Extending the remote control range

[snap156]

Hi

Im sitting about 6.5 metres back from my PCH. Firstly what is max distance range for the remote ?

I find that i need to lean forward about 1 metre so the remote interacts with the PCH properly. Anyone know of a way that i could extend the range by about 1 metre.

Note - (no i cannot move the PCH forward otherwise it doesnt sit in the cabinet )

Any fine tuning either on the PCH board or the remote that i can adjust to give me better range ?

Cheers

Joe

[cheaper_popcorn]

You can get a Harmony universal remote, they have better IR signal strength. But they cost a bit of money.

If you dont want to buy a Harmony remote, these measures will improve reception:

- If the cabinet has a door, open it.

- Remove the plastic film that covers the front panel during shipping.
- Open the lid of the Popcorn Hour. Check the placement of the IR receiver and if it seems to not be parallel with the front panel, try to gently bend it into place (you want it to be close to the front panel, and not at an angle).

(I will not be responsible if the legs break).

- Now that the lid is open, try to Remove the Front panel (gently, you may need to fiddle a little to free it from the USB port).
: Dip a cotton bud into a bit of nail polish remover.
: Use the cotton bud to carefully apply a little nail polish remover to the center of the big transparent hole for the IR receiver, which is located on the inside of the front panel.
: You will notice the clear paint comes off a little. Make as even a circle as you can, but be CAREFUL. Too much nail polish remover and you will have messed up the look of the PCH.
: When the clear paint has been removed from the middle of the circle, the reception will improve.

Please note that you do this at your own risk. I will not be responsible for any problems using this method. You need to be careful.

Also, this modification may void the warranty - not sure.

However, I've done it myself and I noticed a definite improvement.

[smoothpopcorn]

I have the Harmony One remote and I do have better reception. For all my devices.

[snap156]

Thanks for your tip, i will try and report back, i will be careful..

The harmony remote , is it the harmony one , i have been looking at this remote but its expensive, any one own a Harmony one and can give some feedback?

Cheers

Joe

[cheaper_popcorn]

There are many Harmony remotes apart from the Harmony One.

Before getting my Popcorn Hour, I read in the forum about remote control problems, so I bought a Harmony 525 remote which is considerably cheaper, and also has a much stronger IR signal than the regular remote. The reason why I still use the regular remote is because I like the button layout better, because the signal is sufficient for my range (about 3.5 meters), and to be honest, also because I have been too lazy to set up the Harmony 525 for optimal use with the A-100.

It is not difficult really, but it takes time to tweak it the way you want it.

All Harmony remotes require a reasonably fast and stable Internet connection, because the databases are online.

[daniel_owen_uk]

I have a harmony 525, wouldn't be without it, PCH is in the cupboard and has been for a long time, it won't be coming out.... ever

[Markus]

(08-23-2008 05:00 AM)cheaper_popcorn Wrote:  You can get a Harmony universal remote, they have better IR signal strength. But they cost a bit of money.

If you dont want to buy a Harmony remote, these measures will improve reception:

- If the cabinet has a door, open it.

- Remove the plastic film that covers the front panel during shipping.
- Open the lid of the Popcorn Hour. Check the placement of the IR receiver and if it seems to not be parallel with the front panel, try to gently bend it into place (you want it to be close to the front panel, and not at an angle).

(I will not be responsible if the legs break).

- Now that the lid is open, try to Remove the Front panel (gently, you may need to fiddle a little to free it from the USB port).
: Dip a cotton bud into a bit of nail polish remover.
: Use the cotton bud to carefully apply a little nail polish remover to the center of the big transparent hole for the IR receiver, which is located on the inside of the front panel.
: You will notice the clear paint comes off a little. Make as even a circle as you can, but be CAREFUL. Too much nail polish remover and you will have messed up the look of the PCH.
: When the clear paint has been removed from the middle of the circle, the reception will improve.

Please note that you do this at your own risk. I will not be responsible for any problems using this method. You need to be careful.

Also, this modification may void the warranty - not sure.

However, I've done it myself and I noticed a definite improvement.

just done this on my a-110, did extreme difference, now i love my PCH, have been really annoying with the bad range on the remote.