extending the TV B Gone to car radios! Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

[iRob]

From the "amazing" thread on this board, I see a posting for a custom C file.

So am I correct in assuming that the AVR part on the TV B Gone board can be reprogrammed (assuming we have a chip programmer) with our own modifications to the firmware?

For instance, I want to add to the list of devices that can be turned off. Specifically, I want to turn on a host of car radio head units, most of which these days have IR remotes. I think it would be the coolest thing in the world to be able to turn off some noisy jerk's car when sitting at a traffic light!

And with the latest 100ft range TV B Gone, this really could work. But first, I have to either:

• find the codes online (?)
• or, learn the codes from the original remotes

But to do learn them, I'd have to have a learning remote and a method of extracting the codes.

Could something like this be done with the hardware of the TV B Gone?

Any ideas?

[adafruit]

yes its possible, if you know the codes.

[iRob]

So the $10K question is how to digitally gather those codes. Any thoughts on an IR code reader?

[oPossum]

Here is a simple IR capture circuit that captures enough detail to allow reproduction of most codes.

http://www.compendiumarcana.com/irwidget

[adafruit]

Here is a simple IR capture circuit that captures enough detail to allow reproduction of most codes.

http://www.compendiumarcana.com/irwidget

oh cool...

[thephilbot]

wouldn't you also need a pretty damn good line of sight to the unit you want to turn off? i mean IR does bounce, as evidenced by turning my tv off by pointing the remote backwards...but if you're not in a helicopter, and you're in a car and the guy who has a loud stereo is one or two cars behind you (or to the right, or left, or in front), what's the likelihood you're going to be successful? can IR bounce enough to brute force it?

[Psymiley]

wouldn't you also need a pretty damn good line of sight to the unit you want to turn off? i mean IR does bounce, as evidenced by turning my tv off by pointing the remote backwards...but if you're not in a helicopter, and you're in a car and the guy who has a loud stereo is one or two cars behind you (or to the right, or left, or in front), what's the likelihood you're going to be successful? can IR bounce enough to brute force it?

IR acts like visible light - just out of 'our' visable spectrum. If you can illuminate a room with x amount of visable colour LEDs, then it'd be just as bright with similar spec IR LED's.
Make an IR flood lamp and turn off a whole intersection of car radios :lol:

[thephilbot]

wouldn't you also need a pretty damn good line of sight to the unit you want to turn off? i mean IR does bounce, as evidenced by turning my tv off by pointing the remote backwards...but if you're not in a helicopter, and you're in a car and the guy who has a loud stereo is one or two cars behind you (or to the right, or left, or in front), what's the likelihood you're going to be successful? can IR bounce enough to brute force it?

IR acts like visible light - just out of 'our' visable spectrum. If you can illuminate a room with x amount of visable colour LEDs, then it'd be just as bright with similar spec IR LED's.
Make an IR flood lamp and turn off a whole intersection of car radios :lol:

imagine that you're sitting in your car and the person two cars over has a loud stereo you'd like to turn off. now take a flashlight and try to shine it on the stereo deck to turn it off. even if you had a flood light, you'd still be casting shadows and wouldn't have direct LOS to the deck. this is why i wonder if you'd have any effectiveness, save if you were flying in a helicopter at the time.

[Psymiley]

Because it will reflect. Point it at the face of driver or at ceiling and it should reflect enough for radio to sense.

Think daylight - comes from one source and reflects enough to see almost everywhere.

[montag]

Lots of glass lots of reflections.

[maltman23]

The IR Widget is really cool. Thanks for that!!

Here is a simple IR capture circuit that captures enough detail to allow reproduction of most codes.

http://www.compendiumarcana.com/irwidget

To capture IR codes I developed my own data acquisition system that can capture almost any code. But the IR widget looks like it will work well to capture most codes out there. All you need is a remote control that has the code you desire.



Mitch.

[maltman23]

It might be challenging to turn off car radios from the next car. But it's worth a try! :)

I've had some luck turning off TVs through windows when I couldn't directly see the TV in question. But it doesn't always work, as it depends on so many factors. One factor is that glass seems to diffuse IR light, and some glass seems to do it more than others. Also, if the IR hits glass at an angle, it seems to reflect most of it away from the glass, rather than penetrate it. However, I have heard of people turning off DVD viewers in an SUV from the next car. 8)

Whatever you do, please be safe while driving. Loud thumping bass that is not of your choosing can be pretty obnoxious -- but getting into an accident while trying to turn it off isn't too cool, either. :wink: