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Sorry, I forgot the part about it is to be remote controlled by an infra red device. The IR can't shine through the fan blades of the fan nor outshine the lights.
still cannot find an IR wall mounted switch to turn on fan and light
I put up with the light turning itself on and off by just turning it off and on by the chain. I still cannot find a remote controlled IR line-of-sight device to replace my RF device. All I can find now are wall switches that feel your IR signature when you enter a room and turn on and off the lights.
I believe what you linked to is just an occupancy sensor. We use them at work. If I exit my office area the lights turn off after 15 min and automatically turn on and remain on while I am in the office area. I am pretty sure if I die at my desk, when my body temperature drops the lights will go off.
Yes, if you want an occupancy sensor that will work fine. Long as you are in the room, lights on, you set a delay for when you exit and lights off. They go where the wall switch normally would.
Thank you. What I am looking for is a replacement for the RF remote control that lets me turn on the lights and turn on the fan on speed 1,2, or 3. The only IR fan controller that can shine through the blades and not get over powered by the aiming it at strong lights costs $800.
I was hoping there is a way to turn on and off like a wall switch that I drew the 115vac from with a IR remote like a TV. With my surgery, it is hard for me to get out of bed to do it by hand.
Have you tried changing the frequency of the RF remote. Usually their are DIP switches in the fan and remote. They have to match.
I'd try to find out how to change the frequency first.
A few questions:
1) If you mounted something in the wall switch, is it line of sight from where your lying?
2) Does the wall swich have a neutral in the box? Typically it's no.
Thank you. The house was set up very expensively with both a fan wall switch and the light on the bottom of the fan with a wall dimmer in every room in 1988. I am certain there is a neutral. There is a line of sight from the bed to the wall. I had the remote kit installed before I had a bedside lamp on both sides of the bed so I really do not need to turn off or on the light part of the fan. The new fan came with fluorescent lights so a dimmer is out. Turning the fan from low to high and back to off in the early morning is my main concern.
I tried moving the DIP switches around, but the instructions said they were only to change from incandescent to fluorescent lights. I am only a half mile from a sheriff station and the same distance to the EMT station so I am certain that I get a lot of strong RF interference from these sources. I have heard of the X-10 system but I have no idea which one to choose or if they use TV like remote IR controls.
I am not certain which of the models you suggested in your link would suit my needs. Thanks again for the help.
Hopefully I'll have some time later to look at the Fan controls.
As far as I know, no one really has a decent UPB, Insteon or X-10 fan control although I was asked to test one, but my I havn't got my power line control network together yet. X-10 is not the way to go. I'm replacing an X-10 system. Ceiling fans are tough to control. Dimming modules typically cause an annoying buzz.
I don't really know what you have. Any data would be helpful.
I have a couple of suggestions, but I'll have to do some research.
Suggestion A
Let's put a 15 or 20A RFI filter on that power line at the breaker box. What this would mean is, removing the wire for the circuit. Put a J-Box on the wall with the filter in it and then reconnect it.
Suggestion B
I'll see if I can find some ferrites that can be looped around the power wires that might fit where the controller is.
A&B can be used together. The filter really needs to be at the device, but some attenuation would occur if it was at the breaker panel.
Could you estimate the amount of wire (one way) from the panel to the fan control?
Look for Maestro IR Fan Control manuals, and then look for ones with a lamp.
It's possible that suggestion A and B might not even work. What I'm assuming is the RF is getting in through the power line and not the antennae for it to work.
I will have the Navy veteran who installed it change the DIP switch channels for starters. Thing is, since I do not send out the interfering RF, I will have to wait a few hours and see if it turns itself on by outside RF.
There is a little antenna inside. The bed is at most, 7 feet from the fan. Should we try to shorten it, perhaps by bending it in half?
I suspect that the RF is being picked up by the power line, not the skimpy antenna.
I'm not sure this would be a valid test though. Cover the antenna with aluminum foil and ground it. If it doesn't magicly come on, then we can assume it it coming from the power line. The length of the antenna determines the frequency it receives. The power line is everywhere.
Orientation can help because transmitters are usually horizontal or vertically polorized. Some, unfortunately is both.
So lets say that the transmitter is horizontal. Power lines run horizontal. Get the picture?
There is a good eight feet of head room in the attic. My installer said he could rewire a battleship so with these hints, I'm sure he will find a way to do it or else I will just put a string on the fan chain for a manual remote.
That can work. I was trying to work out minimum labor issues, so temporary makes sense before permanent.
Try to shield the antenna and ground the shield, to basically see if it's power line related. You should NOT be able to use your remote.
If it turns on by itself with the shield: then it's likely coming in the power line, thus the filter is necessary.
So, I think it boils down to grab the filter from Digi-key. www.mouser.com may have it too. They might be closer. Pop it in temporarily and see if it works.
Run through the 15 different frequencies.
Install the filter permanently if it is needed.
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If you wanted to, you could try the frequencies and see if it works, but you may have to do it again. Remember that you have to change the DIP switch in the REMOTE and in the Canopy and recycle power. Possibly to the remote and the canopy. I think Hunter has you remove the batteries to access the DIP switch.
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