I’m interested in adding an IR and possibly RF blaster device to my home assistant setup. I know there are devices such as the Broadlink RM Pro+ that can do this function, however, one of my design goals is that all my automation and devices are self contained within the local network and do not rely on any external services. With that in mind, I was not able to find a custom firmware for the broadlink RM Pro+ that could bridge this gap.
Do you have any suggestions for devices that can do these functions as I require ? My target is to be able to automate the powering and control of TV, 5.1 surround sound amplifier and ACs to start with.
Check the Broadlink RM mini for IR (Original Firmware, but driven by HA only), and the Sonoff RF-Bridge (with Tasmota) for RF. There are some good video-guides at YouTube from Dr. Zzs about the setup. The Broadlink RM Pro+ is, so far as I know, a nightmare to setup and use without the official App and the Cloud.
What’s your feedback on homemade devices for this purpose ? I see that there are some guides to build your own using a nodemcu and IR diodes but im not sure of their effectiveness.