RF/IR Project

[hlkc]

Now I pretty much complete all I want and I would like to start my next RF/IR project. I would like to control my AV gear that sit in one of my hub room. The problem is my HomeSeer desktop is in 2nd floor and this room is on 1st floor. I was thinking to get some gear that will transfer my HomeSeer commands from my PC and send the signal to my 1st floor AV. What do I need? How to programming AV code to HomSeer in order for the programming to send the particular signal to my AV. ie. I can programming my HomeSeer to turn on the TV/SAT when I come home.

Thanks for your feedback in advance.

[fireball]

Hi there hlkc,
While my PC and AV gear are all in the same room it really wasn't practical for me to have my PC to IR Linc (available on Smarthome) directly control it all. I ended up putting an IR to RF converter on the end of it and then sat the RF to IR converter in front of my gear to control it all. I went with an Infrared Remote Extender (also available at Smarthome) because I could pick on up on eBay for about $20. With those two items I am able to send any and all IR signals to all of my AV gear. Not only that, but if you pick up multiple IR Extenders and have different brands of TV's throughout your house you can stick a base unit in front of all of them and have HS control them as well because they'll pick up all the same RF signals that the main one does.

[Rupp]

hlkc,
I have the same setup as you. My HS PC is upstairs and my TV/Audio Equipment is downstairs. I bought an Ocelot to learn the IR codes and I use powermids to transfer the IR codes from the PC to the equipment. This has worked flawlessly for over a year. With this setup one can have the TV muted when the phone rings, turn on the stereo from the deck, etc. If you need any more information just holler.

[hlkc]

I'm sorry I should explain clearly up front. My PC is in 2nd floor and my hub room, 2'X4' room with all AV gears is in 1st floor. When this 2'X4' closet close there is no space to put the emitters far enough to point to any gears. I have about 8 shelfs in this room and I need to operate at least 3 AV gears in order to have sound and vision in my living room. Moreover the TV is sitting in the living room just by itself with no other AV gears there.

My questions are:
1) How the PC signal can travel from 2nd floor to 1st floor and transfer back to IR to my 3 AV gears? IR Linc, Powerminds?

2) In the mean time, how can I have my TV sitting in another room turn on when my AV gears and IR Linc/or somthing else sitting in that 2'X4' room?

Thanks

[huggy591]

I assume you have coax cabling for video, cable TV, or satellite going to the TV. You can easily insert an IR signal on the coax cable and pull it off wherever you need it. Take a look at the Xantech gear.

In my case, I have my main AV gear stack in the family room on the other side of the house from my office. In my office I have the HS machine, Ocelot, and other computer gear. I also have a VCR/DVD player hooked to a monitor for office TV, etc. The VCR/DVD player is hooked to the coax distribution system throughout my home.

The IR output from the Ocelot feeds a signal inserter that sends the electrical signals for the IR signal over the coax for distribution to the entire house. In my master bedroom, family room, and living room, I have emitter systems that allow the "IR" signal to be taken from the coax and supplied to the local AV gear. I have HS web pages that allow me to control all the gear in any room from any PC on the network.

This same coax cable carries the sat and RF signals for the TV, VCR, etc. With a single IR zone, I can control anything in the house from my office or any insertion point, or even with my PCs (which is what I do all the time to control the main satellite receiver feeding my office "TV").

[Rupp]

hlkc,
The powermids can be used with IR emitters. The powermids convert IR to RF transfer it and then convert it back to ir. I have one setting on a table pointed at the back of my stereo equipment and it still controls it just fine so they must put out a pretty powerful signal.

[alevey]

I think the cheapest, easiest is to use something like the USB-UIRT (to send IR signals from HS) and PowerMids.