Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
I prefer the wink hub because you can get them for around $50 and then go with a smart bulb or plug ($10-20 for standard white light).
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Introducing the Amazon Echo (Smart Speaker) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Buddy Ball 2K3
- Start date
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
sorry I replied so late. The only issue with the wink hub is placement in regards to your router. You want it about 7-8 feet away. NOT closer and no more than 20ft away at most. When you set up the bulb you must be close to the hub and then move it to its final location.
Bogart
Footballguy
No worries. Looked like I guessed correctly. Thanks for the setup tip. Just based on where my router is, 7-8 feet away won't be an issue.
Otis
Footballguy
I don't know much about the Wink hub, but I do know the Samsung/SmartThings hub is compatible with pretty much everything and is very customizeable and has a great developer community. Wink may have the same, I don't know. But it was the compatibility and customization that sold me on SmartThings. SmartThings also has a web interface, so you can access from the web, and you can set up SmartTiles custom control interfaces, so you can leave a bunch of tablets around your house (or mount them on the walls) dedicated to all this home control stuff.leftcoastguy7 said:
Tons of cool options. If you're into software/coding at all, even at a basic level, SmartThings offers tremendous power and flexibility. I don't know if Wink does the same.
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
I'm not sure I would invest much around Wink as its future is uncertain. The parent company of Wink, Quirky, filled Chapter 11 back in September and agreed to sell Wink to one of its unsecured creditors, their contract manufacturer, Flextronics. So the future of that system isn't very secure. But as long as you invest in standard Zigbee or Zwave devices you can move them to another Hub later.
Otis is right, Wink is also not nearly as open or compatible with as many devices as SmartThings. SmartThings is a really awesome system with almost unlimited potential and a great dev. community. So far, it seems like Samsung is supporting the platform and not killing it off like Boxee, etc.
However, as cool as it is, reliability is suspect. I have close to 50 devices in my home and they work well most of the time. But there are times when SmartThings has a glitch and routines or automations just won't fire. It probably happens less than 5% of the time but when it does it can be maddening. As long as you are aware of this and don't plan to use the system for security functions I think it is by far the best choice on the market today. But Google or Apple could change the market tomorrow. Again, stick with standard devices.
Otis is right, Wink is also not nearly as open or compatible with as many devices as SmartThings. SmartThings is a really awesome system with almost unlimited potential and a great dev. community. So far, it seems like Samsung is supporting the platform and not killing it off like Boxee, etc.
However, as cool as it is, reliability is suspect. I have close to 50 devices in my home and they work well most of the time. But there are times when SmartThings has a glitch and routines or automations just won't fire. It probably happens less than 5% of the time but when it does it can be maddening. As long as you are aware of this and don't plan to use the system for security functions I think it is by far the best choice on the market today. But Google or Apple could change the market tomorrow. Again, stick with standard devices.
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
After owning the Echo for a few days, I think the answer to this is no. I hope someone can prove me wrong.
However my 5yo son is enjoying asking Alexa if she has a butt, and also if she farts.
Otis
Footballguy
Agree 100% on this. Sounds like you're near fully automated -- what kinds of devices do you have? Any cool setups/automations to share?
The Smartthings community is great. Reminds me of the Homeseer community in the amount of geekiness and helpful feedback and cool ideas.
I bought a second Amazon Echo for the living room and set it up last night. Now I just sit there. "Alexa, turn off the living room lamps."
But you are right, reliability is still an issue. Sometimes my garage door won't open and I don't know why. The command goes in, but I believe it's just wonkiness with the Smartthings cloud. They'll need to solve that issue if they want real widespread adoption.
I've got about 20 smart switches and outlets sitting on our dining room table, but I've given up trying to install them due to the crappy old wiring in this house. I need to get in an electrician. Hopefully he can run a neutral and get these installed for not a fortune...
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Otis
Footballguy
Your echo does not have to be close to the devices it controls.
The devices we are talking about operate by Z-wave, which is a wireless mesh network. Each device you add acts as a repeater. So as long as you chain devices along the way so that your garage door opener is not too far, you'll be good.
The way it travels is as follows: your Echo is on Wifi. You give it a command. Your echo communicates that via the Wifi connection to the web to your Smartthings hub (or Wink hub, or whatever you use). The hub then communicates via the Zwave wireless network, hopping the command across all your devices (e.g., my Smartthings hub is next to my Wifi router in the living room, so it probably hops from there, along to the smartlamp outlets in the living room, to the motion sensor on my front door, to the smart light switches in the kitchen, to the smart outlet in the kitchen that is closest to the edge of the house facing the garage, and then on to the garage door opener relay in the garage) to the until the device it is directed to gets the command and does what it is instructed to do.
Das Boot
Footballguy
Get ready for Amazon's third billion-dollar business: Echo
Bonus: sneak peak of the Echo super bowl commercial at the end of the linked article
Bonus: sneak peak of the Echo super bowl commercial at the end of the linked article
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
Just got this and it is cool. I will always know who's at my door. If I don't like you I won't be answering.
I connected it to the Wink Hub, but not sure if that really helps anything. Maybe if I wanted to add an auto door lock later on. Also I don't know how I can get Alexa to interact with it.
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
I'm at 51 devices now but have really slowed down after I got the basics done and I keep hoping the platform will stabilize a bit more. IFTTT and Echo have opened up a whole other world. Probably the coolest thing I've done is the "magic color cube". Basically a multipurpose sensor hidden in a box. Each way you turn the box makes all 6 Hue lights in the living room turn a different color. Really cool for when the nieces and nephews visit. They're convinced our house is magic.
Love my Rachio Iro, although it will work fine without Smartthings.
My favorite lights so far are the BR30 can light replacements from Commercial Electric. Used with the Osram Lightify device type they provide good color control (not RGB). They paired quicker than any other lights, look great, and are just a slick replacement for cans.
Also really like the little Aeon switches that you hide behind existing switches instead of the full on replacements like GE. They still require neutral though.
Dammit, now I'm getting inspired again.
NutterButter
Footballguy
Game changer. Now you can listen to spotify in your house.
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Otis
Footballguy
NutterButter
Footballguy
Otis
Footballguy
Foosball God
Foos
cstu
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
You can ask a black can of Pringles to play you any one of 20 million songs. And it will do it.
I would say it's worth it.
Foosball God
Foos
psychobillies
Footballguy
I just realized that it will control a logitech harmony remote. I've been so close to buying this thing for a while now, but that did it. It'll be here tomorrow.
AcerFC
Footballguy
My kids absolutely love it. With prime, you have access to prime music. There is a ton of stuff in there which my kids have discovered.People Loving it, liking it or??
Started talking to the wife about it the other day and she is intrigued.. Another question..
We Currently don't have Prime.. Does that limit the functionality ??
I like it. Ask the weather mostly. Need to re read this thread about the smart hub stuff.
Righetti
Footballguy
we got it on Sunday and have had a ball with it so far.. we're using exactly in the same way you are.. kids loving the music, I'm using it to check on traffic, weather and adding stuff to my shopping list
snogger
Footballguy
That is one of the reason I was mentioning it to my wife.. I drive from Western Wisconsin to Downtown St. Paul for work 3 days a week. There are many days during the winter where I'll look out my window and everything looks great..
But as I get closer to the cities, the weather and roads are crap and my 45 minute drive turns into an hour and a half..
With a quick "Alexa's what is the traffic/weather like on 94 in St. Paul" I could get a quick update as I'm making the
which could help me decide whether to work from home that day or drive in.
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
I have a few more IFFFT triggers and robots set up that I currently like.
Trigger (Good Night) - All lights in the house shut off
Trigger (Good Morning) - Living room, Bedroom and kitchen lights come on and are dimmed to half brightness
Robot (Arrival) - When I arrive home between Sunset and Sunrise all of my smart lights come on.
Trigger (Good Night) - All lights in the house shut off
Trigger (Good Morning) - Living room, Bedroom and kitchen lights come on and are dimmed to half brightness
Robot (Arrival) - When I arrive home between Sunset and Sunrise all of my smart lights come on.
Otis
Footballguy
I'm starting to toy with IFTTT stuff. So many possibilities.
Question -- how are you triggering the arriving at home stuff? Is it based on the SmartThings/wink Hub locating your cell phone arriving? Something else? Is there an appreciable delay in the routine running or does it run pretty immediately upon you getting home?
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Wink has a section called Robots (they automate different things) and it can use your location via permission from your phone. Not sure about IOS but my android phone allows me to give certain apps location permissions. As for the delay I can't really speak of it because I have a rather long drive way and the lights are one by the time I get my crap out of the car and into the house.
As for the IFTTT - There is a delay at times (around 2-5 seconds) other times it seems almost instant. I am trying to set up my "good morning" trigger so that it will turn on the lights, dim them, turn on the iheartradio app in the Echo to the Philly News station or give a flash briefing but I cannot figure it out yet.
Righetti
Footballguy
this might be more of a 'smart home' question than one specific to Echo
I like the idea of getting some smart-home things installed, mostly lights etc.
I already bought a bunch of LED lights, so don't want to buy new WiFi ones. I guess what I can do is install WiFi switches and then use the Samsung smarthub to those, right? in this case does anybody have a good recommendation for some switches that can work easily with the Samsung hub?
in some cases we have two sets of manual switches on opposite sides of the room, do you replace both of those or only one?
I like the idea of getting some smart-home things installed, mostly lights etc.
I already bought a bunch of LED lights, so don't want to buy new WiFi ones. I guess what I can do is install WiFi switches and then use the Samsung smarthub to those, right? in this case does anybody have a good recommendation for some switches that can work easily with the Samsung hub?
in some cases we have two sets of manual switches on opposite sides of the room, do you replace both of those or only one?
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
I have done this on a few lights and other appliances with the wink hub however. We have the same issue with switches in multiple locations for the same devices and it works fine as long as everyone remembers not to turn them off.
Otis
Footballguy
Exactly why these smart bulbs are clunky solutions. Look on Amazon for Z-wave wall switches and dimmers. That's what you want. Then things work seamlessly whether from the SmartThings app or from your wife pressing the wall switch.
psychobillies
Footballguy
Righetti
Footballguy
So i'm looking at one Samsung Smart Hub ($99), two dimmer switches using Z-Wave and one Samsung Multipurpose sensor..
From what I can tell the Smart Hub should be within 50 feet of the switches, so for now we'll try to install these downstairs in the room where our router is located controlling two banks of lights..
The one thing I'm a bit iffy on is what happens if my internet is down, does that mean I can't turn my devices on/off or because this runs on Z-Wave that still works from my phone? how would the Smarthub talk to my phone-app without internet?
From what I can tell the Smart Hub should be within 50 feet of the switches, so for now we'll try to install these downstairs in the room where our router is located controlling two banks of lights..
The one thing I'm a bit iffy on is what happens if my internet is down, does that mean I can't turn my devices on/off or because this runs on Z-Wave that still works from my phone? how would the Smarthub talk to my phone-app without internet?
Otis
Footballguy
When internet is down I believe it won't work. But I believe they are working to change that, so that more of the management functionality will be in the hub so that it still works when the cloud is down. They are regularly doing software updates.
The hub is needed because it's the thing that speaks to all your devices in your home, including Z-wave devices. Z-wave is the best for home control. It's a mesh network, which means the more devices you spread throughout the home, they more responsive it all becomes. Each device acts as a repeater and repeats signals all across your network. So my door lock communicates with the wall switches, lamp module, etc.
We just recently installed these on our doors: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1M635K/ref=sr_rp_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ie=UTF8&qid=1456378497&sr=sr-1&keywords=camelot+schlage
Great stuff.
I also have a bunch of smartthings sensors, like temp and motion sensors, and door sensors, in a few spots in the house. Also the garage door relay switch is clutch.
Big fan of this stuff. If you're willing to spend some time with it, can do tons of cool stuff. My struggle lately has been the old electrical in our house -- we don't have a neutral wire in many places, and some of the spaces behind the wall switches and outlets don't fit the modern smart switches. I need to get an electrician in to install all this stuff...
ClownCausedChaos2
Footballguy
I got one yesterday. We've had a lot of fun with it so far. If you ask, Alexa will tell you why farts smell. I also asked her to open the pod bar doors. Her response was good. I look forward to researching and really digging into the cool things and IFTTTs that can be done.
The downside is that my 5-year-old son caught on to the fact that she tells jokes. I've heard a thousand of her jokes so far. He also picked up on the "Alexa stop" command. Everything I tried to play music last night, he would run into the room, say "Alexa stop!", the run out of the room laughing like hell. I might get a few more Echos and return him.
The downside is that my 5-year-old son caught on to the fact that she tells jokes. I've heard a thousand of her jokes so far. He also picked up on the "Alexa stop" command. Everything I tried to play music last night, he would run into the room, say "Alexa stop!", the run out of the room laughing like hell. I might get a few more Echos and return him.
snogger
Footballguy
leftcoastguy7
Footballguy
I am impressed that Alexa can still understand me even when I'm seriously slurrrrrrrring my words
