Multiple Hauppauge IR Blasters on one server?

[Fountainhead]

I have a pair of PVR-150's (and a PVR-USB, but that doesn't matter) on my Sage install. I had one of the 150's connected to regular cable and using the 150's tuner, and the other 150 connected to a Comcast digital cable box (motorola) controlled by the hauppauge IR-blaster that came with the card. The hauppauge blaster works fine once I removed the housing around the LED. (For those that don't know, the hauppauge IR blaster plugs directly into the PVR-150.)

So I decided to get another digital box for the other PVR-150, using a second hauppauge IR blaster for that one too. But I can't seem to get the two to play nice. It seems as if changing the cannel on one card also sends the signal to the other one, so I end up changing channels on either the wrong one, both, or neither.

Is there a way to configure two PVR-150's each with their own hauppauge IR blasters to ignore commands sent to the other?

Or do I need to get a UIRT if I want to use both?

[ben_95sl1]

i think you're stuck with only using one....that's what I understood. I have a single pvr150, and would also require something like the usb-uirt in order to add more.

[Fountainhead]

Originally Posted by ben_95sl1

i think you're stuck with only using one....that's what I understood. I have a single pvr150, and would also require something like the usb-uirt in order to add more.

Yeah, that's what I'm figuring out. I had hoped that because each of the Hauppauge IR-Blasters is specifically connected to each card that one card could control one, and one card the other. But it seems as if that's not the case.

[ke6guj]

Yup, the Hauppauge IR blaster software will only work with 1 IR-blaster, and which card's IR blaster port it decides to use is a crap shoot.

USB-UIRT is gonna be your best solution if needing 2 IR-blasters. With the UIRT, you won't even need to use any of the hauppauge blasters and software.

[Fountainhead]

A related question about the USB-UIRT...

The two cable boxes will not be positioned next to one another because of the layout here, so I don't see how I can use the USB-UIRT on both boxes. The Haupaugge is working fine on one of them. Can the Haupaugge IR-Blaster (controlling card #1) co-exist OK with the USB-UIRT (controlling card #2)?

[Opus4]

You could proabbly use both the Hauppauge and USB-UIRT blasters. But, the USB-UIRT has a port on the back where you can plug inblasters for its multi-zone capability. You could probably use that to control the boxes a small distance apart.

- Andy

[ke6guj]

How far apart are we talking, different rooms?

The USB-UIRT IR blasts out of the front of the unit for 1 zone, and has 2 extra zones that are wired to external IR-blasters similar to the hauppauge blaster you already have. I dunno how long you could extend the wiring and still have it work, 10-15 feet?

[Fountainhead]

OK. I get it now. I didn't realize that the USB-UIRT had additional ports that could be extended like that. I thought the front had to be pointed towards both boxes.

The two cable boxes will be within 4 feet of each other. Does the UIRT come with the additional wired extensions, or is that a seperate order?

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Fountainhead

Does the UIRT come with the additional wired extensions, or is that a seperate order?

I don't think they come with the UIRT. You have to buy separately, or make your own.

Teh Usbuirt.com forums have info on building your own emitters, or you can find online retailers that sell pre-built emitters.

something like one of these "single" emitters, http://www.hometech.com/infrared/emi...tml#BB-15521C7

The IR port in the UIRT is a stereo port, and the blasters use a mono port. YOu get a stereo to dual (L+R) mono adaptor from radio shack and you now have 2 separate mono ports, one for each blaster.