I found the IR emitters to be very weak. My Harmony could blast IR all over the place.
The dock or the Ir extenders need to be very close to devices to perform commands.
Is it the same for you ?
Thx
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I seem to have somewhat same experience. I had the Neeo remote before UCR2, and placing the dock the same place caused IR issues. Seemed like the Neeo blasted IR’s better.
I too am having issues with the weak IR like Romain & Abj1989.
I have just retired my too NEEO remotes and from the same location as the NEEO base cannot get any of the IR signals to activate devices.
My question is it possible to make my own IR blaster array using one of the output ports to send out IR signal ?. The jack connector is simple two wire IR emitter diode. I was thinking of making a PCB with set of high power IR diodes and MOSFET to place next to the base to increase range. What is the spec for the IR diodes used in the extender package ?
I have the base unit on a bedside table and the TV, PC other side of the room, about 3 mtrs and it does not work.
All the other functions for Homeassistant is working well and its a shame the IR not working very well at a distance.
I have just opened my NEEO base and it has 8 IR LEDs driven by MOSFETS at high power. 4 on the top and 4 in the base. I too cannot get this to work with the UCR2.
I can confirm that IR issue compared to Logitech.
Moreover:
If you train custom buttons then you can assign the IR output in the dock. But nevertheless which output you configure, the blast is always dock buttom front. Not more & not less.
I try to lower down my projector screen. I also use and ir eye on the screen side to cover more space as a workaround but the dock has to be REALLY point 1:1 to trigger an action.
Edit: I checked the software road for R2:
- Send IR codes from internal IR emitter in the remote
- Learn IR codes with the remote in addition to the dock
So maybe this whole IR topic is ongoing, enabling the internal emitter should also cover way more usecases.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights regarding the IR functionality. We are actively working to optimize the user experience and to provide solutions that meet your needs.
Our Smart Charging Dock is equipped with a total of 9 IR LEDs, designed to cover a typical range of up to 6 meters. However you might find that adjusting the orientation of the docking station could enhance the IR signal reception.
We are also in the process of enabling the use of the internal IR LED in the remote itself, which will be available in the near future, to extend the range and improve functionality. Please be aware that a direct line of sight is required for optimal performance.
We use a 68 Ohm resistor on the ground side. Please note, altering the resistor constitutes a hardware modification, that is not recommended.
For more details on connecting an IR extender LED to the 3.5mm audio jack, please refer to our support article: 3.5 mm Jack Pinout
We greatly value your feedback and encourage you to continue sharing your experiences and concerns, as it helps us in our ongoing efforts to enhance our products.
Best Regards,
Lutz
Hi Lutz,
thank you for your time spending on a Sunday evening.
As I described above, for custom buttons (and remotes) it doesn’t matter what is configured in the web configurator. In my setup this blast is always going through the dock front buttom (also with the IR extender attached and configured to the dock). If I use a „generalized“ remote from the web configurator for my EPSON Proj. for example, you can’t set the blast for each button but also the blast is using all IR (include IR Extender) are available.
Thanks for making Remote 2 just more awesome!
Hi @D2B
I’ve created an issue for this: [bug] Custom remote IR codes always go to dock bottom · Issue #99 · unfoldedcircle/feature-and-bug-tracker · GitHub so we can track it.
I hope I described it correctly, otherwise feel free to add additional info or context.
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I have also noticed that the IR diodes are very weak. I currently use a Harmony Hub that is at the same height as the devices I want to control and it works. With the dock, I can move a maximum of 3-4 m in direct line of sight from the device to be controlled to get an adequate hit rate. However, this is not a feasible solution for me.
With reference to the instructions or this support article, the thing about “must be in direct line of sight” is also not apparent.
Regarding the built-in IR diodes, where is the upper one(s) located?
The upper IR diode is located in the recess where the remote control is inserted. So it cannot be used when the remote control is charging.
Same problem for me. I´m also using a Harmony Hub without any problems for my IR devices. And I also have a Sofabaton X1 hub without any IR transmission problems.
So, it´s very disappointing that the RM2 dock is so extremly weak for IR transmission and I really hope to find a usable solution for that. Otherwise RM2 will be nearly useless for my system setting.
What about possible high effective IR blasters (similar to the IR blasters in the Harmony Hub) which can be connect via cable to the dock IR jack connectors?
It is absolutely frustrating how weak the built-in IR diodes are and also the signal that goes via the jack plug is far too weak. How did you test this? Was the test setup in a broom closet? Sorry, but I have to let out my frustration right now. How can it be that nine diodes are weaker than the original remote at the same distance. So the dock is just an overpriced charging cradle. And it can’t be the point of the dock to be as close as possible to the devices, but I would like to have it where I would also put my remote control and that is certainly not by the devices to be controlled. The fact that the diode in the remote control can be used at some point doesn’t solve the problem either, because I want to use the dock as a replacement for a Harmony Hub, for example.
I am afraid we need a fix for the dock IR weakness. Not only the signal is weak, but it also seems to be noised.
I tested with an IRTrans receiver which logs IR commands received and decoded.
- When sending Microsoft MCE commands from my Neeo, my old Nevo S70 or another IRTrans device, they are perfectly decoded, even at 7-8 m from the receiver.
- When sending the same command from the YIO2, placing the dock at 1 m in front of the receiver, I just get messy reception and decoding. Sometimes I get the expected command twice, sometimes I get uninterpreted IR sequences, sometimes I get the expected command + uninterpreted IR noise… but I never receive the clean expected command.
This makes the YIO2 remote totally useless at this point.
If IR is not usable, we need a way to “transmit” the commands from the remote (and the events such as navigation) over IP (MQTT sending JSON messages would be a must) so we can interface with our working IRTrans devices, USB-UIRT, Neeo brain or any home automation system that will forward these commands to alternative but working IR emitters.
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I can’t confirm the mentioned IR issue with my dock. I have no problems reaching devices in a 3m radius. The signal is also strong enough to reach devices around edges via reflexion.
So maybe some docks just have faulty ir diodes?
In my case the dock works properly - but there is no signal from the remote going out. as well i can‘t change output device to „remote“ in the configuration page (Panasonic bluray).
Also the IR manual learning doesn‘t work…
I currently have a Hamony Hub, which is at the same height (i.e. in line, i.e. there is no direct line of sight) as the devices to be controlled and everything works.
The dock is in direct line of sight about 4-5 m away and nothing works.
Order:
Normal remote control
Dock (upside down, otherwise it would be even harder to see the LED)
Harmony Hub
Can confirm that. I have the same issue. What I didn’t actually test is if there is an difference between Pronto or Hex code sending?
Also started a few days ago to really work with the remote and I cannot get IR to work at all. The devices are below 1.5 meters away, direct line of sight and the devices do not respond.
No problem w/ Logitech Harmony, Sofabaton X1 or Sofabaton X1s :-(.
Is there any solution to improve the signal strenght yet?
Use Home Assistant or buy/ build your own IR blaster.