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nadler
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| Posted: July 24 2006 at 13:32 | IP Logged
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I'm ready to impliment my IR solution and am wondering what you use for your IR solution with Power-Home. I've looked at Ocelot and the IR expension module, Xantech, Niles, Speakercraft, Buffalo and several others whose names I've forgotten.
I need 6 to 7 IR receivers in 6 or 7 room controlling a TIVO/Cable Box in 1 room, Stereo Receiver in another room, my multimedia PC in a third room and an automated speaker selector and another amplifier in the basement. All wiring is home run to a wiring closet in the basement so I'm not concerned about the wiring. I anticipate using a spare Cat5e cable in each room for any and all IR connections.
So far I have a USB UIRT connected to the computer and use its expansion IR output run from the computer room to the basement to control the speaker selecter and second amp (which is also connected to the PC and plays MP3s and TSS announcements) through PH. This is also used with PH and insteon keypadlincs to change the volume of the amp in the basement using IR through PH.
Here are my questions:
If you use Ocelot and the IR module what do you use for the IR receivers and how are they connected to the Ocelot? In my setup I don't see much need for using the other aspects of the Ocelot so I wonder whether I am gaining anything by using it just for IR.
If you use Xantech - it seems their IR receivers are the most expensive by far (min. of $75 each) would the Buffalo IR receiver which seem to be about $45 on ebay work or is the voltage differences a concern?
If you were starting over again and didn't want to spend a lot of $$ on the IR part of your setup what would you use knowing that you also wanted to use PH?
Thanks for your input!
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Manny
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| Posted: July 24 2006 at 16:40 | IP Logged
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Can't help on the Ocelot question.
But so far so good with USB UIRT and the X10Pro Pyramids.
I use those X10 wireless pyramids (10 bucks apiece on ebay)2 installed so far, 5 more in boxes for when I install the remote control curtains/blinds.
My question is: what's wrong with keeping your USB UIRT?
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nadler
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| Posted: July 24 2006 at 17:16 | IP Logged
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Actually, nothing is wrong with the USB UIRT (except for some learning issues which should be fixed in the next release of PH according to Dave). I was hoping to keep it. But I need to somehow get IR signals from 5 other rooms to it and outgoing IR signals from it to 3 of those rooms. I actually have a set of pyramids to try, but I haven't set them up yet. Can you use multiple 'transmit' pyramids and 1 receiver which will receive from all the 'transmit' pyramids? Or do they only operate in pairs?
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Manny
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| Posted: July 24 2006 at 17:31 | IP Logged
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Your mileage may vary, but the range for the pryamids cover my whole house. Lucky you can test with what you already own.
Pairs are not needed, just 1 Transmitter and as many receivers as you want. The same frequency and IR codes are blasted out of all the receivers. So each will see what you are tranmitting from each. I have mostly different equipment in most rooms. Where I do have the same equipment I was lucky in that (ReplayTVs) can be setup to use diferent IR codes.
The down side is the line of sight aspect of IR, but this can be corrected by like you stated plugging in an extender on the back of the receiver.
I'm thinking Tony No's setup is what I'm trying to duplicate, if that adds more light(infrared) on the issue. So you may want to do a search for his posts
in the forum.
hope thathelps.
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dhoward
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| Posted: July 27 2006 at 00:49 | IP Logged
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The Ocelot is great for distributed IR (when used with SECU-16IR) but isnt so great with incoming IR as you only have a single IR receiver in the Ocelot itself. I use the Ocelot with stick-on emitters because I have several devices that use the same IR codes so the ability to do "zoned" infrared is a must. However, I don't use IR for incoming so it works well in my case.
Instead of using incoming IR to trigger actions, I opted for X10 RF with a W800RF32A. This seemed to work better to me because I didnt have to aim the IR at a specific location.
If you don't need "zoned" control, then the USB-Uirt would probably be your best bet. Newer versions of the USB-Uirt even have 3 zones so you can have limited zone control.
Cant comment on the Xantech other than I hear very good things about them (not cheap though). The pyramids work well and you can have multiple transmitters and receivers since they arent paired in any way. The biggest problem I foresee with this scenario is multiple simultaneous IR transmissions. IE, if someone tries to send an IR signal to two different transmitters at the same time, the signal coming from the receivers will be garbled.
Dave.
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Topic: IR Hardware suggestions and PH
