Hot Link Pro IR Distribution

IR distribution, it can be a serious pain in the butt. My whole home theater is pretty complex (that's putting it lightly) but I really wanted to make it easy to control. There are a few different components that allowed me to make it straight forward to use. Those key components are, on the HTPC: Girder and the USB-UIRT. The remote itself which is a Tablet PC which runs Netremote and then the Hot Link Pro which is what this page is about.

The Hot Link Pro is a very simple looking device. It has a central box that is the brain of it, from this box there are a bunch of wires coming out. There is one ribbon cable which contains the six IR repeaters. These IR repeaters are what you stick on to the face of your equipment and they transmit the IR codes to your devices. Also on the ribbon cable is a light, this light just lights up when the Hot Link Pro has received a signal to show you that it's working. There is also the receiver coming out of the box, this is just a small little sensor that is easily hidden and plenty sensitive. The third wire coming from the box is just a power cord.

The real beauty of the Hot Link Pro is that you can mount the receiving eye just about anywhere. The sensor constantly monitors ambient light in the room and when the conditions are darker it ups the sensitivity. This means that if you install the receiver behind a speaker grill or in a door slot, the unit will automatically adjust the sensitivity to your needs. The receiver is quite sensitive, in fact you often don't even need direct line of site for it to work properly. Of course having the Hot Link Pro you can keep all of your audio equipment behind closed doors in a cabinet, in a closet or even in a completely different room.

Here is the basic break down on how things work in my home theater. I press a button on my Tablet PC running, Netremote than sends this information to my HTPC. The HTPC takes this signal and through Girder sends the appropriate IR signal to the USB-UIRT. The USB-UIRT then sends the signal out and this signal hits the Hot Link Pro's receiver and then the signal is routed to the device. It sounds a bit complicated but in practice it's all pretty straight forward and works great.

You can see one of the transmitters attached to my Outlaw 950 in this picture

I have had my Hot Link Pro for a few years now and it has performed absolutely flawlessly. It has done exactly what I want it to do and has never given me any issues. The real beauty of it is that since I have installed it I have not had to do anything with it, it just flat out works as it's supposed to. If you are looking for a solution for your IR distribution I can happily recommend the Hot Link Pro to you.

If you are looking to buy the Hot Link Pro may I suggest getting it at SMARTHOME? They had the best price around when I was shopping for one and their customer service is excellent. Get the Hot Link Pro at Smarthome.

Hot Link Pro Specifications

Main Repeater Box is 1 inch high, 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Six Infrared Emitters are on a black 7 foot long ribbon cable mounted to the main Repeater Box that peels apart to allow up to 14 feet distance between emitters. Clear double-stick tape is reusable if surfaces stay clean and will not harm plastics. Free replacement tape available.

Eye is a 7/32 inch diameter, 1-1/4 inch long brass tube with a side viewing window on a 3 foot cable that allows mounting in cabinet door slots and comes with velcro � tabs and black screw down tab for mounting. Extensions for this cable are available.