Monthly Archive: January 2014

Great Idea, and Almost Perfect Execution

Came across this one at a good price and 5 outlets. I attach the remote to the wall and use the outlets for various lighting setups throughout the main floor of my house, and also my Wireless router that I use with a mobile broadband card. To get good signal I have to set it up quite high, and would need a ladder to reset it as needed. Now I just click the remote off and on to restart.

Why I gave 4 stars.

Pros:

More outlets than most with 5.

Slim remote with front loading batteries so I can attach it to the wall and still change them.

Distance seems good, the furthest I have is about 20feet.

Price is right.

They have a manual on/off button on the outlets.

Cons:

The outlets themselves are quite a bit bigger than the other units I have had. Basically they are ugly, and you will want them hidden from view. No idea why they are so big because it doesn’t appear that the casing is full of electronics. Meaning most of it appears hollow.

Overall, if you want a simple setup like I described, and your outlets will be mostly hidden, you can’t beat these for the price.

I choose this one because it had on and off button right on the units so the remote control is not required. Remote has good range and units do what they are suppose to do…. well sort of.

The knock I have against this is that they too drain power even with in the off position. For instance, I figured I’d use on the microwave for when it’s not in use, which is like 23.5 hours a day. Although the microwave only drained about 0.8 watts when plugged in, I though I’d attempt to save even that by turning it off with one of these units. The problem is that each of these units also drain 0.8 watts per hour when connected. That’s not so bad right? not at all except in the case of the microwave and a few other items, it makes no sense to use these.

However, if you have say an entertainment center or at a minimum a flat panel digital TV, the 0.8 watts is nothing. Many people don’t realize that just having the average LCD/LED/Plasma screen TV plugged in and turned off drains 40-60 watts per hour.. Again, that’s turned off. That like running 3-4 CFL light bulbs 24 hours a day. If you simply connected that TV and any other items nearby (say DVD player, cable/sat receiver, or TIVO) to one of these units and turned it off when not in use, you’d save upwards of 70-90 watts per hour during non use times.

However, since have most of my electronic on a surge strip that has an on/off switch, I simply turn off the switch and it uses no additional power. So now I find myself looking for a place to actually use these that will save me on power.

I realize the power is needed, probably, for the wireless remote communications…. so you give a little for the convenience.

I did find a home for a few of these. I put them in the kids’ room. I already had power strips in them but found another convenience. Because we have the power strips and plugs in hard to reach places, these make it easy to shut the power strips down. Also at night, we can easily turn of the TVs, DVD player, cable box, and etc… from our bedroom, after the kids fall asleep. We can also turn them off as we prepared to walk out the door.

Between using this and a number of power switches with on/off switches, we’ve seen a decrease in our power consumption/bill of between around 16-19% over the months following the installations. I accredit most of the drop to the use of power strips and us diligently turning them off when not in use, but these controllers make it easier to turn of several of those switches.

Good luck and think GREEN!

Loved These for Controlling Christmas Lights!

I had the tree, mantel swags and stairway garlands all hooked up it. For years I have used outlet timers but they can be hard to sync and can be noisy. This also gives you the power to turn them on or off whenever not just at specific set times. The only downside is the bulkiness of the plug in unit. But they are well worth it!

Remote does not have to be line of sight to work!!!!! Able to control recepticle in garage from anywhere in the house. Well worth the investment.

I hate fluorescent lighting and so I only use lamps. I have the remote on the back of my door. I don’t have to turn on all 5 lamps individually every morning. And when I step out of the office for lunch, I can easily flip them off to save energy. They work awesome. Every time. I would buy more sets for every room of my house if I didn’t have light switches. And even then… Christmas lights will never be the same.

Highly Recommended!! Bought the cheaper 3 unit set and #2 would not shut off. It would turn it on, but that defeats the purpose of “Wireless Remote”. My point is, spend a few more dollars for a much better Quality Product as these Are!!

We have all 5 of our bedrooms set up this way with their own set of remote controlled socket sets. Having the ability to choose just how much light you want is also fantastic.

I use the two remotes to switch on my dust vacuum when I am using my table saw and router. It’s durable and it works. One suggestion is that the vendor include a third remote for a slightly increased cost.

I almost feel guilty about being lazy and just pressing the button to turn it on/off from the delicious comfort of being under the covers…. almost.

Product works fantastically, had it for about 8 weeks, and no issue so far. It is a bit bulkier than other similar products I’ve had before, but that’s not really a dealbreaker. Battery’s included, which is always a good thing.

I use them to turn on my shop dust collection system. It sure is easier than rewiring a remote switch system. And they can be moved to accommodate various work stations. The plug base requires NO Battery. That confused ma at first. Highly recommended. Will buy more

Does exactly what it’s supposed to do. I bought 2 remotes and one outlet. The outlet is in a closet outside the house, and I use one remote control from the 1st floor and the other from the 2nd floor. No issue. It works perfectly all the time.

So Simple, Yet Such a Quality of Life Improvement!

I used it to light up different Christmas lights on my 11,000sqft yard and it reach all the switches with no problem but I cover them with electric water proof tape for rain just in case. Good product over all does the job.

Amazingly convenient, especially for Christmas lights and such, but also for turning on and off lamps and other things. Works VERY well through walls and floors. Turns on and off a Christmas tree that’s in one corner of the house from the opposite corner on the second floor.

worked fine and my wife enjoyed turning on lights in a palm tree, from inside the house. this 1st unit was fairly small and had a second plug built in. after getting some LED lights for christmas, i decided we needed more controllers, so i ordered the 5 pack. they work great even thru multiple concrete walls. my wife sits in the living room and turns on 5 lights inside and outside. don’t even have to air it. i gave it 4 stars because of 3 things. these things are huge. i mean huge. in a normal 2 plug socket they take up the room of both plugs, plus they don’y have the 2nd outlet built in. why the need to be so large is beyond me. it looks like there is a lot of empty space inside and they could of been less than 1/2 the size. lastly they take a really odd size battery. the battery is included but replacement might be tough except at a speciality store. never have seen that size before. looks like a AAA cut in half. don’t understand that either.

but overall they work great. the remote is kind of funky. it has 5 switches each with an off and on, however if you push the on to turn on and push it again it goes off. same for the off side of switch. it also turns on and off. you’ll get used to it. i did use a felt tip pen and mark initials of each appliance that was connected. i would reccomend, but make sure you understand how big these are!!!

My DD was visiting for the holidays and showed me how she could turn his tree and all the decorations on and off with the remote. I was sold. Got my set in the mail today and it works perfectly! Now, yes, they ARE big units and you cant use them in the same outlet as some large plugs or power supplies. And I found out that when I plugged my fully used power strip into one, it shut off (that was just an experiment, though….I have my fish tank hooked up to that strip and I don’t want to shut it off). But for a single appliance/light it is terrific And it does work with an extension cord plugged into it. I am very satisfied.

Works GREAT!!! Time & Energy Saver!!!

I was able to go 40 feet away and close the door. I was still able to remotely turn the switches on and off repeatedly. I would recommend these remote switches highly.

I already own a 3 outlet setup from another company and the remote on this was better. I like the switch that most people complain about. Click for on and click for off without having to look for a specific on/off button.

What sets this apart is the use of a radio frequency instead of infrared. This makes it able to receive signals from a distance and through walls and windows. I’m able to turn on a porch light from 30 feet away and through a window without line of sight. Excellent!

Pros:

1. The 12v battery should last a long time. I have a similar remote with the same battery and that’s been going for 5 years with daily use. Harder to find but you won’t need to replace often.

2. Because it uses a radio signal, it can work from a long distance and without line of sight. Believe the manufacturer claims.

3. Receiving 5 outlets for $27 calculates to $5.40/outlet. That’s a great deal compared to other offerings.

4. Switch on outlet in case finding the remote is less convenient than just turning it off at the outlet.

Cons:

1. It is true that remote outlet boxes are big and interfere with the second outlet when plugged in. These large outlet boxes will allow a two prong to plug in below it, but a larger 3 prong would be difficult. You will have to buy a “power strip liberator” if you want to avoid this issue. They are basically 1′ extension cords that will take the box away from the outlet and allow for another plug. Another option is to buy a 3-2 prong adapter and use it on the wireless box. This will move the box far enough from the outlet face plate to allow that 3-prong to plug in below it.

2. Wish it was 1500 watt rated instead of 1200 watt. 1500 watts means you can plug in the heater, but with this, you need to watch out.

I wish they would just wire houses for this in the first place. Great for those floor lamps with out of the way switches and many other things. This is an excellent gift for elderly people at Christmas. They might look at like you gave them socks or a “clapper”, but once you demonstrate it, they will love it. My mom turns on her fountain lights in the garden from the kitchen (outdoor safe version).

Best Christmas Accessory EVER!

This unit works every time all the time and is easy to install and use. The receiver is large and my cover on outlet in the duplex so that may be a slight negative for some – no non switched outlet so you take up a plug with your application. For me these are very minor issues – I would purchase again if I need another five receivers.

It still provides power, but without taking the plug apart, I can’t see why the remote simply stopped turning it on and off.

If you need to control 5 outlets with a single remove, you can’t beat this. Highly recommended.

I have a few lamps behind my couch that are hard to reach to turn off. With one click of the button I am able to turn them on or off. I have used one additional outlet in my bedroom to turn on a light in the bathroom so when I wake in the middle of the night, I can walk safely with out tripping. So many possibilities for this product. Great for hard to reach areas when you must have access to power a product on or off. I am considering purchasing an additional set for my elderly Mother.

I used it only inside, so I can not say anything about outside use, sorry.

But it worked great for remote controlled Christmas lightning. I had pieces connected all over the house on all floors and it worked like a charm. There is no a lot else I can say :-)

Ok, one more thing, the boxes are a little big 2.5 by about 5 inches is not small…..

Worked well. Can control all five plugs with one control. Since control has five separate on/off switches, you can separately control each of five plugs from anywhere in house. Makes holiday light management enjoyable. I highly recommend this set. I might order another set or two as gifts.

Now, I don’t have to always go underneath the aquarium stand and manually turn off or unplug certain electrical components. The receivers are huge and you need to make some space so they won’t be piling on top each other which may be a hazard. I used a surge protector with five 6 inch extenders which plug into the receivers. Works great.

This was amazing! Now I just pick up the remote and done. Even better, I can turn on my tree, my garland, the mantelpiece, the kids Christmas tree and the snow village all without getting off my bum! One thing to note it does make a soft little click every time you turn it on or off just in case you needed absolute silence when using it. I love this and show it off to everyone who comes over.

Works Well for Remote Operation of a Shop Vac Dust Collector

We can turn on 10 separate Christmas window candles in just a few seconds and without the inconvenience of visiting each location to plug or un-plug each one.

Remotes work good, through walls and at a good distance. Very convenient. It does not cover both plugs but some plugs will be too big to work with this plugged into the outlet.

When I’m using the various tools, I always attach a vacuum hose to control the dust and shavings, if the tool is set up for it. The problem is that the shop vac and the tools are often some distance apart and it’s tempting not to bother with the vac if I’m only making a few cuts or sanding a small area. There are devices such as the iVac Automated Vacuum Switch that will control a shop vac automatically when a tool is activated. The downside of this solution is that it’s expensive and only works for 110v tools. I have a mix of 110v and 220v machinery, so this won’t work for me.

So far it is working just as I expected. Either of the 2 remotes will reliably start and stop the shop vac from anywhere in the shop. I’m happy that 2 remotes come with this because I can leave one at each end of the shop and I’m never far from one.

This thing is big. I have it plugged into a Tripp Lite PS2408 Power Strip 120V 5-15R 8 Outlet 15ft Cord Vertical Metal, and unfortunately there is no way to avoid having it cover 2 of the outlets. Fortunately, that still leaves me 6 more, which is enough. I dinged it one star due to the size.

This was a pain when getting into bed or coming up the stairs. These remote switches allow light control as you walk into a room or start up the stairs. When you get in bed, you simply click off all the lights.

That’s what I like, what I don’t like is how huge the plugs can cover the whole outlet if you can’t fit it in the top outlet because of the 6 inch height. Also, a great feature would be to have a swivel plug on the backs to help better fit into small spaces by tilting.

Convenient. Simple. Senior citizens can use this product to turn lamps and appliances on and off without leaving their chair (or bed). Buy it for each senior you know. Also wonderful for Christmas lights.

I work in an electronics lab and share a fume extractor with another. This unit allows us to switch the unit, which is located behind our test stand, on and off remotely and give us each the ability to do so. The remotes of this particular model use 9v batteries so no problem finding replacements. Works great so far.