[sci.electronics] Universal Remote Problems

reyy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (11/06/90)

I'm making a shot in the dark here, hoping someone
will know what I'm talking about.

I have a universal remote control for ... well, a lot!
One day, it stopped working (after being dropped on the
floor)!  Being an amateur electronics buff (read: guy
who likes to look at the guts of things), I took it apart
and came up with the hypothesis that it could be the tran-
mitters, which I assume are the things that look like LEDs
at the front of the remote.  (they don't look exactly like
LEDs, i mean, same shape, but there are concave dishes
inside).
  Any idea what these are?  Can I find them anywhere or
are they some special parts valued at $800 each? (my luck)

  It would be nice to get this $100 remote working again...

  Thanks for any and all the help you can give!

  (Probably be best to Email me: REYY@Vax5.cit.cornell.edu)

David Rowell
REYY@Vax5.cit.cornell.edu (internet)

ifaq570@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (allen kitchen) (11/07/90)

	Gee... I've never heard of an LED (which is what those things
at the front of your remote are ) being broken in a fall, much less all
of them at once. From what you've described I would try to find some broken
solder joints or broken wires. The parts in most solid state devices are
not too easy to break with simple g forces. Typically the weakest point
on these remotes is the connections from the board to the battery...
concentrate on that and you will probably be surprised.  

Disclaimer...  "  Who... Me???  "
allen

berger@atropa (Dire Wolf) (11/14/90)

I would not suspect the infrared emitters as the cause of your problem.
It's not likely that both of them would be damaged, and since the remote
control doesn't work at all, it is more likely something else.
--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu