Next Generation Remote Control Extender - Both RF & IR Possible? - Page 2

Click the link again and closer to the bottom (right above the price) you'll see the description (easy to miss though):

Got more than one component you'd like to control with the receiver? Next Generation Home Products offers a unique six-eye emitter tether cord that works with either unit -- allowing up to 6 components to be as much as 8 feet apart away from the receiver. Simply mount each emitter eye next to the specific component or on the entertainment cabinet door facing the component you want to control from up to 100+ feet away.



There's only one jack.

Here's another source but for the record I purchased from SummitSource - great service, no issues - YMMV.

My television remote sensor is blocked by a piece of furniture. I have to physically move to an area in the room to access the sensor with the remote. Would "The Next Generation Remote Control Extender" solve this problem? Is there something else that someone can recommend? Thank You. MQ

I bought the Next Generation Remote Control Extender for use with my Harmony 550 remote. I found that it would work great for about 5 minutes, then it would start to work only intermittently until it finally wouldn't work at all. It's almost like it sucked all the juice out of it really quickly. Does anyone know what could be going on with this? I'm about ready to get rid of the extender on ebay unless I can figure something out.

Well, assuming you're having this problem even after installing a freshly charged battery, you may just have a defective unit. Try contacting the manufacturer here.....if it's under a year old they'll have you send it to them for a replacement.

I already have the harmony 890 remote and am wondering if the Next Generation Remote Control Extender will work with this product? I am pondering using it to control my media center computer. The main harmony extender is in the basement with all the surround sound system.

Thanks!

Gary

Nope. Next Gen only works on remotes with AA or AAA batteries.

What amazes me is that the transmitter, by being in the battery compartment, knows what commands to tell the base. It doesnt make sense how this thing should work.

jmsnyc

IR remotes emit pulse trains where the IR LED is turned on and off to make up the ones and zeros of a command packet ( well, actually not quite that simple, the 'on' state is a carrier frequency 'burst' ). Anyway, the current draw from the battery is orders of magnitude higher when the IR LED is on. So, the NGR transmitter ( which is conveniently in one of the batteries ) monitors the current draw from the remote. It can tell when the LED is on during a 'high' pulse because of the high current draw, and turns it's internal RF transmitter 'on' during that time too. When the current draw is low during a 'low' pulse ( or idle ) it turns it's transmitter off.

Jonathan

Thanks for your explanation.

Greetings, I'm glad I found this thread. I'm in the middle of relocating all A/V components into a built-in cabinet and will want control from two separate rooms. The Next Generation RF transmitter sounds like an ideal solution.

My only question regards the multiple-eye transmitters. If you have a stack of more than 3 units (say four or five), would a three-eye be adequate to cover them all provided they are within the typical 30 degree cone that the IR sensor on the component can still detect the signal, or do you really need one "eye" for each, separate device?

I've never tried using the emitters that way but I'm able to flash several components on an open audio rack by placing the receiver near the front edge of the bottom shelf. The components stacked above it sit an inch or two back from the front edge of their respective glass shelves and they receive the signal just fine....perfectly, actually.

I'm controlling these components (two DirecTV DVRs and a remote controlled A/B switch) from a bedroom one floor above.

If it isn't possible for you to place your components in a similar way, a 6 eye emitter cable would be my recommendation.

Vin...
So, you have the eye in front mounted somehow, like this?:

.........................................|............. -------------
.........................................|..............[ DVR 1
.........................................|..............-------------
..............................eye......|<............[ DVR 2
.........................................|.........--------------
.........................................|.........[ Receiver
.........................................|.........--------------
...................front of cabinet.|........._______________ shelf

How many eyes have you -- one or three?

No, I'm not using any emitters (eyes), I just have the receiver (space ship) sitting on the bottom shelf close enough to the edge that the components on the shelves above it can receive it's signal.

Ah, so if one were using one or more "eyes" I guess you could mount them a bit higher and angle them so they could be detected by the various components' IR sensors. I think in this case, a 3-eye setup (maybe even a one-eye) would work. I'm guessing that any connected eyes would pick up the signal in addition to the sensor on the spaceship itself?

I think there's a chance that'll work. And since the kit comes with a one eye emitter you'd be able to try it out before buying anything additional.



I can't imagine one would preclude the other but I haven't tested the theory.

The key in your case is the glass shelves... any non-IR transparent material would make it necessary to have emitters in multiple locations. Thanks again for all your feedback. Sounds like the ideal setup to me.

Brand new to forum... Here goes.

I have a Dish Network 722dvr in my living room which operates my Living room tv as well as the TV2 in my bedroom. Bedroom and Living room are separated by a wall. I use a Harmony 550 for all components in the living room and it works great. I would like to use my old Harmony 520 in my bedroom but because the TV2 responds to UHF signals, I need a solution. I believe the NG RF ext. will work, but would like to know for sure. My concern is, will the signal sent from bedroom harmony remote (with rf ext.) to DVR interfere with TV1 programming? In other words will I still be able to watch tv in bedroom and tv in living room at the same time and change channels in one room without changing channels in the other. Any clarification offered would be a big help. Also any other suggestions would be welcomed.

Nothing, including NG, will work on TV2 without adding something like THIS.

If I add that, do i even need the NG extender?

No you don't. But I really don't see the point of all the effort and expense just to use your spare harmony, assuming you already have a Dish RF remote to work TV2.

the reason is that the Dish remote won't complete all the commands associated with the tv i have in the bedroom (Samsung LN32A450C1D). Will not work sleep timer and the volume control is slow and intermittently effective thru the Dish remote. Also, I have an RCA dvd player hooked up and would like one remote to do all my functions. So, maybe I am a little peculiar, I just wanted to know my options, if I had any.

Makes sense. Sounds like that dish IR converter box is the way to go then.

i have ordered a next generation kit
i want to control my pvr, dvd player, and maybe one other component in a closet with my harmony 880
i am hoping the reciever, or the single emitter will manage these, if place properly, or i may get a multiple emitter if i need to
question one
from what i read, i may be able to control the three components, stacked in the closet, right?
second question
will my harmony still "manage" my tv with line of sight in the main room?

thanks
larry

You're not going to like this answer but unfortunately the NGHP remote extender isn't compatible with remotes that have their own rechargeable batteries/battery packs...sorry.

For what it's worth, your plan would have worked otherwise. Also, line of sight still works normally when using the NGHP transmitter (with a compatible remote).

right
i actually knew that
ok
i also have a 659 logitech i could use
so, questions
first,
will it still control the tv with line of sight, once the next gen battery is in there

second,
my two or three components in the clostet
if i can place them properly, in the next room (and i'm thinking of the pvr, dvd, and one other stacked and facing the flying saucer which will be immediately in front of them, about a foot away or so - all in a closet), will i be able to control them either just with the spaceship, or with the spaceship and single emitter? and if i need the emitter, where would i put it - or will i need more emitters

thanks for your help

Absolutely.


I think the chances of controlling all 3 components that are in line of sight of the spaceship are very good. I have the spaceship sitting on the bottom shelf of a component rack with glass shelves and the components above it (two DVRs, a Roku box and an IR controlled switcher) all receive the signal without using any emitters.

Regarding emitters, if you're asking whether or not you could use emitters and the spaceship to send signals simultaneously, I don't think it'll work. Although I've never tried that with the NGHP, I did try it with the Terk wireless remote extender and it seemed that whenever the emitter cable was plugged in, the components that were previously receiving a signal directly from the spaceship no longer did, i.e., only the single component that saw the eye of the emitter could be controlled.

so i'm best to try to locate the spaceship line of sight to my three components, no emitter, and if that doesn't do it, order a three eye emitter, and place each in front of each component, right?????
if i place the spaceship, and can have the three components stacked, would you say a foot or two or three in front, and level with the lower, middle, or what???
thanks

Yes, but from my experience, you shouldn't have a problem with the spaceship flashing all three components in it's line of sight.


I would say a foot in front and level with the middle component would be ideal but as I said earlier, my spaceship sits on the bottom shelf of an open rack, extended just slightly over the edge of the shelf, and it easily flashes the components that sit on the shelf above (~12-15 inches) and an inch or so back from the edge. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with just how much flexibility you have in placing the spaceship.

sounds good vin, thanks
so you think i might get away with three components reacting to just the spaceship, if i place it in the right place
i have a lot of flexibility with the components and the spaceship
again, i expect the components to be one on top of the other and the spaceship in front of them, and distance i like away, and could be level with bottom, middle, top
it's sounding like i've got a good chance, right???

larry