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    Home Automation From This Old House: Futuristic smart home 1989

    October 29, 2020

    Home Automation From This Old House: Futuristic smart home 1989

    From This Old House: Futuristic smart home 1989

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 10:50 AM PDT

    School bus detection in front of house using Zwave or Zigbee

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 07:58 AM PDT

    I'm getting started with my first home automation setup using Habitat. One fun daily task I'd like to automate is an alert for when the school bus is in front of my house. Outside of using sensors (since I can't attach them to the bus) are there any camera based visuals recognition options anyone knows of ? Thanks

    submitted by /u/JYad
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    Safety allowing access to home server from outside - Proxmox

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 10:11 PM PDT

    There's a lot of info out there about getting access to your home servers from the outside. Can someone help clear up a few items for me? I'm not clear on what the capabilities are of each option.

    From what I've gathered, to get access to your home servers, I can install a wireguard type VPN, or I can do reverse proxy with letsencrypt and nginx.

    • Does wireguard require let'sencrypt also? Or do you save a pre-shared key on the devices you want to have vpn access when you're outside. So no easy username/password sharing - it's a more involved process to gain access?
    • With the reverse proxy method, can I make available any web server I have in my local lan? Like my Grafana front end? What about a Blue Iris front end that shows video streams?

    Thanks!

    submitted by /u/androidusr
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    Classic floor heating controller - any smart options available?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 06:11 PM PDT

    Planning Whole House Automation

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 11:32 PM PDT

    Hello everyone,

    Here is a little about the system I am planning:

    • Located at my parent's house
    • I am purchasing the house within the next year and a half since they are purchasing/moving to the farm which belonged to my late grandparents on my dad's side.
    • Once the house is bought, I plan on gutting it completely and starting over from scratch.

    I need some suggestions and advice for planning the whole system which includes several things listed below:

    Smart 3-way light switches/dimmers, door locks, thermostat, 2-way light switches/dimmers, door bells, and maybe even a security system along with it.

    Here are questions that I could think of:

    • What type of connectivity should I be using? I know that there is WIFI, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Zigbee, etc.
    • Is there any brands to avoid or ones that perform better than others?
    • Anyway to buy the light switches in bulk? I will need thirteen 2-way dimmers, eight 3-way dimmers & three 2-way switches.
    • Can anyone suggest anything else that would be good to include in this system that I have not mentioned?

    \* Also be aware, I am not looking for any products that require a monthly/yearly subscription. I would rather buy the equipment and be able to use it freely without having to pay for its functions.*

    \* I am also not opposed to doing a little tinkering with open source products like a raspberry pi to control the system and what not.*

    \* If I need to, I can upload a floorplan of the house in question to give you a better understanding of where stuff is going to be located and such.*

    Is there anything that I don't know about or would be helpful?

    Any suggestions & help is appreciated. THANK YOU!

    submitted by /u/gobinator98
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    Phillips VUE and Caseta Wireless - integration?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 09:17 AM PDT

    Could not find anywhere or my google is not working right :)

    I am trying to build a smart home (starting with lights - how noob) but of course there are some caveats.

    1. We are Apple Homekit home - we use Apple devices, lots of AirPlay2 devices and it needs to be idiot proof
    2. I don't mind having few hubs and/or building integration between them - I would like this to be working, don't mind it even creating Highly Available setup if needed
    3. Most of my lights are recessed lighting connected into chains of 2 to 4 in a serial fashion
    4. Most of the lights are controlled by 3-way switch
    5. Few are simple switch
    6. One is 4-way switch
    7. We use Leviton Decora Plus plates
    8. Most of smart systems are either not HomeKit integrated or they are not 3- or 4- way compliant
    9. We are using dimmers

    After careful research the only system that fulfills all of the requirements is Caseta Wireless, but... I want to have smart bulbs as well, changing colors, full nine yards - so here comes Phillips VUE but their switches are not 3- or 4-way compliant not to mention Decora Plus plates.

    Caseta would control on-off by the plate and HomeKit, dimming as well VUE would control on-off via HomeKit, change of color, dimming, etc.

    Hence a question - can it be done? And if yes - can you point me right way so I can get another PhD in creating complex and useless things (as per my wife) :)

    submitted by /u/Pawlisko80
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    I need help for picking the right smartlock for my door. I realized many smartlock operate with deadbolt and require outside handle. But in my country most of the door don't have those handles and I am not sure what kind a smartlock I need. Can you help me?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 04:20 PM PDT

    Remote Battery Powered Motion Sensor Connected to Light Switch

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 08:15 PM PDT

    Hello everyone,

    This one is stumping me. Hopefully people way smarter than me can shed some light (pun intended, you'll see lol...) on this for me.

    Scenario: I have a set of porch lights (dome light type of flush mounted fixtures) that I would like to come on when I arrive home or in the area. I can NOT replace the bulbs with PIR motion sensor bulbs since my indoor motion would trigger them all the time. I also do NOT want to replace them with the ugly security/garage type of motion sensor flood lights. I would like some sort of remote motion sensor that I can set up in the corner facing away from the porch windows.

    I currently have a radio wave based remote motion sensor connected to its specific light switch that I had installed (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-8-Amp-7-Day-Indoor-In-Wall-SunSmart-Digital-Timer-Switch-with-Motion-Sensor-White-49820/203687964). When it's working, it's very adequate. However, the communication between the motion sensor and the light switch is very spotty and the batteries need to be changed quite often in the motion sensor.

    This is my current setup in terms of other potential relevant devices in the house:

    - Vivint Smart Home security system with their SkyControl hub (it employs z-wave to talk to its various sensors and components)

    - Google Home

    - Multiple Kasa wifi light switches throughout the house

    Therefore, my question is, are there any Z-wave or other types of WIFI remote motion sensors (battery powered only) that will work with the Vivint Smart Home hub or Google Home that can automatically turn on the said porch lights? I am fine with changing my light switch to match whatever remote motion sensor needed, I just would like to avoid having to purchase an additional z-wave hub though.

    Thanks everyone in advance!

    submitted by /u/will0120
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    Savant Systems iOS app problem/question

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 07:39 PM PDT

    I've got an older Savant system that I'm still reasonably satisfied with (despite the inability to change things on my own, I work around it). I just got a new phone and it's running the same iOS as my last phone but for some reason the Savant True Control II app won't load my system.

    When I open the app, the system is listed, I select it. It says, downloading and installing very quickly and then goes back to the selection screen. I can work around this but I'm hoping someone might have something I can try before I just wave the white flag.

    submitted by /u/g0nzonia
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    Building a new house - seeking input on proposed smart home plan

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 07:06 PM PDT

    We are in week 1 of the design process of our new home. So far we have covered architecture plans with the builder, and just started discussing wiring and smart home solutions.

    I plan on integrating the majority of the house with Samsung Smart Things, paired with Alexa. Smart Things would integrate the following:

    Lighting: Lutron Caseta LED switches (everywhere)

    HVAC controller: EcoBee x2 (two zones)

    Automated locks: Yale smart key pad with exterior deadbolt lock (each exterior door)

    Front doorbell: RingPro (not looking to add any other cameras)

    Linked Garage Door: GoControl (have not done much research here)

    For audio: the basement will have its own home theater setup. The kitchen and dining room will have two Polk ceiling speakers each, and the patio will have Definitive Loudspeakers. I currently plan on hardwiring the speakers to a media rack in the unfinished storage in the basement. I will initially run the kitchen/dining room speakers on one receiver and the patio speakers on another old receiver with airplay, etc. I will eventually add true AMPs to the setup. All the smart home hubs will also be housed with the receivers and my current Orbi wifi system. I currently have the builder running CAT6 to the unfinished storage in the basement, the basement living room, the main floor living room, the pantry, master bedroom, and office.

    In our current home we use Alexa, Phillips Hue, August, Ring, and Nest. I am hoping that Smart Things allows us to use less apps and to have one integrated app. Also Phillips Hue can get annoying when guests use switches that have smart lights, so hoping that Lutron alleviates that inconvenience.

    Would you change any of the platforms that I am currently proposing? Or do you have any other advice/tips? Thanks in advance!

    submitted by /u/Fair-Mixture
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    What's a good WIRED camera system that works well with Google.

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 02:55 PM PDT

    I've got Wyze, but it's gotten very restricted lately for non usa users, im in the UK.

    Plus I'm sick of the slow notifications and copy low fps recordings.

    submitted by /u/8bitPete
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    What is going on with the Lifx app

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 01:22 PM PDT

    It seems like every few months its COMPLETELY redesigned not just from a UI perspective but a features and functionality one too. The concept of location/rooms isn't always necessary for every customer. I end up using other 3rd party apps with much lighter interfaces for simple on/off 99% of the time. My question now is, why can I only get the effects (spooky, candle flicker) to work for a few min at a time (using the Lifx native app)?

    submitted by /u/dwfmba
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    Magic Home Light Bulb won’t connect

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 12:30 PM PDT

    I've brought a Magic Home light bulb off Amazon and I can't for the life of me get it to connect to my wifi! It's driving me insane. I have a 2.4ghz wifi, plus other items connected so I can't see why this one won't work.

    It won't actually connect the first way you usually do on the Magic Home app, it always fails and sends me to the other version. I have to manually connect my phone to the light bulb built in wifi, then switch to my wifi, and then the bulb can't connect to the wifi.

    I'm only the floor above the router, and I live in a small house so I can't see distance being an issue?

    Anyone got any tips? I've turned off mobile data already and that hadn't helped lol!

    submitted by /u/sophiebphoto
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    Any cheap roller shade motors compatible with broadlink RM Pro?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 04:08 PM PDT

    looking for some automated window coverings. Not quite ready to bite the ikea offering yet, but there are a number of rollershade motors available that would be fine if they work with the RF on a broadlink.

    Anyone try or recommend anything in this arena? What do you use and do you like it?

    submitted by /u/flargenhargen
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    Making SONOFF ZB Mini work with ZigBee2MQTT

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 04:08 PM PDT

    Lightswitch help - is this possible?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 09:43 AM PDT

    I've got a basic 3 gang switch in my downstairs hallway that controls;

    - downstairs hallway light

    - outside porch light

    - upstairs landing light

    ​

    and I have a 1 gang switch upstairs that also controls the upstairs landing

    ​

    My house has no neutral wiring, which seems to write off a bunch of switches I've been looking at so far.

    I have my own server running home assistant & don't mind getting techy with stuff and generally avoid anything that relies on external/cloud connectivity or subscriptions.

    ​

    What I would like to do is replace both switches with something that allows;

    Downstairs; same 3 switches but I'll use home assistant to also control the porch light (eg, sunset timer, or movement outside etc)

    Upstairs; ideally replace with a 2 gang switch. 1 switch would be 2-way with the downstairs switch for the upstairs landing - but the 2nd switch would also be able to control the downstairs hallway. I don't have the 2-way wiring in place to do this, so that switch would trigger home assistant to control downstairs hallway light.

    ​

    ​

    Does what I'm planning to do sound possible? Fundamentally it seems like I'm after;

    1x 3gang 2-way switch (where each switch can be individually controlled by home assistant)

    1x 2 gang 2-way switch (where one switch triggers home assistant but otherwise does nothing)

    Both with no neutral and preferably wifi so I don't need to faff around with hubs.

    Edit: worth noting I'm in the UK and it seems lutron caseta is unavailable here

    submitted by /u/philm88
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    MyQ shows garage door status of open, but the door is closed

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 11:01 AM PDT

    I'm having a problem with my MyQ where the status shows the door being open, but the door is closed. This has happened a few times and I'm not sure why. If I open and close the door it seems to fix the status. Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to fix it?

    submitted by /u/DistinctMediocrity
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    Smart thermostat for multiple heating sources

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 12:46 PM PDT

    We are looking for a thermostat that can handle multiple different types of heating sources. We have a propane furnace as the main heating source, and we are adding some electric baseboards to rooms that don't get heated sufficiently through the ducts. In the next year or two, we are going to add a heat pump system as the main heating source and only AC source, but will keep the propane furnace as backup for when the temps drop too low for the heat pump.

    Is there a thermostat out there that can manage all these systems? This is for a rental property, so something with a simple user interface is key too. Some warnings in case something fails would be nice too.

    Thanks for any tips!

    submitted by /u/CharlesM99
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    Hardwired Rotary Encoder Based Control Panel

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 12:45 PM PDT

    Hey Everyone,

    I have a 70 channel led lighting array split over six 12 Channel DMX Decoders. I am hoping to create a physical control panel using rotary encoders & physical buttons. I am wondering what best practices are here, and what is the simplest way for me to set up lighting control sequences (Triggered by things like motion detectors) while still providing a sort of physical override feature.

    Looking for something that is not internet connection dependent and is focused on providing high-uptime and reliability.

    Any pointers?

    Thanks!

    submitted by /u/NorthernSword
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    DIY video doorbell - brainstorming

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 12:06 PM PDT

    Im tired of looking for an (affordable) video doorbell that supports open standards like RTSP and allows me to integrate in to home assistant. So Im considering hackxing my own. Given that I have absolutely none of the skill required, except for 3d printing a housing - maybe- , how hard can it be? :)

    Ive seen some projects using ESP32 cams. Thats neat and cheap, I can definitely do that, but I do want better than that. Actual half decent and smooth video, oh, and 2 way audio!

    First thought was keeping it REALLY simple. I dont need much more than an old android phone in a water proof case. It has audio, video, wifi, can run any RTSP server. To actually use it as a doorbell with notification and audio/video, I figured Id use something like skype, have a button that initializes a videocall to me. There, done. If you expose the screen its even a 2 way video doorbell, who has that? Ok, this not very practical for a variety of reasons. Mounting it, power, IO, even software wise Im not sure how to actually make it work. Maybe with tasker or something?

    Next thought; a single board computer a la raspberry pi. Add a POE hat for power and data. It has the horse power to produce h264 video. It has plenty of IO to wire up a button and a few leds. It has a camera interface and raspicam is usable for this (IR switching cams exist, although with a flood light I may not even need that). But audio could be a challenge if you want to keep it compact, especially audio in - thats one nice thing of using an old phone, it already has very good microphone and usable speakers. Software is a question mark too. Skype doesnt really run on ARM. There are plenty of other software solutions, but I would need something thats also available on my android, and that is reliable. With some sort of API to initiate a call. Ive played around with Jami, but it was not reliable (at the time) and I didnt see any sort of command line options or API. If anyone has suggestions, Im all ears.

    Then as I began wondering how big the contraption would become to house a speaker, microphone, possibly via USB, POE hat, cam.. it hit me; I dont need all that outside. I just need the camera, a speaker, microphone and a button. I pull the wires in and have a SBC mounted on the inside of the house. Boom, now I can use pretty much whatever computer I want. Well, up to a point, but mostly any SBC, I have room for small shoe box there, so could even use x86 boards if that helps solve anything.

    I could now also use a USB webcam, which has a thin wire and Im sure I can find something with night vision. Or even with built-in microphone, although I could just use any usb microphone. If I need an amplifier for the speaker, I can put that inside too.

    But the question remains; what sofware could I use, given that Im not a developer. I need something that can initiate a video call to my phone (and ideally desktop at the same time) by pressing a (GPIO) button. There has to be something. Anyone?

    submitted by /u/Vertigo722
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    HomeSeer HomeTroller Plus or software for my own system?

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 08:10 AM PDT

    I moved from a mixture of hubs to a HomeTroller Pi earlier this year, and it's good. But I want all the plugins! I obviously need to upgrade to HS4 Standard, but I'm not sure if I should get the HomeTroller or just the software and put it on my own machine. I don't currently have anything just sitting around to put it on, so this would be either a computer I buy or build. What would you suggest? And if we are going the DIY route, is there a minimum/suggested hardware list?

    submitted by /u/charminggeek
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    HOW-TO: Holiday LED Strip Lights, Home Assistant & WLED

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 11:38 AM PDT

    HOW-TO: Holiday LED Strip Lights, Home Assistant & WLED

    There is no better time to install permanent LED strip lights than right now. And not just any LED strips, but smart one, which you can control from anywhere with multiple effects using Home Assistant and WLED and NodeMCU. I will show you what you need and how to setup and install everything step-by-step in an easy and understandable way.

    It is a lot of fun for the kids and for the grown up kids to see some cool LED strip light effects. And what if you can activate such kind of effects not only during the holidays, but whenever you wish with a push of a button, automatically, remotely or with your voice. It is all possible thanks to Home Assistant and WLED firmware. The end goal is one time effort and year round benefit.

    I will waste no more time here and I will start this video.

    The Video 🔴 🎥 https://youtu.be/zepNvlN4gEc

    HOW-TO: Holiday LED Strip Lights, Home Assistant & WLED

    If you prefer to read, this is the full Article ✍️📜 https://peyanski.com/holiday-led-strip-lights-home-assistant-and-wled/

    And Web Story specially optimised for mobile devices (insta like) 📲

    ➡️ https://peyanski.com/web-stories/holiday-led-strip-lights-home-assistant-wled/

    Cheers,

    Kiril

    submitted by /u/KPeyanski
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    HomeKit the hard way: Universal hub that support BT, Wifi and Zigbee

    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 01:20 AM PDT

    So, I've decided to build my home automation system around HomeKit, which seems the hardest and closest to integrate with other protocols.

    I currently have a philip hue, a bunch of iOS devices (iphone, apple tv and apple watch) and a Home Pod (Apple big smart speaker).

    ​

    I want to add to the system a bit of everything, from Bluetooth buttons, to lights from different companies, to maybe some custom build electronics with a ESP8266 running home architect.

    I probably need to go through home assistant to orchestrate all this, but I want to retain the voice part of home kit - 'Hey siri do this'.

    Anyone out there with a similar setup? What hub would you recommend to interface with as many protocol as possible (I think I'll have at least Zigbee and BT, the router can handle the WIFI part of the setup). I'm open to custom made hub (ie.: some sort of Raspery PI with additional boards).

    ​

    Thanks in advance

    submitted by /u/snickmy
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