I just got some LED candles that are controlled by a small IR remote. I’ve done an IR project with ESPHome in the past with my tv/audio system and figured I’d do the same with these. Got the codes and have them working, however the range is VERY short (about a meter/yard) with the transmitter I have (the other project I did had me literally putting them on top of the IR receiver, so range was of no importance). Here’s a link of what I’m currently using: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YK39N85/
The remote easily does multiples of this, which is the range I was hoping for (if not a tad better). I have several of my current IR transmitters so I put some in parallel and maybe got a few inches of extra range.
Curious if anyone has a IR transmitter (preferably a raw device that I can just use with ESPHome but also open to a standalone device if it’s compatible with HA and inexpensive) they’ve had really good luck with for longer range? I know the IR receiver that came in the same pack ended up being garbage and I had to replace it with a better one, so I’m suspecting the transmitters may also be of poor quality. Really hoping to be able to control the candles from a transmitter located across the room. Thanks in advance!
use your phone camera and check the remote vs your tv remote … a led will show a blue light via your digital cam.
Also maybe the product recieving end might be to far back in its case … messing up the recieving end. maybe you can open up the case and test ?
and for esphome … do a search ? got some great hits…
I feel like you misread my post? What I have works, it’s just the range is less than I need and what the remote can do. Not sure what looking at the visual intensity difference between the two on my phone will do?
I’ve already done an IR project in ESPHome before and already have this one working, just getting poor range for my needs. Looking for an IR LED someone has used and gotten really good range with. I couldn’t find any posts with this specific need when I did a search before.
You’d have to do some probing or testing to be sure, but I suspect those discount transmitter boards may be relying on GPIO pin’s 3.3 volts for the IR LED and not actually using the 5v VCC at all. That would lead to a very dim LED and very poor range.
It is the candles that is made that way.
They have done it so the remote will only turn on one candle, because they all often use the same signal code and they think it reminds of the way you have to light an old/real candle.
@brooksben11 I have also done a IR project, (designed custom HW with IR remote) started with a TV remote to build a recieving thing, when that worked build a custom remote. way back when soldering your modem/HIFI system was a thing.
I advise to do KISS approch first, surely you have tried to aim the tv remote any direction and where “supprised” the tv still reacts, right ? verifying the led on the remote with a cam in dim light conditions while standing several meters / yards away will confirm your assumtion. the reciever might be unable to recieve beause of poor design… not saying you are wrong just confirming your thoughts might be wise before heading to your intended solution.
also (de)soldering a new reciever/transmitter is easier than all other options
I’ve seen a number of positive comments about these around the forum.
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But the issue isn’t on the receiver end of things; it works just fine with the cheap coin cell powered remote that came with them. Because they are candles, the receiver is imbedded inside without a ‘window’ as is common on electronics and appears to just be relying on the entire candle getting ‘lit up’ by the IR signal for it to register it.
As above, because they are candles, modifying the receiver isn’t really an option. It’s certainly not something I’m open to as it would ruin the aesthetic and probably damage the cheap plastic housing in the process, since they aren’t designed to be opened up.
I’m familiar with RAW codes but would prefer to avoid, and honestly I don’t think it’s likely to make any difference. The standard codes (I think it’s NEC) I deciphered and setup are working perfectly, just with limited range. The actual codes are sequential through the various buttons, which in my mind makes it even more likely they are the ‘actual’ codes the remote is sending.
I was hoping to just get a ‘sensor’ and use my own ESP but that could also work. I was also kind of hoping for an Amazon purchase so I could get it sooner (got the candles mainly for the holidays). I may go this route if I don’t have any other luck in the next week or so.
LEDs are current devices. The voltage is not as important if the power supply can deliver the current. If the voltage is greater than the forward voltage (Vf), the LED will start conducting and emit light. The current directly affects the brightness of the LED. As the current increases, the brightness of the LED increases. A 20mA LED driven at 5V with a 250-Ohm current limiting resistor will be the same brightness as the same LED driven by 12V and a 600-Ohm current limiting resistor. 20mA.
The only way to increase the range off your emitter is to increase the illumination. You can do this a few ways.
More LEDs. Drive them in parallel. If your power source can handle the current, this will increase your illumination.
More current. The forward current limit (Ifwd) is the constant current limit. This is the current that you can’t exceed if the LED is on full time. But, look for a specification of the Peak Pulse Current. It is usually 10X Ifwd. So the series resistor for an LED with an iFwd of 20mA should be calculated for the Peak Pulse Current or 10X 20mA, whichever is higher.
IR Repeaters that increase the range of an IR remote use several IR LEDs to flood a room with light.
Sadly not.
I have a few of such candles too and they had actually written on the package that they should be turned on like an real candle with a lighter, as if it was something special.
And I have three sets of three candles each, so nine in all, and they all nine have the same turn on and off signal.
I tried that with the ones I have and saw essentially no change in distance/performance.
That’s exactly why I got them instead of just the individual sensors; however the receivers had terrible range as well so I suspect the transmitter may also be a tad deficient. The problem is they all basically look the same and I don’t feel like buying what looks like more of the same.
That’s very intriguing… While I love having full-control via ESPHome, that price is very reasonable (and it’s currently on-sale too). I might just grab one and see if it works; worst case I can return it. Thanks!
Oh. That’s definitely not the case with mine. They all use the same signals/remote and I can turn them all on simultaneously from across the room with the provided remote. I’m just wanting to emulate this via HA.
Then, hack the remote. Also, I have two of the Broadlink Minis and they work fine. It’s a bit convoluted to record the IR commands, but it works well after that.
That was my third ‘option’, but I’ve been trying to avoid going down that rabbit hole. Having done IR projects before, I figured ‘this will take less than an hour at most’ and was all I was initially interested in putting into it, but as these things always go…
I grabbed one of the Broadlink devices for $20 and it should come in a few days so hopefully it will work. Honestly, I’d be spending half that making my own and I’m guessing it will do a better job of lighting up the whole room than anything I would have made.
That’s been my assumption from the beginning, it’s just they all look the same and I didn’t feel like buying more of the same in the hopes that they work better. My last project when I had issues with the receiver, someone had a specific one they had good luck with so I bought it and it solved all my issues.
