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    Saturday, February 22, 2020

    Home Automation room-assistant v2.0 - room presence with any Bluetooth device (e.g. Apple Watch), thermopile sensors and more

    Home Automation room-assistant v2.0 - room presence with any Bluetooth device (e.g. Apple Watch), thermopile sensors and more


    room-assistant v2.0 - room presence with any Bluetooth device (e.g. Apple Watch), thermopile sensors and more

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 10:51 AM PST

    Heard the best thing ever this morning

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 04:27 AM PST

    As we were waking up but still in bed my wife goes "I wish these bedroom lights would automatically turn on. I don't want to get out of bed with the lights off." She is finally coming around to see how nice home automation is. Unfortunately for our budget, she is realizing how nice home automation is

    submitted by /u/Dhkansas
    [link] [comments]

    Mega "getting started" thread

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 10:04 AM PST

    [Updated repost]

    So, I've done a mega review post, but about time for my mega "getting started" thread.

    First off, I wanna just get out of the way that there are as many approaches to doing "smart home" as there are people doing it... So I welcome comments! The idea is to create a single post/thread I (or, for that matter, anyone else) can just link for people asking the basic question of "where do I start", and... I started where I started, not where everyone else started :-)

    [What do you want?]

    My first suggestion to all those starting out or barely in.... At a minimum, consider EVERYTHING you might want to do. Let your imagination run wild. If you can think it, there's a good chance someone else has done it. I think the biggest and most common mistake people make when starting out - and it's true for me as well - is a lack of imagination. There's nothing wrong starting out with "I just want to do X" (especially if you mean it) but it's also a good way to get boxed in. I recommend everyone, including automation veterans, write out all your dream projects and goals... actually write them down. Write out what and how many devices (lights, sensors, etc.) it will take. Then, put in ball park prices. If you're really just starting out, you might need to pencil in just wild guesses. That's fine. Doesn't need to be exact, and prices change (and can vary wildly by brand/model). The idea is to just have a rough estimate of what's feasible and what isn't... What's worth it and what isn't... What to do sooner and what to put off.

    [What do you already have?]

    If you're serious about home automation... Make a detailed floor plan of your house. Actually, if you seriously own a house or are a long-term occupant of a residence -- make a floor plan. Mark where everything is at... Standard switches and lights, normal sockets, smart devices, and sensors. Also, mark out which circuit breaker they're all on (may not help with your home automation, but it's still very handy to have). This doesn't need to be day-one, but despite being a lot of work, it will be very useful in many ways. And worst case scenario, you'll add value to your house. (I use Sweet Home 3D - free, pretty powerful, and pretty easy.)

    Obviously, what you already have for automation devices should be taken into account in any smart home plan. However, in general don't let that influence you too much. Home automation is constantly evolving, so be willing to occasionally rethink your approach. If you do switch to a different platform/protocol/etc, do it slowly. Don't try to transition everything at once.

    [What can you do?]

    See below for a quick list of the most common device types. Following that is a list of automation ideas. Use these to assist in making the list, and I will try to edit it to be fairly comprehensive, but please imagine the possibilities. Come up with your own dream list! (Then share it.)

    But before I give those, there's a two things you need to decide early on. Honestly, I'm split on which is more important. They may very well be equally important.

    [Pause for dramatic cliff-hanger....]

    [How are you going to control everything?]

    The first is the "automation controller". You've heard of Google Home and Alexa - maybe even IFTTT - and you're wondering if you really need a separate controller. Or maybe you've been under the impression Home and Alexa were the Alpha and Omega of smart homes. If you're going to do more than couple of simple things... you're going to want a controller. It's just that simple.

    There's quite a few out there, from those that barely qualify as an automation controller (like Google Home), to easy to use but limited SmartThings, to DIY systems like HomeAssistant. Personally, I use a Hubitat Elevation, and I love it. But... which is best depends in large part on end goals and user preference (and mon-ay!). Few people have used all of the major ones, so take all suggestions - including mine - with a grain of salt, unless they can directly compare and contrast from experience. So, you're on your own. For what it's worth, my quick-pick short list would be either Hubitat or Home Assistant, but it really does depend on your tech level, budget, goals, and other preferences.

    Note: Especially if you're wracked by indecision, SmartThings is pretty good and affordable way to get your feet wet, but they've said they're going to discontinue it any day now soon some day maybe (it's been four years since I got the email saying it is happening).

    Note: I used to suggest SmartThings as a good system for a mildly serious beginner, but IMO the new version is all but useless.

    [How are you going to control everything??]

    The second major decision is how you want to control the lighting. Sounds simple, but it's really not. It really deserves a mega-thread of it's own. At least for me, it was a choice that was far more difficult, far more costly, and far harder to reverse than which controller to get (though I'm proud to say I'm sure I did make the right choice for my goals). Different people do different things, and it's often necessary to mix-and-match, and there's a lot of different circumstances. There's smart switches,1 smart bulbs, smart switches with smart bulbs, control/touch screen panels, remote controls, and voice. And, each one can have varying features and styling. I'm a huge fan of Lutron Caseta and Pico, but they do have some downsides. And so do all the other methods and brands. So, first, imagine yourself in your smart home.... How do you picture yourself turning on the lights on and off? Where will the switches be? What will they do? What are you going to do with the existing switches? Will you want switches where there aren't any built-in?

    Many people answer "I'll just use voice". Wrong answer. Just take my word for it. Voice is an add-on feature; not a replacement for physical controls. (I have at least 10 Google Homes scattered throughout the house, and will be expanding on that - but for the most part, it's pretty rare for anyone in the house to use them.) Personally, my ultimate answer is that I want the lights to turn on by themselves, at the level I want based on time and activity (using motion sensors and schedules, while accounting for prior and current actions). Unfortunately, that's not a complete answer for three reasons... 1) Motion sensors can be finicky and you'll want a backup, 2) Motion sensors aren't appropriate for all circumstances, and 3) Motion sensors throughout the entire house (and setting up the automation logic) is a large undertaking, and will take much time, effort and expense. I give a pro/con of some of the basic methods on my "review thread", but... Ask questions. Imagine the different lighting scenarios you'll want, and the best to control them. Consider what you'll gain over "dumb" switches, and what you'll lose. Once you think you know what you want, research and post questions about whether you've missed anything, and what product(s) will get you there.

    [What protocol are you going to use?]

    One other thing that's suggested be decided early on is protocol. If you've done any research at all or spent anytime in the forums, you'll see ZigBee and Z-Wave mentioned a lot. First, I want to mention that WiFi is conspicuously absent that sentence. Despite the massive number of "smart" products on the market that use WiFi, it's not a good base protocol to use. Although it's fine for one-off solutions, like an appliance or one smart socket for the Christmas tree, there's too many drawbacks - from security issues to signal interference. I'm not going to go through all the pro/cons for WiFi, but in general avoid it.

    As to Zigbee or Z-Wave - many people will disagree with me, and maybe they're not wrong and I just don't know enough - but my stance is I don't care. I'd recommend getting a controller that supports both. There are differences between Zigbee and Z-Wave, but even when they matter, they're kinda a wash - benefits for downsides - without either side of the equation being all that important. I use both, and there's no major issue with having both. Both are mesh networks, meaning to increase range, all you need to do is add devices that can act as repeaters (as a general rule of thumb with a lot of exceptions - anything that plugs in). Hue light bulbs are Zigbee, and most bulb makers have followed suit (technically, a substandard of Zigbee call Zigbee Light Link, where most Zigbee devices use Zigbee Home Automation - ZLL bulbs are one of those exceptions for being a repeater, but there are exceptions to that exception and lighting deserves it's own thread). Xiaomi sensors are also Zigbee. Smart switches and outlets come in both, with maybe a slight bias towards Z-Wave.

    [Do you really need a "hub"?]

    A note on hubs. Many people (including myself) started out with "But I don't wanna hub!" (or "But I don't wannanother hub!") Get over it. Although there's something to be said for simplicity, don't get hung up on whether something requires a hub! They don't build them just to make money... well, I mean, they do, but no one would buy them if they didn't have value. Personally, I actively use six hubs (Hubitat Elevation, Lutron Caseta, Hue, Pi 3B+, Arlo, and Fing), and that's down from my previous posting of this guide. That's not to say those hubs are right for everyone (again, see my review thread), and I'm definitely not saying to buy any hub without researching what features it adds, but do not cut off your nose to spite your face by avoiding product lines just because there's a hub!

    [Where are you going to use it?]

    (At home! It's home automation! Duh!!)

    Presense... It's a huge issue for home automation. Maybe even the most important issue. So, just going to define a few concepts for your consideration.

    There's geopresense (aka "geofencing"). Most everyone is family with this in concept and in practice, and are perfectly well aware of it's limitiations. It can be used to determine, within some margin of error, if you're at home, but pretty much useless in saying which part of the home, and it can only track other people if they're willing to install an app. It can also be used for things like having left work, leaving an area (eg having home automation just know that you've gone on vacation), visiting your family/side b***h, etc.

    To determine if someone is in the actual house, or a specific room, you can use contact sensors, which indicates a door or window has been opened or closed. Obviously, this can't say who it was, or even if they're entering or exiting. Motion detectors... well, you know. Detect motion. There are some issues with them, such as sensitivity, polling rate, and false alarms (the vast majority of sensors see infrared, so heat sources will tend to throw them off). Still, they make for good lighting controls and such. With some careful planning, combining them with contact sensors and GPS, you can get a good idea of where people are in a house, and by extension, what they're doing.

    A few other "presense" types... There are pressure plates, vibration sensors, and beam sensors. Some of these are pretty uncommon, but if you're not adverse to DIY, they can on occasion be handy. For instance, a pressure sensor can tell if your car is parked, and a beam sensor can tell if the car has arrived. That is, a pressure plate can tell the difference between a car and a person, but is specific to where it's at. A beam sensor can see between any two points, but can't tell the difference between a car and your grandmother's corpse.

    Another option is BlueTooth. Using an active transmitter, you could identify specific people within a small-ish area, but still not good enough to pin-point a room/area. When combined with motion sensors, if people aren't in groups, you could get pretty close.

    As hinted at with most of the short-comings, the Holy Grail of a smart home is being able to customize the environment to suit the specific people in the room/area, and specifically to suit their activity. The only way to do that in a practical way within a home environment is through facial recognition cameras. Although it's technically feasible, at this time, it's simply not practical for the vast majority of home owners.

    [How are you going to stop using it?]

    Shit happens. Plan for it. Example one... My kid's dog likes to chew on my MagicCube and Pico remotes, which only control lights so no big deal, but if turning on a light while no one was home acted as a security alarm trigger, it's be a big problem. Example two... a minor bug in my automation code prevented lights from turning on or off - at all - and I couldn't stop right then to fix it. But I had an override in place. It's too easy to make a mistake, like having lights come on at 2am instead of 2pm, so put in overrides. Have options to disable routines. And use multi-point authentication systems for critical systems like alarms and locks. A couple mistakes can tank the SAF, if not actually put you in physical danger.

    Now on to the lists, but first a warning. Don't let them overwhelm you. The options with smart homes is long, but only the biggest dicks most dedicated [sorry, just jealous] do more than maybe a double handful of them.


    Devices:

    • Smart lighting / smart switches

    • Buttons

    • Smart outlets (including high-Amp/appliance outlets)

    • Power monitors (built into many, but not all, smart outlets)

    • LED strip/accent lighting (strictly speaking, not necessarily "smart", but is way better with smartness)

    • Touch panel screen(s)

    • Voice control (Alexa, Google Home and/or Bixby)

    • Motion sensors

    • Tilt sensors (garage door, tactile buttons)

    • Accelerometer/vibration sensor (door sensors, washer/dryer, theft deterrence, tactile buttons)

    • Water leak sensors (leak alerts, plant care)

    • Temp sensors (for AC zone control, house fan, stove monitor, refrigerator monitor)

    • Humidity sensors (bathroom vent fans, basement monitor)

    • Door/window contact and/or magnetometer sensors (good for closet lighting, home security and controlling HVAC)

    (Note: There are multi-purpose sensors that combine various of the above into one device)

    • IR/laser beam sensors (don't know of any retail product, aside from wired garage door sensors)

    • Pressure sensors (don't know of any retail product)

    • Smart locks

    • Smart thermostat

    • Smart vents

    • Security cameras

    • Blinds/curtains

    • Smoke/Carbon Monoxide alarms (with remote alerts)

    • Sprinkler/irrigation/s controls (eg valves, solenoids, pumps, etc.)

    • Pool automation (Note: There's actually not much on the market for pools that aren't very pricey)

    • Robot vacuums

    • Pet/child toys (just being thorough.... :-)


    Automation ideas:

    Note: The true wonder and power of home automation is being able to join together multiple triggers with multiple events for multiple devices, such as creating whole-house scenes, combining lighting, alerts, tv/movie player, fireplace, water features, etc., etc. It's impossible to list every combination, but... please share what you've done :-)

    • Single controls for multiple lights (eg overhead lights and lamps)

    • Single controls for multiple lights doing different things (eg if overhead turns off, accent lighting turns on)

    • Single controls for both lights and ceiling fan

    • Single controls for multiple light functions (eg double-tap and long push)

    • Remote controls for lights and ceiling fans (or anything else)

    • Voice controls (just FYI, it's not as useful as you might think, unless you have it already and think it's super useful)

    • Motion controlled switches (eg waving instead of pushing - especially good for the disabled)

    • Porch light turns on when you arrive (accounting for time and/or ambient light level)

    • Porch light turns on when you open the door, and stay on for X seconds/minutes

    • Closet (or cabinet, crawl-space, etc.) light turns on when you open the door, and turns off when you close it

    • Lights come on at preset level

    • Lights come on at level based on time (and/or color temperature "warmth", with color lights)

    • Lights come on in nightlight mode at night (same as above, but deserves a separate bullet; deal with it)

    • Outdoor lights timed to sunrise and sunset

    • Lights come on at level based on weather (and/or color temperature "warmth", with color lights)

    • Lights come on at level based on room/outside brightness (and/or color temperature "warmth", with color lights)

    • Dim lights to preset level when tv is turned on

    • Single button to turn on whole entertainment system

    • Preset channel selection buttons (or auto-play movie from media server - Note: hacked Amazon Dash buttons are good for this, as are Xiaomi MagicCubes, with printed stickers)

    • Preset pizza/Chinese delivery buttons (use with care if you have children, or the dog gets ahold of the button, etc.) see bottom for a few button ideas

    • Emergency button send text message, email, and/or sound alarm

    • Color (or color flash) lights for weather (eg it's cold, or it will rain)

    • Color flash lights for incoming phone calls, texts and/or emails by sender, keyword and/or number

    • Color flash lights when household member arrives home (or gets near home)

    • Voice alerts for when household member arrives home (or gets near home)

    • Dim to off for lights (rather than abrupt change - this is pre-built into many systems, including Hue and Lutron switches)

    • "Scene" control for lighting for movies, parties, reading, snuggle time, bed time, etc. (using color lights)

    • Light colors "dance" to the music (Note: this only works in dorm rooms, "(wo)man-caves" and brothels)

    • Turn off (or on) lights when you leave the house (or select lights when select people leave)

    • Vacation mode lighting to simulate occupancy (or, better yet, lights always simulate occupancy when not home ... and don't forget the tv)

    • Combination locks

    • Smart card locks

    • Auto lock doors (eg X minutes after being unlocked)

    • Lock the doors when you leave

    • Unlock the doors when you arrive (I STRONGLY recommend dual-authentication, such as phone geofencing COMBINED WITH garage door opening - other authentication can be hidden buttons or motion sensors, key fobs, video facial recognition, and possibly your car)

    • Change lock codes remotely

    • Change lock codes automatically (eg a sequential "cipher")

    • Set scenes based on different lock codes

    • Set single use (or X number use) lock codes

    • Schedule when lock codes will work (eg for house cleaner)

    • Enable/disable lock codes entirely at certain hours (if keyless locks, make sure you have a way to bypass, such as by phone app)

    • Send text alert (or color flash, sound, voice, etc.) on lock code usage (eg kids getting home)

    • Video doorbell

    • Flash lights with doorbell ring

    • Send text alert when door opens (or a light turns on, etc., possibly at certain times) (eg kids getting into shit they shouldn't)

    • Door sensor alert for liquor cabinet or gun case (or toy chest, either child toys after bedtime or bedtime adult toys)

    • Door sensor on shed and/or fence (with alerts) (credit Cobra)

    • Stop light (or other parking-assistance) for inside garage

    • Voice alert for child's door opening during scheduled bedtime (credit homeautomaton)

    • Child's door sensor auto-shut-down of streaming media (credit homeautomaton)

    • Baby monitor with alerts providing two-way voice

    • Set open doors and/or windows left open to disable AC or enable whole-house fan (possibly with text, light or sound/voice alert)

    • Voice alert for windows open when raining (credit to Cobra)

    • Remote video monitoring (don't spy on your spouse, you perv!)

    • Security system triggered by vibration sensor "tags" (ie attached to a tv)

    • Security system triggered if window is broken, by attaching a vibration sensor to it

    • Security system triggered by light switches

    • Security system triggered by motion sensors

    • Layered security monitoring using all of the above combined with cameras, locks, and contact sensors, with light and/or audio sirens, voice warnings, text alerts, and hypothetically phone calls

    • Simple, fast and multiple security alarm deactivation "secret" buttons (so no need to fumble around trying to remember and enter a number into the base station inevitably three rooms away that has a card next to it saying whether to push the star or pound sign while alarms are blaring in your ear)

    • Trigger ceiling fans based on temperature

    • Automate bathroom vent fans based on humidity

    • Basement dehumidifier accounting for time (or presence) as well as humidity (that is, using different humidity thresholds based on other conditions)

    • Select music to play when arrive home

    • Select music playlist/channel based on who is home

    • Autoplay music in rooms based on motion

    • Select room music playlist/channel based on who in the room (would require in-home tracking, such as BT fobs or camera facial recognition)

    • Select music to play for "scene" like reading, snuggle time, etc.

    • Set volume and/or equalizer levels for "scene" like party, movie time, reading, etc.

    • Smart gaming pieces (ie embedded acceleration/touch sensors; light/sound response; random dice/player pieces; etc.)

    • Blinds/curtains set to open/close on schedule (and/or by weather, and/or by "scene")

    • Alert (text, light flash or sound) when mailbox is opened

    • Swipe card lock on mail slot box

    • Package delivery box keyed to parcel service (with alerts)

    • Text/voice alert (etc.) for leaks (toilets, sinks, washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, ice maker, aquariums, basement)

    • Valve cutoff with leak

    • Voice/sound alert for dryer/washer being completed

    • Alert for clothesline dry based on moisture

    • Voice/sound alert for stove preheat

    • Schedule voice assistant to sing Happy Birthday (when birthday girl/boy is present)

    • Coffee pot set to start with alarm clock

    • Automatic/scheduled/controlled pet feeder and/or treat dispenser

    • Provide alert if pet has not been fed, or provide indication if pet has already been fed

    • Aquarium temperature alerts

    • Aquarium or other light cycling through colors and brightness all day

    • Aquarium cloud shadow or lightning effects by weather (best with addressable LEDs)

    • Aquarium auto-filling by level (using a water sensor - be sure to have backups in place for catastrophic leaks!)

    • Pool auto-filling by level (using a float with a contact sensor - be sure to have backups in place for catastrophic failure!)

    • Pool pump timer (possibly accounting for temperature and/or rain)

    • Water heater timer (allowing weekends, holidays, etc., as opposed to "dumb" timers)

    • Water heater always on when home (perhaps combined with timer - "if home AND between X and Y o'clock" or "if home OR between X and Y oclock")

    • Water heater turns on when temperature rapidly drops (eg regardless of schedule, turn it on if actually used)

    • Have bathtub temperature and/or level preset with auto-shutoff (and alert when full)

    • No-touch toilet flushing and/or sink faucets

    • Carbon monoxide levels trigger whole house and/or ceiling fans (and/or cut off furnace, open garage door, vent fans, alerts/alarm)

    • Monitor power usage of outlets

    • Fancy holiday lighting and patterns

    • Audio broadcasts (eg "Dinner time", "Bed time", "Take your medication", singing Happy Birthday, etc. - can be combined with buttons)

    • Audio broadcasts/text alerts for maintenance (eg AC filter, car registration renewal)

    • Disable/enable WiFi/internet access to devices by schedule or other event (eg disable kids' phone at "Dinner time", could be combined alert mentioned above)

    • Text alert for power outage

    • Schedule sprinklers/irrigation

    • Activate sprinklers/irrigation based on temperature and/or soil moisture

    • Motion based animal deterrence (eg alarm or activate robotic scarecrow)

    • Secret buttons (eg motion sensor in a book to retract a wall revealing a massive bunker filled with guns, with optional bunker filled with guns)

    • Fun buttons doing... whatever (like squishy toys, the Big Red Button, or the internet box - note: do not put a button on your shoe, because that's stupid)

    If you've made it all the way here, lemme know if you want something closer to a step-by-step instructions of getting a "smart home" using a Hubitat. I don't like telling people "do this" when there are so many different ways, and I'm nowhere near done with my way, but with enough interest I might be convinced.


    1 Disclaimer: Just FYI, "switch", "remote" and "controller" can have varying meanings that differ between general usage, electrical devices, and in home automation. I'm using a generic, non-technical, meanings.

    submitted by /u/redroguetech
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    What is the most flexible home automation system

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 03:20 PM PST

    Hello,,

    I just moved into a new home.

    The house has 3 APs wired in it with a little server cabinet in a bedroom closet. I have gigabit internet.

    I use the Wink (at an other location) and I like it a lot. I also currently use the OOMA home security system (at an other location) and like that as well.

    I will probably use a Ubiquity router.

    I need

    -Smart outlets

    -Smart light switches

    -Security system

    - currently have a Genie smart garage door

    - currently have Honeywell smart thermostat (the round one)

    What system would you recommend. I have an Iphone so I'm open to homekit. I refuse to use Google or Amazon products.

    I really appreciate any recommendations. Thank you in advance.

    submitted by /u/Trevor775
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    Help - Shelly 1PM Garage Door Wiring

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 08:53 PM PST

    Help - Shelly 1PM Garage Door Wiring

    I'm trying to figure out how to wire the Shelly 1PM to a garage door. I found a guide on how to do it for the regular Shelly 1, however the Shelly 1PM is slightly different or at least the wiring schematic looks different.

    https://preview.redd.it/7lfkxz5zoei41.png?width=688&format=png&auto=webp&s=9469acc94d4316e253066ba5391aacc8121a913c

    So is this how I would connect it?

    https://preview.redd.it/68pn5338oei41.png?width=1064&format=png&auto=webp&s=912ef4c9555f3a5236aab39dfb6dcd0e3d9f5b2b

    submitted by /u/Mopedmike
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    Schlage Z-Wave Lock Battery

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 08:17 PM PST

    Automate indoor sliding door

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 06:59 PM PST

    Like switchbut but some sort of spring (?) to close door ,,, please help thank you

    submitted by /u/Celticsdan
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    Need a lighting solution that has state reporting & local control, with no neutral

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 04:43 PM PST

    I live in an old house that has very old wiring, and as such can't fit a typical switch or Wifi module at the switch or ceiling rose. The electrics for each switch circuit go from Live -> Switch -> Bulb -> Neutral, with no available live in the ceiling rose.

    I'm looking for a dimable bulb or light switch, that is controllable both via Home Assistant, and locally - either via a physically wired switch or via RF (433mhz or similar). I would much prefer it doesn't "look" smart - a single rocker or momentary switch on the wall would be preferred.

    I'm open to Z-Wave, Zigbee etc, but I'd like to try and keep each light under £30 if possible, and ancient thick walls tend to not play nicely with those anyway.

    In essence, something like the Sonoff Slampher, but dimmable, would be perfect.

    TLDR: Looking for a sub £30 dimmer module for a no neutral switch, with local & Home Assistant control.

    EDIT: I'm UK based

    submitted by /u/AdamAnt97
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    Logitech Pop + WiFi outlet

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 10:17 PM PST

    Does anyone know of a WiFi outlet that doesn't require a hub and will connect with the Logitech Pop button? I'm trying to take a "dumb" LED strip connected to a WiFi outlet that will be activated by the Logitech pop.

    submitted by /u/Phatty938
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    Emergency light bulbs

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 03:26 PM PST

    Has anyone ever bought and used emergency lightbulbs? Or "life lights" ... basically your normal looking lightbulb, except it's charging and when the power goes it stays on.

    I live in an area where there are power cuts all the time and this would be super handy except the only ones I've found so far have had negative feedback.

    submitted by /u/Instajjj
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    How to install an MQTT Broker

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 07:25 AM PST

    What kind of sensor can I use to notify me when someone is finished with the shower? (and not other bathrooms activities.

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 01:57 PM PST

    Please help me with this..

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 03:25 PM PST

    Lutron worth the cost?

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 01:42 PM PST

    Sorry i know this is redundant. But struggling to decide. I like the hybrid and seetouch keypads, beaufitul. Passed the lvl1 course, so i have software. But the switches are just so much more expensive. Reading about inovellis new z-wave stuff, combined with aoetec scene controls with a hubitat, i think I could make a great lighting experience for 1/3 the cost of Lutron. But everywhere i read, everyone says Lutron is worth it. Help push me over the edge please.

    Referring to Lutron Radiora2.

    submitted by /u/EnderOfWor1ds
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    Somfy Powered Blinds

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 09:17 AM PST

    I recently upgraded my Somfy Tahoma controller with the Nov 19 firmware and now it will not speak to my blinds. They can still be controlled by the Smooth 1 RTS wall mounted switches but neither the app or the web interface work.

    I contacted support (who are so slow at getting back to me) and they said to delete the blinds from the device but that threw up an error.

    Has anyone experienced and fixed this or do you have any ideas?

    Thanks

    submitted by /u/RiTSupport
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    Using Fibaro Wall Plug to monitor water pump and pressure tank in my house

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 12:54 PM PST

    Drop basement, Troffer lights, Caseta Dimmers-Is there a dimmable solution that works with Caseta Dimmers?

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 08:53 AM PST

    So I have a basement with a drop ceiling and 4 2ft x 4ft fluorescent troffer bay lights. I've researched solutions and have attempted to implement some of the Toggled brand LED tubes (installation is wild but not too bad) but the bulbs just are flat out not bright enough when connected to the Caseta dimmer. I'm looking around for various solutions and I've found several flat panel LED light fixtures that are dimmable, but require low voltage wires to be run to the switch which isn't really feasible to solve a problem this simple. Also, I don't have neutral wires so the Caseta dimmers are a fairly solid requirement in this project.

    Question: Is there a dimmable solution for 2x4 troffer style lighting with regular smart dimmers i.e. Caseta dimmers that any of you have come across? I'm willing to replace the entire fixtures, but would strongly prefer a 2ftx4ft solution for the time being.

    submitted by /u/idrankthebleach
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    Bought several Echo Shows for parents who live in differnet states, how to call them independently while on same acccount

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 12:19 PM PST

    New to echo/alexa.

    Setup: I purchased 3 Amazon Echos 8" displays. Mom and grandma lives in california for work. Dad lives in Texas. I live in Illinois. Mom and Dad's alexa on are the same amazon account. I am on personal account. I bought these so we could all video chat with one another (and check in on grandma). Both parents are set up under there own profiles attached with their own phone numbers under the same amazon account.

    Currently, if I have my Echo show call my mom, both Echo shows ring in cali and in texas and whoever picks up first answers the call, regardless if I call my mom or dad.

    How can i set it up so one number calls mom's display and one calls dad's display even if they are on the same amazon account?

    submitted by /u/-UserNameTaken
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    Back from the dead?

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 11:22 AM PST

    Arduino-based Voice-controlled (Google Home or Alexa) relay/switch

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 07:30 AM PST

    For anyone looking for a way to build a voice-controlled switch or relay using an Arduino style board, I created an Instructable that might be of value. It's a DIY project, but, for me, I needed something I could patch into my gas fireplace to be able to turn it on and off with voice control. I tapped into the low voltage manual switch circuit and connected it to this relay. Hopefully it's helpful!

    https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Based-Voice-Controlled-IOT-Relay-Switch-Go/

    submitted by /u/Brinohm
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    These leading IoT software packages makes home automation convenient

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 01:37 PM PST

    RM mini 3 aircon preset for Google home

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 08:03 AM PST

    Alright, so I've just gotten the rm 3 mini pro, is there a way where I can tell my Google assistant to turn on the aircon and it automatically turn the aircon on and at the same time set timer to 4 hours?

    submitted by /u/Iselore89
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    Recommended light switch brand

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 07:16 AM PST

    What does everybody recommend for dimmer light switches? Plan to add to multiple rooms with some needing to handle 3-way switch.

    Ideally looking for google home integration too.

    submitted by /u/2019scotty
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    Homeautomation newbie: Basic question about homematic

    Posted: 21 Feb 2020 06:50 AM PST

    I am totally new to the idea of homeautomation as I am close to buy a new house for the first time.

    Now my main goal is to install a reliable alarm system for the following two cases:

    • housebreaking
    • fire

    Now I have read a lot about homematic products and they seem to be really popular.

    As I am a big fan about wired connections in general as they seem to be more reliable, my question is:

    Which homematic products would you suggest for housebreaking alarms and fire alarms according to a complete wired setup? What's the minimum of products I need for a basic installation?

    Thank you in advance for any help as I'm standing a little in the dark yet.

    submitted by /u/TECbill
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