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Will harmony PS3 adapter work with URC RF20?

post #1 of 6
4/2/12 at 6:28pm
Thread Starter 
I have been using a Harmony 890 RF remote for awhile. It slowly crumbled away in my hands. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of shelling out another ~$300 for a remote, let alone another Harmony to fall apart again. So I cheaped out and bought URC RF20 with RF Powerblaster. I've got it all setup and am reasonably happy with it for the price I paid (1/4 the price of the Harmony).

However I can't get it to work with my PS3. The manual for the RF20 lists programming codes for both the 360 and the PS3. I entered them in and the LCD screen displays PS3-like controls (triangle,square, L1, L2, etc). I already have the Logitech Harmony IR-to-Bluetooth adapter, which I think should still worth with this new remote? I've tried pointing the remote directly at the IR adapter and it doesn't respond. I've also tried plugging in a 2.5mm cable to hardwire connect it to the RF Powerblaster (so line of sight should be an issue) with no success. Really don't know what else I can do.
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post #2 of 6
4/2/12 at 9:00pm
You need to pick up the pieces of your old harmony and teach your new remote all the PS3 commands. Either that or some other remote you can teach from that take pronto hex or JP1 upgrades. The PS3 codes built into the URC aren't the same codes the logitech adapter uses. For some reason logitech has decided to make it difficult to use their adapter with a competitor's remote.

If you have a slim, you can probably control it without any adapter at all over HDMI via bravia sync, or whatever your tv maker calls their version of HDMI CEC. In that case just use the commands from your tv device. If all else fails, you can get an IR dongle from radio shack for $2 that will control everything except discrete on/off using sony blu-ray or DVD codes.
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post #3 of 6
4/3/12 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdavej View Post

You need to pick up the pieces of your old harmony and teach your new remote all the PS3 commands. Either that or some other remote you can teach from that take pronto hex or JP1 upgrades. The PS3 codes built into the URC aren't the same codes the logitech adapter uses. For some reason logitech has decided to make it difficult to use their adapter with a competitor's remote.

If you have a slim, you can probably control it without any adapter at all over HDMI via bravia sync, or whatever your tv maker calls their version of HDMI CEC. In that case just use the commands from your tv device. If all else fails, you can get an IR dongle from radio shack for $2 that will control everything except discrete on/off using sony blu-ray or DVD codes.

Thank you for your reply.

I have the older version of PS3. Non-slim.

My Harmony 890 still works, kinda. But the Harmony commands sent for the PS3 would be transmitted via RF correct? The Harmony IR-Blaster picks this up and converts it to IR which is then wired over to the Logitech Harmony PS3 adapter, which is then converted to Bluetooth. The problem I'm seeing with your suggestion is that in order to learn my new RF20 commands directly from the Harmony 890, the remotes need to be facing each other and must transmit in IR....correct?
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post #4 of 6
4/3/12 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by firebirdude View Post

Thank you for your reply.

I have the older version of PS3. Non-slim.

My Harmony 890 still works, kinda. But the Harmony commands sent for the PS3 would be transmitted via RF correct? The Harmony IR-Blaster picks this up and converts it to IR which is then wired over to the Logitech Harmony PS3 adapter, which is then converted to Bluetooth. The problem I'm seeing with your suggestion is that in order to learn my new RF20 commands directly from the Harmony 890, the remotes need to be facing each other and must transmit in IR....correct?

Since the 890 is RF, you may be sending RF to the RF base, which in turn, has IR blasters (or the unit itself) aimed at the PS3 adapter. In that case, you'll want to learn from the blasters or RF base instead of the remote. Is that what you're asking? It's possible the 890 also sends IR at the same time, but I'm not sure about that. In any case, you'll want to learn from whatever is ultimately sending IR. Test a few learns first to make sure you have it right. I don't know where the learning eye is on an RF20, you'll have to find that info from the manual.
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post #5 of 6
4/4/12 at 2:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdavej View Post

Since the 890 is RF, you may be sending RF to the RF base, which in turn, has IR blasters (or the unit itself) aimed at the PS3 adapter. In that case, you'll want to learn from the blasters or RF base instead of the remote. Is that what you're asking? It's possible the 890 also sends IR at the same time, but I'm not sure about that. In any case, you'll want to learn from whatever is ultimately sending IR. Test a few learns first to make sure you have it right. I don't know where the learning eye is on an RF20, you'll have to find that info from the manual.

Oh. Now why didn't I think of that??

But nevertheless, I just tried it and the RF20 refuses to learn from the IR eyes.
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post #6 of 6
4/4/12 at 2:48pm
If it simply won't learn them, there's nothing more you can do. If you can't identify where the IR is coming from, you could look at your remote and blasters through a digital camera and see what's flashing. Otherwise, HERE's a great list of alternatives with a link to the pronto hex for the logitech adapter, should you ever get a remote that can use them. JP1 remotes also work fine with the logitech adapter. The solutions I posted earlier will work fine as well.
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