A battery-less remote

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S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Does anybody actually remember the "clicker" remotes from the 60s/70s? Those didn't have batteries. I think it struck some kind of tuning fork to make an ultrasound. So we've had clicker without batteries for at least 40 years.
 
Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
vshah said:
why not solar like a calculator?
Click to expand...

You ever try using a solar calculator in even a dim lit room? I usually I have to put mine under a lamp to get it to come on.

Every watch a movie in a dim or dark room?
 
SSSnail

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
86
I wonder why no one has ever invented statically charged remote control. I mean, static is free, right? Rub it on the carpet a few times, whaala!

I will now retreat to my lair.... muwaaahaahahahahahahaa... to experiment with this concept.
 
Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
SSSnail said:
I wonder why no one has ever invented statically charged remote control. I mean, static is free, right? Rub it on the carpet a few times, whaala!

I will now retreat to my lair.... muwaaahaahahahahahahaa... to experiment with this concept.
Click to expand...

Not enough amps.
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Leros said:
You ever try using a solar calculator in even a dim lit room? I usually I have to put mine under a lamp to get it to come on.

Every watch a movie in a dim or dark room?
Click to expand...

A lot of remotes have a light that lights up when it's dark. Maybe they could use that to run the solar panel?
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
They are using the piezoelectric effect. If you squeeze the material it generates power, if you apply power it vibrates. It is what beeps in things like watches.

It is very little power though, like microamps. There was a woman who made a sidewalk with the tech so that it could generate power with all the people walking on it.
 
Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
spidey07 said:
A lot of remotes have a light that lights up when it's dark. Maybe they could use that to run the solar panel?
Click to expand...

Good idea. You could have batteries in the remote which come out to a little bendy light which charge the solar panel.
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
NSFW said:
screw that...I just want one that I can text when I lose it.
Click to expand...

Or voice activation with a specific phrase?

"WHERE ARE YOU REMOTE?!"
"beeeep. beep. beep. beeeep. beeeeeeeeep. beeep. beeep. beep. beep. beeeeep"
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
"...."
"WHERE ARE YOU REMOTE?!"
"beeeep. beep. beep. beeeep. beeeeeeeeep. beeep. beeep. beep. beep. beeeeep"
"Son of a..."
 
MrPickins

MrPickins

Diamond Member
May 24, 2003
9,125
792
126
Leros said:
You don't need much energy to flash an IR LED a few times. A button press apparently has enough energy for it.
Click to expand...

Looks like they're using a small radio transmitter instead of IR.

Seems promising, but I wonder what kind of range they can manage.
 
squirrel dog

squirrel dog

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,564
48
91
"Does anybody actually remember the "clicker" remotes from the 60s/70s? Those didn't have batteries. I think it struck some kind of tuning fork to make an ultrasound. So we've had clicker without batteries for at least 40 years."

That was the 'Space Commander' remote. I want to say it was a Zenith,but could have been Sony . I had one.Worked perfect always,no batteries.
 
rudeguy

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Leros said:
Strap an iPhone to it.
Click to expand...

finally a good use for an iPhone!

/walks away muttering about what an overplayed piece of crap that is...no one even knows who makes it or where the damn thing is made! And what about having to scrap the whole thing just because the battery goes dead? WTF? I've probably killed as many phone batteries as the average ATOT'er has kittens. Special gloves just to use your phone? WTF??? At least put a standard USB port and the damn thing so all the idiot, follow along manufacturers will put a USB port on things instead of a stupid iPod dock.
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
squirrel dog said:
"Does anybody actually remember the "clicker" remotes from the 60s/70s? Those didn't have batteries. I think it struck some kind of tuning fork to make an ultrasound. So we've had clicker without batteries for at least 40 years."

That was the 'Space Commander' remote. I want to say it was a Zenith,but could have been Sony . I had one.Worked perfect always,no batteries.
Click to expand...

It was Zenith. The problem is it was limited range, only 5 buttons, power, volume up down channel up down and adding a new button required a new frequency.
 
techs

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
squirrel dog said:
"Does anybody actually remember the "clicker" remotes from the 60s/70s? Those didn't have batteries. I think it struck some kind of tuning fork to make an ultrasound. So we've had clicker without batteries for at least 40 years."

That was the 'Space Commander' remote. I want to say it was a Zenith,but could have been Sony . I had one.Worked perfect always,no batteries.
Click to expand...

I grew up using a Space Commander remote for my Zenith tv. You could see the little tuning forks in them.
Wow. Thats a real blast from the past.
 
JeepinEd

JeepinEd

Senior member
Dec 12, 2005
869
63
91
Modelworks said:
It was Zenith. The problem is it was limited range, only 5 buttons, power, volume up down channel up down and adding a new button required a new frequency.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, if you started playing with one of the old fashioned metal Slinky's, it would start to f' with the channels & volume.
 
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