Just discovered there’s such a thing as Universal Wi-Fi IR Remote Controls to control Air Conditioning units via an iPhone app.
This gadget is something I would definitely consider buying. The particular one that alerted me to this was a YouTube tutorial on the Sensibo brand but was wondering if anyone might have any other recommendations or suggestions on cheaper versions.
TIA
https://www.mirabellagenio.com.au/product-range/mirabella-ge… is another one.
I use the Mirabella Genio brand for my entire house.
Kmart has this for around $30.
Thanks guys 😊
I used to use a galaxy s4 around 10 years ago. It was cool having an ir blaster and a feature that Samsung should have kept.
Broadlink. Have both the RM4 Pro and the RM4 minis at my place - works great. Learning codes and using the appliances through the Broadlink App is very simple. App does take a minute to load the devices, but once loaded everything is pretty snappy. Have used the RM4s (IR only) with tower fans & A/C units, and the RM4 Pro (IR+RF) with a ceiling fan & light (RF) and A/C unit (IR).
For those interested, can easily be used with Home Assistant. I've used SmartIR to configure it all relatively easily. Have had issues with the RF side of things but, which I still need to look further into.
I can vouch for Broadlink.
They are very dependable. Don't let the low price and free App trick you into thinking it's not good. There is a bit of a learning curve for using the App, but didn't take me long to figure it out.
Over 2.5+ years, there was only 1 day that there was an outage and some of my things didn't turn on as scheduled. And reading the self help forums there were people saying how unusual it was because they had been using theirs for 7 years without an outage. The issue was fixed within 24 hours and it was all up and running again.
Broadlink products are very well made. Just set and forget basically. In my setup they even keep working after internet outages and Router resets. In my experience and a lot of others they are extremely dependable.
PS there are some appliances which seem to not like you using a third party remote instead of you buying their factory replacement remotes. One example is my moms Samsung Airconditioner. The only issue it has is sometimes one "power on" command is not enough. It makes a beeping sound confirming the signal was received, but doesn't turn on. Weird.
The solution is simple though, you can either create a Virtual button with the "power on" command twice with 800ms to 1000ms delay in between. Or if you set up an automated command, do the same thing and program 2x "power on" commands just to make sure it turns on.
You can do this with "power off" as well if you like for peace of mind (energy savings etc). But in my experience everything else works perfectly fine.
Also the Pro version has IR and RF signal transmitters (but no rolling code for garage doors etc), while the Mini only has IR.
Sounds good 👍
Thanks guys. I've also been looking at this.
I think I'm going to try out this Antsig since I'm already well embedded in the Grid Connect ecosystem.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/antsig-grid-connect-smart-ir-uni…
Reports that it can't easily cope with Fujitsu ACs, but that's not a problem I'll need to worry about.
USB-power only is also not ideal, but I can swap out the powerboard for one with USB slots to make that work.
I was thinking the same. I have a few Grid Connect things already and am thinking I will try the Antsig. I only want it to do a few basic things in my lounge room and it looks like it might do the job.
Would you mind reporting back here when you get it it please? I would be interested in your thoughts.
I took the plunge. The unit itself is powerful enough, it's behind piles of laundry and a couple of boxes and still activating the AC (which is largely what I got it for).
The app itself, however, is a buggy mess. Trying to connect to the IR unit, as well as any specific settings for individual items, results in an extended cycling animation for a minute or more before the buttons appear. It's almost unusable without a lot of patience.
I'll likely persevere a bit longer, since I'm committed now, and see if things stick and settle down, but given the drama to even get it even this far I can't recommend.
Thank you for your reply.. That's a shame as I was hoping it would be a simple affair and not having to install yet another app.
The other two I was considering was the Broadlink RM4 and the Mirabella Genio, both recommended above and both of which seem to get good reviews.
Now that I think of it, setting up light bulbs was pretty annoying with the Grid Connect app. Maybe one of the others is a better choice then.
Again, thanks for your reply.
As someone who is looking for the same thing, I have some questions that might help OP and I if anyone has the answer?
So, apparently with the sensibo range (not sure if all or just one), they also have some way to know if a button on the manual remote has been pressed (as long as the button press is within line of sight of the sensib), so if you update the temperature or power from the normal remote, the sensibo will update accordingly. I haven't seen confirmation of this, so I could be wrong, but does the broadlink have any ability to sync from manual button presses?
We were looking at getting a broadlink but couldn't confirm it'd work with our fan (dc, so uses rf and not all rf frequencies are handled apparently) or if the ac would lose its sync status when the manual remote is used. Of course, I could be wrong on both accounts, so if someone can confirm that'd be great!
Ymmv but the broadlink brand universal rf to wifi controllers used to get posted here often
Mirabella Genio does one similar if if you’re in Genio ecosystem