Adding Hubitat control to an RF device (Cellular Shades)

I have a few "Dumb' Motorised blinds around the house that I would love to find a solution for.

The blinds are battery operated and work via an RF remote.

The remote
Hunter Douglas Window Fashions* IF/RF Remote Control kit RC4U2
Looks like it transmits at 2.433 - 2.471 ghz

User Manual

If you can get access to the wires, a dry contact relay might be able to get you what is needed to control them. Zooz makes one which has 3 outputs

Perhaps a bit overkill but it’d get you there

I have a couple of extra remotes and would love to give it a try if anyone is interested in assisting...I'm a complete Noob but am game to learn for sure.

I have a couple of curtains that use RF remotes and do this through a Broadlink RM4 as it can control IR and a lot of RF devices. Do be aware that just because they use RF that a device like a broadlink may not support the protocol that runs over it. I've run into that before, so there's a possibility it might not work. There are a couple of Broadlink to Hubitat options available on these forums.

A fun project was a window opener I have uses encoded IR, which is a pain as the Broadlink cannot help. With that I've opened up the remote and use a Raspberry Pi Zero with a dry relay hat that shorts the switches in the remote. Shows anything is possible.

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I think the frequency maybe incorrect, RF is typically 345 or 415 IIRC?
If so the broadlink rm pro can work.

EDIT-I was WRONG. Holy cow, I've never seen a home RF device use that frequency,so it's some kind of Wifi, likely a proprietary band maybe? There are some radio engineers on here, so I'll stop blabbering

Ya...its been a head scratcher to me for sure.

When I first started researching I was super surprised that a solution did not readily exist.

I've seen the Broadlink and also the Bond hubs...Neither unfortunately support this freq.

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This is the kind of thing I've done, but used a relay hat instead (should have gone the transistor route):


Absolutely fascinating...

I also have a "Ticket" going with the folks at Zooz to see if they might have a solution that we can test.

Not sure, but I believe Bond Home has the capability of controlling RF shades. I'll know for sure soon, as I have some of the new RF shades on order from Lowes (Allen & Roth brand)

As mentioned.. check out the bond hub. It allows control of RF. I use it to control my fireplace.

Bond is great but unfortunately cannot handle this frequency...

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I THINK I'm tagging the right guy, who was an RF guy, he may know more...
@672southmain

Nope. I took the electrostatics (6.03) and electrodynamics (6.04) undergrad courses over 50 years ago at M.I.T., and the Receivers, Antennas, and Signals course (6.661 ?) when I got my Masters degree, but no RF experience. Designed computers, analog & digital instrumentation, Unix device drivers & OS internals, and a 4.2BSD port, until I changed careers 30 years ago, but no RF design. Sorry.

@Rxich thanks for trying.

@672southmain wow…just wow

That’s a whole lot of knowledge you have amassed over the years.

And forgotten. Wait until you are in your seventies.

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Wait, as far as I know, antenna = RF, close enough :crazy_face:

Yeah, but you have to have real experience to do RF, not just take the course. RF is magic.

@jeffjangell did you find a solution for your higher frequency RF remote? I am going down the same rabbit hole currently. Considering just wiring in the Zooz relay to either the remote or receiving box. Leaning towards remote (or perhaps just buying another one in case the soldering goes south...). Would love any insight or pitfalls to avoid that you could share. muchos gracias

Reviving this thread in the hopes that some time has passed and somebody with a lot more skill than I have has solved this.

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