The ultimate IR extender? Not on sale outside USA?

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:54 am

Hi,

http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/blo ... ystem.html

Looks real great, but they do not ship abroad. Anyone who can suggest alternative sources, or equivalent systems available in Europe?

Rolf

IBNobody · Post by **IBNobody** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:46 am

That's kind of expensive and it's just IR. I spent $70 and got a pair of those Next Generation Remote Extenders that work on RF.

I'm sure you can find a place that will ship one overseas.

There are some easy mods you can do to them to make them equal to or better than that Niles Audio system.

Zellarman · Post by **Zellarman** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:43 pm

Try the 9910, it already has the RF. I use all 3, true IR repeater, next generation and the 9910. The latter two are superior b/c you don't have to rely on an IR receiver, perfect for the outdoor speakers of a whole house audio set up

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:08 am

Zellarman wrote:Try the 9910, it already has the RF. I use all 3, true IR repeater, next generation and the 9910. The latter two are superior b/c you don't have to rely on an IR receiver, perfect for the outdoor speakers of a whole house audio set up

I've just installed a unit that looks exactly like the Next Generation except it is marked "MAXIMUM" digital technology, so it seems to be the same thing.

But it doesn't deliver performance, it is not capable of controlling my tv or satellite tuner with the base unit sitting at 9 feet facing the devices. Operation is very unreliable. Only occasionally does it work. I have tried with both an IEC controller for the Dreambox tuner, and a Philips universal controller.

This is the second device I am testing, the first was an IR-IR device with three eyes to patch over the IR receptors, but that didn't work either - the Ir receptor was too insensitive to the signals from my remotes.

I don't get it - I hava a Technics stereo that I bought 20 or 30 years ago, and I could point the remote any direction I wanted and even go around a corner in my living room and just point it at the wall opposite the stereo and it worked. So I know it is possib, why don't they make things that work? I know I could, if I only had the resources!

Could make a fortune making real working gadgets, I think.

IBNobody · Post by **IBNobody** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:29 am

Read my discussion of what I had to do to my NextGen system. It's in the hardware forum.

I found that out-of-the-box, the UFO-shaped receiver sucks. You need to convert it to an "eye" system. You can do this by taking the included eye, getting a few IR diodes, and soldering them in parallel.

I went a step further. I took the IR diodes out of the UFO itself and soldered them to the end of 6' cables. That gave me the same effect, and I didn't have to go out and order more IR diodes.

The only other mod I did was to mask off the IR diodes on my remote. They were interfering with the NG UFO's output.

I've been using the system for a month now, and I love it. Once I got everything set up, I haven't had any problems.

I'm currently running two UFO's. I need two because Scientific Atlanta boxes run at a higher IR carrier frequency.

Remote: Atlas OCAP 1056 w/ Backlighting

UFO 1:
Panasonic 50PZ77U Plasma TV
Kenwood VT407 Receiver
Sony 5-Disc DVD Player
Playstation 3 (using a bluetooth-to-IR adaptor I built myself)

UFO 2:
Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:03 am

Yes, I'll try that. Some idea along that line was beginning to take shape in my mind - I guess they know the UFO stinks and included that eye to save face...

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:07 am

I regret that the UFO seems not to work for me at all. On the URC 7950 programmed for a Samsung TV and a Dreambox tuner it responds in TV mode, but not in Dreambox mode. Direct IR operation does of course work the way it should.

Can the problem be anything else than the transmitter failing to pick up the Dreambox-type signals?

I doubt the systems capability to work through walls, moving the remote to different locations in this room, it is easy to find positions where it doesn't work. Transmitter output must be very, very low. Or receiver sesnstivity - or both. I have lost faith in the system.

BTW, why has the UFO room for an AA cell besides the 2/3 AAA cell?

Rolf

IBNobody · Post by **IBNobody** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:49 pm

Dreamzapper wrote:I regret that the UFO seems not to work for me at all. On the URC 7950 programmed for a Samsung TV and a Dreambox tuner it responds in TV mode, but not in Dreambox mode. Direct IR operation does of course work the way it should.

Can the problem be anything else than the transmitter failing to pick up the Dreambox-type signals?

I doubt the systems capability to work through walls, moving the remote to different locations in this room, it is easy to find positions where it doesn't work. Transmitter output must be very, very low. Or receiver sesnstivity - or both. I have lost faith in the system.

BTW, why has the UFO room for an AA cell besides the 2/3 AAA cell?

Rolf

I bet your Dreambox operates at 56khz. My Scientific Atlanta does. That's why I needed two of the UFO's.

Here's a quick test: Change the switch setting in the battery compartment of the UFO and see if the Dreambox works.

The AA slot? It's to ensure a lawsuit when someone sticks an alkaline AA battery in it.

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:38 am

I have some doubts whether the UFO system will work well enough for me. But what about the OFA 9910? It is not available in Europe, but is there any reason why it should not work equally well here?

Most equipment is made in Japan or Korea anyway, so compatibility ought not be a problem. I am not quite sure about the Dreambox though, would there be any problem?

If I suspect that the transmitter for the UFO system have a problem with picking up the IR signal, would it be possible to use a piece of wire as an antenna to make signal pickup more reliable?

IBNobody · Post by **IBNobody** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:40 am

If the DB uses some oddball IR frequency, the UFO won't pick it up.

I can't tell you how the 9910 would work for you. My only experience with an OFA RF remote was the 9900, and I hated it.

Dreamzapper · Post by **Dreamzapper** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:27 am

The 9900 is a discontinued device and no details are available except manual and codes so I am unable to determine what aspect of the unit you hated. Design, looks, buttons, difficulty of programming, operational reliability?

Rolf

IBNobody · Post by **IBNobody** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:07 pm

It was big. The 9910 was big as well.