Logitech Harmony Remote.

Apps & Remote Access
#1

So, I have a Harmony Touch Remote that I use to manage my TV, TIVO, Hi Fi, Blue Ray Player, Plex Client, Tuner, etc.

What I’d like to do is have my house as another activity and then after selecting this activity be able to activate various scenes from the remote. IS this feasible? What additional hardware do I need?

Thanks!

#2

Really?? Nothing?

#3

Hi,

You need the Harmony Hub as that can be polled via the LAN, and the plugin you can download from the app market.

Cheers Rene

#4

Is that the Harmony Home Hub? And that will interface between the Harmony Remote and the Vera 2?

#5

Nope… that is there own zwave controller… similar to Vera but not as powerful. Since you have a Vera, you don’t need that. You need this if you don’t already have one that came with your Logitech remote. Harmony Hub

Then the plugin.

#6

I think Tom’s info is either not correct or confusing.

You really need two things atleast that you don’t have to be able to use the remote to control vera devices or scenes. The Harmony hub is one of them. That’s what gets you remote on the network.

After that you will be able to use a plugin to have vera control the hub or remote, but you will not be able to use the remote to control devices on the VERA.

To use a harmony remote and control devices on vera you either need a “Harmony Home Hub Extender” (which I think tom was trying to point out) or you need to check out the thread “http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=31920.0” which uses a pi or computer to run a free program 24/7 to play the middle man. I used a pi2 which cost around 60.00.

Other thing is I have Harmony Home Remote which has extra buttons on it for outlets and lights on it. It works great. If you try to set some lights up via a scene and try to use that as a device on the remote you run into problems since the Harmony remote doesn’t want to do more then on task at a time. say you in the middle of watching tv using a tuner and you want to turn on a light. Its going to want to turn off the tv and move to the next task not just leave the tv alone and turn on the light and go back to tv. With a Home remote the home buttons work independently of the tv or other functions.

Also trying to buy just the hub for your exsting remote is probley close to the same price you can buy a HOME remote with the hub already on ebay. Then you still need to get the extender or look threw that Bridge Thread. (the bridge thread alows alot more feature then the Extender and is cheaper but more complicated for a user to setup) It also works for Amazon Echo, nest and few other things. It’s a universal bridge really.

#7

Thanks. I do have a Raspberry PI. Perhaps I’ll try that route as well. I also have an Alexa.

Thanks again.

#8

So, I’m wondering if this might be the answer;

http://www.keene.co.uk/keene-ir-anywhere-single-worldwide.html

#9

[quote=“jluvs2ride, post:8, topic:193249”]So, I’m wondering if this might be the answer;

http://www.keene.co.uk/keene-ir-anywhere-single-worldwide.html[/quote]

Not sure how that fit with the Harmony, Alexa or Vera at this point.

#10

So, that receives ir codes and sends them over ip to a specified target. Apparently there is a plug in for this.

#11

I guess if that’s what you want but I still think your taking the wrong path with Harmony Remote.

First setting your house as an activity or devcie doesn’t work because if your watching TV or PLEX or what ever in order to switch a light you need to stop that first activity and then run the next.

With the Harmony “HOME” remotes its made to allow you to continue with the normal A/V actives and run the home stuff on the side. Also the Harmony “HUB” by its self can be purchased to go with your remote for around 30-50.00 on ebay. Or you can get a home HOME touch remote and hub for around 150.00. They also have bluetooth which i needed to run Apple TV and Fire tv’s.

#12

Hi,

I did this little write up on how you can use the keen IR in combination with the Harmony remote [url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,38849.0.html]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,38849.0.html[/url]. You can use the Keen with any remote btw, but if you do have the Harmony it is a way to control lights or other devices independent of the current activity selection.

Cheers Rene

#13

I have just put into play a Harmony Elite and Hub. I’m no wondering if the Hub Extender is really necessary as I cannot use the light buttons on the Elite remote to control the lights but I can use scenes to do so and I can use Alexa to verbally do so. If I want to quietly do it outside the scene I have to grab my phone and wait to load the app then find the light then turn it on or dim it or whatever. Can this be incorporated into the remote otherwise without using the Hub Extender?

Thanks.

#14

[quote=“Sammy2, post:13, topic:193249”]I have just put into play a Harmony Elite and Hub. I’m no wondering if the Hub Extender is really necessary as I cannot use the light buttons on the Elite remote to control the lights but I can use scenes to do so and I can use Alexa to verbally do so. If I want to quietly do it outside the scene I have to grab my phone and wait to load the app then find the light then turn it on or dim it or whatever. Can this be incorporated into the remote otherwise without using the Hub Extender?

Thanks.[/quote]

To use the light/outlet buttons on the remote you need to either use the harmony hub extender or use the free java software found here.

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,31920.2310.html

The java software needs to run 24/7 on something like a PI or computer or such. That’s a huge thread now but the details are there.

#15

[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:14, topic:193249”][quote=“Sammy2, post:13, topic:193249”]I have just put into play a Harmony Elite and Hub. I’m no wondering if the Hub Extender is really necessary as I cannot use the light buttons on the Elite remote to control the lights but I can use scenes to do so and I can use Alexa to verbally do so. If I want to quietly do it outside the scene I have to grab my phone and wait to load the app then find the light then turn it on or dim it or whatever. Can this be incorporated into the remote otherwise without using the Hub Extender?

Thanks.[/quote]

To use the light/outlet buttons on the remote you need to either use the harmony hub extender or use the free java software found here.

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,31920.2310.html

The java software needs to run 24/7 on something like a PI or computer or such. That’s a huge thread now but the details are there.[/quote]

So is that the HA Bridge I’ve been seeing discussed lately? It works with Alexa and Harmony? Hmm…

Either way I found a like new Hub Extender on Ebay for under $70 so I guess I’m going that route.

Eventually I’ll check into the HA Bridge (in my free time)…