So I purchased a Broadlink RM Pro+ from amazon.com.au on the weekend after reading some info about them on Google and it arrived last night 
After stuffing around trying to use the BETA Broadlink binding in OpenHab (which dosent seem to be being developed anymore) and a bit more Googling, I managed to find this on github https://github.com/eschava/broadlink-mqtt which after a bit of playing around with on my Pi, I can now control IR and RF devices using MQTT directly or through openHAB (HabPanel) and Alexa
works beautifully for IR devices, have my projector now switching on and off without the remote which always gets lost 
Can now press one button in HabPanel to turn on the projector, lower the screen (projector and screen are through Broadlink-mqtt) and power on my Denon Amp (amp is controlled through the Denon Binding in openHab)
setting up RF was a little more tricky, the built in commands in broadlink-mqtt for recording IR/RF codes dont seem to work for RF, but after some more Googling, I found this https://github.com/NightRang3r/Broadlink-e-control-db-dump which allows you to use the broadlink app on an android device and then export the command codes, which you just need to paste into a file in broadlink-mqtt and away you go
So now I can control my RF ceiling fan from MQTT as well 
Just thought I would put this out for anyone else that might be looking at doing something like this, for $56 its cheaper and easier that trying to do it with an arduino and it works out the box, lot less frustrating too, oh also the Broadlink RM Pro+ can either run off of USB for power or 240V with a USB adapter if you dont have a computer nearby or usb point to plug it into…
Range wise for IR it has 7 emitters so can fire in all directions including up but of course is limited to LOS 8-15m they reckon on the website but LOS will get in the way before you get to 8-15m lol, where as the RF transmitter has a range about the same, I have it setup in my cinema at the moment and can control my ceiling fan in my office about 7m away with 2 stud walls in between, so pretty awesome