how smart has your home gone?

Semple · 16 Aug 2020 at 16:19

no idea what said:
Just added some Xiaomi sensors to my Home Assistant setup. Got a CC2531 receiver flashed, so far got a couple of the temp/humidity sensors, door sensor and a motion sensor.

Added some GU10 Hue bulbs to the bathroom, the motion sensor is set up to trigger the lights on at a different brightness depending on time of day and also triggers below a certain Lux level during the day. Added the door contact sensor to this as well to keep the lights on as long as the door is shut, to avoid the lights going off automatically (after 60 seconds) while having a bath/shower etc.

Just about to order some Aqara smart buttons for a few functions. One of which is to use one as a smart doorbell. I have set up Home Assistant to make an announcement via various Echo's around the house, and also to push a notification to our phones along with a snapshot from the Unifi camera pointing at the door.

I've got an aqara smart button switch on the way. Whilst the missus loves the smart lighting, she does get a bit annoyed that if she wants to turn the main light on in the bedroom then she's gotta open up the app.

My plan is to test it works flawlessly with Home Assistant just for that room, and then I can buy them for every main light in each room. I've got hue dimmer switches, but to kit out every room would be expensive, whereas these are only about £5 each.

andy_mk3 · 16 Aug 2020 at 16:52

Semple said:
I've got an aqara smart button switch on the way. Whilst the missus loves the smart lighting, she does get a bit annoyed that if she wants to turn the main light on in the bedroom then she's gotta open up the app.

My plan is to test it works flawlessly with Home Assistant just for that room, and then I can buy them for every main light in each room. I've got hue dimmer switches, but to kit out every room would be expensive, whereas these are only about £5 each.

Pretty much my thoughts at this state, improve on the WAF

The whole house is covered in Hue now, we have a few dimmers and all the lights are set on timer/sunset routines, but there's always times when a quick override will come in handy for various things.

Semple · 16 Aug 2020 at 22:03

no idea what said:
Pretty much my thoughts at this state, improve on the WAF

The whole house is covered in Hue now, we have a few dimmers and all the lights are set on timer/sunset routines, but there's always times when a quick override will come in handy for various things.

I had the aqara temp sensors installed a good few months ago. It's interesting seeing how warm the house gets, especially with the temps last week:

something daft already!! · 24 Aug 2020 at 22:58

I've just started to implement some smart stuff. Only very basic so far. I have two smart bulbs, one in my main room, 2nd in my kitchen. I have a Samsung smart TV and I have installed Alexa on my PC. This is working as I can control my smart bulbs and this was my original goal. As with all these things, I now find this isn't enough and I want more smart things.

I'd like to be able to play my music and not itunes or Amazon Prime music. I can't seem to find a way to play my MP3 files without a subscription. I am not willing to pay for a subscription for anything. Does anyone know of a way?

It reminds me of a film I saw as a kid called Demon Seed. I just hope my PC doesn't impregnate me tonight.

BigT · 25 Aug 2020 at 06:16

something daft already!! said:
I'd like to be able to play my music and not itunes or Amazon Prime music. I can't seem to find a way to play my MP3 files without a subscription. I am not willing to pay for a subscription for anything. Does anyone know of a way?

Presumably you have a machine on all the time with those local files on? If so instalment Plex Media Server on it and add your music library to it. Then install the Plex skill to Alexa and you can ask it to play music from your library.

AndyCr15 · 25 Aug 2020 at 06:46

My Google Home's will no longer add things to my shopping list. When I tell it to, it tells me I need to allow personal results in the Home App. When I got to the Home app, they are already allowed

Someone suggested a reset of the Home devices, which I guess is pretty easily done? Anyone else have/had this?

deuse · 25 Aug 2020 at 08:21

I'm going to move to Hubitat.
Then I can dump smartthings hub and hue hub.

And everything will work off line.

something daft already!! · 25 Aug 2020 at 17:25

BigT said:
Presumably you have a machine on all the time with those local files on? If so instalment Plex Media Server on it and add your music library to it. Then install the Plex skill to Alexa and you can ask it to play music from your library.

I run a Plex server already. I did find this last night and setup the integration. It doesn't work very well. Most songs it says it can't find, those it can, take far too long to start playing. It's not a very practical way of doing it or just don't play. Mostly it just doesn't work at all. I get one song to play then that's it. I'll just stick to Keyboard and Mouse me thinks.

matt100 · 25 Aug 2020 at 17:43

Wasn't that the whole point of Sonos at one point?

Personally I use multiroom etc too much to not pay for Spotify given it's buttons anyway.

matt100 · 25 Aug 2020 at 17:50

deuse said:
I'm going to move to Hubitat.
Then I can dump smartthings hub and hue hub.

And everything will work off line.

Just a thought, why would you bother getting rid of 2 hubs by replacing with another single hub? I had a quick look at this and it's like £100 too right?

Seems like a faff to have it work if the power goes out?

Feel like I've missed something?

Semple · 25 Aug 2020 at 18:57

matt100 said:
Just a thought, why would you bother getting rid of 2 hubs by replacing with another single hub? I had a quick look at this and it's like £100 too right?

Seems like a faff to have it work if the power goes out?

Feel like I've missed something?

I wouldn't bother with hubitat. You'd be better off going for something like Home Assistant and then buying a zigbee dongle to connect everything to.

Semple · 25 Aug 2020 at 19:00

something daft already!! said:
I'd like to be able to play my music and not itunes or Amazon Prime music. I can't seem to find a way to play my MP3 files without a subscription. I am not willing to pay for a subscription for anything. Does anyone know of a way?

You kinda get forced into subscription, as the paid-for services tend to work flawlessly. I just find it a shame that Googles service doesn't work with play music.

deuse · 25 Aug 2020 at 20:00

matt100 said:
Just a thought, why would you bother getting rid of 2 hubs by replacing with another single hub? I had a quick look at this and it's like £100 too right?

Seems like a faff to have it work if the power goes out?

Feel like I've missed something?

Non of them work if the power goes out

Well the smartthings hub 2 has a battery. But never used it.

Smartthings have a down graded hub 3. The hue hub doesn't do a lot, it thinks my curtains is a switch

I won't need the internet to keep things running.
It will be all off line and will be faster.
And I will only need 1 hub. And it can do lots more then any hub(I have a Homey 1 hub in the cupboard)

The only bad thing is I need to buy a Hue switch to factory reset them.

AndyCr15 · 25 Aug 2020 at 20:03

Semple said:
I just find it a shame that Googles service doesn't work with play music.

Nothing will work with it soon, of course...

Mark M · 25 Aug 2020 at 21:58

Im looking at some smart light switches as Im getting some decorating done shortly so can run some neutrals to the switch and get any damage patched up when the decorators are in. Is there a specific "platform" that I should be looking at? I have a a few Echo dots and a couple of plug in smart switches but nothing else other than that. Lights are mainly non-dimming LED GU10.

matt100 · 25 Aug 2020 at 23:07

deuse said:
Non of them work if the power goes out
Well the smartthings hub 2 has a battery. But never used it.

Smartthings have a down graded hub 3. The hue hub doesn't do a lot, it thinks my curtains is a switch

I won't need the internet to keep things running.
It will be all off line and will be faster.
And I will only need 1 hub. And it can do lots more then any hub(I have a Homey 1 hub in the cupboard)

The only bad thing is I need to buy a Hue switch to factory reset them.

How often does your power and internet go out?!

Semple · 26 Aug 2020 at 08:38

no idea what said:
Just about to order some Aqara smart buttons for a few functions. One of which is to use one as a smart doorbell. I have set up Home Assistant to make an announcement via various Echo's around the house, and also to push a notification to our phones along with a snapshot from the Unifi camera pointing at the door.

Just an update, had my Aqara button turn up the other day, was extremely easy to set up some automations in HA, and now have it controlling a zigbee light. Will look at buying a 4-pack this week.

Semple · 26 Aug 2020 at 08:51

Mark M said:
Im looking at some smart light switches as Im getting some decorating done shortly so can run some neutrals to the switch and get any damage patched up when the decorators are in. Is there a specific "platform" that I should be looking at? I have a a few Echo dots and a couple of plug in smart switches but nothing else other than that. Lights are mainly non-dimming LED GU10.

I don't think any big well known brands have got into smart light switches yet. The protocols they'll use will be zwave or zigbee, some may do bluetooth but that'd be a bit **** as you'd need to be in the same room. The Chinese branded ones will probably use WiFi which isn't ideal as it means needing access to a 3rd party service to enable control - i.e. if your internet goes down then you won't be able to use them.

At least with zigbee/zwave you have a control over the devices if your internet goes down.

Relentless81 · 26 Aug 2020 at 08:55

Hi,

I have a Philips Hue bulb in the downstairs hall connected to an Echo Plus and would like it to come on with an motion sensor in the porch when its dark during the winter instead of having to ask Alexa as the nearest Echo is in the kitchen and you'll have to shout at it

I'm sure this is quite simple but I havent gotten into motion sensors yet and only just got the bulb and Echo Plus so still figuring it all out, can anyone advise on the most simple and reliable way to achieve this please?

Thanks

Semple · 26 Aug 2020 at 09:06

Relentless81 said:
Hi,

I have a Philips Hue bulb in the downstairs hall connected to an Echo Plus and would like it to come on with an motion sensor in the porch when its dark during the winter instead of having to ask Alexa as the nearest Echo is in the kitchen and you'll have to shout at it

I'm sure this is quite simple but I havent gotten into motion sensors yet and only just got the bulb and Echo Plus so still figuring it all out, can anyone advise on the most simple and reliable way to achieve this please?

Thanks

Hue have both an indoor and outdoor motion sensor.

Question though, if the light is in the hallway, and you have the motion sensor outside for when you walk upto your front door, you need to consider how you'd turn the hallway light on from inside the house. The answer could be as simple as having an indoor motion sensor as well

.

Outdoor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Ou.../B07KMP8P1Q/ref=psdc_1939545031_t1_B0748NCMNW
Indoor: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-In...V70WDM9CRY4&psc=1&refRID=E48MBGADVV70WDM9CRY4

Edit: These normally pop up as a deal on black friday. I think i've had these for about £20-25 as part of a deal pack.