Hello,

I am looking to use my beo 5/6 to open my velux skylight. It works not with Ir but with RF signals. (curtains work with a different remote)

I have contacted Lutron and there is an interface with " dry contacts" but with the interface from Velux it will set me back around eur 600.

Anyone got another sollution?

Thanks Chucky

Hi Chucky

I have just bought one of these (B&O Version).

It says it works with RF blinds so may work with the Velux RF (which is quite likely to be made by someone like Somfy as thay make most RF blind/window controls). However, the guys at JB Media were extremely helpful and answered my query emails really quickly so you may want to email them with what setup you have and see what they can suggest.

I plan to use mine to control all my lights, power sockets, blinds and curtains, as I have HomeEasy and Somfy stuff round the place. Currently I use a Philips Pronto Remote to control my lights etc but wanted B&O compatible as I have a Beo5 and 3 Beo4's that are begging to be used for Home Automation Control!.

The model that arrived from JB Media is a newer version than that shown on their site and is tiny, about 2/3rds the size of a credit card and as thick as your thumb. It arrived yesterday and has been wrapped by my partner as a Christmas Present, so haven't tried it yet. I can't wait! I've been told I cannot spend all Xmas day & Boxing day playing so roll on Tuesday!! It will sit on the side almost out of sight. One of the advantages of it is that it will work from a button press on the B&O remote, or while you are away it will work off an inbuilt timer all fully programmble on the PC then disconected and placed where you want!!

Another advantage is that once you have the controller, at a fairly reasonable price, the plug in RF sockets etc are easily avaiable and not expensive!

Hope that information is of some use to you

Stoobie

PS. I am nothing to do with JB Media but you may get a pop-up on their site about Java or something! it seems to be becuse they have a christmas snow scene on each page wich runs an older version of Java than on my PC, you may not get the same issue.

I think it will work, keep me posted. It will save me a lot of hastle and I wil have another scene available on my Lutron GFX Integrale (Only 4)

How big is the box?

 

Thanks a Lot, happy hollidays!

 

Chucky

 

chucky:

How big is the box?

About 2/3rds the size of a credit card & as thick as your thumb! I'll measure when i open it and let you know.

Stoobie

Then you can put it anywhere as long as there is a socket, brilliant.

 

Tx

chucky:

Then you can put it anywhere as long as there is a socket, brilliant.

 

Tx

It is powered by a wall plug that is USB to  Mini USB so if the socket is too far you can put a longer USB cable. It is very small and neat.

chucky:

How big is the box?

I have measured it and it is 6cm X 6.25cm X 2cm  ( 6cm front to back - 6.25cm wide & 2cm deep) the wall plug/transformer is a euro 100v/240v to 5v 200mA output via a standard USB port with a 1m USB to mini USB cable (so if you need to put a longer cable it will be simple)

Despite being told I couldn't play with it over Christmas and Boxing Day but any time after that, family are descending on us tomorrow for a few days so I'm foiled again in being allowed to spend too much time plaing with "that little black box".

If only my partner realised how much this would enhance his life, my life and all those who use the Home Automation in the house! It's funny because I can spend hours making things all work in sync and at the press of 1 button and all you get is "Oh, you've been messing around for ages! What have you been up to? Please turn on the TV and lights!".

I press the 1 button, the blinds close, lights dim, TV comes on and the link system fires up and......no reaction from him. But I know it IS worth it!!!!!

Stoobie

Oh, I know. Just spend a complete saturday putting the camerasystem on the iphone and Ipad. I can acces the system anywhere in the world. Does it finally work is all I got;)

Still it makes our lives easier and It is so much fun! where did you get the RF codes for the blinds?

Happy hollidays to you and your family!

Chucky

Thanks for the good wishes Chucky

Getting the RF codes for the blinds was more luck than judgement. And as yet they only work on my old remote.

I have been experimenting with a Marantz RC9500 touchscreen remote (Philips Pronto RU990 equivalent) for about 5 years. This is an IR learning remote and I have discovered it can also "send" some RF codes directly. I got the blinds working about 3 years ago using that and I can't remember exactly how.

The remote's ability to send RF was due to the fact you could buy an IR/RF extender for it. It works on 433MHz and the RF for most home autoation in UK just happens to be 433MHz to, so rather than using the extender, I turn on the RF and send the codes to the blinds. I originally got the codes from www.remotecentral.com where there is a huge following for the Pronto remotes. They have PCF files wich you can download and change as you wish and instal on the Pronto.

I know Keith on the Beo5/6 forums uses the codes extracted from the PCF files to help generate codes for the Beo5/6.

How this will translate to using the Light-Manager B&O I just bought I'm not too sure. Expereimenting starts as soon as the in-laws have gone home on the weekend. My Beo5 was purchased to replace my Marantz RC9500 (which does all the B&O codes) but the Beo5 has fallen well short on ease of use and it's inbuilt limitations compared to the Marantz.

Stoobie

Well,

I have been playng with my new Light Manager Pro B&O and once I'd worked out how to use the software, I have got it controlling my sidelights via a Beo4.

You use the LIGHT button then can assign 1 to 99, Red Green, Blue, Yellow, Up, Down, Left Right, STOP, Keyring Short, Keyring Long  and Joystick up, down, left & right. so there are plenty of combinations to choose. With homeeasy you can turn on/off, dim/bright & toggle. You can also assign the tiny front button on the Light Manager totwo scenes, 1 on long press and 1 on short press

So for example, I toggle on my living room side lights with button 1, the dining room side lights with button 2 (I have set button 1 & 2 to toggle on & off) but I turn them all off with RED. So red only send the "OFF" codes so no matter what state the lights were last in RED always turns everything off. I have also programmed the front button short press to turn all inside and outside lights off. I have 8 plug in On/Off sockets, 1 built in double wall socket and 1 wall light switch controlling indoor & outdoor lights. All working well with the Beo4.

Now to program my Beo5!! It took me a while to set that up last time so adding the "light layer" is going to take some time. I then need to work out how to get it to work my window blinds.

I'll keep you updated

Stoobie