On January 27, 2010 at 03:02, db_digger said...
Hello everyone! Just to let you know, this is the first forum I have ever posted on, so be easy on me please.
It could happen.
I'll try to be clear on what I want to accomplish.
That's how to make it happen.
...Denon AVR-1908... inside a closed AV cabinet.... Two calls to Denon product support yielded as many different answers.
Try again. There will be a tie-breaker or a third answer!
One technician was almost positive the 3.5mm IR-IN jack was of the MONO variety, and that I may need a complete sensor/connecting block/flasher setup to work.
He's a technican working to give you answers, so he should have been completely positive and he should have escalated the question to Engineering (or training -- see below) so that he would know the answer in the future.
Another said the jack should be a STEREO jack and that any sensor (alone) with a STEREO plug should transmit the same data to the AVR via the IR-IN jack as the original remote sensor on the front would.
He should also know for sure, and since his answer is different, you definitely should have told him about that and told him you need to talk to someone in a position above him and the other guy.
Really, though, you should locate member M Hi Fi, either via a post or via a profile search. He's the national trainer for Denon. Send him an email. Tell him Ernie told you to do this. Expect politeness or a smart remark when you tell him that. He's really helpful. He should know which type of jack it is, and you should be told that Denon doesn't know so that he can hammer on them to have the right information. Be ready for him to nicely tell you which page in your manual has that information where you could have looked it up.
I have read on this forum and others, however, that not all sensors/targets are the same, and that plugging an incorrect PHONO MINI plug (mono/stereo) could damage the AVR.
I believe that Denon, and most usual consumer brands, work with sensors compatible with Xantech products, so the easy way to be sure is to use a Xantech sensor. That only applies if the jack is a three-conductor jack, though. If it's two conductor, then you'll be sending an IR LED type of signal into it and just about any brand will work.
I have also read that most of you guys are under the impression that it is a stereo plug on the XX08 models, but I don't think there has been any discussion on DIRECTLY controlling ONLY the AVR.
That particular point doesn't matter. I'm working with a system right now where there's a direct connection to a couple of components and LEDs on the fronts of the others, all signals coming from an RTI distribution block. The outputs don't affect each other.
Also, if it were a three-conductor jack, then power would be on one of those conductors and plugging in a mono jack would either short out the power inside the receiver -- bad scene there! -- or would apply power to the hot lead coming in, which might damage the external equipment. I'll bet that it's a mono jack.
Ideally, and probably the cheapest solution,
I don't agree that this is ideal or cheap. Voiding your warranty can cost you hundreds of dollars if a problem crops up, and the warranty exists because sometimes there are problems. Also, the time it takes you to buy the parts, prep a work space, do the work, test it out, and clean up, is at least a couple of hours. If your time is worthless, then this is a cheap solution. Mine's not, not even at home.
would be to open up the AVR, wire a closed circuit-type 3.5mm jack in series with the infrared receiver, put a hole in the back next to the other IR jacks and be done.
What the hell are you talking about? In series with the IR receiver in the front panel of the unit? That receiver is mounted to a PC board, and its output goes via PC traces to other circuitry. If you knew enough about the unit to do this, you'd already know whether there are two conductors or three on that rear jack and you would have decided to do something vastly more complicated, which is introducing a signal into an existing signal path where you don't know the source or load impedance of the sensor itself... this is a bad idea unless you have time on your hands and a second unit to play with if you cock up the first one.
Then make a stereo mini jack cable with a SHARP #QH3031 ir module.
Where did you get the fact that the Sharp module does what you want it to do, and will match with the Denon circuitry?
You've described a moment ago putting a closed-circuit jack in series with the IR receiver. Now you're saying that you're going to use a stereo mini jack cable. How does one wire a stereo jack in series with an IR receiver? You'd interrupt not only the signal, but also the power, lead of the IR receiver? This is risky, the least of which would be it simply not helping, the worst being blowing the IR receiver.
When nothing is plugged in, it functions as normal. When the tip of the plug contacts the jack, IR receiving would be done by the SHARP module. This would cost about $4.50 but comes at the price of voiding my warranty. :(
Plus the labor and all I've mentioned.
OK, this has been way too long-winded already.
So you write posts like me. I'll cope!
SO.... if anyone knows for sure any specifics of jack types or even which sensors to use,
No jack. Xantech sensors.
any information would be appreciated. For instance, would I do any damage by buying a target as simple and cheap as this:
[Link: yourcablehookup.com]Depends on what you mean by damage. I doubt that a product in this price range would work properly, for instance, with some LCD panels and with most plasmas. So the damage would be buying it, futzing with it, getting it to work, only to find that it works well if your TV is off.
I just want a simple solution which hopefully also is cheap.
That solution is to contact M Hi Fi and ask him.
