So, I just bought a really cheap set of LED lights with an RF remote control. There were no specifications on the box, but I reckoned there was a very good chance the remote frequency would be 433MHz, so I took the set home hoping to have some new stuff to automate.
But it doesn’t work on 433MHz. I screwed the remote open and found a 13.560MHz transmitter. I had never heard of this frequency before, but apparently it’s not uncommon.
Anyway, my question is: What kind of device would I need to have HASSIO send out 13.560MHz signals so I can control these lights? I have an RFXCom, but it doesn’t react to this frequency at all.
13.560 MHz is an ISM band (Industrial, Scientific and Medical), but it is used for things like the rapid drying of glued joints and plywood, controlled surface hardening of metals and curing of rubber and plastics. While it’s legal to use for RF Remote Control, it’s certainly odd. On the other hand, you would see more range at 13.560 MHz than 433 MHz.
To be legal to use in the U.S., all ISM devices need to display an FCC ID Number, like this:
Of course, homebuilt devices won’t be FCC certified and receive an FCC ID number. You will normally only get in trouble if your device either causes interference to other users, or if you try to sell it as a product.
The FCC ID number is pretty interesting because it links to public documents that the manufacturer submits to the FCC to get the certification to sell the device in the U.S. This includes the contact information for the manufacturer, and sometimes (OK, rarely) the schematic. (FCC ID Search)
But, I’ve never seen any RF Remotes that operate on 13.560 MHz.
Why are you sure it’s a 13.560MHz device? The 32nd harmonic of a 13.560MHz crystal is 433.920MHz, right in the middle of the 433 MHz ISM band.
Thanks for your elaborate response. The only useful number anywhere on the devices is NDF-5137. In Google, this yields little useful result. I screwed the remote open and found the transmitter thingy (I’m not really into electronics, but I know what those look like) and the only thing on there is ‘13.560’. A Google search later, this led me to conclude that this is its frequency.
The lights are also slow to react to a button push, compared to 433MHz devices.
I checked the ‘manual’ for you, but no FCC number. It only states that it conforms to EU directive 2014/53/UE. Maybe that helps.
[Edit:] Don’t bother looking up that directive. It’s useless.
[Edit no. 2:] D’oh. It seems I’m even less electronically savvy than I thought. The ‘transmitter thingy’ I mentioned is actually a oscillator crystal thingy. So the device probably transmits at some multiple of that frequency. Perhaps even 433 MHz. I’m going to use a friend’s SDR to find out on what frequency it’s broadcasting.
