Just picked up a broadlink IR mini and got it all up and running and working really well for a mini split ac system. I was trying to test the mini with a small remote for my sons ceiling light and the mini will not pick up the ir signal for anything. I contacted the manufacture of the ceiling light to confirm it is IR based and it is but still for some reason I cant get the mini to learn the IR codes. Any idea what might be going on? I thought about picking up the broadlink pro just to see if I had better results but figured I would check here first.
I added the device to my network through the broadlink app but did not put it in the broadlink cloud.
I then set a static ip for the device on my network. I then configured the device according to the home assistant integration instructions. Everything worked great the device was found and configured and I have the broadlink services available for broadlink.learn and broadlink.send.
I used the learn service to put the device in learn mode and find all my calls for the mini split ac systems remote.
Using those calls in the send service I have set up automations and everything works perfectly.
When I put the system into learn mode and use the ir remote for the ceiling light nothing happens and after a few seconds I get a notification that “no signal was received”.
That’s what I followed and like I said it worked great for one controller just not the other. For some reason it can’t find the signal of the other controller. Just want to know is there something I’m missing like a particular frequency range the broadlink can’t recognize or would trying out the pro be with while?
That was my first thought was perhaps its not an IR remote. I did write the manufacturer to check and they said it was IR but I guess its possible it is not. Other then IR or RF is there anything else it could be?
Pick your phone, open the camera app, point the remote to the camera and press any button, you’ll see if it’s IR on the camera(old trick to find if the batteries in the remote are still working )
I honestly think this little remote is not IR based. It has a small red led on top but not the usual IR type bulb on it. When I test with the camera I don’t see any indication of IR other then the little red led on it blinking like normal. Also it doesn’t seem to be line of site based if I go into another room the remote seems to work so I suspect the manufacturer just didn’t give me the correct info. Since line of site seems to not be an issue I am thinking this thing is RF based but it’s kind of surprising to me that they would make this little rinky dink remote RF based.
Got ya so seems like trying an RF unit might be worth it. Looks like two choices here either the Broadlink Pro or the Sonoff RF bridge. This should be the only device I am controlling in my sons room with RF and the Broadlink Pro 1) is a bit overkill and 2) from reviews quite the pain in the butt to set up for rf. Does anyone have experience with the Sonoff RF bridge? Or should I just stick with trying the Broadlink Pro?
There is a third option.
To emulate the button press with a 8266 with esphome.
If you open the remote and wire the 8266 to the contacts of the remote then you can use ESPHome integration to control the remote, which then controls whatever it controls.
But I wouldn’t go that route if you don’t have another or can buy another remote.
I own a mini myself but don’t know this model of fan, but there might even be a 4th option.
Does this unit perhaps have an IR receiver?
My Apple TV e.g. uses a Bluetooth remote, but they retained the IR receiver on the unit. If it does, you could always find the IR codes on the web and still send it using the mini.
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