URC 9910 RF Extender

jledwell · Post by **jledwell** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 4:35 pm

Is there a way to program my URC 9910 to send only Infared signals for a particular device? I have my extender upstairs to control a satellite receiver from my family room. However, I have a Magnavox TV upstairs and downstairs. When I turn on the one downstairs, the one upstairs comes on also(of course). I would like to make the TV mode only transmit Infared and the other modes transmitt both Infared and RF. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:12 pm

Nope, the RF signal will always be sent.

jledwell · Post by **jledwell** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:16 pm

Too bad. Thanks for the response.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:23 pm

How about a convoluted way of doing it.

1) Put the RF extender on an x10 or some other automated electrical power box.

2) Setup a button on the remote to power the RF extender on and off

3) Setup a macro for every function that you want to send to the RF with the power on - RF function - then power off.

Could be a lot of macros but would work

jledwell · Post by **jledwell** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 5:50 pm

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think I would want to have the x10 power on and off everytime I push a button on the remote. I have been experimenting with trying to aim the transmiter by using a straw to try to directionalize the output. But, this didn't work. I also thought about getting some kind of polarized film to put over the transmiter and tv ir receiver. Anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks.

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 6:17 pm

How often do you have both TVs on at the same time? If it's rare, maybe Nils has the right idea. However, instead of programming macros to every button, you could just have a couple of buttons programmed to turn the extender box on and off, then when you start using the family room TV, you ould make sure that the upstairs extender box is turned off. If you have a "power on" macro, you could include the discrete off code in it.

Tommy Tyler · Post by **Tommy Tyler** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:26 am

It sounds like you're only using the extender upstairs to control the satellite receiver. If that's the case, why don't you cover up the extender so it can't emit IR, and use the little plug-in jack to attach one of the little IR blasters directly to the satellite window where it can't be seen by the TV? If that's not the case, then I just don't understand the problem.

jledwell · Post by **jledwell** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:31 pm

That is the case, but I also want to be able to control the Sat box and the TV from upstairs using a IR remote. If I attach the IR blaster to the SAT it covers up the receivers IR port so I can't use an IR remote. Thanks.

Capn Trips · Post by **Capn Trips** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:03 pm

jledwell wrote:That is the case, but I also want to be able to control the Sat box and the TV from upstairs using a IR remote. If I attach the IR blaster to the SAT it covers up the receivers IR port so I can't use an IR remote. Thanks.

HUH? How does attaching the blaster to your SAT cover up the IR window? Place in immediately infront of the IR receive window, don't tape to the window. And if you have the same remote upstairs anyways, the RF-IR conversion will still occur.

underquark · Post by **underquark** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:46 pm

jledwell wrote:That is the case, but I also want to be able to control the Sat box and the TV from upstairs using a IR remote. If I attach the IR blaster to the SAT it covers up the receivers IR port so I can't use an IR remote. Thanks.

So it sounds like you want to have the IR blaster near the Sat box but shielded from the TV. This is either a positional (trial-and-error) thing, involves placing a screen of some sort between the IR blaster and the TV or - as you suggested earlier - placing a polarizing filter over the TV IR receiver and (180° rotated) over the IR blaster. You use a purely IR remote in the bedroom without any filter and it can operate both bedroom devices.

I can imagine elaborate hardware solutions including cracking open the Sat box and placing the IR blaster inside it and also the X10 method of switching the TV on and off at the power supply. You could also, of course, buy a nice new television for Christmas or go the heretical route of using two remotes downstairs. You could even just switch the bedroom television off manually. I don't think that there's an elegant software-only solution.

jledwell · Post by **jledwell** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:53 pm

I was able to position the IR blaster to solve my problem. I put the extender behind the TV facing away from everything and I put the blaster between the TV and the SAT (Facing the SAT). Now I can control the SAT and not the TV.

Thanks everyone for your help.