Ray L. Volts wrote:
"afinpdx" wrote in message
oups.com...

Thanks Ray for that complete response.

It is a furniture/art project and as such the buttons/knobs serve a
couple functions. They make the critical controls accessible and they
provide some visually interesting mechanical parts (since all the
components will be behind nice wood doors.

I have no problem using an IR remote, but most of the remotes I see
nowadays have massive grids of tiny rubber buttons. Are there any
receivers you can recommend that have a remote with more intersting
controls (ie. limited sets of buttons and knobs)?



Sorry, no. The intent in remote design is to make them as lightweight,
simple (mechanically), inexpensive and unobtrusive (i.e., thin) as
practicable while at the same time giving the user plenty of control over
the various functions.
Some VCR remotes, particularly editors, have "jog/shuttle" rotary controls,
but even they are pretty flat.
You could build your own unique remote using rotary momentary switches to
mimic the action of the original remote's pushbuttons. You could mount
whatever knobs you wanted onto the switch shafts to get just the right look.
Of course, to recreate all the control of the original would require a
rather large remote box with tons of knobs, but it's doable -- not what I'd
consider reasonable, but doable.


This is no longer true. Aftermarket remotes are available with
programmable touch screens...very clean designs with few actual
'buttons'. Instead, the user can program the lcd screen to contain as
few or as many controls as desired--up to the limit of the device being
controled's capability for remote operation--and page through various
screens, if desired, to control the rest.

As an expample:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A46R8U/qid=1137083754/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2827474-8756805?n=507846&s=electronics&v=glance

I would think something like this (The above is just the 1st example to
come up on Google for 'lcd remote'. There are many, many others
available...including software for Palm and other computer devices.) to
be the OP's best solution in terms of control He may yet have other
ideas as to the aesthetics of the project...with respect to a melding of
high tech/low tech look and feel.

One thing which would be lacking in the above scenario would be visual
indication of the controlled devices current state...ie a frequency
indicator for the receiver, or channel number for the TV.

jak