From the MAKE Flickr pool
MightyOhm shares this uber-simple recipe for building an “IR blaster” which allows a TiVo recorder to control a cable box –
The IR blaster that came with our TiVo was lost long ago, in a time when no unnecessary electrical-optical-electrical sillyness was required for it to function. Rather than spend $3 on eBay and wait a week to get a replacement, I decided to make one out of spare parts in my junk bin:
- an infrared (IR) LED
- a 1k resistor (not sure if this is necessary, safety first)
- a 1/8″ mono headphone plug with a couple feet of cable attached
- some heatshrink tubing
- duct tape
I don’t know if the resistor is required – the TiVo may already have an internal resistor. I used 1k, if I see any problems with the cable box getting an intermittent signal I’ll try lowering the resistor to 330 ohms.
Looks like a nice little intro to electronics & soldering, if you’re in need of one of these. More detailsavailable on the mightyOhm blog.
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