Logitech Harmony 880 Remote

[ashipps]

The latest Harmony 880 Remote Control has a battery charging base eliminating the replacement of batterys and provides a resting base to keep the remote. The remote came with a USB cable and CD-ROM application for remote to PC connection and interface to the Logitech Harmony website. Operational changes can easily be made with a little patience. Setup choices were easier to understand after running the setup wizzard a second time. I was able to change many of the function names to technical terms that are better understood by my family. After 15 minutes of programming I tested the remote on the AV components. After a 2 additional programming changes (on the PC) the unit performed ok for most frequently used functions. It appears that all DVD and AV functions are accessible, however the function names downloaded into the remote do not always match the descriptions on the manufacturer's remote controls. This seems to be a problem for most AV remote controls that receive downloaded code from a vendor that is different than the equipment you are trying to command. The good news is that the Harmony 880 functions can be re-named by editing with a PC. During operation the user must keep the remote pointed at the AV equipment to assure that multiple commands will be received by all of the components.

TEMPORAY DISADVANTAGE
The remote does not seat securely on the electrical contacts of the base. As a result the remote gets re-charged about 50% of the time. Wiggling the remote on the base does not correct the problem. The power contacts are excellent in apperance and no damage or defect is visible. I may have a wrong base, design or a manufacturing defect. I am awaing a for a reply from Logitech to resolve the power problem.

SUMMARY
I recommend the Harmony 880 providing that the contact seating to the base can be resolved by Logitech. The remote is relatively easy to program. Editing of function names will most likely be desired by users, depending on the manufacturers of your AV equipment. During operation the user must keep the remote pointed at the AV equipment to assure that multiple commands will be received successfully by all of the components.

Regards, AShipps

 

[Methost]

TEMPORAY DISADVANTAGE
The remote does not seat securely on the electrical contacts of the base. As a result the remote gets re-charged about 50% of the time. Wiggling the remote on the base does not correct the problem. The power contacts are excellent in apperance and no damage or defect is visible. I may have a wrong base, design or a manufacturing defect. I am awaing a for a reply from Logitech to resolve the power problem.

Mine does this from time to time too though most of the time I can fix it with a little wiggle.

Battery seems to drain quickly though.

 

[mfabien]

Some Harmony 880 owners here in Canada have had the recharge problem and Logitech has sent each one a replacement cradle to resolve the issue.

I have just ordered a 880 last Thursday and am awaiting shipping confirmation. I certainly hope that the recharge cradle device will be a good one.

 

[trfcrugby]

I bought the 880 from Best Buy a month ago, and it worked fine, but would not charge all the time, as the previous member stated. The contacts barely touch, and the result has been a dead remote on more than one occasion. Sad, for a $250 remote that becomes a massive paper weight when dead.

I emailed Logitech's tech support, and never got a reply. I did get an autoreply that said since I hadn't contacted them in 48 hours since my initial email, that the problem must have been resolved.

So, I called them on the phone, and sat on hold for...no lie...35 minutes...until someone answered. He took my info and told me the RMA people would be in contact with me within 48 hours.

My review...nice remote, not quite all it's hyped to be. Buttons are smallish, especially around the LCD screen. The programming interface on the PC is ok, but could be better, perhaps say graphical rather than question based. The remote also feels cheap. It feels like it's going to break, at least IMO. But, it does control everything I need it to, so functionally, when it's charged, I like it.

 

[emtownsend]

I've been reading reviews everywhere on the Harmony 880 because I wanted one too. I have found that almost 100% of them say they have problems with the charging cradle... Logitech/Harmony is going to have to address this somehow, I believe. I started looking elsewhere and found the I can get SO much more in the Pronto TSU7000. It is sweet! Just twice the cost! :-(

 

[mfabien]

I received my Harmony 880 last week and I never had a recharge problem.

My sense is that from now on any new delivered (from Logitech) remote would include a corrected charge cradle.

 

[GeorgeM]

I just took advantage of the opportunity to order a Harmony 880 this past Friday ($180.00); hope the cradle charging defect is not included .

trfcrugby: Would you be kind enough to make another post here when you get a response from Logitech. Kinda' interested to see how your problem is resolved...

-GeorgeM

 

[themadreefer]

i have had my 880 for about two weeks now. love it. there is a charging issue with unit i have. also had to place a piece of paper in battery compartment.
as the battery was not making contact when i tilted unit up and down.

i spoke to harmony last week about the issues. they informed me that they were working on the issue with cradle. they would have to investigate battery compartment issue.

received this email today from harmony

"Dear Archie,

Thank you for your recent inquiry about your Harmony Remote

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your Harmony 880. After conducting a full investigation we have determined that, in a small percentage of cases, the Harmony 880 will charge intermittently or stop charging. Our Engineering Team have isolated the cause of this problem to the charging base station and have developed and tested a solution which is now being implemented into our production line.

These new base stations will be available within the next 3 weeks at which time we will courier one to you.

To ensure that we replace your base station as quickly as possible please provide us with the following information :

Name:
Address:
City:
Postal Code/Zip:
State/Province:
Telephone Number:

We apologize for any inconvenience that this issue may have caused and thank you for you patience as we strive to resolve this problem.

Regards,

Harmony Support Services

Click on the link below for details of the Harmony Support Team opening hours and Toll Free telephone numbers: "

 

[GeorgeM]

Nice to see that Logitech is responsive to the cradle/charging problem and is working on a solution and replacement .

-G

 

[trfcrugby]

I got the same email as the previous post, asking for my mailing information. I may be having the battery compartment issues, too, since removing and replacing the battery allowed the remote the charge.

Kinda sucks, because overall I like the remote.

 

[themadreefer]

to be honest, i do not think anything is wrong with the charging cradle.
since i placed a piece of folded paper in battery compartment. it seems to be charging just fine.

 

[trfcrugby]

Well, I got my phone bill after sitting on hold for 40 minutes, there's a nice $25 charge. Ugh. Did I mention it's in Ontario?

 

[trfcrugby]

Got they new charging base in the mail today. Looks like they made the contacts on the base unit a little smaller, and possibly taller. The remote works like a champ now.

 

[dvl]

Charging solution

I have a solution to the charging problem. This worked for me.

I got my Harmony 880 remote last night. It sat in the cradle charging, or so I thought, for about 24 hours. After reading this thread, I closely examined the battery and how it sat within its compartment. I concluded the battery was not properly seated against the charging contacts. I put a small piece of paper at the other end of the battery so it shoves the battery towards the contacts.

Now the unit is charging.

If the above solution isn't clear, I'll take a photo so you can see where the paper goes.

Hope this helps!

Repeat: mine was not a cradle issue. The battery is simply too short and is not touching the contacts properly.

 

[dvl]

paper/battery solution picture

If you want to see the battery/paper solution, see this URL:

http://dan.langille.org/2005/11/27/harmony-880-remote-battery-problems/

 

[shamus]

when does the 890 come out....?

 

[gurujeff03]

harmony charging problem search ebay harmony 880

I had trouble using the cradle to charge my battery. I found a charger on ebay searching for harmony 880 battery that was reasonable and it works for charging the battery.