# Remote control beams & battery life **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-control-beams-battery-life/27852 "2000-08-02T16:02:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Claw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@Dr\_Claw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Claw)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-control-beams-battery-life/27852/1 "2000-08-02T16:02:48Z")
I recently set up a feed from my satellite television reciever into my living room and made it so that I could change the channel on the receiver in the next room by bouncing the remote control signal off of a wall. It got me to thinking: does this type of usage cause the batteries to drain quicker? I was just wondering, since the signal has to travel farther to reach its destination. ---
**Author:** ![PaulT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@PaulT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulT)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-control-beams-battery-life/27852/2 "2000-08-02T16:14:38Z")
While the signal has to travel farther, the remote doesn’t know that, and thus doesn’t compensate in any way. The only way this would drain your batteries more quickly is if you need to push the buttons for longer in order to get the aim just right, thus keeping the LED on your remote on for a longer time. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remote-control-beams-battery-life/27852/3 "2000-08-02T22:58:49Z")
It has more to do with the program being accessed. If you select a really dumb show, the remote may moan or shriek. This dramatically shortens battery life.