Remote on-off switch possible?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by CMT, Apr 1, 2021.

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  1. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    The short version:
    Is there any way to plug something in to a device to make it possible to turn it off remotely if it doesn't have an on/off switch on its own remote control?

    The long version:
    This may be a really dumb question, but I imagine someone here can set me straight. I have an old (1990s) Pioneer CD player that I'm very fond of. It recently was having some problem that were fixed by a partial re-capping. The repair guy said the design uses many "fish oil capacitors" that could go bad at any time so that I should not leave it on all the time, in the interest of longevity. The thing is, I have this in an upstairs bedroom system that I like to listen to at night in bed and because my turntable is fully manual, I turn to the CD player when I'm likely to fall asleep while I'm listening. But, If it's best not to leave the CD player on more than necessary, I don't want to leave it on all night after falling asleep. At the very least, it would be great to be able to turn it off without having to get out of bed.

    There is a remote, but this machine has no standby mode, so the remote doesn't have an on/off function. Is there any way to plug something in to a device to make it possible to turn it off remotely if it doesn't have an on/off switch on its own remote control? I imagine that would mean something to cut the power to the device completely, which might not be good for it? Does this kind of remote exist??
     
  2. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
    Clapper. Sorry - had to.
     
    JohnO, harby, Ingenieur and 2 others like this.
  3. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    ?
     
  4. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
  5. Harris11235

    Harris11235 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN
  6. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
  7. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    OK, so I ordered a set of these remote controlled plug-in outlets. Works like a charm. From bed, I can turn off the CD player. The thing is, doing it this way, I'm turning it off by cutting the power and turning it on again, when I do, by restoring power--in both cases with the machine in the "on" position physically. Is that bad for it? I mean, I assume it was designed to be turned on and off with the on/off button rather than essentially by having the plug pulled and plugged back in again while turned on (not with a disc spinning, of course). Electronically, internally, is this the same thing? Or is it potentially damaging to the electronics? Thanks
     
  8. Leave it on.
     
  9. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    I suspect you didn't read from the beginning. There is a reason I don't want to leave it on. But thanks for your input.
     
    timind likes this.
  10. Colin M

    Colin M Forum Resident

    They’re hilarious...I fitted one, unbeknownst to a mate, to his turntable as at the time he was playing early Bowie, a lot. He and other members of his household managed to turn his player off quite often when playing Space Oddity.
    :bdance:
     
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  11. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    You can never take Essex out of the boy! :agree:
     
  12. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    Using the remote power device won't harm your cdp.
     
    ggergm likes this.
  13. colinu

    colinu I'm not lazy, I'm energy saving!

    Does your receiver/amp have a power outlet on the back? Is it switched/unswitched? If switched, turning off this device - whether by pushing the on/off button or via the remote, would remove power from the CD player. This would be free.
     
  14. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    :righton: Exactly. It's electrically the same thing as turning it on and off by the switch.

    As a guy who tends to leave pieces on all the time for both sound quality and reliability, listen to your tech. He's right. With old stuff like your CD player, turn it off when not in use.
     
    timind likes this.
  15. Hershiser

    Hershiser Forum Resident

    I don’t know what the power switch looks like on your CD player but maybe you could get one of these to work the switch:

    SwitchBot Bot
     
  16. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Thanks everyone. As long as turning it off by depriving it of power with the remote outlet while the button on the CD player is in the on position won't hurt anything, then the problem is solved with the remote outlet.

    Thanks again
     
  17. Hershiser

    Hershiser Forum Resident

    I think if you are going to do this you should make a point to switch the power back to the off position before you turn the remote outlet back on the next day. I would think if any harm was going to come it would come with the start up of the outlet while the device was on. I would stay on the precautionary side.
     
    CMT likes this.
  18. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    Good point. That's easy enough to do. :)
     
  19. PooreBoy

    PooreBoy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lake City, TN
  20. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I recently put my pre-amp and power amp on an outlet switch, since the switch on the pre-amp went a bit wonky. I don’t touch it directly now. And I’m only comfortable doing this since they are old-school devices without logic or “standby” modes, or anything of that sort. Cutting the power at the source is electrically the same for these components as it would be by just using the switch, the same probably won’t be true for a piece of gear from the 90’s that isn’t designed to be totally powered off every single time. YMMV.

    The switch only cost a couple of bucks and was a decent enough bandaid solution for my particular issue. If you’re not cheap like I am, you can get a clapper, or even a smart home switch that can integrate into other services like Siri or Alexa. “Stereo on!”
     
  21. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Sorry, had to:

     
  22. I did and my opinion stays the same.
     
  23. CMT

    CMT Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sebastopol, CA
    So you don't think the longevity of the already-old fish oil capacitors in the machine that weren't changed out by the repair tech is an issue if the machine is left on all the time?
     
  24. dadbar

    dadbar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland OR
    I use the Belkin WEMO outlets that allow me to control outlets and lights from anywhere in the planet, as long as there is internet connectivity. I have it programmed to shut off my tube stereo automatically at 2AM if I forget to do it.
     
    CMT likes this.
  25. I do not.

    Why didn't the tech replace them if they're marginal ?
     
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