How to connect Echo Dot to Harmony in the Netherlands
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:43 pm
Recently, I bought a Vera domotica system, Echo Dot (Amazon) voicecontrol and a Logitech Harmony Hub to control my (video and audio) devices using IR.
Living in the Netherlands setting up Vera and the Echo Dot was not all that difficult and enough information can be found. Configuring the connnection between Echo and Harmony however is harder to find (in fact, I found nothing) so I decided to share my experience in this forum.
I presume that the Echo has been activated and configured using the online web interface (alexa.amazon.com). Next set up the Harmony using the Logitech app on your mobile device or use the web interface (https://www.myharmony.com/nl-nl/) to download and install the Windows Harmony app. Be sure that you do NOT use your Facebook account to activate the Hub. Instead use an email address and create an account. Finish setting up your Harmony and test it using the app on your Mobile phone.
Next install the default Harmony skill using the Alexa web interface, you will noticy that a button appears in the skill to connect to the Harmony. Activating this button will result in a message that this functionality is only available in English and no connection is made (discrimination!). However, the solution is simple:
Change your Country settings in the Windows Harmony App to United States and save the settings.
Now try to connect to the Harmony once more and you should ne able to activate the connection. This activates a command set in which you can say "Alexa, tell Harmony to....". If you want to use a direct basic command set such as "Alexa, turn on TV" please activate the Harmony - Optimized for Smart Home skill.
Living in the Netherlands setting up Vera and the Echo Dot was not all that difficult and enough information can be found. Configuring the connnection between Echo and Harmony however is harder to find (in fact, I found nothing) so I decided to share my experience in this forum.
I presume that the Echo has been activated and configured using the online web interface (alexa.amazon.com). Next set up the Harmony using the Logitech app on your mobile device or use the web interface (https://www.myharmony.com/nl-nl/) to download and install the Windows Harmony app. Be sure that you do NOT use your Facebook account to activate the Hub. Instead use an email address and create an account. Finish setting up your Harmony and test it using the app on your Mobile phone.
Next install the default Harmony skill using the Alexa web interface, you will noticy that a button appears in the skill to connect to the Harmony. Activating this button will result in a message that this functionality is only available in English and no connection is made (discrimination!). However, the solution is simple:
Change your Country settings in the Windows Harmony App to United States and save the settings.
Now try to connect to the Harmony once more and you should ne able to activate the connection. This activates a command set in which you can say "Alexa, tell Harmony to....". If you want to use a direct basic command set such as "Alexa, turn on TV" please activate the Harmony - Optimized for Smart Home skill.