Are you doing anything with Hue?

[shiver]

Have made some progress since moving into our new place:

- Total of 17 Hue White Ambiance GU10 spots in bedroom on 2nd floor (leaving the ensuite ones as manual for now since the light switch also triggers the shower fan). Motion sensor setup in stairwell for that room with a number of scenes for different times of the day + a going to bed sequence
- 4 Hue White (non-ambiance) GU10 spots in bedroom A on 1st floor (this is currently wife's WFH office) + HomePod mini and Hue dimmer switch for control
- Hue colour lightstrip on desk + B22 hue colour in bedroom B on 1st floor (this is currently my WFH office). HomePod mini + Hue dimmer switch for control and motion sensor for automated scenes
- Another hue colour lightstrip to put back behind TV that is yet to be wall mounted in bedroom B
- 2 B22 hue colours on landing / stairwell with motion sensor

Still to get:
- 12 more GU10 spotlights for the kitchen area, plus one E27 bulb
- Another E27 bulb for dining room, and may opt for a corner lamp (considering the White filament bulbs now available)
- 4 integrated LEDs in built in shelving either side of fireplace of living room to replace, looking for options
- 2 corner lamps to make use of left over B22 Hue bulbs i have from old apartment

Very tempted to get the GU10 spotlights already but I am already at the limit of what my wife will accept as neccessary after only ~2weeks in new house :/

 

[dlockers]

Have made some progress since moving into our new place:

- Total of 17 Hue White Ambiance GU10 spots in bedroom on 2nd floor (leaving the ensuite ones as manual for now since the light switch also triggers the shower fan). Motion sensor setup in stairwell for that room with a number of scenes for different times of the day + a going to bed sequence
<snip>

I have the same issue in my bathroom, but Alexa is still in audible range to turn the lights on and then shout a dim command

Otherwise with the same setup and for the same reasons you can't have a dimmer.

 

[matt100]

Well, I've hit 40 now with 12 in the new garden room and 4 on the patio.

The garden room is about 30m away so I was worried it wouldn't reach but the mesh seems so have gotten itself together and bridged it which is impressive. I specced a network cable to go down to it thinking that would be required to create an access point and totally neglected to acknowledge hue doesn't work on wifi..

Hence the patio lights which I didn't really need changing, the garden room couldn't be seen from inside the house, the patio could, add the patio and then the garden room bulbs popped up as reachable... win.

Now I can say "alexa, turn the garden on"

 

[Efour]

Over 110 Hue/Zigbee devices now.

 

[matt100]

Do you have more than one hue hub?

 

[Feek]

When I ordered a Hue smart plug from Amazon, I bundled it with a second Smart Button. I'm using one in my bathroom already but I can't think of a use for this second one.

Need creative ideas.

 

[dlockers]

When I ordered a Hue smart plug from Amazon, I bundled it with a second Smart Button. I'm using one in my bathroom already but I can't think of a use for this second one.

Need creative ideas.

Secret second switch to wind up anyone using the bathroom?

'Set the mood' switch? Dim the lights, play some music? Or 'game over' switch and do the opposite

 

[Feek]

I did think about that for the bathroom

We do all the other things by voice anyway - Each room has a Lumos [room] and Nox [room] command set up which turn the lights on and off, the bedrooms all have a Hue dimmer switch that can be used for their lamp/light and with a HomePod mini in each room, there's always voice control available.

 

[Feek]

Over 110 Hue/Zigbee devices now.

Do you manage all the hue bulbs through the hue app? It must be one of the most awful apps I've ever used (on iOS), it's so slow, it's almost unbearable.

 

[dlockers]

I'm in the same boat, took me a year to bothered to get the Hue Hub (and I only got it because someone reached out to me on Trust to flog theirs ) so that I could even use the switch. Voice only became a problem when:
1) my internet went to 0.5mb/0.0mb upload during peak hours (8 months of WFH hell) and Alexa couldn't respond
2) I use white noise skill with my daughter's nap schedule, and voice commands on my bedroom Alexa make it cut out for some strange reason.

 

[Efour]

Do you manage all the hue bulbs through the hue app? It must be one of the most awful apps I've ever used (on iOS), it's so slow, it's almost unbearable.

Mostly voice by Google home nest

But I do use the Google home app a lot and a 3rd party hue essential app from time to time.

Hue app on Android is fine. Not something I'd complain about.

 

[Feek]

Sorry, badly worded question - I didn't mean for regular day to day use but for the initial setup. It's slow with just my few bulbs, with that number it must be even worse.

 

[Semple]

When I ordered a Hue smart plug from Amazon, I bundled it with a second Smart Button. I'm using one in my bathroom already but I can't think of a use for this second one.

Need creative ideas.

If you do everything by voice, you'll struggle to come up with an actual use for it. I don't think homekit will allow to use it for non-Hue related stuff.

I've got a zigbee button (basically does the same thing as Hue's button but at a fraction of the cost/plus more functionality) for each bedroom to either a) toggle the main light, b) toggle bedside lamps, c) toggle blinds to open/close. I can do the lights with voice, but sometimes voice is unnecessary - i.e. if the missus is having a nap, you can't exactly come in and yell to switch the lights off.

 

[Efour]

Hue is pretty slow at adding stuff yeah but I've built up mine over a year or so. The hue essential app is worth looking at if it's on Apple. I don't think it is tho... Lets you integrate other ZigBee stuff with ease.

I added about 30 new lights/bulbs when moving house but I didn't find it worth complaining about it "slow"

Yeah it would be hellish to set this all up from scratch...


https://www.hueessentials.com/. It is on Apple Store. I bought it but I think thebfree version covers most stuff.

Maybe try it on the side.

 

[Feek]

I'll have a look, thanks. I also have iConnectHue but haven't tried that for adding new devices yet. It may be that it works better than the default app.

I don't think homekit will allow to use it for non-Hue related stuff.

I had a non Hue smart power socket thing and I was able to trigger that with the original button so I do think it'll work with non Hue stuff.

1) my internet went to 0.5mb/0.0mb upload during peak hours (8 months of WFH hell) and Alexa couldn't respond

I have QoS enabled on my network and the only device I've given top priority to is the Hue Bridge. I don't know if that'll help but I've been working from home for nearly four years and haven't had any problems with my internet struggling to respond to Siri at all on any device, even when it's being hammered.

 

[dlockers]

It was certainly the connection to the outside world so not sure QoS would help, but probably makes sense to do going forwards. Will have a tweak, thanks.

 

[NeilF]

So is anyone aware of a more traditional dimmer that can be used with Hue lights? In the US Lutron made one which looked perfect. Push On/Off and rotate for bright/dimmer. But it's not available here in the UK. It can be fitted on a simple (optional) blank backing plate or even on an existing switch - https://www.store.meethue.com/us/lutron-aurora-always-ready-smart-bulb-dimmer

The standard Hue dimmer controller is OK, but personally I'd prefer a more analog rotate controller. So are there any more traditional controller options here in the UK?

 

[Feek]

All Hued up now.



Various motion sensors dotted around so that lights come on and go off as we move around. As per my previous post, the only thing left is to fit a door sensor on our outhouse but I won't do that until we change the door and the frame.

 

[NeilF]

Here you go... A double Lutron Hue dimmer switch. ie: That works just like a normal dimmer switch (press on/off, rotate brighter/dimmer) for our lounge & dining room Hue lights... I didn't like the notion of using a pair of the standard Hue Dimmer switches, so managed to build this up.

 

[Feek]

Where did you get the switches from?