Home Automation and Security Systems

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Home Automation and Security Systems

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

syphon posted:

It happened quite a while ago, but it's worth noting that Samsung purchased SmartThings back in August: http://blog.smartthings.com/news/smartthings-updates/smartthings-samsung-open-platform/

What this means for the platform as a whole... I do not know!

At least Samsung didn't kill SmartThings when they bought them out like nest did revolv. I have a smartthings and love it. Always adding new things and they have a great community. The only thing missing IMO is Nest integration ironically

# ¿ Nov 6, 2014 01:07

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 12:43

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Guitarchitect posted:

what's the functional difference between something like a Vera Plus and a Smartthings Hub?

The biggest difference is SmartThings is cloud based, and Vera Plus is local.

From experience the community is better for SmartThings, for things like unoffical device handler and SmartApps (rules to run the system), using online Groovy programming (a lot of pre made ones just allow you to connect to github and publish)

Vera allows you to program Apps and Device Handlers but you have to use visual studio (and I think maybe you can use java), and the community seems a little more empty.

I have over 75 devices and running a bunch of custom SmartApps with Smartthings and besides a few blips it has been awesome.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2016 04:21

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

smackfu posted:

Has anyone ever seen a light setup like in future movies, where local motion sensors turn on only the closest light and it just fades in? So as you walk around your house it subtly lights up and goes dark.

I have this setup in my house, but it is more per light in a room room. I have a motion sensors, hue bulbs, and smart things, based on the time and other factors as you walk from room to hallway to another room the lights turn off and on behind and in front of you.

I also have hue light strips under the bed and motion sensors on each side as you walk around the bed room at night the bed under glow turns on, great for not disturbing your partner while they are sleeping but allowing you to see.

Between the motion sensors and Echo, I haven't had to touch a light switch in well over 2 years.

Dbhjed fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Dec 22, 2016

# ¿ Dec 22, 2016 03:26

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

emocrat posted:

Can you give me a little more detail here? it sounds awesome. Hue bulbs I get. Smart things I think I get, looks like its a video monitoring system, but I guess its a general smart hub as well? What motion sensors do you use? Thanks.

SmartThings is a whole home automation platform, it has Z-Wave and ZigBee antenna as well can do cloud to cloud integration with other services, it was WAY more than just videos

I use Zigbee motion sensors: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Smar...rds=smartthings

SmartThings has a SmartApp (which is a rule) called SmartLighting, it allows you to say "If a motion sensors detects motion between x hour and y hour turn on Light, when motion is no longer detected either turn light off right away or wait z number of minutes then turn off"

# ¿ Dec 22, 2016 23:46

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

EugeneJ posted:

I'm new to all this - I'm getting some family members Echo Dots for Christmas.

I want to include some cheap wifi-lightbulbs or wifi-outlet switches with the Echos to use as a demo. What would you all recommend?

I'm reading about the Zigbee products and don't want to deal with that - just something that will pair with the Echo out of the box.

I know you don't want Zigbee but I had the best luck with Philips Hue bulbs, they use their own bridge so you don't need a smart home platform to run them.

Best Buy has the pure white starter kit on sale for $56 bucks, comes with the 2 dimable white lights and the hub

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/philips-hue-white-a19-starter-kit-in-eco-friendly-packaging-white/5708713.p?skuId=5708713

Setting up the Starter kit is simple as I believe the bulbs are pre paired to the hub they come with (I know that is how it worked when I got my starter kit 4 years ago), just down load the Hue app, create an account, and pair it with the hub

Setting it up with the Echo is easy, open the Alexa app on your phone, go to Smart Home, under the Header of "Your Devices" click on "Discover devices", you will have to press the middle button on the hue bridge to pair, after that the bulbs will show in the Alexa app.
From there you can group them by a common name, so instead of saying "Alexa, turn on light 1" and "Alexa, turn on light 2"; you can just say "Alexa turn on group name A". The echo can also send dimming command "Alexa, dim <group/light name> to ##(%)"

Why Hue?

I've tried a bunch of different wifi, ZWave, and Zigbee lights over the years from Lifx (Wifi), Osram (Zigbee), Cree Connect (ZigBee), and GE Link (Z wave I think) and they all had issues with either cloud issues (for Lifx), dropping commands (Cree and GE were horrible at that, you would send an on or dim command and nothing will happen), and bulbs losing connection with my hub (Osram was horrible with that, but I've heard there has been a firmware update to fix it).

With Hue I've had very few issues, mainly when I started it was on the same 2.4Ghz channel as one of the access point in my house, so it would lose connection to the bulbs a lot, after I changed the Zigbee channel I've never had an issue.

Also once you have the hue bridge you can add lights, switches, and motion sensors (they all have to be the Hue branded sensors)to make a simple smart house. The cheapest light on it's own is $15 which is the dimable white bulbs upto the $90 color light strip.

The only con with all Smart bulbs is, you have to keep the light switch on, if someone turn off the light switch you lose control of the bulb until it is turned back on, I've put child proof covers over mine so no one turns them off by accident.

Dbhjed fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Dec 23, 2016

# ¿ Dec 23, 2016 04:45

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

EugeneJ posted:

Thank you!

One more question - do the smart bulbs last longer than normal lightbulbs, or do they die just as quick and need to be replaced often?

The longest I've had a Smart bulb for is 4 years, and it is still going strong. Two of them are in a room that is used most often so the are on for 5-6 hours every day for the past 4 year. LED bulbs (good ones) are supposed to last 15,000 hours so I should have another 4 years left on those ones.

But really since CFL lights have come out on the market the only reason I've changed a light bulb is because I've upgraded them, CFL -> dumb LED -> Smart LED. So I wouldn't worry about them dying (unless there is an issue with the electrical circuit)

Dbhjed fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Dec 23, 2016

# ¿ Dec 23, 2016 05:01

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Three Olives posted:

Unless you rent or don't have a neutral do not buy smart bulbs. Put in smart switches, trust me, it's so much more worth the effort.

I do not understand why smart bulbs are so much more popular that smart switches, trying to automate your home with a light switch that doesn't work is the stupidest thing I can imagine in home automation.

For me I went the Bulbs because most of my switches are connected to ceiling fans which share the load wire with the Fan and Lights, and I wanted dimming in each room.

But yeah for the rooms that have over head lighting and neutrals I did the switches, why the bulbs are popular, a lot of people aren't comfortable / know how to do electrical work (and as you said renting).

I also put a color light in each room that is occupied often (bedrooms, office, living room, family room) in case anyone has headphones on / I have some friends that are deaf or hard of hearing, that way if there is a fire or carbon monoxide event they will see the color and know something is up. I also use the color in case one of my water sensor trips. I might not look at my phone that often, but I know if I wake up and my color are blue I have a problem.

I also like the bulbs because If I ever move I don't have to re wire again.

In the rooms that I have the bulbs, I bought the Hue Tap or Hue Dimmer and put it right next to the light switch for people that don't have the app (also my automation takes care of A LOT if the light turning off and on) it has been years since I've touch a switch

EugeneJ posted:

Don't you need smart bulbs to do the changing-color and dimming?

Color, Yes; Dimming, you can buy a dimming switch that will dim the lights.

To give some support to the bulbs, I have an automation that works like this.

code:

If 
    Sleeping switch IS on, 
    and time is Between Sunset and 8:00am, 
    and Motion CHANGES to active
      Turn on one light to 10%
   When motion CHANGES to inactive
      Turn off one light
but 
If 
    Sleeping switch IS off, 
    and time is Between Sunset and 8:00am, 
    and Motion CHANGES to active
      Turn on a group of lights
    When motion CHANGES to inactive
      Turn off a group of lights

That way at night the light doesn't blind you when in the hallway, I needed independent control of the bulbs to get this automation

Dbhjed fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Dec 23, 2016

# ¿ Dec 23, 2016 05:29

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Three Olives posted:

This is why people hate technology, a light switch is a light switch, it is one of the most fundamental understandings of modern technology. Don't gently caress up a light switch unless you have a very good reason to and adding a secondary light switch to the setup fucks things up.

My home is very automated but my rule is if I have to explain to my mother how my loving light switches work I haven't improved anything.

I put child proof covers over the actual light switches, so you can't use them. The only rooms that don't have some kind of automation are my kitchen and bathrooms, and those have z wave switches. All the rest you walk in to the room and boom you have light.

Dbhjed fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Dec 23, 2016

# ¿ Dec 23, 2016 05:48

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Hed posted:

What vendors should I look at for colored bulbs that will work with smart switches?

Here is the catch, Smart Bulbs need power all the time, but if they are connected to a smart switch they will have the power taken away when the smart switch is off, so the only way to control them in to turn the switch on, then change the color, doing this with automation sometimes results in the light missing the command since it isn't on yet.

Now I don't recommend this but....

You could tie the line and load together so the bulb is always powered, then use your smart home hub to turn off and on the bulb when the switch is turned off and on. That way you can still color the light. BUT that isn't up to code and changing the light mean you have to trip the breaker to kill the power.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2016 03:30

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Scrapez posted:

If controlling lighting with a Harmony, could you set it to send the "switch on" command, pause, then send the "bulb color on" command?

Edit: or does the Smart Things hub have similar functionality where you can send multiple commands with pauses for a single function?

If you use CoRE (Community's own Rule Engine) you can do a wait function, but the stock SmartThings does not have that.

The only ehhh part of switch on, bulb power, then bulb color would be the bulb will come on 100% white then switch the color, which personally I find jarring

# ¿ Dec 28, 2016 03:38

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 12:43

Dbhjed: Jul 20, 2006; Homework?!; Lipstick Apathy

Violator posted:

Very interesting and helpful discussion.

I've been using the Wink hub for the past few years, but have grown tired of the ecosystem's reliability. I've been slowly changing all of my bulbs to smart bulbs, and now have about 15 smart bulbs throughout the house. Right now I have five bulbs that have forgotten their settings and need to be reset, and at any given time I have two or three bulbs that don't work and need to be reset. It's been a pain in the butt, but I've lived with it because I find the automation so useful.

I've been looking at alternatives and have considered switching to something that supports Apple's HomeKit to get better iOS and Siri integration. But after reading all of this, instead of dumping a bunch of money into a new system and replacing everything, I think I'll start investing in smart switches that work with both Wink and other potential HomeKit compatible systems. I can improve my reliability and in-person switch usefulness while also better future proofing myself.

I did the bulbs mainly because they were cheaper. Picking up a bulb a month for like $15 was easier than a $55 switch that required rewiring. But it looks like the switches would have been more helpful and a better investment.

Are those bulbs GE Links? If so they are known to lose their settings over time.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2016 23:35

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Home Automation and Security Systems