One of the advantages of infrared remote is that there is no radio signal for crooks to monitor and record for use against you later on. Instead, there is a beam of invisible infrared light which comes from a standard hand-held remote control unit.

So from that point of view, it is pretty secure. However, the receiver can be actuated by anyone who has a remote control which uses the same code as yours. So maybe it's not the type of thing you would use to protect the Crown jewels!

There is, though, an enormous variety of tasks to which you could put the unit. Just think of the myriad of things in your home these days which use infrared remote to turn things on and off, change levels, open and close... Anything which can be connected to a set of relay contacts, whether normally open nor normally closed, can be converted to remote control.

Perhaps you want to motorise curtains? Turn lights on or off (perhaps some low voltage garden lights)? Add remote control to something that has not already got it? (Oh, come on, there must be something!)

As far as the hand-held remote control itself is concerned, it is a typical commercial unit with 14 pushbut-tons. But it does have the advantage of being nondescript - no labelling or branding to identify it nor give any clues as to which of the many infrared codes it uses.

Features 12 channels, each individually controlled Infrared operated from commercial hand-held infrared remote Long range (.15m)n operation Relay output - 5A rated changeover contacts Two banks of relays (eight and four) Each bank can be set to momentary or toggle (push on, push off) modes Remote can reset each bank with one button in toggle mode One button reset on receiver board Receiver is 12V DC operated (30mA standby, 450mA all relays toggled)