Control of cable box

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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
How do I control a cable box behind a closed cabinet door when the box is in a different room?

I have used those gizmos where you put a little eye outside the cabinet that receives an IR signal and run a cable from a controller to each component. But those cables are pretty short.

I need to put a sensor at the tv that will control a cable box 30 feet away. What hardware and control wire do I need?
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
They make remote control extenders that use RF instead of IR to extend the range.
The receiver has one or more output leads with individual LEDs in case you cannot place the receiver in direct sight of all your components.
The transmitter(s) used to be line powered units with IR inputs that had to be inside the normal range of the remote.
But there is a relatively new model in which the miniature transmitter replaces one of the batteries inside the remote.
It detects the current fluctuations as the LED pulses and uses that to pulse its RF output.
I can confirm that it works!
There are also wired models, but there is no reason I can think of to use them unless you have a very large number of remotes and equipment and want to avoid crosstalk.
 
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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
They make remote control extenders that use RF instead of IR to extend the range.
The receiver has one or more output leads with individual LEDs in case you cannot place the receiver in direct sight of all your components.
The transmitter(s) used to be line powered units with IR inputs that had to be inside the normal range of the remote.
But there is a relatively new model in which the miniature transmitter replaces one of the batteries inside the remote.
It detects the current fluctuations as the LED pulses and uses that to pulse its RF output.
I can confirm that it works!
There are also wired models, but there is no reason I can think of to use them unless you have a very large number of remotes and equipment and want to avoid crosstalk.

Thanks for the response but I can't tell from it what hardware I should get. What do you call this gizmo?
 

GoldDigger

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Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Thanks for the response but I can't tell from it what hardware I should get. What do you call this gizmo?
You can do your own search for remote control extender, or you can follow this link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/b?node=11039361

The ones that look like a flying saucer plus some battery adapters are what I described, but there are lots of other options.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
What kind of cable box? FIOS has an IR receiver that plugs directly into the box for about $15.
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Probably not the best solution when the box and remote are in different rooms. It would get the signal past the cabinet doors though.

The receiver attaches directly to the TV and you aim the standard remote at it which then controls the box. Works well for locations where the cable box is not near the TV or in another room or cabinet.

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egnlsn

Senior Member
Location
Herriman, UT
Occupation
A/V/Security Technician
I bought a couple of extender systems from Rat Shack probably a good 20 years ago that I still use. At one time, my cable boxes were in the basement while my stereo equipment was in my upstairs closet. Now, everything is up in my closet (around the corner and down the hall from my living room) and it still works great. I use the other one to control the equipment from my bedroom.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Thanks. That seems like the simplest solution.

Yeah if you look at the photo in post #8 you can see that it's pretty inconspicuous and cheap. I have them on all of my FIOS boxes that are concealed. You just need to ensure that the ones you buy are compatible with the FIOS gear that you have.
 
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