High power TV-B-Gone kit - turn TVs off from 100 feet away

Tvbgonekit Lrg
The MAKE store will be carrying this new open source hardware kit shortly, but if you can't wait you can get it from Adafruit now... -

Tired of all those LCD TVs everywhere? Want a break from advertisements while you're trying to eat? Want to zap screens from across the street?

The TV-B-Gone kit is what you need! This ultra-high-power, open source kit version of the popular TV-B-Gone is fun to make and even more fun to use. This version is best used in countries with NTSC: North America & Asia.

This kit comes with all parts necessary. Tools and batteries are not included. This is a very simple kit and great for people who have never soldered anything before.

Power: 2 AA batteries (not included)
Output: 2 narrow-beam and 2 wide-beam IR LEDs
Number of TV power codes: 46

This covers pretty much every TV of the following brands, including the latest flat-screens and plasma TVs:

Acer, Admiral, Aiko, Alleron, Anam National, AOC, Apex, Baur, Bell&Howell, Brillian, Bush, Candle, Citizen, Contec, Cony, Crown, Curtis Mathes, Daiwoo, Dimensia, Electrograph, Electrohome, Emerson, Fisher, Fujitsu, Funai, Gateway, GE, Goldstar, Grundig, Grunpy, Hisense, Hitachi, Infinity, JBL, JC Penney, JVC, LG, Logik, Loewe, LXI, Majestic, Magnavox, Marantz, Maxent, Memorex, Mitsubishi, MGA, Montgomery Ward, Motorola, MTC, NEC, Neckermann, NetTV, Nikko, NTC, Otto Versand, Palladium, Panasonic, Philco, Philips, Pioneer, Portland, Proscan, Proton, Pulsar, Pye, Quasar, Quelle, Radio Shack, Realistic, RCA, Samsung, Sampo, Sansui, Sanyo, Scott, Sears, SEI, Sharp, Signature, Simpson, Sinudyne, Sonolor, Sony, Soundesign, Sylviana, Tatung, Teknika, Thompson, Toshiba, Universum, Viewsonic, Wards, White Westinghouse, Zenith

Max distance: At least 100 ft!

TV-B-Gone Kit [N. America/Asia v1.0] - $19.50 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits - Link.


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Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: ElectroLund on October 25, 2007 at 3:25 PM

So am I correct in assuming that the microcontroller on the TV B Gone board can be reprogrammed (assuming we have a chip programmer) with our own modifications to the firmware?

For instance, I want to add to the list of devices that can be turned off. Specifically, I want to turn on a host of car radio head units, most of which these days have IR remotes. I think it would be the coolest thing in the world to be able to turn off some noisy jerk's car when sitting at a traffic light!

But first, I have to either:

* find the codes online (?)
* or, learn the codes from the original remotes

But to do learn them, I'd have to have a learning remote and a method of extracting the codes.

Thoughts?


Posted by: volkemon on October 25, 2007 at 7:07 PM

@ElectroLund....BRILLIANT!!!!

The tv b gone was of distant interest, but the auto audio disruptor......THAT would be a GREAT attachment for in traffic use. It does seem that those loud-boomin MORONS never seem to have workin' a/c, so the windows are open. My, ummmm, SUV could have several arrays pointing at stratetgic angles...

Research is ongoing....


Posted by: volkemon on October 26, 2007 at 1:33 PM

Hmm...found a complete site of ir control codes, but only for home devices! These can be programmed direcly into the remote, eliminating the need to 'learn' from the original.

anyone else post here with suggs....I LOVE this idea!


Posted by: binarypower on October 27, 2007 at 11:12 AM

@volkemon

So you are a SUV driver who uses AC... you are worse than the noise polluters ;)


Posted by: volkemon on October 29, 2007 at 5:26 AM

@ binarypower...

Lighten up greenie!

a) my "ummm..SUV" is a 71 vw microbus. 24-30mpg. Why I put the 'ummmm' in front of SUV.(little low on the sport)

b) read careful. I never said I had a/c. HOPE to later on, however!

Jeez...at least your brainwashing produced an "Al Gore approved" reaction to the appearance of the words SUV and a/c....


Posted by: Anonymous on December 2, 2007 at 11:15 AM

I am looking for a t.v. A.C. Line "disturber". I am not a reckless soul.

But! I have a character or two who live above me in the same apt. complex. These guys disturb my "privacy in the evenings, when I return to my apt"!.

Will this item, if built by me, "create enough electrical disturbance" so they will not be able to watch t.v. if I am it up their "cabooze"? (ceiling)?

Please respond. vigilaw43@hotmail.com

T.


Posted by: war6763 on December 9, 2007 at 12:04 PM

This device is only infreared!! You have to point it directly at the TV you want to turn off!! There isn't any other way to turn off a TV other than cutting the power or this!


Posted by: volkemon on January 17, 2008 at 7:07 PM

@T:

maybe not an AC line disturber- I imagine the power supply is fairly well shielded. Are they on cable or broadcast channels?


Posted by: Lance Boyle on April 13, 2008 at 12:59 PM

How about a FOX-B-Gone

I hope someone will make a device to remove Fox News from the channel line up and then turn off the TV as well. As we all know, FOX is just right wing propaganda but it looks like a real news channel.


Posted by: tom_k on April 13, 2009 at 6:55 PM

Change the channel instead

It would be more fun to change the channel rather than turn the TV off. Is there a list of all the "channel up" codes for TVs?


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