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    Controlling a Ceiling Fan with RF Remote?

    I have a ceiling fan that my wife loves - so I can't replace it - and I'd like to control it with HSTouch. It just feels wrong to have a device that I can't control remotely.

    In thinking about it, I also have some movie props/replicas that are controlled by RF key fobs that I would also like to integrate with HS and Alexa.

    I looked quickly at Broadlink Pro, but has anybody here already done this with an RF learning device?

    #2
    I have not used Broadlink but it should work. I have used the Sonoff RF Bridge ($20 from China or Amazon https://www.amazon.com/sonoff-rf-bri...noff+rf+bridge) in which I installed Tasmota firmware. It is easy if you already have a remote from which you can learn the code. Here is a writeup https://hometechhacker.com/sending-r...off-rf-bridge/

    433 MHz is the most common for RF, but the US also uses 310 MHz

    Comment


      #3
      Why not use Bond (https://bondhome.io). There's already an HSPI for it.

      Comment


        #4
        I use the RFXCOM device and RFXCOM plugin. It has a long list of supported devices. You can also define a file and send the content. It's more for just testing because the plugin doesn't allow you to have multiple files and define which one you want to send. So you would have to add another step in your event engine that takes a file and copies/overwrites the file that RFXCOM sends.

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          #5
          Bond works for fans, but does it work for the General RF such as movie props?

          Comment


            #6
            If you have a remote you want to check you can go to the site below and enter the FCC ID. It will then tell you if it's supported.

            https://bondhome.io/supported-devices/

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              #7
              Thanks for the input guys.

              After a lengthy discussion with Bond tech support, I went ahead and ordered one to try out. No confident about being able to program my key fobs that operate the movie props, but at least I will be able to add my wife's lovely ceiling fan to my HSTouch screens.

              I'll post the key fob results after the bridge arrives.

              Comment


                #8
                Sireone what is the name of the plugin? I searched for bondhome and bond home but nothing came up.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by mulu View Post
                  Sireone what is the name of the plugin? I searched for bondhome and bond home but nothing came up.
                  It's called AK Bond. I've been using Bond (not the plug-in yet) for about three years. Been pretty reliable so far.

                  https://shop.homeseer.com/products/a...plugin-for-hs3

                  Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thank you!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      FWIW, when we remodeled this house, we got all new ceiling fans (that matched) and all had RF remotes. I was going to use RFXCOM as they were supported. As it turns out, we NEVER changed the ceiling fan speed. It was either off or on low. By the time I got around to setting up RFXCOM, two of the remotes were lost somewhere and the fans were controlled by the wall switch. I replaced all the wall switches with WS-100's (then WS-200's) and now we just ask Alexa to turn on the Master Bedroom Fan or any of the other 4 in the house. In the rare occasion that we want to change the speed, the remote is right there. ....but that has only happened once in 3 years and it was in the game room. The really nice thing (which will happen with any setup that can use Alexa) is that if you wake up cold in the middle of the night, you can, without moving, ask Alexa to turn the fan off... When the HS fan switch came out, I thought about switching them out, but there really was no need for us. Just a thought.....
                      .

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                        #12
                        Our ceiling fans are usually either off or they are on high speed. Occasionally we lower it to middle but we pretty much never have it on low. We don't use Alexa to change any settings at night because it could wake up the other person. So my wife has the control and I have to live with whatever speed she chooses... I frequently use Alexa to turn on the fan during daytime, though. When I sit in the office and it gets warmer I simply tell Alexa to turn on the fan to such and such speed (usually high). HS then turns on the main wall switch and sets the fan to the desired speed through RFXCOM.

                        Having said that, if you almost always just use the same speed, then a simple z-wave on/off switch does the job. That is assuming people don't turn off the fan through the remote rather than the wall switch. The problem is that if the fan was turned off through the remote you have to turn it back on through the remote (and make sure the wall switch in on). If you turn the fan off through the wall switch then you have to turn it on through the wall switch, in which case it goes to the last speed. If you have an RF transmitter/receiver you can make this a bit easier.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by outbackrob View Post
                          FWIW, when we remodeled this house, we got all new ceiling fans (that matched) and all had RF remotes. I was going to use RFXCOM as they were supported. As it turns out, we NEVER changed the ceiling fan speed. It was either off or on low. By the time I got around to setting up RFXCOM, two of the remotes were lost somewhere and the fans were controlled by the wall switch. I replaced all the wall switches with WS-100's (then WS-200's) and now we just ask Alexa to turn on the Master Bedroom Fan or any of the other 4 in the house. In the rare occasion that we want to change the speed, the remote is right there. ....but that has only happened once in 3 years and it was in the game room. The really nice thing (which will happen with any setup that can use Alexa) is that if you wake up cold in the middle of the night, you can, without moving, ask Alexa to turn the fan off... When the HS fan switch came out, I thought about switching them out, but there really was no need for us. Just a thought.....
                          I wish I could do that. All my ceiling fans are controlled by z-wave wall switches. All except this one - that my wife loves - that is controlled by a proprietary RF wall switch. According to the manufacturer, Hunter, there's no way around this. I tried, by the way, but no joy.

                          Thus the Bond bridge.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Another option, which is probably better, is the Inovelli Fan Switch. It actually comes with the RF receiver.

                            https://inovelli.com/red-series-fan-...switch-z-wave/

                            Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Sireone View Post
                              Another option, which is probably better, is the Inovelli Fan Switch. It actually comes with the RF receiver.

                              https://inovelli.com/red-series-fan-...switch-z-wave/

                              Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
                              Looked at that too. It's for AC motors only, and this fan is DC.

                              Comment

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