Suggestions for a network enabled IR remote with port for wired IR emitter?

đź’¬ Lounge
#1

Any suggestions for a network enabled IR remote device that includes a port for a wired IR blaster/emitter?

I see some people using the Broadlink RM Pro, but it doesn’t appear to have a female 2.5 or 3.5mm jack into which a wired emitter can be plugged.

I need to control an outdoor RGB flood light that can be controlled via an IR remote. Since it’s an outdoor application, I don’t want to expose a Wi-Fi enabled IR remote to the elements. Ideally, the remote would be in a weatherproof enclosure and I’d run a single emitter from the remote through a weatherproof port to the IR sensor of the flood light.

UPDATE: Based on reviewing all of the feedback below, fleshing out the design of my remote location, and doing some further research, it looks like my best option is to go with a PoE enabled IR blaster. For example:

https://a.co/d/gpMbUii

There’s also Hubitat support for it:

I could also build one using a system on a chip board such as an ESP32-POE, but time is money.

Here’s a drawing of the latest design. Since I’m going to have a weatherproof enclosure anyway, I like the notion of using PoE to power the WiFi mesh device, the security camera, and the IR blaster.

There are a lot of options for WiFi enabled IR blasters, but I don’t really need to have yet another WiFi device in my solution in addition to the PoE powered WiFi mesh device. I also made a decision to go with a PoE enabled security camera instead of WiFi so that I would have more camera options.

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1 Like
#2

My curiosity-Googling brought up these result (among others), which I never knew existed:

Sounds cool in concept, but of course I cannot recommend one way or the other.

#3

Yeah, it’s easy to find Wi-Fi-based IR remotes.

However, I’m looking for one that has a port that would accept a wired IR emitter. I didn’t see any reference to such a port on either of those examples.

BTW, with the advent of reliable HDMI-CEC, I had long since abandoned caring about IR repeaters and the like, Unfortunately, this specialized LED RGB flood light has only an IR remote.

2 Likes
#4

The closest thing I can find (with a 3.5mm jack on the emitter) is this apparatus on Amazon.

However, reading the reviews leaves me questioning whether it suits your purpose (sorry).

#5

Remotec ZXT 310 might work

#6

Used logitech harmony one plus.with hub.

#7

There are those battery radio ir signal extenders. I had one years ago that acted as a ir remote signal extender and video signal extender over radio.. Worked surprisingly well to provide signal to a TV in a room without an aerial.

If you use the Broadlink & a radio extender remote in the enclosure you mention that should work.. And from memory the batteries last quite a while..

You might have to search to find one though.

#8

Thanks for the tip. The good news is that it’s wireless and has 3.5mm ports for IR emitter extender cables.

I’m not sure that my z-wave signal will reach the location of the flood light, Additionally, the signal would be affected by having the ZXT in a weather proof project box, But I’ll have a similar challenge with the Wi-Fi enabled remote IR extenders.

Most of the product photos of the ZXT on the web don’t clearly represent the 3.5mm ports, but I found this one that shows the ports and explicitly calls out the 3.5mm ports for emitter cables:

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#9

I have one of these and a zxt-600 and can confirm they have the external emitter ports. A plastic weather box should not be an issue for it. I would add a beaming repeater though if you feel your z-wave signal may be weak. Maybe 2. I recommend the Ring v2 extenders. They work very very well.

#10

Nice! Wi-Fi enabled with an IR blaster port. Looks like learning commands is straightforward too.

Harmony Hub

Looks like I would need only the Harmony Hub rather than the combo of the Harmony remote and hub,

I’ll still have the challenge of Wi-Fi signal through the project box enclosure, but maybe I can hack the internals to accept an external antenna. I Might be able to replace the internal antenna with a U.FL connector like I did recently on my Hubitat C-7.

For ~$30USD used, I’m going to give it a go.

Harmony Pro 2400 Hub?

Feature wise, the Harmony Pro 2400 Hub might be an even better solution for my application. It also has an SMA connector that can accept an external antenna. However, I was not able to find used examples at a price point I’d be willing to accept. New units are advertised ~$700USD. Plus, given the pro installer only aspect, it’s not clear to me that I’d have custom IR code programming access.

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#11

Thanks for the follow up. Do you think that the ZXT-600 would be a better choice for my application than the ZXT-310?

For example:

  • Is the 310 only z-wave and not z-wave plus? 600 is clearly z-wave plus.
  • Does the 600 support programming multiple custom IR commands?

I don’t need the AC-oriented commands. Rather, I’d need to have the device learn/support a series of custom commands for on, off, different RGB settings, brightness, etc.

#12

ZXT could be programmed on a ir to ir basis but that would be tedious. The ZXT-600 is mainly made for Air conditioners. I did program a couple of additional codes using my remote but it was a pain.

#13

Anyone happen to know the type of connector highlighted in yellow on the middle right side of the image below?

On the Harmony Hub Ifixit tear down, this connector is on the opposite side of the built in WiFi antenna. As such, I’m wondering if using this connector would be an easy means to add an external antenna.

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#14

If you use a metal box and wire it as the z-wave emitter, like a reverse Faraday cage? That'd give you a nice powerful signal..

#15

It looks like a u.fl connector. "IF" it is, this would work for you...

https://www.amazon.com/Antenna-Pigtail-Wireless-Routers-Repeater/dp/B07R21LN5P/ref=sxin_14?asc_contentid=amzn1.osa.00c35932-9a4b-4e2a-af56-04814cfb604c.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&asc_contenttype=article&ascsubtag=amzn1.osa.00c35932-9a4b-4e2a-af56-04814cfb604c.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&content-id=amzn1.sym.2501e731-e00e-46aa-97f8-28a8de3ef511%3Aamzn1.sym.2501e731-e00e-46aa-97f8-28a8de3ef511&creativeASIN=B07R21LN5P&crid=1HFRV7JCKRRT5&cv_ct_cx=wifi+antenna&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osa.00c35932-9a4b-4e2a-af56-04814cfb604c.ATVPDKIKX0DER.en_US&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_we=asin&cv_ct_wn=osp-single-source-pecos-desktop&keywords=wifi+antenna&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B07R21LN5P&pd_rd_r=fbbf034e-e56b-425b-b498-dfb70ab173f7&pd_rd_w=AwCfA&pd_rd_wg=8lMSU&pf_rd_p=2501e731-e00e-46aa-97f8-28a8de3ef511&pf_rd_r=2ZM8VDSN4RN68H9797EH&qid=1674420736&sprefix=wifi+antenna%2Caps%2C90&sr=1-2-c26ac7f6-b43f-4741-a772-17cad7536576&tag=digitaltren0b-20

#16

A bit pricey, but since I’ll already have an Ethernet PoE switch in the enclosure, this product looks interesting. I suspect that it provides a simple web API that could be driven from the Hubitat. I have not yet looked for a driver.

The non-PoE version is $99 USD.

https://a.co/d/gpMbUii

Download the Hubitat app