TV remote caddy

Tired of losing your TV remote? Try this caddy which is designed to specifically house the GE Big Button Universal Remote Control (see link to Amazon for this remote). I work at a facility that was always losing remotes, leading to unhappy patients. I came up with this housing in order to make the remote too large and bulky to lose by accident. After months of use we haven't lost any of them, so I think it's a success.

I print this model upside down. No supports are needed in this orientation. There is one bridge on the face of the remote, but it is arched and my MK4 prints it with no problem. The model can be printed on it's back or face but this will require a large bridging section. I use the 0.3 “Draft” layer height because this is a low detail model and it prints in under 12 hours this way. See the included gcode for my print settings. I suggest printing in bright colors to improve visibility, but color choice is up to you.

The door on the bottom of the caddy screws into the base using regular metal screws that are available at any hardware store. Mine are #6 x 5/8" but most normal screws will work so long as the head is about 7mm or less in dimeter. Notice there are no “screw holes” on the caddy. I just screw directly into the plastic. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN the screws as they will strip out the plastic. Just tighten until snug. I recommend printing with a few extra top layers to give more “meat” for the screws to bite into (I use 6 top layers). 

The batteries are trapped within the caddy. The door must be unscrewed to change the batteries. Two AA batteries should last over 6 months. I consider this to be a minor inconvenience compared to losing the entire remote on a regular basis. 

If you are printing this for an organization the front of the model is a great place to add a company name to the caddy. This can be done in Prusa slicer. I added my workplace name to the caddy (it is blurred out in the photos). A name can also be added to the caddy door. The model has no text by default, any text must be added in the slicer.

Some people who use this caddy ask why the lower buttons of the remote are blocked. In my experience people press those buttons erroneously and ruin the remote or TV settings. I think simpler is better so all the lower buttons are blocked off. In my opinion the only buttons needed for a TV are Power, Channel up and down and Volume up and down. This is better for children or seniors.