Turning Off TV

Patrik · Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Finland

I just got my first opportunity to use my brand new TV-B-Gone. It was in a fast food place, the TV was on with the sound on, and music unrelated to the screen was playing. It took I guess about 20 seconds before it switched off. No one noticed.

One thing though: The button on the remote should be protected in some way... Every time i pick it out of my pocket that LED is flashing away. I'm thinking about puting some tape around it to protect it. Will this decrease its effectiveness?
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DoctorDowntime · Joined: 07 Aug 2005 Posts: 22 Location: California, USA

The pressure plate on the TVBG casing only needs to be pressed *slightly* for the sequence to be activated. The pressure of keys or coins can easily be tripping your TVBG all the time, without you knowing it (and if you've been carrying it in your pocket, and noticing shortened battery life, you now know what's been happening).

A piece of tape *would* adversely affect the operation of the unit, because to press it on you'd now be having to resist the tensile strength of the plastic switch tab, *as well* as the physical resistance and adhesive properties of the tape going across the tab. So, what I suggest is a far more simple approach: Keep your pocket-carried TVBG inside a small, but slightly larger container, and *then* carry it in your pocket.

The idea is to simply keep random objects in your pocket from pressing the button, and shield the unit a bit. Even a cigarette hard-pack would do, in a pinch, until you found a more sturdy little container to carry it in. As long as it's kept in something that cannot press the tab *inward* to activate the sequence, you're fine.

The alternative is to not put it in a container at all, but just hang it from your belt loop, outside, until you need it, with the tab facing outward. I took the flimsy chain off that came with the unit, and simply put the key ring itself back on, through the hole of the TVBG unit, which yielded a far more sturdy carry method for my hand-held version of the TVBG (and also helps to prevent loss of the unit).

Let's face it. We have *far* too much fun with these TVBG units to lose them due to a cheap key-chain.

Hope these ideas help,

~Doctor Downtime
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Doctor Downtime says:

"Turn it off, and go outside. Your Real World adventures await you!"
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