IR range

[Old_Bill]

Hi folks
I am finding that when I try to sync to my laptop using ir I have to have my X5 just an inch or so away to get connected. Is the others experience? Appreciate any comments.

[deftech]

IrDA-SIR, the protocol used for IR data communications on PDAs, is only meant for very short range. Generally it is meant to be used within about 1 - 4 inches between the devices for data transfer. So yes, what you are experiencing is normal.

Even on PDAs with consumer IR, which allows for long distances as a TV/VCR/etc remote, you'll still get the shorter distances for data communications. This is because even on the consumer IR models, the IrDA-SIR protocol is still used for data communications.

[Howard2k]

I normally use about 3-4 inches...

[Place-GUID-Here]

at one point I was doing IR syncing at a distance of over 2' (if you add the distance from the ax to the mirror and the mirror to the laptop). but I've found I seem to be able to get better range than a lot of people - for example I can control my vcr from up to 8' away without an IR extender as opposed to the 2-5' range I normally read about here.

I chalk it up to careful aiming.

[Old_Bill]

Thanks for the info