Remote Control Software

[Dale124]

Hi all. I have 2 questions about my new remote controlling my lighting. I have it set up to shut off the lights when I select watch a Blu Ray movie, which works great. It is also programmed to turn the lights back on when I leave that activity, which also works great, except for one thing, the lights come back up, but after a minute, they go back off. I can't find any setting that will resolve this issue. 

Also, question 2. I would like to have my lights also controlled by 2 custom buttons during any activity. I wanted to use the 2 buttons on the bottom of the remote, which are marked "+" and "E". These buttons are customizable, however, when I go in to customize them, they will only let me control my tv, reciever, or the digital box. There is no selection for the Lutron light control. Is there a way around this limitation? I am aware that if I go in through devices on the remote, then scroll through the touch screen's devices, I can get to the area where I can control the lights, but I would like to have the 2 buttons mentioned earlier do this as well.

I hope one of you nice people can help me to get the most out of my remote.

Thanks in advance.

Dale.

[idicev]

Hi Dale

Below I have assumed that you are using v.7.7.0 software, and guessed how you have set things up and whether Lutron has a power toggle or discrete commands.

In general you can either:-

a.) let Harmony do the switching as usual, or

b.) add the commands for lights where you want them in the configuration, and switch them manually with buttons inside activities.

- but, unless you have discrete on and off for Lutron, not both!

Re. Q.1.

Your description of problem 2. implies that you don't have the Lutron device added to all the activities, see below, so I have inferred that it is present only in 'WatchTvBluRay'.

The default device setting is 'turn off this device when it is not being used', and I have assumed that that you are using this default, and the right power commands set up for the Lutron device.

Normally a command ('on') would be sent to a particular device when you went to an activity which included it, but I note that you "have it set up to shut Off  the lights when I select watch a Blu Ray movie".

Therefore you could be using the default device settings, with lights ON in the 'All off' state and a Lutron controller OFF command rather than ON being used when you enter 'WatchTvBluRay'. I appreciate that it may be a power toggle command, but you will see what I mean...

You said you need to set up "2 custom buttons", which suggested that you might have discrete commands for power. However "...the lights come back up, but after a minute, they go back off." is almost certainly the result of having just a Toggle command.

Even if the conclusions are largely wrong, then these points may still suggest the changes which are needed.

If the assumptions are right, then you do not need to do: "It is also programmed to turn the lights back on when I leave that activity" because, with the programming you did, and without discrete commands, the Harmony would assume the lights were still 'on' (for Off) and automatically try to switch them off (for On) with the toggle command as you entered another activity which did not include the Lutron device.

Re. Q.2.

"I would like to have my lights also controlled by 2 custom buttons during any activity... however, when I go in to customize them, they will only let me control my tv, receiver, or the digital box".

This is probably because you have not added the Lutron device to all the activities, (which would itself have prevented the auto switching which you may have intended in Q.1.).

You could change the Lutron device's setting to 'I want to leave the Lutron on all the time', (when the harmony's auto switching of Lutron power would not work) and add the Lutron to all the activities. Then, to get a simulation of Harmony's auto-switching, add the switching commands to the start and finish of activities, and to buttons in activities, as required. Again, unless you had discrete on and off, the results would not be consistent but there would at least be buttons on hand to put things right.

Regards

Chris