[bmoore0]

I'm looking for advice on a remote extender (probably RF) with "more power". Currently I have a Home Producer 8 which I really like, but it only works in one of the extended rooms I need it to work in and even then it has it's moments of difficulty. The AV equipment is down a floor and over about 40 feet.


I've also tried the new RF remote from Radio Shack (which I think has the same innards as the Home Producer) and it had almost identical results.


Any recommendations for a extended remote solution that works through lots of walls and floors?


Thanks,

Brian

 

[yugsy]

You could cheat and buy some IR extenders like this: http://www.worthdist.com/X-10/pex01.htm, and then put the RF receiver of your remote in a central location with the RF emmitter pointed at the powermid ir receiver / transmitter and then place the powermid wireless receiver near your components to control them. Basicaly acts like a repeater.


Alternatively, I think you can buy ten packs of hand mirrors at Target!.

 

[bmoore0]

That's not a bad idea actually (the repeating not the mirrors ) ... is the RF in the powermind any more "hefty" than in the ones that have the transmitter in the remote?

Or any idea where I might get more detailed specs?

 

[video321]

I can say that I was using the X-10 pyramids while in my apartment. The distance was ~40' and it worked great. My father uses them also and has mixed results. He basically goes straight up one floor.

YMMV

 

[bmoore0]

That's the problem I'm having - going through floors. This distances is about 6 feet, but seems to work better when I move farther away and near the stairs....

 

[jlb]

Another option is the Xtra Link system from Smart Home.

http://www.smarthome.com/8197.html


The heart of this system are these little boxes you put in line in your coax cable run. In addition to a passthrough for the signal on the coax, you have an IR jack. So, with your powered receiver in the remote room, the IR signal gets "injected" into the coax cable. Then, as long as any splitters/combiners/etc are DC passive, the signal goes along the run to where you have an emitter hooked up to the in-line box at the other end.


This seems like a nice alternative when distance/floors/etc start to impact an IR extender system.

 

[bmoore0]

Do you know if that will work back through splitters? From my TiVo in the basement I have that split to an amp and then upstairs to 2 different feeds. I might be able to do without the amp (never tried actually) but I still need to split the signal.

 

[video321]

It would depend on your splitters and if they will pass a DC signal.

 

[jrannison]

I was using an Ir to RF converter attached at the end of the remote. It would xmit to a receiver that would regenerate the IR pattern and send it to an LED assembly.

I stopped using it because I could not attach it to the new remote.

It has a range of about 30 feet in the house.

I went and found it: ULTRACONTROL made by: Vidtronics, Model UC-1R.

I have seen other vendors in the past with the same idea.


John