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    Home Unlabelled Home Automation I made Blinds-To-Go motorized blinds smart

    Home Automation I made Blinds-To-Go motorized blinds smart

    March 04, 2020

    Home Automation I made Blinds-To-Go motorized blinds smart

    I made Blinds-To-Go motorized blinds smart

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:16 PM PST

    This is a small open source project to make motorized roller blinds from Blinds-To-Go be controllable via a browser and also have scheduling capability. All for about $5 worth of parts.

    https://github.com/nikivanov/smarterblinds

    submitted by /u/therussianconcussion
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    home inventory system

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:26 AM PST

    for all the bullshit I order on amazn, i.e. toilet paper (how many rolls and where they are in my house), baseballs, baseball bat, laser pointers, linen towels, etc. is there an app anyone recommends to keep track of home inventory, where everything is, etc. I would use this, i.e. to search do I have replacement windshield wipers, O I do, they are in the garage...please help reddit thanks

    submitted by /u/Celticsdan
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    I finally found the sweet spot cost for HomeKit compatible(ish) switches

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:05 PM PST

    I finally found the sweet spot cost for HomeKit compatible(ish) switches

    TL;DR: TreatLife smart switches

    I've been searching and searching for an affordable set of home kit compatible switches. I started off with a single Leviton Decora dimmer for $50 a few years ago (and they're still $50) and it's been great but that was too much to replace all the switches i had. I went down the homebridge route and bought a broadlink RM blaster ($30) plus some RF outlets (5 for $20) to switch a few things. Overall it was pretty cost-effective and they worked alright but still not the in-wall switches I wanted. Every few months or so i would go on amazon and the rest of the internet and look for deals or new switches but nothing really seemed to come up.

    Until the other day...I stumbled upon TreatLife smart switches. This bundle is $60/4 coming out to $15 per switch (non dimmable however the dimmers are about $25). What a deal! The only caveat was that they didn't work out of the box with HomeKit. But, no worries, there's a homebridge plugin for that.

    Even without HomeKit, the SmartLife app (or Tuya App if you want to link with homebridge) is extremely responsive and only time will tell if they will unpair or lose connection. But, I must say, the packaging on these things is quite high quality.

    Anyway, the pairing was super easy with the Tuya app and linking to homebridge only required adding your Tuya credentials to the provider and everything else happened automatically. I've so far installed 8 of these switches (6 single pole, 1 single dimmer, and 1 3 way) and they all work great.

    On top of everything else, I just upgraded my 3 year old Pi to run HOOBS and it is quite a luxury

    https://preview.redd.it/ra1pxsa47lk41.png?width=1242&format=png&auto=webp&s=6ab60dc216e727a7e1c53a3ac2df91d8f0b3c1d1

    submitted by /u/calmsquash515
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    iBlinds - Tilt Blinds retrofit (review)

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:46 AM PST

    Some of you may remember these guys https://myiblinds.com/ though it's been years since there have been posts about them here. They started as a kickstarter but unlike so many crashed and burned kickstarter dreams (looking at you flipfic!) this one appears to have gone places - they pulled their KS, found an investor, and released a working product you can buy. So I did. Here's the review:

    These are for horizontally slatted, tilting blinds (aka Venetian). It works with either the corded type (which are no longer sold in many countries) or the twist-wand type. The device does not raise/lower the blinds themselves, only the tilt.

    They are Zwave and work with most major automation systems (I use Hubitat).

    The entire mechanism fits inside the top of the blinds, providing a clean look. It's powered by a (proprietary) battery; both direct power (usb) and solar charging options are available. The latter acts as a trickle charger for the battery.

    Installation (I did 3 blinds) was fairly simple. The kit comes with several adapters for the most common sizes of internal tilt rods as well as alignment blocks for the motor so that it fits better in larger blinds. You'll want to check the iBlinds website for compatibility instructions/dimensions but they should fit most common types of Venetian blinds.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • As mentioned installation is straightforward and simple as long as your blinds align with their recommended sizes. Zwave pairing with Hubitat was effortless and the community driver works like a charm (there's an "official" Hubitat driver, but a community member improved it).
    • The calibration was a little finicky during initial installation but in the end I got them all to open and (fully) close in sync. In general they work well, though it's only been a little over a week so time will have to tell.
    • The solar charger is small, out of the way, and does a decent job of trickle charging - though of course as with all things solar this 100% depends on how much light they get - mine get direct sunlight all morning.
    • Not specific to iBlinds but I was able to easily integrate them with Homekit using Hubitat + Homebridge, and telling Siri to open my blinds to 30%, etc. hasn't gotten old yet. I also have automation scenes to open and close them in the morning/evening, when light level changes, and so on. I mean, that's why you get these, right?

    Cons

    • Price. With the solar charger they are $149 USD each. True, that is cheaper than replacing your existing blinds with Somfy, et all but still - ouch. There are bulk discounts for buying 2, 3, or more but not much.
    • Charging. I suspect most people who are willing to pay that much to automate blinds will put them on windows that get a lot of sun but if your window doesn't and solar charging therefore isn't an option for you then either prepare to charge your battery every few months (iBlinds claims 4 month battery life but of course that depends entirely on how often they are raised/lowered during the day), by hooking up an external USB charger, or go to the trouble of direct-wiring power to your window frames.
    • Noise. While I wouldn't call it completely annoying I should mention that these motors are not silent, nor do they emit a low pleasant sort of "hum". It's closer to a higher pitch screech. That makes it sound harsher than it is, in reality, but just know whether it bothers you or not you will notice the sound if you are next to these when they activate.
    • Fall back (or lack thereof). This is by far my biggest problem with iBlinds. The way they work involves completely replacing the manual tilt mechanism for your blinds (either the cords or twist wand). And the internal tilt rod runs through the motor assembly. This means the only way your blinds are now tilting is through iBlinds/your automation system. To make matters worse there isn't even an external button to control the motor manually. If your HA system goes down, or your blinds get disconnected from your ZWave network, they are staying in the position they were in until you fix it. If the battery runs out, you're waiting until it is charged back up. If the iBlinds motor breaks, you're going to need to pull the entire blinds assembly apart and put them back together. And so on.

    The last issue is why I can't really recommend these. If for any reason they (or your automation) stops working, so do your blinds. You can't even force them open/closed by manually pulling on the slats because the motor does not move freely when it isn't powered. The only external control is a button that re-calibrates/resets the blinds - even the Zwave pairing button is inside, on the motor.

    If they had some way to manually control the blinds then this would just come down to a price/value discussion. Absent that it's hard to recommend these even though they do appear to work and I do like having automated blinds blended in to my smart home routines. I'll be on the lookout for other options.

    submitted by /u/Planetix
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    Trying to find the best robot vacuum for under $400. Started building out this comparison table to search reviews by criteria for all the most popular options it found recommended by wirecutter, consumer reports, etc. Any other options I should include or criteria I should add?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:09 AM PST

    two different light switch/ two different power sources

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 05:19 PM PST

    Currently have: 1 light switch that powers 2 lights (Patio), 1 light switch that powers 1 light (side of house). I want to ultimately have each switch able to turn on and off all three lights at the same time. Is there a Wifi switch (bonus for apple home kit) that I can install that can control all three lights at the same time? So either switch will control all lights?

    submitted by /u/evolveambiguity
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    Using a Smart Plug as a Sensor (to Trigger Other Devices)?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:51 PM PST

    I'm just getting started with home automation. My setup right now is mostly just Lutron Casetas in the communal rooms. I have a dumb TV, but I'm wondering if I can use a smart plug that's always on to trigger the lights to my "TV Watching" scene in HomeKit. I've seen plugs that can detect and even record the amount of current that passes through them, so I was wondering if I can just always have that plug on, but when the switch detects current (when the TV is turned on) between say 7:30pm and midnight the smart plug can trigger the lights to dim automatically.

    Basically, can smart plugs be used more of an "if this" than a "then that".

    submitted by /u/TheFoodScientist
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    Smart POE camera?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:03 PM PST

    What are the options for a hard-wired camera with features similar to a nest or ring camera?

    Unified app or cloud-based portal?

    submitted by /u/Atreides2001
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    Creative voice commands?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 11:44 AM PST

    So this is an easy one, at least for creative minds, but I want a command for Alexa to start our new shark vacuum. Something funny like a Star Trek executive command, but not overly drawn out. I can't think of anything and I dont want it to just be "Alexa, vaccum"

    submitted by /u/CrustyChunks_
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    Introducing Heliocron - a CLI program for scheduling tasks relative to sunrise and sunset

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 01:01 PM PST

    What's a good cheap doorbell you can access with home automation software?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 04:34 PM PST

    Relatively new to home automation. Just did some stuff with z-wave door locks. Right now I'd like to try to hook up a doorbell. I was looking at something like the SadoTech wireless doorbell, but I have no idea if that can be accessed. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'd prefer something I wouldn't have to solder together myself.

    submitted by /u/cricketicecream
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    Upgrading Home Assistant/Server hardware in 2020

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 03:13 PM PST

    WattBox New Firmware Changes?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:15 AM PST

    Qolsys with Lutron Radio Ra2

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 09:52 AM PST

    Good afternoon guys!

    I had a quick question. I have some Lutron RadioRA2 switches and I just installed my Qolsys IQ panel 2 with alarm.com.

    I was wondering if the Qolsys panel would integrate with the Lutron dimmers or do I need to get a seperate hub in order for these to work?

    submitted by /u/Dirk_Digler93
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    Does anyone know of a way to cast a stream to chromecast unless interrupted

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:49 AM PST

    For more clarification I'm looking for a tool or VM I can run that will always cast something to the chromecast unless I'm actively casting something to the chromecast.

    This is more for background noise or just for something random on the TV as we don't have aerial.

    submitted by /u/MrHiym
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    Cheapest solution for 15+ inch touch screen for the wall

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 10:20 AM PST

    I am looking for some cheap options for creating a wall mounted system, for controlling all my in-house smart devices (via Home Assistant for example). I've looked at a few options, but none are really good enough or simply too expensive (I am not looking for more than $100 new or used). My requirements are:

    • At least 15 inches
    • 1366x768 or 1920x1080 resolution
    • Can have a built in PC, but I would prefer none

    The options I've looked at are:

    • Disassemble a 19-27" monitor and buy a capacitive touch module with USB
    • Find an used "mega tablet" such as the Samsung Galaxy View (no luck so far at this price)
    • Find an old all-in-one PC with a touch screen
      • Actually found a few at under $100, but I'm not sure if they have proprietary connectors for both the monitor and touch)

    So far I've been out of luck, but I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas. I can probably do down to 13" if it's a must and also up to $150 if it's really solid, but I'd prefer to keep it as cheap as possible.

    submitted by /u/mortenmoulder
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    Has anyone seen a Smart, RGB, Dimmable LED ceiling light?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 07:08 AM PST

    I've found plenty of similar lights, but it's hard to find anything that connects to, in my case google home, with these exact specs. When I find a "smart" one, it usually just offers already in-built functions like music, timer, alarm ect.

    submitted by /u/Maksiss
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    Wifi light switch+Google Assistant+Hue: how does everything behave?

    Posted: 03 Mar 2020 06:13 AM PST
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