IR Remote Control Extenders

Jim,

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

What do you mean by, "Next Generation?"

I have one of these:

---Joel

"Next Generation" is a brand.

Sounds clever. One of the AA cells in your remote is replaced with a rechargeable cell that also includes an RF transmitter at 433MHz. So you don't have to point, just "click" ;-)

Did you have any "issues" with the Terk unit?

I've just started contemplating "remote" remotes, so I'm open to any and all suggestions, cautions, etc.

...Jim Thompson

Hi Jim,

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Ah, yeah, I've seen that one advertised; it does seem clever.

No, although we weren't really "stressing" the unit: There was only one in the house and the required range was only about 15' through one wall.

---Joel

Several of my remotes have a single AA or AAA cell. That would be real interesting to see it work.

Clever it is indeed. The usefulness depends on how long that rechargeable holds enough charge. If it's the usual three months or so I'd give it a thumbs down.

If they were *really* clever they'd just suck power from the other batteries in series to give themselves 1.5V. (Essentially a 1.5-4.5V boost coverter.)

Although obviously that doesn't work for Michael's one-cell remotes.

Are N-type cells the same diameter as AA's? Then you could just go back to using primary cells.

---Joel

No idea. However, the main challenge is that any batteries for such mundane tools must be available at the local grocery. It's pathetic but nowadays people consider it a major inconvenience when the remote quits and, gasp, they have to get off the couch to switch the channel.

Yeah. Next thing ya know they'll be wanting electric starters and windows on their cars instead of hand cranks.

My first car had a hand crank. Worked fine :-)

It's windows were semi-automatic though: Curve to the left, right window opens a bit. Curve to the right, left window opens. But they never fell off while driving (the trunk lid did once ...).

Trunk lid? That's better than the hood at 55 MPH.

Yeah, but this was on an Autobahn. I noticed a sudden "air conditioned feeling", then saw sparks flying in my rear view. Screeeeech. Luckily it was at night and other cars were still far off. Ran into the lane, picked it up.

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One hinge held, but the hood slammed into the side of the car, right on a weld in the unibody and cracked it. Then it went back up, and into the engine compartment where smashed the brake fluid reservoir, and the top of one of the carburetors before it caught on the windshield wiper post on the driver's side. The inside of the hood was covering the windshield in heavy traffic on I 75, near Cincinnati. I couldn't see, had no brakes, and the damaged carburetor wouldn't let me slow down. I was power downshifting while looking out the side window to stay in my lane, and every bump caused the cracked weld to grow. By the time I was able to stop, the crack was all the way from the door post on the passenger side of the car, to my feet on the driver's side. The car was a total loss, and caused a lot of people to slam on their brakes and try to miss me as they slid into the emergency lane. That was the last time I drove a European built car. French engineering, my ass! :(

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Turn ignition key to 'off' position.

So did mine.

My second car didn't even have a window crank, though. Side windows fit in a rubber (gasket) 'slot' on the bottom with the top held by spring clips. Lotus Europa S1.

Good grief, and I thought the Europa was bad for parts falling off, but they never fell completely off. It's favorite was to drop one end of the shift lever cross link so you had only 3'rd and 4'th gear.

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Mine had a little cantilever spring thingie. Press it and the lower half pane could be pushed out and up. Citroen 2CV. It actually did have a rope actuated starter but the 6V batteries had become so expensive that it wasn't in a student's budget. So I used the crank. A stack of D-cells provided the initial juice for the ignition coil.

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But not too far, else the steering wheel locks and that can be really bad news.

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With a manual transmission, at 55 MPH? The car was already disintegrating around me, I didn't need to att more stress to the failed unibody. You do it. If you live, you can brag about it.

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Besides it being better to be alive, even with a 'wrecked' car, than dead with what would, no doubt, also be a wrecked car it isn't any more stress than normal driving.

Already have, when the throttle cable on my Lotus Europa seized up while doing a flat out acceleration run. Cable seized at the 3'rd to

Of course, I had picked an absolutely empty road at 3:00 in the morning to do it, which left the matter of how to get home.

I reworked the manual choke into a limited throttle control and limped the 20 miles back using that.

Then there was the time the clutch arm broke and I had to drive back in traffic turning the motor off at stop lights and restarting it while in gear, but that's another story.

Did I mention the Europa liked to drop parts?

Did I mention that the welds in the floor had cracked, and the bottom of the body was scraping the highway? Or that the opening was wide enough for my feet to go through? Or the car that was about 25 feet behind me, blowing his horn for me to get out of his way? The roof was the only thing holding the car together by the time I got it stopped.

Did I mention that it was an Opel Cadette?