Harmony Remote = Double-plus Good!

[Tom]

You got the activity keys mapped correctly?  Yay!  Was it one of my links that helped?

Yeah, its the "old" interface on the left of that page you linked to that had a way to actually map those buttons to any activity.

To alter delays you can either change it for the device as a whole, or _I think_ for the device for that activity.

Yeah, I played with the device delays. At 0 or at 100ms, it still seems to not go fast enough when pressing the navigation buttons for my xbmc set up.

I've learned to push the button for the activity I want and put the remote on the armrest of the couch as I get comfortable.  It can take 4 to 6 seconds for everything to switch on.  Kids walking in front of the remote messes that up a little and makes it take longer as I press Help for the remote to fix the problem.

Yeah, thats something I'll just have to live with. Not something too annoying, my two main activities (watch video, watch tv) switch in a few seconds. But then I don't even have my cable box hooked up, so it's not something I'll be switching to very often. I just haven't bothered to put the splitter back in behind the tv...

[Thorin]

Well all the people on here who bought one did so because of others in the house who now would not have to ask how to turn on the TV / stereo / DVD player / etc anymore.

In fact, my remote controls the upstairs TV but not the downstairs one; the downstairs one keeps getting out of sync with the cable box and the VHS/DVD combo I have down there, and I'm now thinking of programming my remote to also control the downstairs stuff so that people can fix it without waking me from my slumber.

[Tom]

Well all the people on here who bought one did so because of others in the house who now would not have to ask how to turn on the TV / stereo / DVD player / etc anymore.

In fact, my remote controls the upstairs TV but not the downstairs one; the downstairs one keeps getting out of sync with the cable box and the VHS/DVD combo I have down there, and I'm now thinking of programming my remote to also control the downstairs stuff so that people can fix it without waking me from my slumber.

Heh. I mainly got the remote to replace my old MCE remote and Receiver remote combo. I tried to get my MCE blaster to control the receiver, but it uses a variation of the RC6 protocol which either the blaster doesn't know how to deal with, or the lirc driver doesn't know how to deal with. It can receive the commands just fine, but sending them is another story.

So now I have the volume and such mapped to the receiver, and the rest mapped to the htpc. If only I had a way to power ON my htpc via IR. I'd need to buy or build some kind of little IR receiver device that's always on, which then connects to the system's power button. Same goes for my TV (Actually a 24" monitor). I've been thinking about it. I'll probably not bother with moding my monitor now that I have money for a new TV. I will probably get a little IR device for my htpc though.

[Thorin]

Can you leave the HTPC on all the time?  Does it need to be turned off?  If there's no monitor connected and it spins down the drives when not in use, it'd be pretty light on power usage when you're not viewing video...

[Tom]

Can you leave the HTPC on all the time?  Does it need to be turned off?  If there's no monitor connected and it spins down the drives when not in use, it'd be pretty light on power usage when you're not viewing video...

I can leave it on all the time, but it generates heat, and uses more power than you'd expect. At least when I was on Epcor for power, and they pretty much charged me for double the kWh than I used, it made a $5-10 difference in my power bill every month. Now that I'm with direct energy, I use like half the power apparently, so leaving it on all the time wouldn't really affect my power bill, also I can afford that now. But I'd prefer to use as little as possible, and the extra heat that it and my desktop generate makes a big difference on a hot day. It keeps it warmer at night, meaning it gets even warmer during the day. (I leave window fans on all night, to bring in as much cool air as possible, which keeps it much cooler during most days, though if its a warm night, that doesn't help ).

And yes, when I switched to direct energy, my actual rated kWh was pretty much halved. Not just the total in $, but the actual kWh rating. I was surprised. I went from 700kWh down to 400kWh or so after the switch, and I started using /more power/. so it really doesn't make a lot of sense, except that epcor is a lying thieving organization.

[Thorin]

That's weird that the actual power consumption went down, as the meter is supposed to be certified accurate no matter who the provider is.  Did you ever go check your meter to see if it was close to what the bill said?

Also, if you're cooling with window fans at night you should consider a portable AC unit.  The in-window ones are a little cheaper, but the one on wheels with an exhaust hose that goes out the window is better because you can move it from room to room.  We have an in-window one that we turn on 10 to 20 days of the year and it's totally worth the hit on the electric bill when it's +34C out.

Anyway, on-topic - did the old MCE remote turn the HTPC on and off?  If so, you could try teaching the Harmony 650 the code to send to do so.

[Tom]

That's weird that the actual power consumption went down, as the meter is supposed to be certified accurate no matter who the provider is.  Did you ever go check your meter to see if it was close to what the bill said?

I didn't know it was an issue before I switched. Also I have no idea where my meter is. I think they are grouped in some location that I don't know about.

Also, if you're cooling with window fans at night you should consider a portable AC unit.  The in-window ones are a little cheaper, but the one on wheels with an exhaust hose that goes out the window is better because you can move it from room to room.  We have an in-window one that we turn on 10 to 20 days of the year and it's totally worth the hit on the electric bill when it's +34C out.

I was going to, but edmonton is pretty much out of good AC units. The main area squarefootage is way too large for a normal in window unit (5000 btus, usually good for 200sqf or so). I had one for a while, but it pretty much just stayed on all the time, and those things weren't meant to run for hours on end. It eventually failed. (stupid roommate decided to put it in the kitchen window, and basically just sit there day after day )

Anyway, on-topic - did the old MCE remote turn the HTPC on and off?  If so, you could try teaching the Harmony 650 the code to send to do so.

It could only turn the HTPC off. As I'd need to hook something up to the power pins to get it to turn back on again. (or some usb powered IR receiver that somehow tells the computer to turn on...) And it knows the power button already, I just haven't told LIRC how to turn the machine off this time (I need to add a command in the config to run, or tell XBMC to shut down on power toggle, though it might just ask what to do rather than shut off...)

[Thorin]

I've got an 1,172 square foot home and I have an 8,000 BTU in-window AC.  I turn it on and use fans to move the air around the house.  It does not cool the house to the +20C that the AC unit is turned to, more like +22C to +25C depending on where in the house you are.  However, that is a crapload better than +32C or higher in the house.

[Tom]

I've got an 1,172 square foot home and I have an 8,000 BTU in-window AC.  I turn it on and use fans to move the air around the house.  It does not cool the house to the +20C that the AC unit is turned to, more like +22C to +25C depending on where in the house you are.  However, that is a crapload better than +32C or higher in the house.

My problem was that it stayed on too long, then the AC unit started failing, and /tripled/ my power use. The power bill for a couple months that one summer was astronomical for a couple guys. Several hundred dollars, just in power. And that was several years ago when power was consistently at 8c/kWh or less.

For the most part, my system works. it sometimes does get quite warm in here, but its better than the outside temperature.

I will be getting an AC, but it won't be till I can find a decently sized one, that isn't like $800 or more (at that point I might as well get a full HVAC system when I get around to replacing my furnace).

[Lazybones]

The smaller your normal power use, the more noticeable an AC unit is. Only during the hottest days do I run one in the master bedroom, and thus only at night when it is easier for it to maintain the temp so I can sleep.

[Thorin]

I priced out central AC to be added to our furnace; $9,000 rounded off, plus tax.  That included a properly-sized condenser outside the home, cleaning of the internal ducts, upgrading all the vents due to new rules, and hmm...  Maybe it did include a new furnace as well.

[Lazybones]

I priced out central AC to be added to our furnace; $9,000 rounded off, plus tax.  That included a properly-sized condenser outside the home, cleaning of the internal ducts, upgrading all the vents due to new rules, and hmm...  Maybe it did include a new furnace as well.

Sounds about right for JUST the AC unit installed... I priced it out for my townhouse in Edmonton once as well.

[Thorin]

Yeah, I remember thinking at the time I'd rather spend that on a year of sports or a newer car.  It might've been an even $13k with the furnace (extended warranty, high-efficiency, yadda yadda).

[Tom]

I had a new furnace priced out, $2400-2600, and an AC probably just doubles that. Of course I only have one floor, with a total of 700sq minus walls. The exterior dimensions are 50x14, not including interior walls and objects. So really theres less space on the inside. It's like the anti-tardis.

I probably will just go for one of those stand up units. We'll see.

[Thorin]

That's just the furnace though, right?  I mean, my quoted price was full installation - a good thing as I don't know enough about venting requirements and code as well as I don't know enough about how to properly punch a hole through a concrete wall without letting all kinds of creepy crawlers get in through it.