IR repeaters to boost signal in the SAME room?

I have rearranged my room to make room for a new TV. That forced me to a new vertical rack in the corner of the room which is partially obscured by the arm of a sofa.

The pronto is very powerful but, I still get misses now and then and have to aim it slightly for the device that is most fussy about IR (meridian).

I was thinking of putting an IR repeater on top of the TV and the retransmitter in front of the rack. Will this work? I'm concerned that some devices will get double hits (one direct from the pronto and one from the retransmitter) and get very confused.

The unit I'm considering is the Radio Shack unit that uses RF between the receiver and retransmitter.

Any other way to solve this, other than mirrors :-)

Try the 'Stereocontrol' from Lets Automate

[Link: letsautomate.com] - This all be on one line :-)

It costs GBP25 + Tax and Shipping

We use Xantech ir dinky links and they work really well and the emmitters are very discreet. If you need one email me.

George, I'm with Barry. The other choice would be a remote sensor from Meridian toward the top of the rack.
If Xantech turns out to be the ticket for you, have a look at their "mouse ir covers" also as this will help to maintain the emitter in place and also serves to block any IR coming directly from the room.

If the commands are discrete you should have no problem. The device may see the original IR command and the repeated one. In some cases (like POWER) the first will do what you want and the second will do it again or perhaps negate it (POWER twice means OFF).

If you can isolate your rack (in a closet for example) then any of the above suggestions should work. If you can't, then study your command sequences before investing and consider a bit of "logic" reprogramming for "what if" the device sees the command twice.

Lastly, I'd suggest the placement of a mirror somewhere in your room. IR can be reflected just like normal light so getting the IR commands back to your devices should be no trouble for a well placed mirror or perhaps two. You might even find one of those round convex mirrors does the job perfectly.

Dave

Another option is to use the type of ir repeater where the transmitter attaches directly to the remote control.
This would block the ir signal coming from the Pronto and avoid the double signal problem.It would also give you whole house control of the equipment in the line of sight of the reciever.
The only draw back is that its not the most attractive thing around.

I've got a similiar problem. When the tray of my DVD player is open, it blocks the line of sight from my remote to the IR window on the player. The only way to make my Pronto work when the tray is open is to stand up, and hold the remote over my head, thereby changing the angle of the IR signal.

Any ideas on how I can "move" or extend the IR window on the DVD player just a couple of inches? I guess I could use a hotlink or something similiar, but that seems like overkill for something so minor. The mirror on the wall idea might work, but I don't really want a mirror in my theater because I'd end reflecting the movie which could be annoying or distracting.

Steve13,

You would simply need a mirror that was 1"x1", something very small, and mount it at an angle just above the IR sensor. This might work. Try testing with a make-up mirror or car mirror ( the little ones that mount on your existing mirror, but is convex, available in just about any auto section in any store). You could also try using an old audio cd that no longer works, since it too is reflective. Just cut a small square with an utility knife. A small convex mirror would be better, this way you could be at about any angle.

Just a question, if the tray is open, why are you trying to control the player remotely? I assume you are changing discs and could push the tray back in? Just curious on your particular scenario.

I think I meant to say that a concave mirror is best, not convex.

I'm trying to make my Pronto "girlfriend friendly", with a macro, to turn everything on, open the tray, then after the disk is put in, she could press another button (macro) to start the movie, dim the lights, etc. etc. Yes, she could just close the tray when she puts the disk in, but my DVD player automatically reads and starts to play a disk as soon as the tray is closed, thereby ruining the effect and timing of an automated sequence. I'll try the small mirror idea. Thanks. SS

Yup, that would explain it.

What you really need is the 300 disc Pioneer! Now that would be cool. I have a 5 disc Panasonic, but I cannot label them, so it is difficult to remember what is in each slot.

Are you able to rearrange components around enough to lower the DVD player within seating height? Let us know about the small mirror idea.

Success with the mirror! I bought a small dental mirror (the round kind on a handle like a tootbrush, mounted ot on top of the DVD player and the angle of the handle was just right to reflect the IR signal. I painted the handle black to match my rack and equipment and from across the room, it's almost invisible. Perfect!!! Thanks guys for the suggestion.