Beginner asks - Do I need to use an extender?

[ddevonick]

I began using JP1 just a few days ago, and thanks to the great documentation available here I've been able to figure out how configure and load upgrades to my URC 9910. I have a Panasonic plasma, Dish Satellite and a Paraound Audio-Video controller with a seperate (triggered) amp. I have been able to figure out how to transpose the discrete codes from the ccf's, load upgrades and have been successfull in basically getting all of my components discrete codes assigned to some button with punch-through for the volume/mute, etc.

I am at the point where I want to develop macros, but I have held off until I can figure out if I need to use an extender or not.

If I want to have my 9910 amp/rcvr button act as an on/off button for the Paraound controller, do I need extender capabilities to do this? It seems inefficient to have to first select the device, then another key to turn it on and then a different key to power off. The pre-amp's native remote does not have a power on/off button. It has discrete power on/off buttons, which I've assigned to the 0,1 numeric buttons. This does not seem logical, so I am asking for recommended solution. Is it possible to program power on/off with a single button (prefferably the device button) for a component that has dicreet power on/off?

Also, if want to put a delay in for power off, is it neccessary to use the extender?

Thanks very much for your time.

David

[gfb107]

The 8910/9910/HTPro allow macros on the device buttons, without an extender.

If you prefer to have a power toggle command, you can use the ToadTog special protocol to create a power toggle using the discrete power commands. It is also possible that there is a power toggle command the controller understands even though the original remote doesn't have a matching button.

There is also a special pause protocol, as well as other tricks for generating a pause in a macro.