Home automation thread

[Ginster6]

LUTRON
&
SAVANT

I'm a system integrator dealer for both.

[3.0L]

I'm not real heavy into home automation, but I do have a Nest thermostat and a Rainbird irrigation system with weather station. The rainbird senses temperature, wind, humidity and rainfall and irrigates our yard accordingly.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Wouldn't you still need to carry your phone though? My garage has a keypad to enter the code number and I figured most people have that as well. Sure, it's not as cool as having the garage door open automatically upon arrival, but just curious.

I always carry my phone when I ride. I have a Quad-Lock case and handlebar mount. I just figure if I have geofencing set up for the car, it'll also work for the bike.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I always carry my phone when I ride. I have a Quad-Lock case and handlebar mount.

I actually use the voice prompt sometimes for that. Just yell out "Hey google, open the motorcycle door" to open the side that doesnt have the car in it as Im approaching.

I never really trusted geofencing for opening/closing.

[Chick Webb]

I've been a serious HA geek for quite some time now. Our system has evolved over time, but as of now we've got window/door sensors, locks, cameras, and some lights on SmartThings. All other lights are on a Philips hub. SmartThings is integrated with Philips, Alexa, Bloomsky (weather station), Plantlink (houseplants), Keen (vents), Honeywell (thermostat), and automations are driven by WebCore. Android phones provide presence sensors.

Pretty much everything in the house is under voice control; haven't touched a light switch in months. Modes (Morning, Day, etc.) determine what should be on and what expected conditions of sensors are. In some rooms lights are triggered by motion, in others by voice. Lights are automated and start coming on in the evening, based on a luminance sensor outside. That and others trigger lights on at night in case we have intruders (mostly deer and other critters, but...) We get voice/phone notifications for "abnormal" conditions.

None of this would be possible w/o WebCore. I've probably got 3 dozen WebCore "pistons" (automations) that I've written. Unfortunately, one of these days SmartThings is going to drop support for WebCore, and at that point I'm likely going to jump ship for Hubitat; there's one in a box in the closet waiting. In fact, since I just maxed out my Philips hub (63 devices), I bought a new hub and will probably set up the Hubitat hub so that I can integrate it with the new Philips unit and ease into the new ecosystem. It's literally going to take months to migrate everything, and frankly things work so well that I'm not in a hurry to do it.

Pro tip - use Philips lights. They are expensive, yes, but they just work. All the other Z-wave lights that I started with - GE, Osram, others - have proven eventually to be flaky and not worth the trouble. As they have shown their true colors I have replaced them with Philips units, and other than the hit to my wallet I have no regrets.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I actually use the voice prompt sometimes for that. Just yell out "Hey google, open the motorcycle door" to open the side that doesnt have the car in it as Im approaching.

I never really trusted geofencing for opening/closing.

I plan on giving geofencing a very short leash, so to speak. One screwup and I'll kill it. I can't afford to have my garage door left open. I can always do a push button on my Apple Watch.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Since the topic came up in another thread and others thought that it warranted its own thread, here it is.

Back in the stone ages, I was an early adopter of Wink. I later chained HomeBridge to it as a gateway for Apple stuff to control things. Worked fine for years, until Will.i.am ran out of money and Wink (corporation) imploded.

When I saw the handwriting on the wall for Wink, I beat the mass exodus and picked up an emergency Hubitat hub after only minimal investigation. It did more than Wink could, and has a great user community providing third-party integrations. With HOOBS (virtual HomeBridge appliance) chained in front of it as an Apple HomeKit gateway, it was a painless conversion that added even more integration possibilities.

Hubitat has been adding features to their hub at a fast pace, and I would argue too fast as an IT professional. Every recent update seems to have more bugs, and their pre-release QA testing seems to be lacking. This drives me crazy enough where I started searching for an alternative.

Back during the holiday break from work, I downloaded/installed the open-source Home Assistant package. It has a learning curve, and is written from a programmer's perspective and not a homeowner's perspective. It comes with its own HomeKit bridge built in for Apple stuff, so no need to also run a separate HomeBridge or HOOBS instance. It has a stronger online user community than Hubitat, and many more integrations available. The most interesting feature to me is that you can write REST web and shell script (command line) interactions with no programming required. I had mentioned developing an integration for OCD psycho dog's electronic pet door in another thread. It only took a few hours with a Q&D shell script.

One of the surprise features in Home Assistant is that it includes native support for BMW Connected Drive. I can read the battery status, range, mileage, warning messages, and even pre-condition my BMW i3 directly from Home Assistant! Unlike the BMW iPhone app, the Home Assistant integration seems to have an almost 100% success rate when sending commands to the car. Makes me sad that AT&T is shutting down the 3G cellular network this month, because BMW Connected Drive is finally useful to me just in time to discontinue the service.

Anyway, I'm about 90% completed migrating from Hubitat to Home Assistant, and happy so far with what I've seen.....

Using a mixture of Homekit, Homebridge and Home Assistant currently.

I was using the BMW Connected Drive app on Home Assistant along with Node Red/Pushover to get push notifications when charging started & ended on my last 2 i3s.

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by Ginster6

LUTRON
&
SAVANT

I'm a system integrator dealer for both.

Having SAVANT installed in our new house in SC, starting slow with media room and some lighting but can see myself going deep down the rabbit hole!

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I plan on giving geofencing a very short leash, so to speak. One screwup and I'll kill it. I can't afford to have my garage door left open.

I strongly recommend that you do what I did initially. Set up several presence-location automations to turn on an outside light, and try each option one at a time until you see how reliable they are and at what range they usually trigger.

From my testing, the old Wink app's geofence was pretty wide, and ate a lot of phone battery keeping the GPS in overdrive 24/7. It worked about 90% of the time. I could see the flood lights turn on from 1/8 mile away when it did work.

My next test was with Apple HomeKit location. The flood lights turn on more or less when I'm turning into the driveway, and sometimes after I have stopped. It is almost 100% reliable, and doesn't eat any more iPhone battery than normal running the GPS.

I never tried the Hubitat app. Some Hubitat users subscribe to Life360 for notifications and presence/location detection.

I also tried to create my own presence detector based on my phone or watch connecting to the home wifi. My iPhone was too slow to change from cellular to wifi to be of use as an arrival trigger. My Apple Watch really twists my goat, because it will not connect to wifi if it has a viable Bluetooth link to the paired iPhone! The watch connecting to wifi cannot be used as an arrival trigger, and Apple doesn't use its location for HomeKit automations.

Apple's HomeKit presence automation wins every time for me, and is my choice. Feel free to try everything yourself and see what works best for you.

Coincidentally, I just heard ice cracking in the driveway as the front door unlocked. My DW just arrived home, and the arrive home automation triggered as she drove up close to the house in our icy driveway.....

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I strongly recommend that you do what I did initially. Set up several presence-location automations to turn on an outside light, and try each option one at a time until you see how reliable they are and at what range they usually trigger.

From my testing, the old Wink app's geofence was pretty wide, and ate a lot of phone battery keeping the GPS in overdrive 24/7. It worked about 90% of the time. I could see the flood lights turn on from 1/8 mile away when it did work.

My next test was with Apple HomeKit location. The flood lights turn on more or less when I'm turning into the driveway, and sometimes after I have stopped. It is almost 100% reliable, and doesn't eat any more iPhone battery than normal running the GPS.

I never tried the Hubitat app. Some Hubitat users subscribe to Life360 for notifications and presence/location detection.

I also tried to create my own presence detector based on my phone or watch connecting to the home wifi. My iPhone was too slow to change from cellular to wifi to be of use as an arrival trigger. My Apple Watch really twists my goat, because it will not connect to wifi if it has a viable Bluetooth link to the paired iPhone! The watch connecting to wifi cannot be used as an arrival trigger, and Apple doesn't use its location for HomeKit automations.

Apple's HomeKit presence automation wins every time for me, and is my choice. Feel free to try everything yourself and see what works best for you.

Coincidentally, I just heard ice cracking in the driveway as the front door unlocked. My DW just arrived home, and the arrive home automation triggered as she drove up close to the house in our icy driveway.....

Thanks for this. I'll be starting with HomeKit as that's the ecosystem I'm in. I was tracking Wifey on her way home yesterday. I knew she was driving down a road that passes our house at the bottom of the hill behind us and saw her as her car come into view out the back windows. So I'm assuming HomeKit will have no issues picking up our iPhones as we come down our street and turn into the driveway. Lights will come later. All the lights I'd like to automate are 3-ways, so there's a learning curve there for installing smart switches. Then of course there's the garage door opener itself. That will be my first project after I get the Apple TV and HomePod Mini working on the Thread network. I have an Eve Weather device that will be the simple end-point target. If I can get that to show up on the system from the garage or shed, I'll be a happy camper.

[M_Six]

From the Eve Home website:

During the heating season it is essential to keep the humidity levels at a healthy level. Let Eve Room turn on your humidifier exactly when needed. Simply connect the humidifier to Eve Energy, set up a scene once, and let your home hub do the switching for you.

We have the need for a de-humidifier in our basement. The one we have works fine and will monitor the humidity level. When it detects the humidity hit a certain point, it will kick on the compressor and de-humidify. The problem is that the fan runs all the time even when the humidity level is low. But with the Eve room sensor and an Eve plug, it seems I could set up a "scene" where the de-humidifier kicks on when the humidity reaches a certain level. And I'm assuming you can set any room "scene" to work only at given hours, so it won't run at night when we're sleeping.

As you can see, I'm planning my route down this rabbit hole in serious detail.

[Turkish Pickle]

OH OH

I started with a Google Home Mini and a LifX RGB bulb. College me thought it was baller. Then I got an Alexa to be slick and make my own commands (at least back then Alexa was easier to dev than Google). "Alexa, set the mood" would dim and turn a reddish orange, girls loved it. So did I

Alexa proved unreliable though, so I ultimately went back to Google. Bought a second device once I moved into a bigger apartment, got some TP-Link smart plugs. Even got a Nest with the ComEd's $100 discount. Then got a Homepod from Costco so I migrated my equipment to it through Homebridge. Which was a hassle to say the least.

Currently? Went native. One bulb, two smart plugs to control lamps, on a Homepod Mini and my phone. Everything is HomeKit enabled. It is expensive but I can control everything through mission control and it just works!

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Turkish Pickle

OH OH

I started with a Google Home Mini and a LifX RGB bulb. College me thought it was baller. Then I got an Alexa to be slick and make my own commands (at least back then Alexa was easier to dev than Google). "Alexa, set the mood" would dim and turn a reddish orange, girls loved it. So did I

Alexa proved unreliable though, so I ultimately went back to Google. Bought a second device once I moved into a bigger apartment, got some TP-Link smart plugs. Even got a Nest with the ComEd's $100 discount. Then got a Homepod from Costco so I migrated my equipment to it through Homebridge. Which was a hassle to say the least.

Currently? Went native. One bulb, two smart plugs to control lamps, on a Homepod Mini and my phone. Everything is HomeKit enabled. It is expensive but I can control everything through mission control and it just works!

Damn! HomePod Minis are cheaper at Costco. I wish I'd known that before I ordered mine from B&H. Costco has a 2-pack for $160.

https://www.costco.com/homepod-mini%...100776643.html

Just ordered another single in case I need it to extend my network. If not, it'll work as a second speaker for stereo.

[NoMoreVauxhalls]

Not really that much into automations – I’ve been pretty reluctant to move into home automation due to potential security risks, etc. I mean – in theory, I would love a smart lock on my front door that detects my phone/watch as I approach and just unlocks. But I’d also be super nervous that someone could gain access to my property if that lock malfunctioned, or was hacked/bypassed.

Having said that, I’ve started dabbling in the ‘smart home’ thing. I have Hue bulbs in many rooms, and it’s nice to be able to control those with Siri or my phone. I also have a Hive central heating system where I can control the radiators in each room with the app, or voice (“Hey Siri – make the bedroom warmer”, etc.). And I’ve done basic automations with those – for example, when everyone leaves the home, the Hive system turns down the heating. My LG tv also supports HomeKit, so a basic automation I’ve done there is one where I say “Hey Siri – goodnight” and that turns off the lights downstairs, and turns off the TV, etc. Simple stuff

I have an OG HomePod in the living room, and smaller HomePod minis in the bedrooms and kitchen – so Siri can pick me up pretty much wherever I am in the house. Wasn’t entirely comfortable with that initially, but it's on my phone anyway lol. And, out of Apple, Google, or Amazon, I’ve landed in the Apple camp in terms of privacy. Each to their own, though – and whatever works for you, etc!

I do have a Ring 4 video doorbell which is nice – although it’s a shame it’s not incorporated into Apple HomeKit. Hopefully that will come soon. I did mean to look into Homebridge as I think you can integrate it using that – maybe a mini project for me to undertake…

[its55]

Home automation is fancy name for spyware. That is all. Good luck!

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by NoMoreVauxhalls

Not really that much into automations – I’ve been pretty reluctant to move into home automation due to potential security risks, etc. I mean – in theory, I would love a smart lock on my front door that detects my phone/watch as I approach and just unlocks. But I’d also be super nervous that someone could gain access to my property if that lock malfunctioned, or was hacked/bypassed.…

I've always found this line of thinking silly. Are you housing national secrets or something? No remote hackers are targeting random homes, they just aren't. And do you think some criminal is going to roll up to your house with a laptop, a Wi-Fi can, and go all hackers just to get in your front door? No, they're going to do what criminals have done for hundreds of years: smash a window or just kick the door in.

Locks on homes have always been about peace of mind and convenience, not security. So I just add more convenience to mine. Being said I don't like those Bluetooth locks I use one that has a keypad that I can reprogram on the fly. I haven't carried a physical key in years.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by its55

Home automation is fancy name for spyware. That is all. Good luck!

Don't worry, Google and Amazon already know all they need about you just from coming to this forum.

[NoMoreVauxhalls]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I've always found this line of thinking silly. Are you housing national secrets or something? No remote hackers are targeting random homes, they just aren't. And do you think some criminal is going to roll up to your house with a laptop, a Wi-Fi can, and go all hackers just to get in your front door? No, they're going to do what criminals have done for hundreds of years: smash a window or just kick the door in.

Nope - I don't have national secrets in my house. However I do have a family to protect, including grandkids when they sleep over, etc. So for me, at this time, it's definitely a security risk that I don't want to take.

I also have nice cars in my drive. And I've seen how criminals rock up to somebody's house and steal their cars with remote/relay attacks (which is why we keep our car keys in faraday boxes). You don't need a laptop to do that shit. As long as they have their device, they're good to go.

So - bearing in mind that criminals use that tech to gain access to people's cars on their drives, while they sleep, it's not much more of a stretch of imagination to think that they can use similar tech to unlock your smartlock door, and go creeping about your house while you're asleep...

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

Locks on homes have always been about peace of mind and convenience, not security.

The locks on my doors are mainly for security. Just sayin'

[Bongoxxx]

I use google mesh to provide wifi in my home. Regularly see 1GB down and 900MB up speeds.
Google hub screens in the kitchen, family room, basement, master bedroom and my daughter’s bedroom.
Nest to control the HVAC and all smoke/co2 are nest.
Nest Hello doorbell and 3 nest security cameras
Lift master direct drive wifi garage door opener
Pretty much every light switch in the house replaced with a Wemo switch.
Multiple Wemo plugs to control lamps, backyard lighting, light strips etc.
TVs also connected along with HT receivers in both the family room and basement connected to the network.
Hardwired speakers in pretty much every room in the house that can be sourced from either receiver.
Fireplace in the family room and basement controlled as well.

Easy to control pretty much everything from the google hub via voice or from any of our phones.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by NoMoreVauxhalls

Nope - I don't have national secrets in my house. However I do have a family to protect, including grandkids when they sleep over, etc. So for me, at this time, it's definitely a security risk that I don't want to take.

I also have nice cars in my drive. And I've seen how criminals rock up to somebody's house and steal their cars with remote/relay attacks (which is why we keep our car keys in faraday boxes). You don't need a laptop to do that shit. As long as they have their device, they're good to go.

So - bearing in mind that criminals use that tech to gain access to people's cars on their drives, while they sleep, it's not much more of a stretch of imagination to think that they can use similar tech to unlock your smartlock door, and go creeping about your house while you're asleep...



The locks on my doors are mainly for security. Just sayin'

LOL this is just silly. OK bro, enjoy the bourne fantasy that someone is hacking your door lock instead of just picking it, bumping it or smashing their way in. Youd think we would be hearing about it by now.

And you have solid steel exterior doors with lugs into a fortified jam, a dual tumbler lock and bars over all ground floor windows? Otherwise you're sacrificing most of the security for convenience.

I like how everything is like politics now. Someone posts about a subject a bunch of people have zero knowledge on and a baseless opinion on and they just cant help but come in and share their stupid opinions.

[unluky]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Apple's HomeKit can use the latest gen apple 4k TV as a Thread router for Apple Home. The Apple TV remote has Siri and a mic, but you can just tape over the mic opening and/or turn off Siri. Same with using a HomePod mini. Of course if you're not into the Apple environment, that isn't much of an option.

Yeah - never been an Apple fan - I tried it way too early and got turned off. Probably be fine now, but I have already went away from it 100%. Actually with Alexa and Google - you can still set routines and groups even with unlinked devices and they still work together like they are - so probably basically the same thing.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I No, they're going to do what criminals have done for hundreds of years: smash a window or just kick the door in.

True. Our back door has a glass window. Wouldn't take much to get in. Even if I had a high-end intrusion alarm, it would take the county sheriff's dept an hour to get here.

That said, there's a house for sale down the end of our street. The owner (I think) seems to have left a new, two-stage snowblower outside his garage. Been there for almost a week. It's 20ft from a street. It wouldn't take two guys 3 minutes to pull up, load that thing into a pickup, and drive off. But we just don't seem to have that issue here. (Knock on wood.)