to do that for my light switches. I ran a phone cable in case I wanted to use it right next to the light switches. I never needed the phone cable so I thought I'd just cut the IR blaster line in half (already did) and will splice it with the phone cable and go from there. I'll report back as soon as I'm done and tested it.

Fingers crossed,
Mike

I'm using Niles products with about a 45 foot run over cat5 works fine

I'm at 45 ft with the cat 5 - it's all good.

Im currently looking into the Niles and Buffalo electric. My run will be about 55 ft. Question I have is this: Is there a cable that goes between the tv and IR sensor. Or is that all IR fed.

You just need an IR system, and splice on the receiver wire on a pair of the cat5 strands and you should be fine.

In our bedroom, I mounted the receiver on the back of the TV, facing up. We can just aim the remote up toward the top of the TV (and really it is pretty forgiving)However, the TV is within a foot of the ceiling due to being over the dresser and a soffit in that area that drops down, plus the TV is aimed down a little, so that helps some.

We use a Xantech system and I remember reading in the literature that it will work over a couple thousand feet of wire IIRC. It is a powered system of course.

I know it's more or less been answered but I did say I'd return with the results of my wiring. Everything worked out well. I used Cat5 from the sensor to the control box and utilized an unused cat3 phone line for the runs to the light switches on the wall. Worked fine.

I will say it's really difficult to splice the wires together from the IR blaster cables. There's probably no more than 5 tiny wires for each lead and that makes for problems in trying to get a tight connection with the solid core 24 gauge phone line. The sensor and control block simply let you screw in the cat5 cable so that's a piece of cake. I keep having one of my sensors go out because the connection isn't strong enough. I'll have to look into some way to crimp them but haven't seen anything for crimping 24 gauge.

Anybody out there have a similar problem and solved it?

Thanks,
Mike

I know it's more or less been answered but I did say I'd return with the results of my wiring. Everything worked out well. I used Cat5 from the sensor to the control box and utilized an unused cat3 phone line for the runs to the light switches on the wall. Worked fine.

I will say it's really difficult to splice the wires together from the IR blaster cables. There's probably no more than 5 tiny wires for each lead and that makes for problems in trying to get a tight connection with the solid core 24 gauge phone line. The sensor and control block simply let you screw in the cat5 cable so that's a piece of cake. I keep having one of my sensors go out because the connection isn't strong enough. I'll have to look into some way to crimp them but haven't seen anything for crimping 24 gauge.

Anybody out there have a similar problem and solved it?

Thanks,
Mike

In the past I have always used "type B" connectors. Most people refer to them as "Beanies" they look kind of like big plastic pieces of rice. you just twist your wires together and then insert them in the connector, then use a pair of pliers to crush the connector.

here is a link to some I found quickly via google http://www.ezalarms.com/ezStore123/DTProductZoom.asp?productID=6173

Why not go RF with MRF260 And MX300. Wouldnt it be cheaper?

Why not go RF with MRF260 And MX300. Wouldnt it be cheaper?

Those are my thoughts as well. Plus it would work better.

Hello. I am a custom installer and use Xantech products all the time. Cat 5 will work or you can use quad (alarm) wire which is cheaper than Cat 5.


Drew

I know it's more or less been answered but I did say I'd return with the results of my wiring. Everything worked out well. I used Cat5 from the sensor to the control box and utilized an unused cat3 phone line for the runs to the light switches on the wall. Worked fine.

I will say it's really difficult to splice the wires together from the IR blaster cables. There's probably no more than 5 tiny wires for each lead and that makes for problems in trying to get a tight connection with the solid core 24 gauge phone line. The sensor and control block simply let you screw in the cat5 cable so that's a piece of cake. I keep having one of my sensors go out because the connection isn't strong enough. I'll have to look into some way to crimp them but haven't seen anything for crimping 24 gauge.

Anybody out there have a similar problem and solved it?

Thanks,
Mike

I actually took the wires from the Xantech sensor, cut the end off and made them up in a RJ45 connector. They just fit in and works great with a jack or using a coupler to connect together.

Can you have a longer run (say 30 feet) from your powered connecting block to your blaster thingy? I want to run a CAT5 from my Buffalo power block up to my PJ. Do they make a blaster that just plugs into CAT5? haven't run across one yet.

Partsexpress.com has a keystone jack that is wired to the CAT5 and the IR blaster will plug into this. http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=182-836

Why not go RF with MRF260 And MX300. Wouldnt it be cheaper?

Im still open for suggestions on this as Im waying all my options. Are these products made by Niles? Thanks

Im still open for suggestions on this as Im waying all my options. Are these products made by Niles? Thanks

Universal Remotes makes those products. Super easy to use and program if you already are familiar with remote programing. Doesnt require a laptop and plenty of help here for tweaks. Their new MRF260 (replaced the 250) took car of a ton of quirks and bugs. Save the CAT5 for AV.

Looks like I need the sensor line of sight. What are others doing with this? All my connections will be behind the tv. Looks like sticking a sensor on the side of the tv but that might look a little ghetto?

I have a dual issue--I have a large LCD tv in front of my rack that effectively blocks my components direct-line from my sitting position, and I want to run an IR from another room to my components. IR from my remotes can be pretty forgiving, but I have noticed that I am having trouble controlling my DVD player.

I am actually surprised TVs don't have IR-pass through for these situations...

Looks like Id have to put that base station somewhere in our bedroom. Ive been promising the better half that equipment will be hardly noticeable. She is very hell bent on making sure I use my (had to have) equipment Rm for everything.

Looks like Id have to put that base station somewhere in our bedroom. Ive been promising the better half that equipment will be hardly noticeable. She is very hell bent on making sure I use my (had to have) equipment Rm for everything.

If you're referring to the RF base station, NO. It can go anywhere. You could even keep it in closet. Thats the beauty of RF, it goes through walls :)

If you're referring to the RF base station, NO. It can go anywhere. You could even keep it in closet. Thats the beauty of RF, it goes through walls :)

Really.. So does this base station have to be close to our bedroom. (main floor) Or can I install the station down in the equipment Rm where rack is located?

Really.. So does this base station have to be close to our bedroom. (main floor) Or can I install the station down in the equipment Rm where rack is located?

The RF base can go anywhere. However if you keep it close to your equipment, you can use a standard length IR emitter. The way it works is you get an RF remote and that remote communicates to the base via RF. The base then converts the signal to IR and controls your equipment. In many cases you wont even have to have an emitter. The IR blaster on many bases are so strong, they work without an emitter.

Universal Remotes makes those products. Super easy to use and program if you already are familiar with remote programing. Doesnt require a laptop and plenty of help here for tweaks. Their new MRF260 (replaced the 250) took car of a ton of quirks and bugs. Save the CAT5 for AV.

If I went w/ the Universal Remote, MRF260, IR emitter, and Lutron Maestro's, I wouldn't need any more specialized pieces for controlling the lights, right?

Lighting is a different story. It can be done but there is more involved and many ways to accomplish the same task.

I will say it's really difficult to splice the wires together from the IR blaster cables. There's probably no more than 5 tiny wires for each lead and that makes for problems in trying to get a tight connection with the solid core 24 gauge phone line. The sensor and control block simply let you screw in the cat5 cable so that's a piece of cake. I keep having one of my sensors go out because the connection isn't strong enough. I'll have to look into some way to crimp them but haven't seen anything for crimping 24 gauge.


I use standard gel filled phone splice connectors for 22ga or more wires. Simple and durable.

http://www.wirelesshut.com/0/10358155.html