Turn off TV week

Dsc06715
This week is turn off TV week, for some Makers, every week is turn off TV week, but this week is special. Don't watch TV for a couple days, go MAKE something - Link.

You might be asking yourself, "Self? What if I don't have a remote control to all those TVs out there?" Well, self - go check out TV-B-Gone - it's turns them all off, it's $20 and the new one has LEDs - Link. I'm thinking of modding one of the ones I have and putting it in a baseball cap, if you have other ideas - post them up in the comments.


Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: kryten007 on April 27, 2006 at 11:02 AM

Does anyone else make stuff while they watch TV? I find it's getting harder and harder for me to simply "veg". While i like to devote my full attention to shows like Mythbusters and Hustle, most others are casual (mindless?) enough to allow me to multi-task. I usually can't do anything too serious, but Simpsons re-runs and de-soldering are a great combination...


Posted by: DonB on April 27, 2006 at 11:09 AM

Please stop promoting this TV turner offer thing. It's kind of silly. Why not make a squirt gun that puts out cigarrettes? Or a small baseball bat to smash all the liquor bottles in a bar? Maybe a cell-phone jammer so you don't have to listen to those annoying conversations? If you don't approve of something, then leave the room, for heaven's sake.. If you want to force your opinions and choices onto everyone else, become a Republican.


Posted by: kryten007 on April 27, 2006 at 11:31 AM

Yea, i'd have to agree. I do like it as a prank device though...


Posted by: monopole on April 27, 2006 at 12:13 PM

I'm too busy building DIY video projectors and DVR's to watch TV.


Posted by: artificialj on April 27, 2006 at 9:42 PM

hey DonB, please stop making uninformed political statements. In terms of forcing opinions and choices on others, the Democratic party is more culpable than the Republican party. But really, who even thinks there is a difference any more? Come check out one of the only real choices left, www.lp.org


Posted by: daylightrambler on April 28, 2006 at 6:00 AM

I would recommend adding a fifth button on the back of a four-button car door remote, or just modding an old one, with the kept the same.

The local healthcare behemoth, Baptist Health, has a policy that requires all their waiting room TV's be left on Fox News. Talk about forcing opinions on people. One of these would be a godsend.


Posted by: bug138 on April 28, 2006 at 9:27 AM

I love my TV-B-Gone, but there are a few obvious mods that would make is even better.

- More power. The range leaves a little to be desired. I'd be happy to carry a larger device if it had twice the range.

-On-Off switch. The batteries are always running down because it gets activated in my pocket. This one is easy, I am just lazy and haven't soldered one up.

-Built into a hat: awesome, totally stealth.

The places I use mine the most are bars, airports, and stores. Nobody is really watching these televisions, they are just blinking lights trying to sell us stuff. No thanks.


Posted by: dar303 on April 28, 2006 at 11:34 AM

I have the first version of TV-B-Gone and have had a lot of fun with it. My suggestions is more power and more range, i'm thinking of making a bigger case with a 9V battery, a voltage stabilizer, some better LED's and a few transistors to handle the power to the LED's. It would be a lot bigger but i'm thinking of carving out a cellphone to hide it...


Posted by: dar303 on April 28, 2006 at 11:36 AM

I have the first version of TV-B-Gone and have had a lot of fun with it. My suggestions is more power and more range, i'm thinking of making a bigger case with a 9V battery, a voltage stabilizer, some better LED's and a few transistors to handle the power to the LED's. It would be a lot bigger but i'm thinking of gutting an old cellphone to hide it...


Posted by: dar303 on April 28, 2006 at 11:38 AM

I have the first version of TV-B-Gone and have had a lot of fun with it. My suggestions is more power and more range, i'm thinking of making a bigger case with a 9V battery, a voltage stabilizer, some better LED's and a few transistors to handle the power to the LED's. It would be a lot bigger but i'm thinking of gutting an old cellphone to hide it...


Posted by: dar303 on April 28, 2006 at 11:39 AM

I have the first version of TV-B-Gone and have had a lot of fun with it. My suggestions is more power and more range, i'm thinking of making a bigger case with a 9V battery, a voltage stabilizer, some better LED's and a few transistors to handle the power to the LED's. It would be a lot bigger but i'm thinking of gutting an old cellphone to hide it...


Posted by: junetic on April 29, 2006 at 8:22 AM

put a switch in the cushion of your couch so you will never be able to lazily sit and watch tv again.


Posted by: junetic on April 29, 2006 at 8:23 AM

put a switch in the cushion of your couch so you will never be able to lazily sit and watch tv again.


Posted by: junetic on April 29, 2006 at 8:24 AM

put a switch in the cushion of your couch so you will never be able to lazily sit and watch tv again.


Posted by: Kanghyun on April 30, 2006 at 1:20 AM

hi


Posted by: Village_Idiot on April 26, 2007 at 6:10 PM

I take my souped-up TV B Gone, walk up casually and point it right at the TV I wish to turn off.

Stealth? What am I worried about? What are you gonna do about it? It's not illegal to direct infra-red electromagnetic radiation towards a device emitting it at you in the visible form. If someone wants to watch TV, THEY CAN GO HOME.

Hell, I'm going to start walking down my street pointing it through everyone's windows and turn off their TV's at home, too, then the whole city, and finally one day I will have turned off every TV on Earth! Muaahaahaa...

QUOTE: "Why not make a squirt gun that puts out cigarrettes? Or a small baseball bat to smash all the liquor bottles in a bar? Maybe a cell-phone jammer so you don't have to listen to those annoying conversations?"

It's interesting how this device always attracts stiffs who tries to scold everyone with moral-eqivalence lectures that are completely, and laughably, off-base. Just don't get confused and squirt water on a TV!

Liquor bottles don't force themselves down your throat, but cig smoke does, and guess what? It's been banned inside most public places! I'll put down my TV B Gone when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers OR they ban secondhand TV exposure.

I have a cellphone jammer too, BTW, nyah nyah nyah! Very good models are available from Israel, 90 ft. range including NexTel's!! scroogle it. (google "scroogle" if you don't know what scroogle is).

I'm amazed that people can be more offended by someone emitting silence than noise. You'll never hear me coming...


Posted by: chris on March 31, 2008 at 1:27 PM

a better idea

A better idea is just a tv-b-quiet. When I'm in a restaurant and the tv is directly over my head while I'm eating and it's blaring some crappy commercial jingle, it begs to be silenced.


Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out. Make: The risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... Welcome to Make: Online!


CRAFT Maker Shed Maker Faire MAKE television
MAKE: en EspaƱol MAKE: Japan


Check out all of the episodes of Make: television

Make: Science Room

Connect with MAKE

Be a MAKE fan on Facebook MAKE on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page and become a fan of MAKE!
MAKE on Twitter MAKE on Twitter
Follow our MAKE tweets!
MAKE Flickr Pool MAKE on Flickr
Join our MAKE Flickr Pool!
    make_tips on Twitter

    MAKE's RSS feed is here.
    Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
    How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
    Add MAKE on FriendFeed




    Maker SHED

    Advertise here with FM.

    Why advertise on MAKE?
    Read what folks are saying about us!

    Click here to advertise on MAKE!



    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Make: Online authors!

    Gareth BranwynGareth Branwyn
    Senior Editor


    Phillip TorronePhillip Torrone
    Senior Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Becky SternBecky Stern
    Associate Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Marc de VinckMarc de Vinck
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    John ParkJohn Park
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Sean RaganSean Ragan
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    Dale DoughertyDale Dougherty
    Editor & Publisher
    | Twitter


    Shawn ConnallyShawn Connally
    Managing Editor
    | Twitter


    Goli MohammadiGoli Mohammadi
    Associate Managing Editor

    Kip KayKip Kay
    Weekend Projects
    | AIM | Twitter


    Collin CunninghamCollin Cunningham
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter

    Adam FlahertyAdam Flaherty
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter



    More contributors: Mark Frauenfelder (Editor-in-Chief, MAKE magazine), Kipp Bradford (Technical Consultant/Writer), Chris Connors (Education), Diana Eng (Guest Author), Peter Horvath (Intern), Brian Jepson (O'Reilly Media), Robert Bruce Thompson (Science Room)

    Suggest a Site!

    Current Podcast

    itunesdl.gif Weekend Project: Making Char Cloth Learn how to make a cheap and effective fire starter made from an old t-shirt. To download The Char Cloth video click here and subscribe in iTunes. See Char Cloth in action with the Fire Piston from William Gurstelle.... More...

    Get the Make: Online sent via email
    Enter your email to receive Make: Online each day:



    MAKE Fascination video series brought to you by Dow

    Make: Education

    Important please read


    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog