Remote Power Switch for Wheelchair Bound


I have a fellow living at my place confined to a wheel chair with MS. Right now, the amp is hooked plugged into the wall, whereas the other components are hooked up to a Monsterpower 2000. He can reach the componentry, but the amp is on the floor and hard to reach. I'd like to install a remote switch near the other components that turns the amp on. This could mean creating a surge protector with a relay, I don't know. I'm looking for ideas as to how to do this. Thanks much.
peter_s
If I'm not mistaken, Parasound makes a device like that. I think it is called the "Scamp" and is made for power amps. They show up on ebay from time to time. Don
could you install a switched dedicated line for the amp? You could mount a standard wall switch to turn the circuit on and off.
If you're technically inclined (build your own relay box with an input AC cord & an AC outlet) ther are at least a couple of "remote" alternatives.
Hobbiest electronics catalog houses such as Parts Express, Mouser, DigiKey, etc. (maybe even Radio Shack) sell an inexpensive RF handheld remote control pushbutton box which activates a wall-mounted plug in box outputting 120VAC, typically for the purpose of energizing a lamp etc. Use that 120v output to drive a higher-current switching relay inside of your homebrew swithbox. For some surge-transient protection, add some MOV's paralleled across the hot line to neutral & to ground, & neutral-to-ground.
You could also do the same scheme with a "The Clapper" device to drive the switcher box.
That Clapper would have it's way with the relay should the stereo ever be loaded up with a copy of "Flamingo Fever."
I was thinking about that too; after the first clapping sequence, it's all over.
Why don't you just plug the amp into the monster 2000, just as the other components are. Contrary to many opinions, there is no sonic degradation or restriction of current with the monster, which is a totally passive unit. In mine, the sound has actually improved with the amp plugged in because of the additional filtration. In any event, small changes in sound would likely be of secondary importance in this instance.