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Looking to add some Light switches with alexa capability. I dont have the budget to buy 20+ switches at once , but id like to buy 1-2 per month over the next year. Some switches will need dimmer capability, but not all. From what i can tell, TP Link and Wemo dont need a hub, but seem to lack dimming. Lutron seems nice, but is more $ AND requires a hub. Leviton seems to check all the boxes. Should i avoid mixing brands throughout the house, if i find a deal? Alexa probably wont care, right? Any help is appreciated
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Jul 30, 2017 19:23
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I can get this for $100. Good deal? http://i.imgur.com/IvPwPsL.jpg
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Dec 30, 2017 19:19
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Thomamelas posted:I haven't seen Zmodo pop up for a few years, so it's possible that they have fixed their issues. But they used to have a reputation for their kits arriving with DOA cameras and firmware mismatches that would cause things to not communicate. Without the model number I can't tell you anything worthwhile about the camera specs. Cant they just update FW once connected to an ISP?
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Dec 30, 2017 19:31
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Thomamelas posted:From what I've read about others experiences, the camera firmware is updated via the NVR. So the mismatch prevents them from talking. Which seems like a huge red flag for a bunch of reasons. Its a model ZP NL 18
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Dec 30, 2017 20:01
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Thomamelas posted:And the model numbers for the cameras? I ended up passing on that deal. I took a risk and ordered this on a $116 lightning deal JOOAN 2MP TVI Security Camera System 4 X 1080P Weatherproof TVI Camera with 3.6mm Lens And 1080N 8CH DVR Recorder Support AHD/TVI/CVBS- No Hard Drive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K9ZXRLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IOasAbRXBVMYJ I dont need wireless in my setup, and ive got loads of spare HDDs laying around. Ill report back on how it goes
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Dec 30, 2017 22:58
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TLDR... Anyone tried this? WyzeCam: Buy Now $19.99 - www.wyzecam.comhttps://www.wyzecam.com/product/wyze-cam-v2/
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Feb 20, 2018 06:42
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Thomamelas posted:I've seen testing of it and it doesn't come off well. I ordered one. Its not much of risk at $20. Ill share my thoughts after ive had a chance to play with it
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Feb 21, 2018 01:12
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Binary Badger posted:I just got a WyzeCam V2 I got three. For $20, product has the goods. Edit for more info: I bought one to try it out. After 2 days, i ordered 2 more. Its not outdoor rated, but i live in a moderate climate, and for $20, i can handle buying more if they fail. All in, im out about $100 for three, $60 for cams, $10 for shipping, $30 for 3 micro sd cards. The cameras have free cloud, but its only 12 second clips. Pretty good for basic security, but def get the micro sd card for continuous recording. Sound quality is not great, but at least it has some. I could distinguish the ups truck driving up, but you can barely tell what people are saying when competing against other random outdoor noises. The video quality and night vision of the V2 is pretty great. Like Binary Badger, im cheap, and didnt want to spend $ on monthly cloud. Im very pleased so far. My worr is theyll go under or get gobbled up by a competitor who starts charging. Cornjob fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Apr 19, 2018 |
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Apr 18, 2018 20:42
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Medullah posted:My sister's ex has been breaking into her house and wrecking stuff, but of course it's when no one is home and she can't prove it. My dad wants to pay for security cameras for her, what would you guys recommend for a not-so-technical person that's fairly easy to set up and monitor? Wyzecam. Cheap ($20) and no monthly subs. 12 seconds cloud clips, or add a micros sd card for continuous recording
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Nov 23, 2018 00:06
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My hub spontaneously quit controlling my TCL TV. Power on works, but not power off.
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May 10, 2019 06:56
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Cornjob posted:My hub spontaneously quit controlling my TCL TV. Power on works, but not power off. Reprogrammed. Using Network control instead of IR. All good now.
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May 10, 2019 22:59
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Shut up Meg posted:A very interesting recommendation, thanks. Add an SD card to each camera to expand from 12 seconds to days. Also, they have mentioned theyre working on longer cloud notifications.
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Sep 25, 2019 18:26
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stevewm posted:Wyze I have wyze cams, and sensors all over my house. Integrated with alexa for alarms and alerts. Works great, I love them
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Dec 25, 2019 06:40
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Does a thing such as this exist? I want something that can run an entire alexa routine at the push a button. Im sick of voice controls, especially for routines that get run alot. I know echo buttons exist, I have some. They only work about 50-75% of the time, and are not exactly an ideal form factor My dream is either 1. a battery operated wall switch. 2. An app that I can use with a cheap smart device My problem is that the alexa app (and the echo show) sucks when it comes to quickly accessing and running your favorite routines. If the alexa app allowed you to create widgets, it would be simple. I hoe theres some obvious solution im overlooking.
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Jan 20, 2020 01:48
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Ur Getting Fatter posted:I have two dumb mini-split ACs in different rooms I'd like to control remotely. Is there a decent budget option for this? Need more info. Are they currently controlled via remote? IR? RF?
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Feb 13, 2020 08:36
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Ur Getting Fatter posted:Ah, I didn't know that the Harmony had IR extenders, that could work out. Thanks! Yeah get a Harmony hub for each split. You can learn the commands. If you have a echo plus with temperature sensing, you can trigger alexa routines to send commands based on temp.
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Feb 14, 2020 00:16
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Thermopyle posted:Yes, this is a stupid thing on Google Assistant as well. It's a limitation on Logitech's end that you can get around (again, on Google devices) by creating a Google account for each Harmony Hub and linking those to your Google Home. Yonomi solves this. I have two hubs. Yonomi allows macros from each to show as unique devices in my Alexa app
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Feb 21, 2020 08:35
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Heroic Yoshimitsu posted:I've been thinking about potentially getting a smart thermostat recently. How good are they? Are they are really all that using on saving energy/money? Depends on alot of things. Whats is your home size/type? What type of heat/ac do you have? The short answer is: theyre nice, and might save you money
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Feb 22, 2020 23:28
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priznat posted:My father in law is asking about the best option for cameras for crib monitors, I have the logi circle 2 but that seems like overkill. Any good suggestions? Are the Wyze ones decent? I have wyze. They work pretty good for the money. Video is good, audio is crap for deciphering talking, but you can tell if a baby is crying, for sure. That said, a regular monitor is better, as has no lag, and good audio.
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Feb 25, 2020 08:33
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I also use wyze. I like it. I also use one on my garage. They have alexa integration, so we use them to tell us if the kids get up at night, or if any doors open. Our echos sound a loud alarm if the contact sensors or motion sensors detect anything. Cornjob fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Apr 1, 2020 |
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Apr 1, 2020 07:48
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stevewm posted:Seconding Home Assistant for this. It does well to tie multiple ecosystems together, and it supports a LOT of devices. Im pretty smart, and the last time I looked at home assistant, I went crosseyed. I *just* wanted to put a tablet in the kitchen that would act as controller to run a few switches, wyze cams, and some alexa routines. Has it changed much in 6 months? I need a stwp by step.
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May 1, 2020 07:50
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Motronic posted:It has absolutely changed a ton. Meaningful auto discovery of a lot of things, no more editing YAML files needed if you stick to the common stuff that's been put in the GUI (a LOT of it including zwave) and a meaningful GUI that is customizable enough to use on tablets. Fiddled again. Still perplexed. How can I add alexa routines to the home assistant interface? Also, I have wyze lights, and gosund (smart life) switches, neither of which seems to Home assistant compatible.
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May 1, 2020 20:41
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stevewm posted:To use the native Alexa integration,you have to subscribe to "Nabu Casa", (https://www.nabucasa.com/) which is their $5 per month thing that lets you easily access Home Assistant outside your network, and also gives a endpoint for Alexa and Google Home to use for native integration. You can then expose entities to Alexa... After you select which entities in Home Assistant to expose, they will be picked up by Alexa automatically when you install the Home Assistant skill on Alexa.. My desire for alexa integration is the opposite (but also i dont fully understand HA yet). I dont need alexa to control HA. I want alexa routines to be buttons on the Home assistant UI. Is that part of nabu casa?
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May 1, 2020 22:31
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stevewm posted:Ah no... Not as far as I know. Generally people do the opposite. Setup the routine in HA (called scripts/automations in HA). From what i have read, it seems i can do 90% of what i need just using alexa routines. I wanted to add HA to get some extra functions, but mainly, i jst want a touchscreen to have easy control of every routine i have created, as well as easy access to specific devices. HA doesnt seem to quite meet this need for mw, yet. If only alexa allowed routines to be home screen widgets on my phone, problem would be solved.
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May 2, 2020 19:40
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Is there any way to execute alexa routines via a button push, rather than opening the alexa app and navigating the alway re-sorting list of routines? Voice control is nice sometimes, but theres also alot of room for error with voice control. I just want all my favorite routines as indavidual icons on my phone. It seems as thought this would be a simple fix for amazon if they added “favorites” page, or allowed home screen widgets. I know echo buttons are a thing, but they kinda suck. I tried home assistant but its over my head. And it doesnt seem to support all my gadgets. Cornjob fucked around with this message at 06:17 on May 17, 2020 |
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May 17, 2020 06:14
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Rick posted:I've not tested this out, but Hue Taps allegedly support Alexa routines. They definitely work with Apple Home scenes and it's not perfect (like sometimes just unpredictable things happen) but it's overall pretty good. Looks like those are $50, and require the $60 philips hue bridge . If they do indeed support routines, Its expensive, but in my case possibly worth it
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Jun 1, 2020 07:20
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wolrah posted:Most Hue devices can be used with generic Zigbee implementations, but it seems that the Tap switch in particular uses a low-power "Zigbee Green Power" mode (unsurprising since they're battery-free and run entirely off power generated from the button press) which is not widely supported by generic bridges. Most other Hue devices use Zigbee Light Link that is very well supported. I have an echo plus, which has built in zigbee. Would that work?
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Jun 3, 2020 00:59
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DaveSauce posted:I'll be honest, my experience with Harmony is that it's sketchy at best. Used to use it before we got a smart TV and sling. These are basically all IR complaints, not Harmony complaints. Tweaks to the programming can eliminate 98% of all the timing issues. Also, many devices support IP control, which the Hub supporte, and further adds to reliability. I work with crestron, AMX, and HA, theyre all great, but the fuckery involved those far outweighs the fuckery required to get a harmony hub to control a home theater.
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Aug 3, 2020 07:39
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Anyone tried this? My tablet is up to date but i dont have this feature yet https://www.techhive.com/article/3587548/touch-enabled-dashboard-for-smart-devices-coming-to-amazon-fire-tablets.html
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Nov 1, 2020 23:50
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Cornjob posted:Anyone tried this? My tablet is up to date but i dont have this feature yet Re-asking this... my fire tablet still doesn’t have it, curious if anyone has tried it
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Dec 2, 2020 19:56
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Smart home dashboard finally added to my fire tablet. Loving it. Executing routines with a touchscreen rather than voice command is so much more practical in my house https://www.engadget.com/amazon-fire-tablet-smart-home-dashboard-alexa-171540337.html
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Dec 7, 2020 02:32
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My kitchen has 5 light switches. 1 switch for dining area 1 switch for over sink/ cans over countertops 1 switch for ceiling can lights by cabinets 2 switches at opposite ends of the room that are wired as 3-way for the cans that span the entire kitchen/dining room In order to turn all the lights on, i have to walk to 3 different places in the kitchen to tuen them all on. Id like to have the ability control all the lights with a single switch that has presets for all the lights, with dimming ability…. preferably at two or all of the locations. Does the 2 three-way switches complicate things? Im assuming a bridge type system can link them all?
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Dec 30, 2021 17:57
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:I'm going to guess that a Lutron Caseta dimmer with a bunch of wall-mounted Pico remotes could handle them all on one. If you get a dimmer with a neutral required, they have the "favorite" button in the middle, where you can set a favorite dim level and it will instantly go to that. The Pico remote also has a favorite button. Thank you. So no issue with three way switches?
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Dec 30, 2021 21:42
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priznat posted:I just feel having 2 locking points is better than 1, and that’s with reinforcing the strike plate and frame area. Imagine some one managing to get the deadbolt undone, and then going, “”darn! They have a locking knob too!!! I give up.” The benefit of locking windows and doors is to discourage casual B&E thieves, like wacky neighbors or landlords who like to wander in. If someone wants to get into your house bad enough that a deadbolt wont stop them, theyll get in. On a wood door frame, with a wood or fiber door; Getting past a deadbolt takes a pretty solid hit. A knob lock is more for privacy in an interior door for bathrooms and bedrooms.
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Jan 29, 2022 22:40
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I took a chance and ordered a Caavo control center for my living room. Epson projector, denon AVR, appletv, Wii. I was a little worried because it looks like maybe theyre dropping this model and chasing a new business model. It works great. My needs on the living room system are simple. Control the gear without line of sight IR. Works great. No complex automations needed, kid friendly. It works.
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Mar 3, 2022 01:55
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Motronic posted:For everyone with the tiny switch box issues that may not know, just go buy yourself a bunch of Wago 221s in various configurations: https://www.wago.com/us/discover-wire-and-splicing-connectors/221
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Mar 12, 2022 16:26
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VelociBacon posted:I'm moving into my first owned condo in about a month. I've never really paid a lot of attention to smart home stuff because I was living in a 1960s built rented apartment and I didn't even have thermostat control in my own unit. I do heavily use 6-8 smart plugs (like the ones that sit between the device's power cord and the wall outlet) but that's about it. In my case i have a 44 year old house that needed new switches and outlets, as many of the existing ones were original and very worn. The cost to put in smart switches was about $10-12 per switch, as opposed to about $5-7 for regular decora. Switches in my house was very wierd, due to a 20 year old remodel, and i had multiple switch locations for multiple rooms. I tried a few different brands and found that Kasa gave me what i wanted, for the most reasonable price. Can now turn on all the kitchen lights with one switch if needed. Programming one switch to group multiple switches together, multiple presets, homekit and alexa integration, and a nice tactile feel. It also has the ability to control the fade/on off times, which is seems like a silly feature to care about, but its really nice.
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Mar 27, 2022 21:41
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TLDR: HomeKit with Homebridge is great. Recently I decided to migrate away from Amazon/Wyze ecosystem into Home Assistant and a better camera system. After getting all set up, with one Rpi running HA, and a second running hone bridge, i think ive come to the realization that HomeKit + Homebridge is the way to go. I now have TPLink Kasa lights/switches, and a Eufy camera. Everything in HomeKit is working great, and the wife loves the apple integration . It doesnt do as much as HA, but what it does do, it does perfectly. With homebridge, I should be able to integrate some of the missing items (ceiling fans, etc).
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Apr 25, 2022 16:51
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fletcher posted:Hmm good question. I guess it's mainly just so I know if one of them is going off and I'm not at home. Depending on what is setting if off, that information may be of limited value. I've got sprinklers in my house, but it still seems like it might be useful to know when a smoke/co2 detector is going off though. Many cameras have a setting to alert you if they hear alarms
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Apr 26, 2022 18:09
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Gangringo posted:I'm buying a new house and I would like to at least partially automate it. I'm already fairly invested in the hue ecosystem but I would like to add 2-3 POE outdoor cameras with motion sensor lights, a video doorbell, and automatic deadbolts. Many locks have this feature, but you can also get it to work with a homekit compatible lock, that can detect your phone, additionally/alternatively, you could add nfc tags to your house to treat your phone like the key. You can just tap the hidden tag and lock/unlock your door. Most locks have guest codes with time windows you can preset. After fiddling with alexa/homeassistant/IFTTT, and the native features many devices offer, i can say that that HomeKit (with a RPi running HomeBridge to add in some devices thay arent natively HomeKit) is the most stable and reliable platform Ive used. Its also not complicated to set up. Alexa is good for those on a budget, but in my experience doeant quite hit the robust/stable/ easy to use balance. IFTTT and Home assistant is powerful, but not suited to normal humans. Its for power users only. HomeKit doesnt let you get into a rabbit hole Of customizing your UI, but if youre invested in the apple ecosystem, the combo of iphones, ipads, appletvs, and Homebridge make everything “just work” within a UI youre already using everyday. Cornjob fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Apr 26, 2022 |
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Apr 26, 2022 18:17
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