Remote control power - Videokarma.org TV - Video

lnx64 · #1 01-21-2012, 09:56 PM

My cable box has an extra AC power plug on it's back, that is controlled by the units power. So when I turn off the cable box via the remote, the AC outlet on the box turns off too.

My question, if I leave my TV's volume knob pulled out to have it on, will it cause damage just turning the TV on and off via the cable box?

mpatoray · #2 01-21-2012, 10:21 PM

Hi,

That should not cause any damage, That is how it worked for years with our RCA CTC-40 and other sets that had no remote or cable compatibility.

Matt

lnx64 · #3 01-21-2012, 10:34 PM

Awesome.. Being a bedroom TV, this will save my slumber.

It's annoying when I'm using the TV to fall asleep, and am about to do so, only to need to get out of bed to turn the set off, but then that act alone wakes me up to not be able to sleep again.

bgadow · #4 01-22-2012, 10:09 PM

Probably be better that way-some of those old power switches were bad about going bad, even catching fire.

My parents had good friends with an RCA in the living room, I don't think it was a -40, maybe one of the first XL100's. They had it plugged into a switched outlet and never, ever turned it off at the set. They were still using that TV into the late 90s, at least.

Electronic M · #5 01-22-2012, 10:46 PM

I got creative with one of my first remote add ons....I took a remote control fisher entertainment center amp found a low volt winding on it's power transformer that went on and off with the remote, ran a cable from that winding to a full-wave rectifier diode bridge, and connected the bridge to a relay who's contacts are wired in parallel with my 1971 Zenith's power switch. Over two years of regular use later and it still does exactly what I built it to do.

zenith2134 · #6 01-22-2012, 11:19 PM

hey--good topic.
been doing this for years with various cable boxes. It sure does save the switch as Bryan mentioned.
Electronic M-clever idea regarding the relay controlled switch. i too use an early 70s Zenith color as a daily watcher. actually, the switch on that one(19CC19 chassis) has a very high quality feel to it. WHich is usually not the case on power switches. Have seen many bad ones with carbonized black contacts. sometimes you can re-burnish them just like a relay contact.

One annoyance with using a digital box to control volume and leaving the potentiometer turned up: you have to get the sound IF and alignment damn near perfect to avoid buzzzz on text scenes.