Emphasis IRFU

Andy

Sorry to say that you're not going to see any of the newer Android or Apple based applications for Eos family functioning on the Express/ion - Emphasis system.

One option might be to find an older ETC RRFU device.  This was their radio unit who's receiver connected directly to the RFU port on the back of the console and had a hand held focus unit.  The unit did not have an LCD screen, so you had to get good at  remembering what buttons you pressed.  It was a generally reliable unit.  Just long discontinued.  

http://www.google.com/search?q=etc+rrfu&aq=f&oq=etc+rrfu&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

There's a .pdf on the unit at this search.  

Also check to see if the "Phone Remote" devices are still around.  It was an interface that allowed any cordless telephone to key in commands to the console.  

SB

The Expression RRFU (Radio Focus Remote) is actually still available from your local ETC dealer. The wired RFU (Remote Focus Unit) was discontinued some time ago.

You can find more information for the RRFU here http://www.etcconnect.com/product.overview.aspx?ID=20009

That's kind of my point though; We who got stuck with a product that was only supported for a relatively brief period of time (compaired to the console and dimmers), are now forced to sift through the online tech-thrift outfits to find a second hand example of a device that is functionally inferior to the original item, and which is also not supported, and which may very well be in questionable condition when we buy it.    

The Emphasis and Obsession WiFi based remotes were based on the HP/Compaq iPaq devices running Windows Mobile OS. They were not based on the Palm OS (did you have a device that worked on the Palm OS ?).  Strand had a similar item (still does, not sure it's actually available, it's on their website)

These devices were available from about 2000 to late '09, but really hard to find by then. When the iPhone came out it pretty much changed the mobile pocket PC market and HP killed the product line.

So I would not be blaming ETC for something beyond their control in terms of hardware availability from a separate vendor.  Ditto the devices running new OS's. That's out of ETC's control.  These devices also were introduced towards the end of the product period for Obsession and Emphasis and were really designed to be a convenience for the user, who if they wanted reliable, used the hardwired option.  Yes, you got the gear at the end of the product cycle, but at that point OB II and Express/ion's had been on the market for 12 years ?.  So not an unexpected development to find your gear is suddenly obsolete.  

As well, and as all the users discovered, the implementation of the WiFi device, using 3rd party software (ETC) was problematic as the device was not really designed to function reliably as a real time input device for the consoles.  It was however, (other then the ETC RRFU) the only method out there at the time.  

Thus ETC went a different route for the Net3 remotes, attempting to regain control of the device design and implementation so as to avoid the built in obsolescence resulting from a constantly changing market.  Thus they offer the current remote and hopefully will continue to do so for a long time, even though everyone finds the Android and iOS app's to be more cost effective.  Of course we are also now starting to see the posts about issues in a crammed WiFi spectrum, so cheap is may be convenient but not always reliable.

I do feel for you, having purchased an Emphasis server in '06 and while it mostly did what I needed, it was also obsolete about the time I got it and knew that as soon as I could I would move to the Ion

    Nobodys's blaming ETC (especially not me) for the obsolescence of the pocket PC's.  The point was that ETC customers who bought a product in good faith (and some bought multiple copies for all their electricians) now 4 years later, have no other option than to look to an unreliable second hand market, or dish out  $1000+ bucks a pop for multple RRFU units in order to restore a feature of the system that was (at the time) one of the key points that the dealer sold us on.  I know that software development costs time and money ( I myself once worked as a programmer in industrial automation), but really, it's more about keeping the current customers happy; letting them know that they haven't been left at the bus stop, (or in other words, makeing them more inclined to buy and to encourage others to buy any future products).  Shoot.....If it's too un-economical for them to develop, I myself would be willing to work on the thing if I had access to the net protocol specs.  (Don't laugh, I've created entire off-line editor package for some of the older mixing consoles in our shop.)