Testing infrared remotes

L

lamarth

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 22, 2004
Messages
376
Well, my HTPC is in a Silverstone LC11 with the IMon display and remote. IT's worked fine up until recently when slowly over a few days my remote stopped working. I say 'slowly' as I had to get closer and closer to the HTPC to get it to register the remote signals (and yes, using fresh batteries didn't help at all :( After a few days of this, IMon just simply would not 'see' the remote at all.

I have no problem gutting the box and installing a better remote and/or display, but I'd like to first find out if it's indeed the receiver going bad, or if the remote itself just took a dump on me and it just needs to be replaced. Any ideas on how I could narrow down whether the issue is with the receiver or the remote?

Thanks!
David
 
Off the top of my head, you could set up a digital camera and aim your remote at it, and then do the same with a different remote. The digital camera should be able to detect (and show) the flashing of the IR LED. If you can see the emissions from a different remote but not your HTPC remote, you'll know that the HTPC remote is bad. Otherwise it's likely the receiver.
 
You could use a ready to use IR remote tester as well, seen a couple of them. They can be rigged together using an IR receiver and some misc. hardware too.
 
Mohonri said:
Off the top of my head, you could set up a digital camera and aim your remote at it, and then do the same with a different remote. The digital camera should be able to detect (and show) the flashing of the IR LED. If you can see the emissions from a different remote but not your HTPC remote, you'll know that the HTPC remote is bad. Otherwise it's likely the receiver.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
to test IR remotes I usually use the camera on my KRZR cell phone.
Camera's pick up Infrared light and usually shows up as a white light.
 
I tried it over the weekend, using my Sony camcorder and it worked! On the camcorder's screen I was able to see the IR itself as a flickering white light whenever I hit a button.

So it's sounding like my receiver's gone byebye, so I'll have to pull it out and figure out how to fix it or replace it.

Thanks for the advice!

David
 
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