Radio mic infrared programming

[cedd]

Bear with me on this one!

 

I'm making plans for the purchase of a rack of channel 38 radio mics. Probably 8 to start with.

I still haven't decided between Trantec/Sennheiser, though have a feeling I'll be heading down the Trantec route.

 

I realise that most of the big players now use IR technology to allow basic programming of their transmitters, and particularly with Trantec, allowing you to lock out the "on" buttons.

 

Now the lock out function is great, but I feel it could be better implemented. For instance it's navigated to via lots of menu's and requires the transmitter to be next to the receiver. For me this is difficult, I nearly never do my battery change/turn off procedure in the sound box next to the receivers. I'd rather do it backstage or somewhere bigger with more space to sit them down.

 

I would however still like to use the lock out function, and don't want to use removing the battery as the method for turning off. I'll be using one battery for 2 performances and don't want to unnecessarily wear out the battery doors.

 

So, I want to be able to unlock the transmitters without using the receivers. Now what would be really nice would be if trantec made a little keyring sized IR module for this sole purpose. That way a mic tech could have it on their keyring and use is as required.

 

But they don't (company reps listen out though - but I had the idea first, I'll expect royalties :) )

I was wondering if there was a tv remote out there that could "learn" an IR message and be programmed to repeat it back. Perhaps one of those really simple ones made for older people that only have a couple of buttons on? IR isn't my strong point, but I wondered if anybody had any craft ideas on how it might be possible? Just something with a button that could lock and a button that could unlock.

I realise it might need a bit of input from the manufacturers, but thought I'd put the problem to the Blue Room collective first and see if anybody could come up with a solution (and perhaps agreed with the need for such a product).

[sleah]

I was going to suggest a remote extender, but then you'd still have to be in the sound box to press the buttons, even though the tx units would be elsewhere :)

[timtheenchanteruk]

they seem to have stopped making it now, but cambridge audio used to have a touch screen remote about the size of a credit card, you could programme it to literally anything.

 

will have a look to find something similar.

 

the cambridge one would have been ideal, you could have programmed in all the functions if you needed to, so you could adjust the bodypack gain without sitting next to the receivers.

[jmaudio]

There are lots of remotes available from CPC and the like which allow the user to program buttons. They're used for consolidating the vast quantity of remotes people have for their TVs stereos, DVD players etc into one unit. There is a "learn" process to go through which I imagine is pretty tedious! But if the communication is only one way, then I don't see why this wouldn't work.

[back_ache]

Some old documents from 2004 showed that back then they used a computer-ish IR protocol call IRDA and if this is still true, most IR solutions designed for audio and video equipment will not work.

 

However, in the same documents they talked about software that used to run on a hand-held palmpilot computer that could configure them, perhaps this maybe an angle worth investigating either by getting hold of one an old palmpilot or seeing if there is similar software available for a more modern hand-held computer

[cedd]

Thanks for the thoughts people!

 

I have a feeling it'll be a 2 way programming link, just so that the receiver knows it's talking to the transmitter. With that in mind things might not be quite as easy. If it's 1 way then I might be able to sort something out.

IRDA could be a problem, though I guess something like a netbook with IR would be able to do the job. Perhaps instead of a piece of hardware, something like a piece of software for a laptop or perhaps even a smartphone (do they have IR?) would do the job. I'm hoping to wireless VNC into the USB monitoring PC for my radio mics anyway, so I could use the netbook I use for that as the on/off machine. The idea is I'll be able to have a mic tech backstage able to see audio meters and RF/battery indications wirelessly. Assuming I don't have major latency issues with the VNC.

 

Might be time for me to email Trantec!

[Jivemaster]

What range does the IR system have??? Does it risk being inadvertently global with all those receivers around adjusting several while adjusting only one intentionally?

[cedd]

I believe the Trantec one requires the transmitter being up against the receiver front panel. I guess one problem with trying to use an irda device might be as you suggest, adjusting more than one at once. Guess I'd juust have to be careful about where I did it though and how close the other packs were.

 

As I'm using it only for lock on/off, I guess I could just buy a really big irda device and just point it at the lot of them at once!

[stillwave]

I believe windows media centre remotes use IRDA, worth a check as you can pick 1 up for about £10-£15

 

my 2p

 

Regards,

 

Ben Wainwright

[timsabre]

I believe windows media centre remotes use IRDA, worth a check as you can pick 1 up for about £10-£15

 

my 2p

 

Regards,

 

Ben Wainwright

 

The standard hand-held media center remote is just a standard IR remote, I've got one here.

[Shez]

My ancient not-very-smartphone does irda. I think it's intended for transferring photos etc. but there might be some way of using it for other things.

[timtheenchanteruk]

ahh, idea, I have a bit of software you could try out if you have a palm PC, or any mobile device with windows mobile and IR port on it.

 

its quite a directional IR thing on my PDA, so could be an option...

[Simon Lewis]

Might be time for me to email Trantec!

 

Yup... please do that. I have nothing more than just a suspicion, but TOA made this announcement in March:

TOA Corporation annouced today that it has made the decision to transfer the sales of "TRANTEC" series goods and accessories from BBM ELETRONICS GROUP LIMITED to its sister company TOA Corporation (UK) Ltd and other sales hubs of the TOA Group.

 

The given e-mail contact on the Trantec webpage has failed to respond to a query, and TOA have yet to put any Trantec products on their webpage. There's a placer page but no radios.

 

I might be reading between the lines, but TOA don't seem to be pushing Trantec in any way at present. Let's hope they're not quietly smothering the brand.

 

Simon

[timtheenchanteruk]

I might be reading between the lines, but TOA don't seem to be pushing Trantec in any way at present. Let's hope they're not quietly smothering the brand.

 

Simon

 

flippin hope not, I like me tratec stuff, still got some VHF stuff pushing 25/30 years of theirs, and its never missed a beat...

[KevinE]

I have a Philips learnable remote here which will learn sequences of key presses (a 'macro') and there are others about, just do a search.

If the mic/base use infrared handshaking like some B&O remotes then you may be in trouble.