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    Saturday, January 9, 2021

    Home Unlabelled Home Automation Late night project, installed a (smart) single, (smart) three way and a new (dumb) paddle switch. The "dumb" switch is also a four way with a smart switch placed elsewhere.

    Home Automation Late night project, installed a (smart) single, (smart) three way and a new (dumb) paddle switch. The "dumb" switch is also a four way with a smart switch placed elsewhere.

    January 09, 2021

    Home Automation Late night project, installed a (smart) single, (smart) three way and a new (dumb) paddle switch. The "dumb" switch is also a four way with a smart switch placed elsewhere.

    Late night project, installed a (smart) single, (smart) three way and a new (dumb) paddle switch. The "dumb" switch is also a four way with a smart switch placed elsewhere.

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:33 PM PST

    SwitchBot has API now, for cloud and local controls, so you can link these with anything you want!

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 04:23 AM PST

    New home has 5 exterior doors: designing a system around a pile of smart locks.

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:03 PM PST

    We just moved into a massive, lovely house out in the country side. I love it, but I told myself that my new house would be smarter than the last.

    From what I have been able to piece together about the state of HA in 2020, the most expensive up front investment (in a field where there are lots of expensive investments) is going to be getting locks set up for all 5 of the exterior doors. I have 4 deadbolts and one knob to replace, and all except the knob need to at least look like they're matching. Also want at least one to be manually keyed because power failures are fairly common here.

    As to why I want all 5 to be smart: I want to know the state of the door locks at any time. Our before sleep routine is always, "are all the doors locked?" And I want to be able to answer that without having to go downstairs.

    Haven't picked a voice assistant yet or a controller. I am fully capable of technical tasks, but I'm adverse to it: between my job and my family, I don't have the time to spend tinkering, so easy is better.

    I'm fond of kwikset locks and their ability to be easily re-keyed, but their smart line is all over the place as far as looks and age. But if only one door is keyed, then brand does not matter.

    So: does anyone have recommendations for an affordable way to put smart locks on the 5 doors? An ideal system would be 1 keyed deadbolt, 3 other deadbolts (keyed or not), and a reliable handle/knob for the last one.

    I'm leaning toward putting it on a hubitat, which seems like the cleanest way to support as many devices as possible (and make google assistant still a possibility, as the goog is better at natural speech), but using a gen 4 echo with zigbee is another option, and going hubless (maybe with HA) would be the third.

    In which direction should I look?

    submitted by /u/kayakyakr
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    Best Robotic Vacuum and Mop Combo?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:35 PM PST

    Looking to buy my parents a Robo Vacuum/Mop for their birthdays. Want to make sure I get something that operates very well - I've read that there are a bunch of robo vacs out there that do not work very well.

    Doing some brief searching, it looks like the Roborock S5 may be the best option for the money. I can get it for about $450, shipped.

    https://www.amazon.com/Roborock-Robotic-Connectivity-Navigating-Capacity/dp/B0792BWMV4

    Can anyone that is well versed in robo vacs provide some input. Should I go with a different vac or is it a good choice?

    Edit: After spending almost 2 hours researching, I went with the 360 S9. Couldn't really find any noteworthy complaints about it. It was between the S5 Max and the 360 S9, and the S9 was about $65 cheaper.

    submitted by /u/IamDoge1
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    Best way to automate this switch?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:37 PM PST

    I rent an apartment and am not allowed to nor do I want to rewire a bunch of switches to get automation for lights, most the lights in this apartment are these circle style lights: https://i.imgur.com/jHWdnus.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/flIflT8.jpg
    (I don't know too much about them but being this style just using a smart bulb is out of the question)

    the only two bulbs in this apartment are also GU24 which I know you can get E26/27 adapters for but those are in the restroom so I don't need them automated.

    more annoyingly most the switches around the apartment look like this: https://i.imgur.com/vqi9A4P.jpg

    so using a ThirdReality or Switchmate switch are out of the question, ignoring the top part of that photo which controls the ceiling fan what can I use to automate the little horizontal switch? The only thing I can think of is using a SwitchBot however I really dislike that I would have to buy a Switch Hub to use with Alexa since it isnt Zigbee compatible.

    Any suggestions would be helpful, cheers.

    submitted by /u/FightstickRookie
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    Recommendations for toggle light switches - Z-wave vs Zigbee, Honeywell vs GE/Enbrighten

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:16 PM PST

    I just moved into new construction and am starting to look at getting some in-wall smart devices installed. In my previous house I had a few GE/jasco Z-wave decora style switches and dimmers (using SmartThings), but I installed most of that about 6 years ago, so I'm checking back in for some advice to see if I should stick with Z-wave.

    This time I'm looking to get toggle switches like the Honeywell UltraPro Z-Wave Toggle Switch, the GE Embrighten Z-Wave Toggle Switch, or a zigbee product that can just directly be added to an Amazon Echo like this Embrighten Zigbee Toggle Switch.

    Is Zigbee more preferred than Z-wave? And is there anything I should consider with regards to brand of Honeywell vs GE?

    Other info -- Voice control is important to me (Amazon Echo/Alexa) and my SmartThings is connected to my Echo, if that matters.

    submitted by /u/Flam5
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    Zwave or Zigbee CO alarm / detector

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 10:07 PM PST

    Looking to replace a CO detector, and figured I would just get one that has Zwave or Zigbee so I can connect it to the hub and get a notification.

    I am sort of shocked that the ONLY device out there with this capability is the First Alert battery operated combo Fire/CO alarm. I'd prefer a plug in type that is CO only, with a digital readout, but apparently such a device that incorporates Z wave or Zigbee does not exist for purchase in the US.

    I would think there would be a market for this? Or do they exist and I'm bad at googling? Does anyone have such a device?

    submitted by /u/Wondering_if
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    Possible to connect a Bluetooth App to Harmony?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:44 PM PST

    So I recently bought a HoMedics foot massager ( the FMS-335H ) and saw that it has a Bluetooth companion app to power on and control the device. I was wondering is there a way to somehow pair the foot massager to the harmony remote or to a voice assistance so I can create a scene?

    submitted by /u/Kings954
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    Universal remote like neeo

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:52 PM PST

    Is there any altetnative to the neeo remote, this was bought over by control 4, i know i can get a harmony but looking for nicer soultion which i can use with all smart home devices

    submitted by /u/paul090367
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    Does anyone knows why Alexa keeps detecting 2 Tuya Smart light bulbs? I know one isn’t responding but it’s bc it’s turned off but even when it’s turn on it keeps detecting it, need help :((

    Posted: 09 Jan 2021 12:09 AM PST

    Monitoring neutrals in a 3-phase feed

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:44 PM PST

    Strictly speaking it's only half home-automation, half electrical expertise...

    We have a 3-phase feed to our building, which is split into 3 (9?) at a main distribution board and feeds all 3 phases to each floor with a neutral for each floor as well. The only 3-phase load is the HVAC, everything else is single phase.

    I picked up a 3-phase Owl Intuition monitor a while ago, and was using it in a previous premises on a single 3-phase board so it was fine there. However I'd like to monitor the entire building here but the main dist board input feed is Busbars rather than cables so I can't clamp them.

    I've tried two things: clamping the neutrals, which I initially thought would just give me the reads for each floor for the single phase loads without the AC. And then I tried just one neutral at a time.

    In theory I would have thought one of these would work as I get a read for each clamp anyway but apparently not? Either that or perhaps the monitor is faulty, as I'm getting very weird values like 96w for a floor that I know is way more, and 250w for our entire office floor with PCs, a fridge, etc running and 16 30w LED panels turned on. And of course the weirdness of when I shut the AC off the read increases

    Anyone seen this happen before? I suppose it's entirely possible that I just missed a configuration option somewhere for reading independent loads, or should this never work and I'm gonna need to read a floor at a time on the 3 phase cables?

    submitted by /u/Cueball61
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    Can I (without any experience) create a smart sensor of some sort that activates spotify and plays a playlist whenever I activate it?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:27 PM PST

    I love the idea of coming home, and when I close the door and pass a sensor, spotify starts playing automatically to a moodfull playlist. Maybe the lights dim, too.

    Have oyu ever heard of something like that? Would it even be possible? I was thinking of a chip of some sort (like smart settings for the phone) that, if passed with another sensor, activates the bluetooth boxes or something.

    I am thankful for any tips on how to get started on something like this.

    submitted by /u/IDespiseThisWebsite
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    I'm a little confused about how Zigbee works compared to Tasmota...

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:27 PM PST

    So I'm really new to the whole home automation side of things and I was really curious about something. I'm at an impasse currently, I can either get switches that I'll flash Tasmota on or I can get Zigbee switches. What's the benefit of one over the other? I know Tasomota, "takes it out of the cloud," but I care more about speed and reliability than that. On top of that, as a side note, is it really as simple as getting a Zigbee hub/dongle/antenna and then being able to integrate a Zigbee device into my existing network? If it helps, I'm running HomeAssistant. I'd really rather avoid taking apart my soon-to-be-purchased switches to solder them if I can. Any advice or thoughts are always welcomed!

    submitted by /u/ExcallyPurr
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    AMX NXR-ZGW NetLinx Zigbee Gateway.... can I use it with homeassistant or anything like that?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 05:07 PM PST

    I got given three AMX NXR-ZGW NetLinx Zigbee Gateways. I don't know anything about these devices, but just looking at the documentation on the website, it seems I would need a NetLinx Master or something to make use of them, and it uses it's own scripting language to control them?

    At the moment, the only Zigbee devices I have are a Phillips Hue Hub, along with a handful of Lidl and Ikea bulbs and I'm using HomeAssistant to do some basic things. Can these AMX devices be integrated into home assistant in any way?

    submitted by /u/intahnetmonster
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    Android panel display

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 04:14 PM PST

    So I have quite a few smart things being run through domoticz and blue iris (nvr). I'm looking at adding an Android wall panel by my front door, something like you see outside a conference room.

    Outside of the two apps for above mentioned automation, what kinds of things can I do to make this more of an installation/purpose setup as opposed to a tablet stuck on the wall?

    submitted by /u/UACEENGR
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    Assistance wiring a switch

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:58 PM PST

    I have a ZWave dimmer switch I'm trying to wire into a 2 gang box that it shares with a fan. All of that is fine and the wiring seemed simple until I saw what was connected to the fan

    https://imgur.com/a/tA4AuFH

    It seems like the fan switch has two load, a hot that connects to the light and a neutral. This is not a smart switch so I'm guessing it's wired that way because at one point this fan also worked as the central fan but got disconnected by the previous owners and that's why it needed the neutral?

    When I connected the smart switch, I connected the wire that was going from the fan to the old switch, to the black of the new switch, the load to the red (although it looks magenta to me) and I took another neutral and connected that to white.

    The light switch works, although it doesn't seem to dim my dimmable led bulbs and now the fan doesn't work at all.

    Anyone have any thoughts as to why this happened?

    submitted by /u/RedTical
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    Automate Exhaust Fan?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 02:31 PM PST

    We have a good sized laundry room in our house that we use for our cats litter room as well. It has an exhaust fan similar to what is in our bathrooms. I thought I may be a good idea to automate that fan in some way to periodically run to help eliminate the cat odors that can come from the room, but I'm unsure whether this is a good idea or not.

    Would it require a special type of smart switch to run the fan correctly?

    What impact could this have on my heating/cooling system if I exhaust the inside air periodically?

    Just looking for some more insight from someone with more knowledge than I.

    submitted by /u/dmarzio
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    are there RGB LED bulbs that still work with a physical dimmer switch?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 01:14 PM PST

    I have 3 sets of lights in my lounge all controlled by 3 dimmer switches in one unit. One set of lights is uplights and I would like the option of some colour.
    Is it possible to add colour changing RGB bulbs, without changing the dimmer switch unit?
    Ideally I would like a small remote with a colour pallete(but not dim/bright buttons) as I think that has a higher GAF(Guest Acceptance Factor) than Alexa etc.

    Do they exist?

    submitted by /u/whalesharked
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    Android Wifi sleep and presence detection

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 11:25 AM PST

    Used to track if a phone was in the wifi for presence detection for my homeautomations. But since the latest android updates on my wifes and my phone it is getting bad. Can't seem to find a solution to force android to keep the wifi awake, or atleast awake enough to tell my router every x minutes that the phone is still in the lan. So now I'm looking in to possible solutions, my least favorite is to start using GPS tracking, but adding an other thing to my keychain just to track presence is also not a preference.

    Any tips on improving HomeAssistant Device_Tracker, anybody found away to make their phone report to the router every say 5 minutes? Or other tips for presence detection?

    submitted by /u/auch_enne
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    POE controlled Relay

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 07:12 AM PST

    I've been looking for a power over ethernet (POE) programable relay switch. Seems like a combination of arduino or raspberry pi zero components with various add ons could work, but it seems like me cobbling it together verses a known solution is risky. So I'd like to hear your suggestions, either a component based or off the shelf solution.

    PS - I will likely need low (5-15) voltage as well as high (120) voltage relays.

    submitted by /u/dacracot
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    Individual RGBCCT or RGBWW channel control for aquarium light

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 03:49 AM PST

    Hello everyone, I am searching for a way to control the individual RGBCCT channels of a smart bulb. I currently have 3 Philips Hue bulbs and the hub. The Philips Hue app only allows me to use the color wheel. Ideally there would just be a third party app which allows me to control the individual channels but if this is not possible I am also fine with buying other kinds of bulbs or learn some programming etc.

    What I exactly want to do is use the light as an aquarium light. This needs to be a fairly bright light and I want to control the brightness of individual channels so I can make certain colors for the plants and fish pop a bit more. I also want to set-up a timer for when it goes on and off. Any tips or directions would be very appreciated

    submitted by /u/ok_yeah_sure_no
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    Printed new buttons for Aqara Opple zigbee remote.

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 08:15 AM PST

    Major remodel what tech and wiring would you install?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 12:46 PM PST

    I'm doing a major remodel including full electrical, drywall/insulation and plumbing replacement. So I have the chance to run wires (or whatever) where I like. I'm trying to decide what (if any) to install for general networking, home automation, etc.

    What would your "wishlist" be? Any predictions for future proofing?

    Thinking: cat6 and coax to each room run to a pantry/closet. Other wiring ideas?

    Also, what lighting control would you recommend? I've done (separately) zwave/SmartThings and wifi-bulbs/Google Assistant but always as retrofit. Anyone done a built-for-purpose automation setup?

    submitted by /u/erisod
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    13A double socket WITh usb?

    Posted: 08 Jan 2021 06:34 AM PST

    Anyone come across a UK 13A TWIN SOCKET (pin wall) that also has USB? Zigbee or WiFi?

    submitted by /u/dgillings
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