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    Tuesday, September 29, 2020

    Home Unlabelled Home Automation I’ve had several LIFX bulbs and a strip for a few years now. It was difficult to pick between that and Hue, but now I see Philips is using bridgeless tech in low-cost bulbs. What’s everyone’s thoughts?

    Home Automation I’ve had several LIFX bulbs and a strip for a few years now. It was difficult to pick between that and Hue, but now I see Philips is using bridgeless tech in low-cost bulbs. What’s everyone’s thoughts?

    September 29, 2020

    Home Automation I’ve had several LIFX bulbs and a strip for a few years now. It was difficult to pick between that and Hue, but now I see Philips is using bridgeless tech in low-cost bulbs. What’s everyone’s thoughts?

    I’ve had several LIFX bulbs and a strip for a few years now. It was difficult to pick between that and Hue, but now I see Philips is using bridgeless tech in low-cost bulbs. What’s everyone’s thoughts?

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 01:30 PM PDT

    My dog doesn't really like docking stations ��

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 12:55 AM PDT

    Some of us would kill for this level of compatibility

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:52 AM PDT

    First steps & monitoring the essentials.

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 08:09 PM PDT

    Hi, I am absolutely new to the whole home automation world. So bear with me.

    To give you some context: I read through the introduction thread and did some research about openhab, iobroker and home assistant. Additionally I am a web developer with some electrical engineering know how (but very outdated).

    We just moved into a 100 year old house which had been extended in the seventies. Everything is dump and completely outdated. We will renovate in some years. Very likely the whole electricity and heating will be replaced. But some monitoring tasks and regulation of the oil heatings radiators should be covered now.

    Well

    As it is our sole drinking water source, it's essential to know how much water is in there. Afaik it's about 10 to 20 meters deep, but I don't know yet.

    I know about sensors pumping some air down a hose and later measuring the pressure. I like the idea, as I wouldn't need electricity at/in the well. Just lay the hose from the cellar to the well (about 5 meters) and down to the bottom...

    I found the OTT CBS with a SDI-12 via RS 485 link. Is this something I can read out and use in one off the listed home automation software packages? I assume I will need some device to read it out. Or can it be done in software?

    I have got an old PC with proxmox in the cellar. Very likely I will run a virtual machine for the home automation software on it. A database to store the collected data on a second. And a raspberry pi or something else is no problem...

    Cesspool

    We do not have a waste water duct. Hence, there is a cesspool which needs to be pumped out regularly. It's something I don't want to open on regular base before breakfast to check the level! 😆 As it's not that deep I thought about a radar or acoustic distance sensor. It's contact less and can not interfere with floating... things. What do you think about that? Do you have suggestions for it?

    Heating / radiator thermostats

    Currently there is only a central temperature regulation for the whole house and manual valves on the radiators. I want to have a temperature measurement for every room and control the valves from home automation.

    In most rooms the is only one radiator, but in the living room, there are two of them. Does this have any implications on the regulation?

    Any recommendations with valves to use? As we are planning to switch to underfloor heating in some years I am fine with a cost efficient solution which doesn't need to survive several decades...

    Finally, I am located in Austria which for sure has impact on compatibility.

    Thanks for your time and knowledge! I really appreciate your input to avoid spending on dead ends.

    Best, Andreas

    submitted by /u/a5s_s7r
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    ZWave paddle switch that "feels like dumb switch"?

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 09:06 PM PDT

    Does anyone know of a paddle style light switch that simply flips up or down and essentially feels like using the old dumb switches?

    I don't need scenes, built in timers, or any of the other features that come with most smart switches. I just need it to be able to turn the light on/off when I hit it, and the zwave connectivity so I can control it with Home Assistant. I want it to feel just like the dumb switches, so instead of sitting in the neutral position like all of the ones I've found thus far, it's more mechanical and is either up or down. I'm also fine if the up/down operation changes(eg: up is on today, but up is off tomorrow because home assistant flipped it). My existing zwave switches don't work when the kids hit it quick, it doesn't turn on , and then they smack it a bunch of times really quickly in frustration, so I'm looking for something that has the same feel as the dumb switches. I've seen some folks using zwave micro controllers in the electrical boxes, but I'd prefer to just buy a couple different switches for the few high traffic areas where the kids are always in and out of.

    I do have some 3-way switches I'd like to replace if I can find something that fits the above description, however most of them are single switches so I can live without 3-way support if that's not available. I also have a number of z-wave devices/switches in the home already and want to stick with z-wave.

    Does this switch exist?

    submitted by /u/dummkauf
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    Updated Home Security Control / Summary

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:38 PM PDT

    But, WHERE do you put your smart bulbs to help simulate sunrise?

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 02:47 PM PDT

    Is it just me? I seem to be unable to find the right placement of my new smart bulbs to properly simulate sunrise. Granted, my oddly-designed bedroom and window geometry doesn't do much to help me see the sunrise on a normal summer's day, but winter sunrise timing just makes life so. Much. Worse. Which is why I thought: I'll add some smart bulbs and trick my brain into thinking the sun still rises at 0630!

    Unfortunately... That has not been my experience over the last two weeks. I've tried in the overhead above my bed, I've tried in the next room, near the closest window... and it's just not helping in the way I expected. It's intrusive and garish, almost annoying.

    WHERE do you put your wakeup bulbs, in relation to your bed, so that they work to combat the encroaching shorter days? Do you have tips on duration of wakeup and recommended lumen output?

    ------

    Apologies if this isn't the right forum! I think y'all will know better than others; I promise I searched here and elsewhere on reddit, first!

    I'm currently testing with two Wyze and one Yeelight, all of which are white spectrum bulbs (temperature and brightness adjustable). These are my first attempt at smart lighting -- I was afraid to invest in a Hue hub before I knew it would help with my daylight problem.

    submitted by /u/fiscalia
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    Low voltage power options for sensors in outdoor lamp post? Looking to go from 24v AC to 5v DC.

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 07:35 PM PDT

    I have a lamp post in my front yard that has some low voltage wiring running to it. It's currently using a 24v transformer from the house but I can change it if needed. I'd like to put an esp 8266 with some sensors in the lamp post, maybe a pi with a camera.

    How do I turn the 24v AC power into 5v DC? I'm not scared of soldering if that helps.

    submitted by /u/PoopOnMyNoggin
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    My Journey to get my 40 years old dumb home somewhat smart!

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 01:24 PM PDT

    First of all thank you for this forum and many other online blogs, which helped me to get here. I am definitely not done with my setup, but I thought it is time to share some of the updates.

    NB: My findings are based on my personal experience and not a review as a whole.

    ​

    Before I began adding the first device this was my setup:

    • It is a 40 years old house with very old wirings
    • The electrical box was last updated/worked on back in 1993
    • All the light fixtures and switches are dumb
    • There was an ADT wired security system (installed in 2003) with wall panel. I never subscribed. It was used by the previous owner for couple of years.

    ​

    This is how I started:

    • Thermostat:
      • First thing I changed at my home is to get rid of the old Honeywell Thermostat to Nest Gen 3 learning thermostat. I like the ability to control the furnace from phone.
      • The installation instruction in Nest App is a breeze. It took me 10 min to install and get going.
      • My experience is: Nest app works like a charm. But Google home app is not very good/intuitive to use.
      • I like how the nest thermostat looks and feels. I also like how I can change the temp by asking google.
      • But honestly, I do not like the Nest Thermostat functionally. It is not able to play with other smart devices. It does not even work well with Google's own devices such as Nest protect.
        • The thermostat is normally stable. But whenever there is a new update, the thermostat goes offline and fails to come back up. This situation, I had to restart and then manually charge the thermostat to get going.
        • The Thermostat will lose smart ability if the battery voltage goes below 3.8v. I hear a common (c) wire is needed. Unfortunately, my 18 year old furnace did not come with one.
        • One will think Nest Thermostat can read temperature off Nest protect and use it to regulate heat. One will be mistaken.
        • Google does not share data with other devices. They only share you search history and where you go with companies who will pay.
        • I would probably change to Ecobee Thermostat at one point. But I got a very cheap deal on Nest. So going with it for now.

    ​

    • Lighting:
      • Setup:
        • Like many people, my 2nd take on smart home was Lighting. I chose Lifx A19 bulbs mainly for two reasons:
    1. I like how vibrant and bright they are (1100lm compared 800lm for other bulbs like Hue, Wyze)
    2. I like that no hub is needed (I was not sure what hub to get. So many options out there)
    • I started by changing all my floor lamps and table lamps to Lifx and loved how easy they are to setup.
    • The installation is as easy as plugging in the light and launch the app to setup. Takes about 2 min per light. The Lifx app is pretty good and stable for basic functions.
    • I have also used a Lifx Z strip around my desk for some cool mood lighting. Honestly if you work late and can spare some bucks, I strongly recommend getting these cool lights.
    • Beware, the Lifx Z should not be moved once installed. They connector pins are very delicate. If you bend it even a small bit, the lights will start to fail.
    • Another Light I have purchased is the Nanoleaf Shapes wall panels. I like how these lights work with music. The controller has a built in mic for music sync.
    • Nanoleaf too is a WiFi controlled light. The installation is easy but requires some patience. There are some instructional videos to help along.
    • I also added couple of Taloya LED ceiling lights. These are Wifi controlled and very bright. 12" ceiling light is 24W and has 2000lm. You can chance the color temp for white light and set color LED for mood lighting.
    • Lighting Control:
    • Each of the lights have their own apps. They also work with Google home and Apple Homekit (except for Taloya).
    • In two rooms I am using occupancy sensors for automatically turning lights. See below in sensors section for details.
    • I also used some smart switches to control these. One problem with smart light is if you turn off the physical switch, the light loses the smart function. So what you really need is a switch with relay off capability. (see Switch section)
    • Issues with Lighting:
    • Initially I did not have a good Wifi coverage in every corner of the house. Lifx will not behave if you do not have proper clean signal. My ISP's modem was not powerful enough, so I had to get my own mesh network routers.
    • Lifx lights are awesome and can change colors. But the Android app is not well designed. In fact, if you check the iphone app, the music visualizer looks lot different. iPhone has a better app with more/better controls for music visualization.
    • Another problem with Lifx is there is no good music visualizer than the iphone app. Unless you always want your house to look like disco ball, iphone lifx app is the only decent solution in my opinion. I tried (Light DJ, Thundr, LampShade, iLightShow, and native Lifx app).
    • Nanoleaf light panels had connectivity issues at the beginning. But recent updates solved it and they are my favourite lights now.

    ​

    • WiFi Router:
      • As soon as I installed my thermostat and few lights, I realized my ISPs router does not have the range to support my devices.
      • First issue I had was where my ISPs router was freezing and I had to manually restart every few days.
      • When the ISP changed the router to a stronger model, I found it does not have strong signal everywhere. For example I have a floor lamp in a corner of the room. Which was too far away for the signal. Also anything outside the outdoor wall had poor connectivity.
      • So I looked for a decent WiFi router with at least 1 LAN port for my LAN bridge.
        • I went with Asus RT92U mesh router. It has 4x1Gbps LAN port and 3 bands.
        • 3rd band of the router is WiFi6 and can be used as backhaul.
        • Since rest of the good routers were too expensive (almost double the price), I went with RT92U.
        • I plan to change this router in few years when WiFi6 router and devices become more common place.
        • The router is decent, but if you hare a heavy data user, make sure you setup schedule for weekly restart.
        • I think there are routers available in the market now which has all 3 bands WiFi6 capable.
        • I have turned my ISP router into a gateway and using the routing functionality in the Asus.
        • I get full 1Gbps internet on my mesh node upstairs, which is awesome.
        • Before you ask this, yes, I do frequently download/upload large files which needs high speed internet.
      • In my experience, with two node working in mesh, I get decent coverage throughout inside the house. The coverage is not so good outside the outdoor wall.

    ​

    • Doorbell Camera:
      • Next item I got after upgrading Wifi is the Nest Hello Doorbell Camera. I decided to go with nest since I heard from few friends that the picture quality was better than Ring or Wyze.
      • Also I wanted a doorbell which is stable. Since, Google knows everything about our life now, I guess it is okay for them to know which neighbours cat is walking through my front porch, right? ;)
      • Honestly, I am not very happy with Nest Doorbell for number of reasons.
      • It often goes offline. Happens almost every week at random hours. I even tried to have the router setup 2 feet away from the doorbell. Same results.
      • But the doorbell works well when it works. The pictures are crisp and detailed. Good resolution
      • I could never get the Nest Hello to work with Google Home app. It works perfect with Nest app.
      • Also this does not work with other devices like smart light/smart lock
      • I have an old Nest account, so I have nest aware gen 1 subscription. I find Gen 1 nest aware is a good value for single camera setup.

    ​

    • Central hub:
      • I wanted a central hub to control everything in my house. I was not able to find any solution that can bring in everything together. But the closest one with a good community support is Hubitat. Specially their latest C7 offering seems to be very stable and works well for my setup.
      • Since I needed a Z-Wave, Zigbee hub for some of the light switches I planned to install, I chose Hubitat.
      • You may ask, why didn't I go with all WiFi solution. In my experience, WiFi 5 is not able to handle large amount of connected devices and WiFi 6 is not mature enough. Almost smart WiFi devices use 2.4GHz band. Which is not very stable when many of your neighbours are blasting WiFi signals from all around.

    ​

    • Switch for lights:
      • Anyone who has a smart light already knows the woes of someone turning off the light switch and you cannot control the light anymore.
      • Not matter how smart your housemates are, they may not be keen on installing the apps in their phone.
      • So I needed a Switch that can disable the relay to the light.
      • Another thing I was looking for is a light that works without neutral wire. As mentioned in the previous section, my house is very old and wiring is old.
        • Initially I thought the panels dont have neutral wires. I just didnt see them. But they were in the panel hidden behind many wires. One Licensed electrician helped me find those.
      • Anyway, I went with Inovelli Zwave S2 Dimmer Switch since it had good reviews. It also has both disable internal relay option and ability to work without neutral wire.
        • I could not get it to work without neutral Wire! So finding the neutral wire in the back, was a happy surprise.
        • Once connected with the neutral, the switch works like a charm
        • press the button3 8 times to disable internal relay and setup automation in hubitat to turn on/off the smart light.
        • I am very Happy with it.
        • However, when used with a dumb LED light, the switches were disappointment.
        • I have bunch of LED pot light in the kitchen and in the Hallway. I found Inovelli makes a buzzing sound for both cases in the switch. When contacted the seller, they wanted me to send the Switch back for warranty claim. But the unit was working with smart switch, so I did not send back.
      • For dumb lights, I have found Zooz ZEN27 dimmer and ZEN26 on/off switches work like a charm. there is no buzzing sound. The light switches are very responsive as well. Works will with Hubitat

    ​

    • Nest Protect:
      • I wanted to also add some smart fire/smoke/CO alarms. So I went with nest protect.
      • To be honest, the only reason I went with nest protect is they work with Nest Thermostat.
      • One problem is Nest protect "Does Not" work with Google Home app. You will need nest app for them.
      • They are working well so far. I like the automated monthly fire alarm test. The units also work like a dim light in the dark. It is enough light for a quick trip to washroom door.

    ​

    • August Lock WiFi:
      • I have also found August lock WiFi to be a good lock. I have it only on one door for now. Good thing is nobody from outside can tell it is smart lock. Also you can use the original keys.
      • WiFi connectivity is a hit or miss. About 90% time it works and fast. Rest 10% is frustration.
      • Also it does not work with Nest Hello. Which means you need to open yet another app to open the door.
      • Opening August app is faster than telling google to open, since Google asks for pin
      • I am still not sure if I trust the security on this. So will not install on all outdoor doors for now.

    ​

    • Smart Garage Door Opener:
      • I have a 12 years old Genie power garage door opener. You can guess, there is no smart about it.
      • So I went and bough a cheap WiFi relay for garage door opener from Meross. It is for a manufacturer in China. The instructions were in Chinese, but I was able to find an English version online that worked for me.
      • Once I connected the 35$ device into meross app, it worked like a charm. I can tell you right now, this is the best connected device I own. All those expensive Google, Lifx, Nanoleaf, hubitat etc failed to connect at least once. But I never had any issues with this garage door opener.
      • Very happy purchase. This also works with Google home and IFTTT.

    ​

    • Smart Outlet:
      • I have couple of smart power strips from Kasa. They work very well so far. I had never have any connectivity issues.
      • This is the only cheap smart power strip I could find in Amazon. That's why I bought them.

    ​

    • Sensors:
      • Ah yes, the eyes of smart home. I have two types of sensors.
      • Inovelli Z-Wave 4in1 sensor:
        • This is very good and easy to setup.
        • Peel off and press down where you want it to be placed.
        • One problem is the sensors do not have a wide reach.
        • I have the sensor installed under a door. It does not detect me more than 5 feet away from the door.
        • But it does detect me when I am getting in the room and sends a signal to turn on the lights.
        • It also detects Luminance and can be used to slowly turn on the lights
      • Hardwired ADT sensor:
        • I have a sensor installed by ADT. I am using that as occupancy sensor in one room to run some smart automation. More details in next section.

    ​

    • Converting the old ADT sensors to smart sensor:
      • Luckily my home came pre-wired with ADT open/close sensors in all doors and windows
      • It also came with a siren and occupancy sensor.
        • This occupancy sensor works better than Inovelli and has a wider reach.
      • When I opened the box for ADT, I found there is 6-zone configured from back in 2003.
      • So I went and bought a 6 zone Konnected panel. I decided to go with conversion panel. I really did not want to use ADT's subscription.
      • Konnected panel requires a WiFi to work with and hub to get the data in. It integrates nicely with Hubitat and shows the door open/close information. You can also control the siren and see occupancy.
      • I did not find any con on this. This is just a bonus and saved me from buying bunch of other sensors.

    ​

    • Bringing it all together and automating:
      • What's the point of smart home if there is no automation right?
      • I used Hubitat, Google Home and IFTTT for my automation
      • Hubitat is used as a central hub for all kind of monitoring and switching.
        • Most of the smart automation rules are also sitting there.
      • Manual Driver's for hubitat:
        • I had to find and install manual driers for following items (just search hubitat forum)
        • Inovelli Dimmer Red Series
        • Kasa Multi Plug
        • Konnected: driver required for each type of devices
        • Lifx
      • Things that do not work with Hubitat had to go work with Google Home:
        • Nanoleaf Light panel
        • All Google Nest products
        • in-floor heater thermostat
        • Meross Garage door opener
        • Taloya Ceiling light
      • Then I have used IFTTT to connect the Google home connected devices to Hubitat through virtual device option.
        • IFTTT works well but could be bit slow to respond compared to Hubitat or Google home connected devices

    ​

    • Useful Automations I have:
      • Turn on outdoor lights and living room lights at Sunset
      • Turn off lights at certain time of the day
      • Use the occupancy sensors to turn on/off lights at night
      • Use the occupancy sensors to set certain temperature at certain time of the day
      • Turn on/off lights when front door or garage door opens
      • turn lights red flash and ring siren in case of fire/CO/smoke
      • Alert me when certain doors left open at night for long time
      • Alert me when Packages are left in the front door
      • Intruder alert and siren when I am away

    When I set out to do all these above, I spent numerous hours figuring out what to buy and what to install. I hope this helps anyone new in home automation get a snapshot of what is involved. If you can do this, you life would be little bit easier.

    Also I noticed my electricity bill went down little bit. Thats a bonus, right?

    ​

    TLDR: I have listed all the different smart devices I have and tried out. Google and I have a complicated relationship!

    ​

    Thank you Home Automation geeks for helping me getting this far.

    submitted by /u/netpavel
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    Simple Shelly 1 Question

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 08:11 PM PDT

    Hi, quick question about Shelly relays. Am i correct in assuming that if I get these installed and the wifi goes out, the mechanical switch will still operate as normal?

    1. Do i need a specific shelly to achieve this?
    2. Do i need a specific wiring setup?
    3. I'm redoing the whole house for light switches in our renovation. Should i just get push button switches? My biggest concern is if the internet or server goes out, I still want the lights to work!

    Thanks in advance!

    submitted by /u/halogen55
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    What's your preference for making things smart: via a smart relay (e.g. Shelly), smart switch or smart appliance itself?

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 11:29 PM PDT

    Let's say you have a blank slate before moving in, the whole electrical and network wiring will be made just as you request it. How would you plan to make things controllable and smart:

    • Install dumb push button switches (the ones that click and go back to a neutral position after a button press, not the ones that stay up or down), but make them smart via a smart relay like Shelly
    • Forego the relay and just install smart button switches
    • Forego the relay and smart switches and focus on smart appliances themselves (e.g. Hue bulbs which can be controlled directly)
    submitted by /u/FashislavBildwallov
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    looking for an HDMI switch 1 in 2 out which supports 1080p 120hz/4k 60hz at least

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 02:45 PM PDT

    Hello everyone, I have a little TV and a monitor in my room, and I want my ps4 and (future) ps5 to be able to switch between both of them without unplugging the cable each time to do so.
    Now the TV is 4K 60hz, but the monitor supports 1440p 144hz. I want to be able to use the monitor as much as I can. I know that 1440p 144hz is too specific so I'm trying to search for a 1080p 120hz switch.

    I searched for an HDMI splitter that supports 1080p 120hz and 4k 60hz at least but in amazon ebay and those places I didn't get a definite answer to the hz support.

    anyone can help me?

    submitted by /u/adirsportes
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    Setting up a smart home for someone else; need advice on pricing and software/hardware

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 08:41 PM PDT

    Some context — I'm relatively new to HA but have a pretty heavy software background, so I've spent the last 2-3 months setting up my own smart home with Home Assistant + Node-Red pretty easily. I know what I'm doing, but I also don't mind having a setup that requires tinkering and maintenance. I'm not at all a professional when it comes to wiring and/or construction, but I have been able to figure things out at my own place.

    A friend is currently building a new house and wants to hire me to make it smart (unclear yet how far along the process is and if the plan is to have the house wired with smart switches etc, or for me to retrofit things in afterwards.)

    My two big questions are:
    1. Budget aside, what's the go-to hardware/software for HA that's more turnkey than Home Assistant? I'm not expecting that they want any complex automations, but they're looking for phone/voice control of lighting, theater, climate and window coverings, with any automation being a nice-to-have. Home Assistant works great, but I really don't think it's rock-solid enough to set and forget at someone else's house.
    2. How much would you charge for setting everything up? I'm not a professional so I'd obviously charge less than market rate (in a high CoL area), but I don't even know where to start here.

    Side note: I'll also be setting up WiFi and Ethernet for the whole house, and am planning to go with a Unifi setup as I've done the same at my place and found it to be relatively hands-off. So I'm hoping that eliminates one of the common sources of frustration with HA setups.

    submitted by /u/blerb795
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    Apparently my gang box is slightly too small for two homeseer switches, suggestions for a z-wave switch that is slightly smaller?

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 12:37 PM PDT

    Need Suggestions for Smart Plug w/Remote

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 01:17 PM PDT

    Here's the scenario: I have a closet that I want to add some lights to that I can control with a preferably wall-mounted switch. There is an outlet in the closet that I can use for power for the lights, so that part isn't a problem but I'd prefer not to go to the trouble of wiring a light into the ceiling and a switch into the wall.

    I've seen the Lutron Caseta lamp dimmer which I can control with a Pico remote, and I already have the hub, so it wouldn't be the worst thing to go with, but $50 is a little on the steep side to me. I'm not seeing a lot of other products that quite fit the bill.

    I see a bunch of other products from brands I don't recognize or know anything about that aren't exactly "smart" in that they seem to use just radio to control the outlet, which isn't a total dealbreaker, but I'd prefer to also be able to control it with Alexa if possible. I'd prefer not to add yet another smart-home app just to control this one light too, but I know that might not be an option as I don't see product offerings in my current ecosystem that quite fit the bill (outside of aforementioned Lutron Caseta dimmer plug).

    My current ecosystem consists of:

    TP-Link Kasa switches

    Amazon Alexa (and some Amazon smart plugs)

    Lutron Caseta light switches (and hub)

    Gosund smart plugs

    Samsung SmartThings Hub

    submitted by /u/tylerj714
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    Bathroom Fan Switch/Timer (Crestron and Lutron QS)

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 08:29 AM PDT

    I'm currently designing a Crestron integrated with Lutron Homeworks QS system for my personal residence. I'm trying to determine the best way to control bathroom exhaust fans. Ultimately I want a solution where if the Crestron processor goes offline the fans and lights still work. I've decided to use multiple Grafik Eye QS and Wall Box power modules rather than a centralized dimming panel (I want autonomy on a room by room basis in the event of hardware failure).

    My initial design is to put the fan on a switched zone on the Grafik Eye, then use a remote keypad mounted beside the Grafik Eye to switch the fan on/off. On another wall by the shower there is a Crestron TSW, I would put a fan timer control on there, you can select 10-30-60 minute timer to turn the zone with the fan on/off on the Grafik Eye.

    I'm wondering if there is a way to also control the countdown timer for the fan zone from the Lutron QS side and provide feedback to the Crestron processor and vice versa? Maybe there is a better way to do this?

    submitted by /u/labvinylsound
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    looking for help with kitchen lighting

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:07 AM PDT

    My kitchen currently has 1 light switch that controls the overhead lights, then there are 2 under cabinet lights just plugged into 2 different wall outlets and they get turned on by an on/off switch physically on the lightstrip.

    I want to set up my lights so i can have the overhead lights and the cabinet lights turn on at the same time, but i want to be able to also control the overhead lights and the 2 cabinet lights individually (on the same switch or 2 switches = 1 for the overhead light and 1 for the 2 cabinet lights).

    What i was thinking of doing is have a smart switch control the overhead lights and 2 smart plugs for the cabinet lights, then i can set a group in google home to turn on all the lights at the same time. but i want to be able to turn off the overhead lights and keep on the cabinets lights; this is where i get into a problem, how do i do this?

    an idea was to have the overhead switch control just the overhead lights and then have a wirefree smart switch to control the other lights in google home, but i dont know of any products that can do that.

    does anyone have any suggestions? or perhaps a better way of doing this whole set up?

    everything helps, thank you!

    submitted by /u/BossMann123
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    Retrofit, wired-to-wireless alarm kit

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:51 AM PDT

    Dear All,

    The house I bought is well wired with infra-red, door and fire sensors, that all go to a 16-zone NAPCO Gemini system. The installer is not willing to reprogram my system if I don't also sign up for a monitoring subscription, so I'm thinking about keeping all the sensors and replacing the main box with a connected kit.

    I'm looking at options, including

    https://konnected.io/collections/shop-now/products/konnected-alarm-panel-wired-alarm-system-conversion-kit?variant=20238633599049

    and

    https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Ring-Retrofit-Alarm-Kit/dp/B07Y926SS8?th=1

    Anybody has experience to share?

    submitted by /u/cazzipropri
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    Motion sensor and contact sensors recommendations for hubitat.

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 12:43 PM PDT

    I'm trying to find a few motion and contact sensors to work with my hubitat.

    Most of the recommendations on the hubitat forums are no longer being sold or are difficult to find.

    Anyone have recommendations for these sensors?

    Does smart things sensors work with hubitat without getting a smart things hub?

    I'd like about 3 motion and 2 contact sensors but I don't want to spend 50 bucks per sensor. They don't need extra features just motion and contact.

    If it works with smart things devices without ST hub I'll probably just do that.

    Any help is appreciated.

    submitted by /u/WildExpressions
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    Coax over Ethernet Question

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 11:23 AM PDT

    I have a question for the community, as I can't seem to find the answer anywhere else. Does an adapter exist that allows for Coaxial connections to travel over Ethernet? Have someone with 3 Cat6A cables and would like to add an additional coax cable for their Cable box, but all drywall has been put up. So, it would go like this Coax->Ethernet->Coax->Cable Box. Thanks in advance for any help!

    submitted by /u/Loonoco
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    A Zig or Zwave device to make a 'pip' noise

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:22 AM PDT

    Hi,

    Is there such a device ? basically I would like it as an audible PIP - much like many conventional security systems make when windows or door are opened.

    Plan would be do just link it to rules so that I know all my Zigbee sensors are working more easily, ie - I would expect a PIP when I opened a door or window.

    I have sirens and Sonos - but that's a little ott!

    Cheers

    submitted by /u/daftputty
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    Issue with treatlife dimmer switch

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 09:58 AM PDT

    Hi all,

    I'm starting with home automation. I got myself a bunch of treatlife switch and dimmer switch. I have a switch box with 4 switches. They are plugged to two different breakers.

    There is a load coming in and are attached to 3 of the switches. The neutral are all attached together. And each switch is attached to their respective load.

    When I added my smart switch, I pigtailled the neutral to both of the switches and plugged the live to live, load to load and ground to the casing.

    When I turn on one of the dimmer, all is fine. When I set the dimmer to 2/4 and 3/4 the other light would turn on. It doesn't do that the other way around.

    Why!?

    submitted by /u/bbjaii
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    New Amazon Echo Devices come pre-loaded for Zigbee, introduce new low bandwidth network callled Sidewalk

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 07:45 AM PDT

    Alexa Routines: Setting volume on all Echos at once

    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 05:56 AM PDT
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