Steps for Creating a 30-Button Custom IR Remote

 

This tutorial is for creating a custom 30-button IR remote.

There are 4 main components:

1. TEAC RC-505 remote from here.
2. The decoder chip described here, and can be ordered here.
3. A receiver module, from here, here, or here.
4. An overlay label for the remote, which is what this tutorial describes.

 

Creating a Custom Overlay for the TEAC RC-505

There are many ways to create a custom overlay template for the RC-505 remote, but here is one. It requires the following materials:

New, sharp, razor blade or Exacto type blade.
Flat straight edge for cutting straight lines with the above blade.
8.5" x 11" self adhesive paper sheet. (Or use regular printer paper, then spray the back with 3M adhesive spray -- you can pick this up locally at your hardware store.)
Standard, 2" wide clear packing tape. You'll need less than 1 foot of it.

Download and run "Custom Overlay M1 Installer.exe" (Available here: http://www.simerec.com/Custom_Overlay_M1_Installer.exe)

This will create a folder called "Custom Overlay M1", from that folder run "Custom Overlay M1.exe"

You will see a window like this:

:

Fill in the fields with the button labels that you want, then press OK.

You can select between small and large fonts for your text, but only uppercase is available.

 

 

A PDF will be created, and automatically displayed:

Print the PDF, being sure that:
1. Page Scaling is set to None.
2. Your printer is loaded with adhesive backed paper.

 

 

Here's the print:

 

 

So that the template has a "laminate" protection, place 2" wide, clear packing tape over remote template -- Note that two pieces of Scotch tape were used to hold the template flat, so that applying the 2" tape would be easier:

 

 

Use a razor blade and a straight edge to carefully cut out each of the white rectangles. USE A NEW, SHARP RAZOR, GO SLOWLY, AND BE CAREFUL.

Below shows the first rectangle cut out -- the one below the text that reads "1 2 3 VOL UP":

 

Here are all of the rectangles cut out:

 

 

Next, use a permanent black marker to blacken the white edges of the paper. For the corners, let the tip of the marker soak a little.

 

 

Next, cut around the border of the template, and again use the marker to darken the outer edges of the paper.

Now you are ready to stick the template over the face of the remote:

 

 

Carefully peel off the adhesive backing of the template, align it to the face of the remote, and apply: