http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/ Engadget Comments for High powered TV-B Gone sniping hack http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 29th 2006 11:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
Now this post reminds me of that because Back in those days(then weren't the WiFi days my friends) the only Wireless Ethernet you had were the expensive Infrared network that's custom built. And in Denver, many hotels had these networks.

At the same time, the "Universal Infrared Remote Controls" were getting popular. So at our university's EE lab, we programmed Winnuke on to these remotes, and went to a hotel lobby near by. We would wait until, a VIP would sit on the computer and aim the remote to the Infrared receiver next to the comptuer. Then ZAP!!! blank goes his screen.

I still have the remote, but WinNuke flaw has long been patched. just a little trip down memory lane.

Man... the things we geeks do for fun.

John D, Leigh S, ironmonk3y, you know what I'm talking about.]]>Apr 29th 2006 11:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
Just a note that I successfully used it from about 40 feet with no fiddling and no careful focusing - I just looked, pointed, and it worked. I'm sure it can go even farther. Of course your mileage may vary, but my results were very encouraging.]]>Apr 30th 2006 12:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 12:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 12:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 12:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 2:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
Aren't we starting to pay a little fast and loose with that term?]]>Apr 30th 2006 4:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 9:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
Best, Ryan]]>Apr 30th 2006 10:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
This is just plain cool!
I am not schooled in light, so please excuse a couple of noob suppositions...

Why not use an IR laser instead of an LED?

I mean with some careful optics tweaking, one could get some _really_ extreme range, and any spread on the beam might actually work to your advantage since aiming would have to be very precise otherwise.

Just sayin'
]]>Apr 30th 2006 11:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
I don't know why, but apparently the fact that I prefer good conversation with friends over watching a TV puts me on some higher plane. Don't get me wrong, my friends and I will sit around and watch the boob tube once in awhile, but no harm in that, and it's not like we're not talking throughout the whole episode.]]>Apr 30th 2006 12:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/the beam... I mean, if you got lucky (and smart) you could shut down the whole block if you wanted to.]]>Apr 30th 2006 12:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 2:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
#6 - Thanks for the heads up on the Ninja Remote being a TV Wizard and available much cheaper on Ebay. I have updated the project.

#11 - If you look at the bottom of the page you'll see a circuit in which I did in face use an IR Laser in one version. But it just wasn't as easy to use as binoculars. If you are interested in trying it, the schematic is there.

For the record, I have never turned off a TV that I didn't own. I just think it's a neat gadget and I enjoyed tampering with it. But I don't like the idea of using it to mess with other people's activities or property on the basis that it's-for-their-own-good-you-know.

Doing it on the basis of "they are jerks and they deserve whatever is coming to them" is a different ball game (not that I've done that either, though.)]]>Apr 30th 2006 2:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 7:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/Apr 30th 2006 8:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/May 1st 2006 12:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/May 1st 2006 4:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
because you have to aim a laser. Pick up a laser pointer and uh, point it at something. Notice how it makes a dot? You would have to aim that dot at the IR receiver on the offending device. If you broadened the beam significantly, then you lose the point of using a L A S E R with its collimated light. If you keep the severe accuracy, you would literally need to make a rifle scope for it and 'snipe' the offending device using your ereet CS skills. ]]>May 1st 2006 9:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/May 1st 2006 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/May 4th 2006 3:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
THAT would be cool!]]>May 5th 2006 3:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/29/high-powered-tv-b-gone-sniping-hack/
Some know, some don't. A laser diode is a little less easy to modulate than an IR LED. Easy enough, but not a drop-in replacement.

Important to know. ALL laser beams spread. Some more than others. There is a ton of information on this, but a few general rules, most importantly, THE LARGER THE BEAM DIAMETER, THE LESS IT SPREADS. After a few thousand feet, it's not uncommon for a beam to be FEET in diameter. Still a bitch to aim.

Laser diodes have this awful problem too... the beam spreads out at an outrageous angle of around 45 degrees. Yeah. THATS why they have collimator lenses attached, and even on a crappy laser pointer, these are adjustable. Any IR laser that you'd get is obviously going to have an adjustable focus. Easy enough! defocus the unit! Now here's the thing. If you've got a 500mW, or more powerful IR laser, first of all, you've got a serious eye hazard and a fire hazard on your hands. Even a 50mW IR laser is dangerous to the eyes. All the more reason you'll want to defocus it slightly. It would be really mean for you to turn a guys TV off AND blind him permanently.

Either way, I've had this idea for some time now, and as soon as I can justify wasting a day making this rig (I've got the telescope) the entire east side of Manhattan facing Brooklyn will have trouble watching their crappy TVs.]]>Dec 28th 2008 8:30PM