I have got all my audio/video gear under Pronto's
control. All except, the 500W power amp which
does not respond to IR controls and dosen't come
with a remote.

What will be the easiest way to tackle this issue?

I have no experience with X-10 automation. From
what I read through that forum tells me that I
should get an IR543 module. This will translate
the IR signals sent by the Pronto into RF signals
that an appliance module hooked up to the power
outlet will respond to. The appliance module
is simply an RF controlled on/off switching
power outlet to which I would connect the power amp.

I am posing this question on the Pronto forum
to get expert advice from the Pronto perspective.

This must be a common problem automating power amps
and perhaps I maybe missing a simpler approach.

Maybe I should just walk up to the rack and turn
it on :)

Tapas.

Most high power amps will make toast of most triggered AC switches. I'm using a Xantech AC2 (good for 15A/1800W). The AC2 can be triggered via low voltage (AC or DC), a NTSC video signal or IR commands. I started a thread looking for the IR commands for the AC2- and it looks like someone is going to be kind enough to post them. The AC2 goes for about $300, but they make something called an AC1 for around $80 that's very similar.

Thanks Carl,

I knew there was some catch to my $35 solution!
I already knew I could not use the switched
outlets on my Yamaha DSP-A1. The power amp load
is too much.

I would look into the AC1 that you recommended.

Regards,

Tapas.

You can plug a 12v power supply into the switched outlet of the receiver and use a 12v triggerable power strip. Monster Cable, Panamax, Niles, and others all make one or two. Plus you'll get surge suppression thown in to boot. Some of these even have delayed outlets to keep from experiencing the turn on/off thumps large power amps can cause.

jcmitch

I have been using the same solution as jcmitch is proposing for about a year to control the power for a pair of Bryston amps. The power strip I chose was the Monster HTS2000 CI which has a 12 volt trigger input. The trigger voltage is derived from a 12 volt 250 mA Radio Shack wall trensformer plugged directly into the accessory outlet on the back of my controller. In my case the Bryston's can be triggered directly but this set-up is left over from the Hafler DH-500 I had previously.

The transformer trick is a good solution for getting trigger from any device that has an accessory outlet but mo trigger output.

I don't know what kind of pre-amp you're running, but if it has a 12v trigger output (like Carl B. mentioned above), you could configure it the way I did (though it ain't exactly cheap). My B&K Ref 30 has several of these 12v trigger outputs. I connected it to a Monster Power HTS 2500 Power Center (which has one 12v trigger in) using a simple Radio Shack 1/8" mono mini-jack cable and plugging my amps into the switched outlets of the HTS 2500. Now when I power up the B&K, after a short delay (due to the internal relay's in the HTS box), everything powers up. When I put the B&K to sleep the everything else shuts down too. Monster has several boxes which perform this function, though no salesperson I found could demonstrate it! Anyway, the HTS 2500 is about the least expensive unit I could find in the Monster Power line-up (I believe it lists for $299, but obtained it locally for $232 plus tax). I think that they're horrendously priced for the actual componentry contained within, but they don't strain under load. BTW, one of my surround amps is "self-triggering", which (in case you don't know)means that when it senses an input audio signal it turns itself on. Check your amp, it may have this function which will save you a couple of $$$. A lot of the newer powered subs have this function also.

Use the X-10 to switch on the coil side of a 120V relay. The switch side of the relay would then turn on the amp. If the highest rated relay you can find isn't rated high enough use several of them in parallel. Radio Shack, a few bucks each. Piece o' cake, end of story. Hehe....

As stated above, if your pre-amp has a 12v trigger I would highly recommend a Panamax 2000, 1500 or 1000+ line conditioner. I've got a 1500 that sequentially powers up 4 Carver amps and a 1000+ that powers on a projector and drops down the screen - all controlled from the pre-amp's 12v triggers. Adcom and Monster make similar devices. You can find them fairly cheap on E-Bay and they really simplify theatre automation - with power conditioning for your whole system.

Well, maybe Tapas is long gone, but if you want a cheap solution, here it is:

Go to Cyberguys.com and buy their current-sensing AC power strip for $24 (#1120125). Plug any component with reasonable current draw on power-on (a preamp or processor will do nicely) into the "sensed" controlling outlet, and your power amp into one of the four controlled outlets, and you're done - when the preamp turns on, so will the power amp. Handles 15A and has a "flat" AC plug. Radio Shack used to make a similar unit for $50-$60 years ago (more heavy-duty and without the flat plug), but they discontinued it.

Hope this helps someone.

Not a great solution if you're worried about speaker pops and thunks on system turn-on, but delayed triggering is a bit more expensive.

Hi Mike,

You have the perfect solution - and the most
economical as well. I will try out the current
sensing AC power strip.

Thanks to everyone for all the nifty ideas
and workarounds. This is what so great about this
forum!

I will end up buying the IR543 module as well,
so that I can control my lights.

Regards,

Tapas.

Tapas,

What amplifier are you trying to control, and might it possibly have a 12V or other type of trigger on it? Niles also makes a 12V triggerable power block which is pretty reasonable. Just buy a small 12V power supply and plug it into the switched outlet on your reciever. When the reciever turns on, so does the 12V power supply, which triggers the power block.

Mark Seaton

Mark,

I am using 2 Adcom GFA555ii power amps. They do not
have 12V triggers.

My preamps (Yamaha DSP-A1, DSP-A2070) have switchable
outlets. I could hook up a 12V transformer from Radio
Shack and make it work with the Niles 12V triggerable
power block.

Could you give me the details - Model number, price,
on-line dealer?

Your method would work very well for me.

Regards,

Tapas.

The Niles products are the AC-6+, AC-8DSS+, IPC-8, IPC-10, and IPC-12. The first two are "strip" type units, the last three are component sized. Each has a different set of additional features.

jcmitch

so why not leave it on all the time and use a infra red mains switch so easy or am i missing something

Umm... yeah, what product works as an IR controlled "mains switch" with discrete IR commands? Also, the set-up above using the 12V power supply, and I believe the AC-6+ (or whatever the basic triggered model is) is more than sufficient, simpler as it requires no codes to program, and will always work when the reciever is powered on.

As was also mentioned, various power controllers from Niles, Panamax and others have the ability to automatically turn on a receptacle via current sensing of maybe the reciever/processor, or by using a 12V trigger, or similar sensing signals. If you have a lot to plug in and control, these can be worthwhile, but the first option above is the most cost effective.

Mark Seaton