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How To - Harmony Hub IR to IR repeater setup

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    How To - Harmony Hub IR to IR repeater setup

    Just purchased a Harmony Hub and remote and an trying out the plugin. So far works great. I wanted to share my setup and findings on IR distribution. I took the plunge and integrated all my IR for Home Theater control into one repeater system. I purchased a BAFX IR repeater from Amazon. Cheap and has good reviews. It has three IR inputs and 6 outputs. It replaced a 10 year old Hotlink Pro repeater that had failed.

    Repeater setup came with one IR receiver. I installed this hidden inside my center channel surround in wall speaker that is below the TV. Removed it from its plastic box and clipped off the feedback LED that blinks with every IR signal. Legacy remotes work great and I have IR kit emitters placed on all the AV gear. (CATV Box, Pioneer receiver, Media Center/Kodi PC, Apple TV). AV equipment is in a rack hidden in wall.

    So next I wanted the IR output of the Harmony Hub to feed into the existing IR repeater setup as I could not have the hub directly or bouncing IR for control. Wanted to hide the hub in the the rack as well. I figured out the BAFX IR input jack wiring. It is a 3.5mm stereo plug. Tip is IR input, ring is Vcc +5vdc, and sleeve is ground. The Harmony hub IR outputs use a 2.5mm mono plug. Tip is IR out and sleeve is ground. So I ordered some 2.5 and 3,5mm mono plugs form Amazon. I found two old old stereo 3.5mm cables around and cut off one end and cut off the wire going to the ring(Vcc) and left the sleeve and tip wires. You have to not have the ring connected as to not ground the Vcc +5vdc which causes nothing to work. Then I soldered these to the 2.5mm plug sleeve and tip. Plugged in the cable into the Harmony and the repeater and everything works perfect. Each IR out from the Harmony hub gets repeated correctly.

    Next was the Global Cache IP2IR that I have had for Homeseer control. Removed all of the output IR emitters from the IP2IR and made a second cable from one of the IR outputs on the IP2IR to the repeater. The IP2IR is like the Harmony output except it is a 3,5mm mono plug.

    So now all three IR inputs to the repeater are filled 1. IR receiver, 2 Harmony Hub, 3. GC IP2IR. After some online research I discovered my Pioneer receiver has a IR control jack on the back that accepts a 3.5mm plug. So now one of the 6 outputs from the BAFX repeater now feeds the Pioneer SC-1223 receiver directly electrically instead of the IR optical signal. Much more reliable and one less emitter stuck to the face of equipment.

    The Harmony remote is RF to the hub and IR to the repeater system. Homeseer can control everything via the Harmony Hub Activity and plugin or via the GC IP2IR and UltraGCIR3 plugin. Legacy IR remotes work as well. Bonus is Alexa control as well to kick off Harmony activities and voice control to switch to favorite channels.One voice command or press of button on RF remote to shut every thing down without missing a command or getting out of sync.

    Everything is now very solid and has restored the WAF in the household.

    #2
    Thanks for this post. I just happened to get the BAFX as well. Question - the cable that connects a BAFX output to your receiver’s input is just a 3.5mm mono cable?

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      #3
      I’m trying not to have to solder... to connect my Harmony Hub to the BAFX, will this work?

      https://www.amazon.com/Ancable-2-Pac...d_i=B076DYSJ53

      Or:

      https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-107...3902789&sr=8-2

      ??

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by randman View Post
        Thanks for this post. I just happened to get the BAFX as well. Question - the cable that connects a BAFX output to your receiver’s input is just a 3.5mm mono cable?
        Yes just a mono 3.5 to 3.5.



        Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by randman View Post
          I’m trying not to have to solder... to connect my Harmony Hub to the BAFX, will this work?

          https://www.amazon.com/Ancable-2-Pac...d_i=B076DYSJ53

          Or:

          https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-107...3902789&sr=8-2

          ??
          No if you plug in a mono 3.5 into the BAFX it will ground the 5vdc. Needs to be a stereo 3.5 but the center 5vdc Vcc needs to not connected.

          You could just take a stereo 3.5 cable and cut one end and strip and connect wires to the 2.5 mono cable. Twist them together and just tape or use some crimp splices if you do not want to solder.


          Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by srodgers View Post

            No if you plug in a mono 3.5 into the BAFX it will ground the 5vdc. Needs to be a stereo 3.5 but the center 5vdc Vcc needs to not connected.

            You could just take a stereo 3.5 cable and cut one end and strip and connect wires to the 2.5 mono cable. Twist them together and just tape or use some crimp splices if you do not want to solder.


            Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
            Ok, thanks!

            Comment

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