Harmony Remotes - Programming

[Cajun123]

My setup is a harmony 890.  All my components are working fine I am trying to control a z-wave dimmer switch.  I have it configured and its working fine.  I also have it setup for different light scenes per activity.  There are 2 things I am unable to figure out how to accomplish.

1. Reorder the layout of the scenes on the screen when the rf control button it pressed.

2.  Making a default scene occur at the end of an activity or when the power off button is pressed.  (for example I want all lights at full power when I power off the system)

Item 1 is not that big of a deal just annoying its really item 2 that I would like to get working.

Thanks in advance for help with these items

Message Edited by Cajun123 on 08-29-2009 01:46 PM

[hhatkin]

Welcome to the forum.

Give us full details, including which Harmony you have, and we'll try to advise.

[Cajun123]

Thanks I edited the original post to show my model number and some additional info

[hhatkin]

Thanks for the details.

I don't have a 890 and don't know what the RF control button is - what does it do?

The second question appears to be a case for Additional Commands When Activity Ends.

Review Settings for the Activity and that takes you to the Custom Actions page.

Message Edited by hhatkin on 08-29-2009 11:50 AM

[Cajun123]

Well I came up with a half arse fix but that still doesn't work as good as I would want so if someone has a solution to the original post creating a scene after an activity or when the power button is presses that would be best.

If not maybe someone can help me with this issue.

I created a new generic active and named it "power off lights on" I added a scene control for this activity for 100% lighting.  Initially I added no devices to this activity but they system would not let me do that so I added my wii since the system can't really control that anyway.  

When I go to activities and press this activity it works fine.  All devices are powered down and lights are restored to 100%.  The problem is now the remote is stuck in this activity.  I figured no big deal surely if I set the remote on the charger it will go back to the default screen but to my surprise it stays in this activity when picked up again.  My thinking here is this is what someone would do anyway after powering everything down.  (I did not wait long so please advise if this is a timer thing)  Is there a way to autoend an activity or maybe have an activity issue the power off command?  Which would effectively end that activity.

Now I know I can hit the power button and that will end the "phantom activity" I created to power down everything and increase the lights to full power.  The problem is the reason I bought this remote is for family members, guest, babysitters and such more so than for me.

I would be shocked if I was the 1st one to run into this problem so I am still hopeful someone will have a solution.

Message Edited by Cajun123 on 08-29-2009 12:21 PM

[Cajun123]

hhatkin the RF control allows you to control zwave devices.  lighting, plugs and various other zwave compatible devices.  It’s listed on the activities screen just before the options icon.  Hopefully you will be able to help with my previous post as it’s not as relevant to the zwave stuff just ending of an activity.

It seems to me that the zwave solution while very nice and convenient was added in a very adhock way.  What I mean by this is you really have little control of these devices within an activity compared to the other components.  For example it would be nice to have light dimming control in the softkeys associated with every activity.  This seems like it would have been easy to integrate but for some reason all the zwave stuff seems siloed from the rest of the functionality.  Maybe I am off here as I only got this remote yesterday but this is my initial impression.

and thanks for your help.

Message Edited by Cajun123 on 08-29-2009 12:16 PM

[hhatkin]

That's OK.

The usual way of handling heating and lighting devices is to specify that they are "always on", to include them in every Activity, and have their commands on buttons for manual setting. You would Customise their commands to spare buttons or screen buttons and this would give you the  control you want in the Activities. Alternatively as I suggested you can include some of their commands to be sent automatically as Additional When Activity Starts or Ends. You could have that PoweroffLightsUp Activity with the lights as the only Device, and with the command to turn them off manually.

[Cajun123]

I am unable to find a way to make zwave devices show up in any activities.  They only show up on a separate zwave tab.

Message Edited by Cajun123 on 08-30-2009 12:16 PM

[hhatkin]

That takes us back to square one then.

You wrote "I am trying to control a z-wave dimmer switch. I have it configured and its working fine. I also have it setup for different light scenes per activity" and I thought that implied that the switch's commands were available in the activities, that they did show up there.

Due to having no experience of the 890 I misunderstood and was thinking in terms of the way other models work.

With any luck some 890 user will see this and be able to advise on how to apply the functions you need - you might like to change the thread header to point users to the model number.

H H

[listener]

Hi,

as far as I remember there is a limitation using z-wave devices in activities. There was already a thread about that, in which one from the Logitech staff explained it. Try a forum search, you might find it, and your questions will also find an answer.

Greetings

listener