New Remote

Sorry if this has been covered already, but I am assuming that the mkII will be coming with a new 'Empeg' remote. Is this correct? If so might we get a scanned image of one posted?

tnx
clt

nope; it's been posted elsewhere that they're going to continue and ship the kenwood remotes for a while..
-mark

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units

> they're going to continue and ship the kenwood remotes for a while..

For the foreseeable future in fact. We've talked to a number of remote control manufacturers, but they're not interested in the volume we need.

Rob

The Kenwood remote isn't bad. There's just the fact that some of the buttons are labeled for things that the Empeg doesn't have, and the users have to get used to the mismatched names. Although I really like the fact that if I ever lose my remote, the replacement is both inexpensive and easy to find.

Here's a thought, Rob...

Have you guys considered making your own remotes? Seems to me that it'd be like a walk in the park compared to the engineering of the Empeg itself. Obviously, it isn't something you'd want to get into right away, but if the sales volume of the Mark 2's really takes off, then you'd have some extra R&D money to burn...

Hell, you could just reverse-engineer the Kenwood remote and make the same thing with different button labels. :-)

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Couldnt you just use the kenwood remote and overlay new labels?

Term

Couldnt you just use the kenwood remote and overlay new labels?

That was the first thing I thought of as I was writing that post. I looked at the remote. The way the top of it is made, with the names directly on the membrane buttons, it probably wouldn't work well with an overlay that covered the buttons.

But now that I look at it again...

A vinyl label that had "holes" punched out for the button faces, with the Empeg commands noted under each button (leaving the button centers exposed), would work. You could do that kind of thing pretty cheaply, too, if you find the right printer to do the work for you. There are machines that are designed to do short-run vinyl printing, some of them even come with plotter-style cutter blades. They're used mostly in sign-making shops, where they cut the lettering out of vinyl. Interesting... Hmm...

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

It's not hard to design a remote control (Patrick, Hugo and myself used to design lasertag games which were essentially remote controls on steroids) but in current production volumes it would cost a LOT more than the Kenwood unit.

If and when we have the volume to make it practicable, we have that option open to us.

Rob

Or you could use a palm with ir as a remote control. Not very practical, I know, but it's cool to have buttons that run macros :)

Or you could use a palm with ir as a remote control. Not very practical, I know, but it's cool to have buttons that run macros :)

Yeah, this would be awesome. When are we going to see something like this working?

I'd love to see a palm pilot with a context-sensitive remote control thing running on it. My wife's Palm Pilot could actually get used for something. :-)

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

There are already universal remote programs for the pilot that work quite well, complete with macro capabilities. How about using a generic programable remote for use in car??

Calvin

Keep in mind the Palm only offers 4 buttons that can be hit easially with one hand. As far as programs that do universal remote functions, I highly recommend OmniRemote. It has timers and such that can be used to turn the empeg into an alarm clock easially. (I never though of this until this thread came up, and since I always listen to the empeg before going to bed, it's right there to possibly wake me).

My empeg site is:http://24.236.3.131/empeg/

We've talked to a number of remote control manufacturers, but they're not interested in the volume we need.

I was thumbing through a Crutchfield catalog this evening, and I saw something that made me do a double-take.

Doesn't this look suspiciously like the Kenwood remote with a different printed membrane on top of it?

Do you suppose that Kenwood and Rockford Fosgate are getting their remotes from the same third-party supplier? I wonder who that is?

If it's true, it seems to me that buying remote controls from Kenwood at retail prices would be more expensive than working out a deal with whoever their supplier is. I mean, I don't know anything about this stuff, so this is just conjecture.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

There are lots of remotes which look like the kenwood one - Creative's DVD-ROM drive remotes, for example.

It's all a question of quantity & time. A new remote requires a new ASIC - you can't just use a kenwood one, the manufacturers won't let you use another customers chip - this takes up to 16 weeks, and the cost is also pretty high. Plus there's the printing setup charges & so on. You then would need to commit to several thousand remotes absolute minimum.

We don't buy from Kenwood at retail - we buy enough to get a good discount. We did the maths and worked out that it was more cost effective for small volume just to buy retail.

Hugo

The Palm has 4 hardware buttons, some of the palm remote control programs allow you to draw buttons on the screen, and build your own custom interface. I'm not saying this is the best possible thing, but it is an alternative to the kenwood remote nonetheless.

Calvin

Palm for a remote? I know some people might like it. However, I think it'd be one more thing to have to mount somewhere or fumble with...

Whatever floats your boats, though...

-- Bleys

"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca

Hmmm, the Palm has a more or less standard serial link. I am sure a bunch of us gadget geeks have a couple old ones sitting around. It might not make a bad remote for those of us who have (or in my case will have) our Empegs mounted in somewhat odd areas. Maybe a back seat remote for pasangers if mounted into the back of a console or some such?

-Mike

My main point is that if you want buttons on the screen, then you have to use the stylus to get any acceptable use out of those buttons. I refuse to try and tap the screen at certain spots compaired to feeling the Kenwood remote. Try using your Palm one handed on the screen sometime. It's difficult enough while your looking, and when your driving, it becomes so much harder.

My empeg site is:http://24.236.3.131/empeg/

True, I agree with you. It's another approach, that's all. I could have suggested the Marantz universal remote ;-) it also has a flat touchscreen.....

Calvin