Anyone into home automation/smart homes with integration to Alexa, Google Home, Siri, etc.?

[Archerfish]

The things being described here are those that I see on movies...

You're lying on your bed and you forgot to turn off the lights downstairs... just say the word.

You're about to go home in an hour and it's very hot... just say the word (or type).

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You're sister hacks the security system on your office and now you're walking and want to avoid the security personnel...

your sister now informs you to turn right and use elevator B and makes a loop.

I can't remember what movie is this.

[oj88]

The things being described here are those that I see on movies...

You're lying on your bed and you forgot to turn off the lights downstairs... just say the word.

You're about to go home in an hour and it's very hot... just say the word (or type).

---

You're sister hacks the security system on your office and now you're walking and want to avoid the security personnel...

your sister now informs you to turn right and use elevator B and makes a loop.

I can't remember what movie is this.

Oh yes. 10 minutes out, I can ask Alexa while driving to turn on the A/C in either the living room, bedroom or both, so the place will be cool by the time we get home.

My next project is to add an environmental sensor (senses light, noise, temperature, humidity, and air quality/hazardous gasses) so that, among other things, it can automate the operation of the A/C even when there’s nobody around. For example, we have a pet dog. When the room temp gets too hot or humid, it can turn on the A/C for several minutes. If it senses low air quality or hazardous gasses, it can maybe turn on an air filter or send me a notification, respectively.



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[EQAddict]

This is real cool stuff.

The scripts are the hard part.

And what did you use the android box for?

Can u ask Alexa to switch HDMI sources ? Ask if the amp is on ?

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[oj88]

This is real cool stuff.

This is real cool stuff.

The scripts are the hard part.

And what did you use the android box for?

Can u ask Alexa to switch HDMI sources ? Ask if the amp is on ?

It's a looong story. Buckle up. ;)

Suffice to say, it acts as a bridge between Alexa and Broadlink products (IR/RF blasters as well as WIFI and RF smart switches). In an ideal world, Alexa talks to these devices through the cloud (ie. Between Broadlink's cloud and Amazon's Alexa cloud through what's called a "Skill"). But Broadlink, being a slouch at development, the API/Skill they currently have for Alexa is very limited. The Android device runs an app called RM Tasker Plugin. It emulates a Philips HUE hub and it presents most 'incompatible' devices as HUE bulbs to Alexa within my local network. That way, I can control them in Alexa

It's a pretty convoluted answer, I know. But that's as un-technical I can be, sorry.

As for your other question, technically, yes. But Broadlink is really not the best device for full A/V control integration. It's not as intuitive as it needs to be. For that, I'd rather use a Harmony Hub.

But for turning things on and off, it's great.

[jut703]

Awesome thread. I'd like to have this in my home once I move in. Just to have an idea, how much does it cost to have Alexa up and running and synced to my aircon and TV?

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[oj88]

Awesome thread. I'd like to have this in my home once I move in. Just to have an idea, how much does it cost to have Alexa up and running and synced to my aircon and TV?

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Like I mentioned earlier, my setup is more of a ragtag of different devices that hardly talks to each other. I'm more interested in spending as little as possible and almost every component I used are the generic/China kinds bought off of Lazada, Wish, and Shopee. You get what you pay for and they're a far cry from branded products such as you'll find in the US like Sensibo, Samsung SmartThings, Philips HUE, Wemo, Wink, Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, etc.

Right now, if you want everything to work out of the box, you have to cough up the cash. How much would depend on the kind and number of devices you want to control. Beyond lights and switches, do you also want integrate it with your window blinds, curtains, door locks, security system, cameras, etc.?

Anyway, just to give you an idea of the costs:

Device name - Approx. cost per device

Amazon Echo Dot - P3k
Broadlink RM Pro+ - P1,500
Broadlink RM Mini3 - P900
Broadlink TC2 RF light switch (3-gang) - P1,500
Broadlink SC1 smart WiFi switch - P350
Geekbes smart WiFI plug - P500
Xiaomi-Philips White Bulb - P700
Yeelight RGB+W Bulb - P1,200
Chinese RGB+W Bulb - P700


Back-end devices:
Raspberry Pi 2 complete - P2.8k
Android device - Free (old phone)

[Archerfish]

Like I mentioned earlier, my setup is more of a ragtag of different devices that hardly talks to each other. I'm more interested in spending as little as possible and almost every component I used are the generic/China kinds bought off of Lazada, Wish, and Shopee. You get what you pay for and they're a far cry from branded products such as you'll find in the US like Sensibo, Samsung SmartThings, Philips HUE, Wemo, Wink, Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, etc.

Right now, if you want everything to work out of the box, you have to cough up the cash. How much would depend on the kind and number of devices you want to control. Beyond lights and switches, do you also want integrate it with your window blinds, curtains, door locks, security system, cameras, etc.?

Anyway, just to give you an idea of the costs:

Device name - Approx. cost per device

Amazon Echo Dot - P3k
Broadlink RM Pro+ - P1,500
Broadlink RM Mini3 - P900
Broadlink TC2 RF light switch (3-gang) - P1,500
Broadlink SC1 smart WiFi switch - P350
Geekbes smart WiFI plug - P500
Xiaomi-Philips White Bulb - P700
Yeelight RGB+W Bulb - P1,200
Chinese RGB+W Bulb - P700


Back-end devices:
Raspberry Pi 2 complete - P2.8k
Android device - Free (old phone)

This is very encouraging! I mean, I thought I have to spend about a hundred thousand pesos to have this movie like high tech Bond thing...

Thank you for sharing!

[brushless]

*oj88

Nice set up dude!

I'm just starting to WIFI enable my lights and outlets. I've already WIFI enabled two outdoor lights and an intruder shoo away device (Bosch horns) as an added feature to my CCTV camera. But, I prefer it to be hands on (ipad/android control) rather than voice activated and also without any internet connection (too risky).

[oj88]

*oj88

Nice set up dude!

I'm just starting to WIFI enable my lights and outlets. I've already WIFI enabled two outdoor lights and an intruder shoo away device (Bosch horns) as an added feature to my CCTV camera. But, I prefer it to be hands on (ipad/android control) rather than voice activated and also without any internet connection (too risky).

I can also operate everything using my Android phone. I only do that when I'm not at home or the Echo Dots are out of earshot. The voice command thing is purely for convenience. I could be walking out of the shower holding nothing but my towel and still be able to tell Alexa what I want it to do. It also takes away the need to lug around a smartphone or tablet while inside the house. Furthermore, voice control seems to be more family-friendly.

Exceptions are security cameras. I wouldn't dream of exposing them to a cloud service. My current IP cam setup requires a VPN connection in order for them to be be viewed from the internet.

[EQAddict]

Hmmm. Do you sell your services to automate homes that have existing gear already? Or can u recommend roadmaps for upgrades?

I am very interested in smart homes. Was looking at Zigbee based gadgets but i have a lot of legacy equipment.



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[oj88]

Hmmm. Do you sell your services to automate homes that have existing gear already? Or can u recommend roadmaps for upgrades?

I am very interested in smart homes. Was looking at Zigbee based gadgets but i have a lot of legacy equipment.

Not really. Not yet, anyway. This is just a personal hobby.

My first venture into this was in the late 90's. While in HK, I picked up an 8-relay board controllable via the parallel/LPT printer port of a PC. It never went past the experimental stage, tho. It's only when natural voice recognition and Alexa opening up their APIs for integration with smart devices that piqued my interest again into the home automation world.

[falken]

^ nice setup.


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[StockEngine]

bixby is flucking good

https://youtu.be/rsJlT53jU_4

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[StockEngine]

anybody using Samsung Smart Things? this new option appeared just today on my phone[emoji848]

FOCUS

[oj88]

anybody using Samsung Smart Things? this new option appeared just today on my phone[emoji848]

I am no authority on it but I have considered using SmartThings. I've read the literature and have watched tons of videos about it. I tried adding our Samsung Smart TV (SmartThings compatible) to my S8+ SmartThings app but a funny thing happened.... the TV has to be turned on for SmartThings to work. When I turn off the TV, I can no longer turn it on using the app nor access any of its features. Weird. I don't know if I'm just missing something. When the TV is powered up, I can use my phone to control it like it's a remote, as well as mirror the video being shown on the TV to my phone. It's a pretty neat parlor trick but I personally don't see any practical use for it. One use-case probably would be, watching cable or satellite programs streamed from your TV to your phone while you're in the can.

I also find that maintaining an ST ecosystem presents a few critical challenges, especially when you intend to use it here in the PH:

1. Cost. The hub alone costs a little more than 8k on Lazada. If you buy it off of Amazon, it will probably cost you whereabouts of 5-6k, landed.
2. Availability. Though, ST supports both Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, neither is abundantly available locally. They are predominantly being sold in the US and if you buy them online, you will have to take extra care to be sure that it will work with our 220V operating voltage.
3. Samsung appliances. It probably makes sense to use ST if you have or are planning to invest in Samsung smart appliances. We have a hodge podge of different appliances... LG inverter ref, LG and Samsung (non-smart) inverter A/Cs, an LG smart TV, etc. The only ST-compatible appliance we have is the Samsung Smart TV I mentioned above... and even that isn't perfect. I also don't find myself buying "smart" appliances from Samsung as they are grossly overpriced. (I won the Samsung Smart TV from a Christmas raffle some two or three years ago.)

To be fair, it is a promising piece of tech. I just think that it is still lacking maturity and it costs a hell lot money to be part of the ST 'club'.

[oj88]

I recently added a smart wall switch in the bedroom. It's a Broadlink TC2 3-gang smart RF switch. There are 2-gang and 1-gang variants available. It's not WiFi and requires a 433MHz RF hub, particularly, the Broadlink RM Pro+. My RM Pro+ is installed in the living room (video) where it also functions as the IR blaster for everything IR (A/C, TV, A/V Receiver, and the active bookshelf speakers).You only need one RM Pro+ to control all RF switches. For IR control inside the bedroom (TV+soundbar, and A/C), I use the Broadlink RM Mini3.

I chose the Broadlink TC2 switch because of one crucial thing: It does NOT require a Neutral line.

Fig. 1: Here's an example of a traditional WiFi smart switch that needs the presence of both the Live and Neutral wires in order for it to work. This will require an electrician to lay down a new Neutral wire to every light switch you wish to install a smart WiFi switch. At the least, this is impractical or in many homes, impossible to do without punching holes on your walls and crawl spaces:

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Fig. 2: Here's a sample wiring diagram of a 3-gang Broadlink TC2, similar to mine, except that the one pictured below is the UK version. As it is plainly evident, it only requires a single Live wire, which is already in place in 100% of homes. Electrically, the TC2 is the exact equivalent of a mechanical light switch. It powers itself using parasitic current passing through it and the bulbs. What all of that means is that, you don't need to modify your house wiring to use this. It took me all of 10 minutes to swap out the old wall switch. It actually took more time to remove the old switch:

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Having a physical smart wall switch offers the best of both worlds. Its ability to be controlled via app or Alexa is augmented by the tried and tested manual approach of actually turning on and off a physical wall switch. Tap on it if you're already standing by the switch, ask Alexa to do it if it's out of your reach, or use the app to control them anywhere where there's internet.

Here's the video of it in action:

[oj88]

I've always thought that the Vornado 660 would've been better with a remote. So I added one.

But since it can now be controlled via 433 MHz RF, why not go all the way and use it with Alexa?

The beauty of this mod is that the original controls on the fan still works so now there's actually four ways to control it; Physical buttons, RF remote control, mobile app, and Alexa. This is how one would define excessive.

But jokes aside, with this mod, I can now incorporate it into a routine that will automatically turn it on when somebody turns on the A/C. The air circulator helps equalize the air temperature in my living room to prevent hot spots. Hot spots develop in my living room owing to the fact that it's irregularly-shaped.

[WallyWest]

I've always thought that the Vornado 660 would've been better with a remote. So I added one.

But since it can now be controlled via 433 MHz RF, why not go all the way and use it with Alexa?

The beauty of this mod is that the original controls on the fan still works so now there's actually four ways to control it; Physical buttons, RF remote control, mobile app, and Alexa. This is how one would define excessive.

But jokes aside, with this mod, I can now incorporate it into a routine that will automatically turn it on when somebody turns on the A/C. The air circulator helps equalize the air temperature in my living room to prevent hot spots. Hot spots develop in my living room owing to the fact that it's irregularly-shaped.

Kinda off topic but where can I buy a Vornado? Is it available in local appliance stores like Abenson, etc.? I've seen it in Lazada but I want to try it out first if it'll fit the space that I have in mind.


Edit: nevermind. Found it sa Abenson site.

[StockEngine]

Ah we have alexa too and an LG smart tv. I guess its not worth investing into. though Im eyeing the new samsung split.

FOCUS

[oj88]

I made an Alexa-enabled smart water dispenser.

I am now able to program schedules individually for hot and cold. For example, we typically only need hot water in the morning so there's no need to keep it running 24x7. As for cold water, it's needed only during the day so it's set to turn on around sunrise and off right before bedtime. In any case, both can be turned on/off independently using the physical buttons, Alexa, or the app.

The switches are Broadlink SC1. Some minor wiring modifications inside the dispenser was necessary.

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