[Doc Wu]

To expand on what Blair said, increasing the output of the remote may cause more problems that it solves.

Our tests using very generic, cheap remotes showed they had plenty of distance for the length of the field.

Where the IR detector fell apart was with multiple remotes sending signals at the same time. The detection of the desired code became significantly less reliable with two remotes in use simultaneously.

If you look at the specs for the detector on the IR board, it is much more than a simple IR phototransistor. It's a complete front end designed for IR remotes with an AGC loop in it. It is capable of adjusting it's gain over a wide range to provide a long range, while cutting the gain back to work with a strong IR level. Flooding the field with IR signals is likely to make the detector cut it's gain back and lose the desired command in the noise.

While you might think a stronger IR LED would help, in fact, it may cause more interference to your alliance partner, whose robocoach may be standing next to yours.

Interference may be bad enough as it is. Higher power IR remotes will only make it worse.

Incidentally, this has nothing to do with the code scheme used - i.e. TV code - which only changes the data sent, not the way it is sent.