New Prototype Universal Remote

[Fizbi]

Aaaaaah...Necessity in the mother of invention...

Believe it or not, my wife likes this setup. We have been experimenting with this and so far, we love it.

The next step is to clean it up and make it look pretty.

PROS:
1. Doesn't get lost in the couch
2. Nothing new to learn
3. Easy to see
4. Convenient carry handle
5. Can be hung on the wall

It's made from very thick cardboard and the remotes are twisty tied to the board.
I thought of using Velcro, but my experience with it suggests a better long term solution. I may try gluing tabs or loops to the back of the remotes so they can easily be connected to the back board.

Thoughts or suggestions appreciated. :

 

[Mr Tony]

cool

hey my remote for the TV looks exactly the same (Panasonic)

 

[Fizbi]

....hey my remote for the TV looks exactly the same (Panasonic)

Yup. I love the Panasonic TV remote. Wish all TV remotes were designed that well.

 

[eurosport]

My remote for my 42" plasma looks like that too!
:up

 

[tvropro]

I Like it

 

[turbosat]

LOL

Reminds me of a gadget I had when I was little, I think it was called the Monster Magnet. Big, red, plastic shaped like that with a strong magnet on the end.
If it works for you, great solution.

 

[Fizbi]

Here's an update: I tried a fancy Harmony 300 Universal remote that was on sale, and I managed to program all my separate remotes, but the family still has problems getting used to it. I have given up and gone back to my original plan and mounted all my remotes onto a solid base.

To build it, I found a very nice cutting board at Wal*Mart for about $3. I carefully drilled holes into the sides of each remote being careful not to drill into any circuit boards. Ok, I did manage to ruin one circuit board, but with a little wire, solder, and soldering iron, I managed to fix it. Then, I made some holes in the cutting board and mounted all the remotes with tie wraps. To change batteries, just cut the tie wrap and replace with new. Easy.

This is what I discovered when my family tries to use an all in one remote:
1. The power toggles OFF/ON. So if a box is left on and others are off, when you hit the master power button, not all boxes turn on; not all boxes turn off. The family gets frustrated because they have to troubleshoot what went wrong.
2. The family cannot remember all the modes the universal remote is capable of controlling. Gee, I don't know why...I never have any problems.
3. A control function to setup the TV, amplifier, and input mode requires a few seconds. I guess that the emitter can only transmit so many codes is so much time. The result is a half transmitted sequence of codes when the family waves the remote around. They think that the function happens instantly when in fact it doesn't. Again, more frustration.

See the attached photos for the updated results. For us, this is the best solution. The family loves it and none of the individual remotes gets lost.

 

[Tron]

Well, one useful thing about it is that it can double as a weapon in case of a home invasion...

 

[Anole]

Is that board oil-rubbed, stained, or . . .

I like it! - :up

 

[dougruss]

Ahhh.....I can see it now!

" and if you call in within the next 2 hours ,we will give you a second one Free, just pay Shipping & Handling" !

 

[Fizbi]

Well, one useful thing about it is that it can double as a weapon in case of a home invasion...

Well...If I add two more remotes, I could sell it to the department of defense as an advanced weapons system.

 

[T4Runner]

What I DON"T like is it means I have to relinquish control of my 5 of the 6 remotes to my wife? NEVER happen....

 

[Fizbi]

What I DON"T like is it means I have to relinquish control of my 5 of the 6 remotes to my wife? NEVER happen....

Good point, which is why I have command of the single 4-in-1 universal remote.
Of course now, in a contest, she has more clobber power should I get hit in the head with that loaded cutting board. Best to keep a low profile when things get hot.