Regularly refreshing a Harmony activity button

Devices & Integrations
1

Quick question here…

I’ve got a Harmony Home hub and I have a few activities that need the cooperation of ST to work perfectly…

For example, if I’m watching TV (like right now) and the sun still shines out there, I’ve no need for lights… BUT if I continue watching TV or I start watching it after sunset, I obviously need some sort of lighting…

I have that automation setup thanks to CoRE… BUT… the Harmony activity button doesn’t always refresh…

I have seen there’s a refresh button within the Activity’s … button… that if I click it, it refreshes and everything works as expected…

Ideas on how to force that refresh to happen?

Thanks!

1 Like
2

So you are using the Harmony activity to determine that you are watching TV? If that’s the case, I suggest keeping an eye on this Iris Outlet they occasionally drop the prices very low. If you don’t want to spend any money, set up a piston to refresh that device as often as you wish…

3

actually it’s the other way around! I’m using ST (CoRE to be exact) to monitor the Harmony activity “Watch TV” for the ON position… that and the sun position…

how do I set up that piston? I tried it but I must have missed something as it didn’t work… :sweat:

4

@Danielccm I’m dealing with a similar issues. I’ve a thread here Logitech Harmony - Consistent Integration Issues where I was kindly thought how to set up the piston for the refresh.

Have a look and if you have any issues, let me know.

2 Likes
5

perfect! just what I needed! I’ll do that right away… Thanks!

6

No problem.

The refresh works fine for me for Entertainment equipment but if you bring in say a light bulb from Smartthings and set that up as an activity, the refresh just seems to ignore that device.

I’m still working through what works and what.doesnt but only Harmony only devices seems to refresh correctly (at least for me) :frowning:

7

Darn, just tried it and it won’t update…

I set up the IF part as checking in any of x presence sensors were in the
house, then refresh the Harmony activities…

Maybe I didn’t have enough patience?

8

i used a latching Condition
If TV power outlet on
(I use a ST smartplug to power up my power strip). My logic is if I power this up, then I;m doing it to watch TV, DVD etc via Harmony Activity

AND

Motion Sensor is active (have a motion sensor in the living room)

Then
Wait 10 seconds and Refresh the Harmony Hub

But if the Power outlet if Off

Then Using Harmony Hub
Wait 5 Seconds
Activity Off()

9

An alternative to keep refreshing your activities is having a virtual switch plugged in each of your activities. Harmony is good at turning on switches when activity starts and off when last one ends. Using the same switch ensures that when last activity powers off, your switch turns off. That way you eliminate the refresh. This works if you don’t care which activity is on.

1 Like
10

This is my refresh piston. It uses motion as the trigger and it works great.

Screenshot_2016-08-24-19-07-08.png1440×2560 261 KB

11

@danielccm how did you get on?

12

I’ve tried different options and the result is always more or less the same… some times the change is instant, other times it takes up to 30 minutes to react… I’m lost as to what to do next

13

@Danielccm here is my piston

Remote Synch Piston.png1080×10872 658 KB

@bamarayne helped me with it.

14

Have you tried setting the length of time to refresh? Here is what I use for my Weather Tile. If you added a condition before that said 'while Harmony is on or active or whatever, Then IF and then the trigger for time, maybe that would work.

1680×234 12.4 KB

15

i created a virtual device called “harmony refresh”. it is a momentary switch, and i added if pressed part of the start and end sequence for a harmony activity. in ST i created a CoRE rule to refresh the activity switches if pressed. works perfect.

2 Likes
16

If you shift from activity to activity, and harmony sees it in both, won’t it just ignore it for the transition since it should still be on? I would think it would only trigger on start of first activity and end of last.

17

nope
the only buttons it recognizes that way are inputs and power. thats why it doesnt even allow you to typically choose even inputs from the add steps option. now you can create a virtual switch where if pressed off or on, but i just created a virtual momentsry switch. if pressed at the end of the activity start or end sequence then it will refresh the activities in core. it has been working perfectly

2 Likes
18

Hi @SBDOBRESCU Thats a really good idea. I am trying to extend this idea, by using the state of this switch to refresh the harmony activities as below. Can you please let me know if this will work to refresh the activities? Is it the hub or the individual activities which need to be refreshed?

If Harmony_Switch changes to on
Then Refresh (harmony-hub)

or If Harmony_Switch changes to off
Then Refresh (harmony-hub)

19

I realized that I have to refresh the activities. Works as intended now. Thanks.

20

Hey, if I understand correctly, you’re trying to have ST update realtime to harmony activities/actions? No piston in CoRE needed, nor anything polled or refresh, just follow the instructions below to add 2 commands in each of your harmony activities. Works perfectly for me. Instant updates