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Thread: Home Automation

  1. #1
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    Default Home Automation

    As I am setting my Smartthings up and configuring a bunch of stuff (to be ready for Google Home at Xmas) I found this gem...



  2. #2
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    We have been having a lot of mail theft in our neighborhood so I put a sensor in my mailbox that alerts me when opened after 10pm. Last night they came again but the sensor hasn't been working (probably because inside a metal mailbox). Got them on camera but you can't read plates at night.


  3. #3
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    They caught the guys in my video and it's being used as evidence against them..... I also figured out how to adjust the camera's shutter speed so I get plates at night.

    Joe - what are you using your color change bulbs for? I want to get a few to add to my smartthings system but haven't found a super useful reason I have some of the smart bulbs but they are just white and putting them in lamps hasn't worked well as people turn them off at the lamp defeating the purpose.

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    Cynic Jomama's Avatar
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    Nice, thats gotta be fun to contribute that footage. We've had a lot of this lately in Anchorage too. I got on the Nextdoor app just to keep apprised of reports like this in my neighborhood. Definitely thinking of getting a some kind of external security cam system soon.

    I have them in my living room, one above the front entry, one in a hanging lamp above the table and one in the area behind our couch outside the bathroom door. My gf hasn't gotten into them as much as I, so I haven't had a chance to develop the auto-on/schedules, but will toy with this over the holidays. You do kinda need to develop a habit of using the app and schedule instead of switches (or get the Hue dimmer switchs).. But I love the different colors and the ability to dim the light behind our couch, added more light to our room without being too harsh. Also, the ability to change from a "daytime" whiter brighter light for reading and well lit activities, to a nighttime "relaxing" hue that is dimmer and keeps the room lit for TV watching w/out being harsh, is fantastic imo... I'm very light sensitive, hate the color of CFL's, find most overhead lights too bright. I've always really liked the light LED lights put out since they became available in standard bulb sizes, very natural imo, but the ability to change from a natural to a cool white is the perfect feature imo... At least I use it..


    Even set the one in the doorway to a flickering fireplace hue at night which can be seen thru our glass door to the outside.

    I really got this starter set because I wanted to get a few Hue Bloom lights, we have a shelf in a corner and its kinda dark so I want a Hue bloom light facing the wall behind it. And I have under cabinet led light strips, and have a few ideas for new ones and will start to replace them with the Hue light strips, will just wait till a day that Amazon has deals on this stuff tho..
    Last edited by Jomama; 12-19-2016 at 01:08 PM.

  5. #5
    Cynic Jomama's Avatar
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    Hue Bridge w/2 Hue bulb starter set is $56 today. http://deals.kinja.com/todays-best-d...-se-1790270781

  6. #6
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    If I get into Hue it will be for color changing stuff. I have plenty of the white smart bulbs. I do like the bloom light a lot.

    My biggest problem so far is the same thing I really like about these bulb/switches.... They mesh together to make a huge network BUT when Michelle turns off the lamb at the front of the house at the switch my outside lights don't work because they are out of range. With the bulb powered it extends the range of my network outside and into the basement below. It took me a couple days to figure it. Worked great when I set it up and tested by the next day the outside lights didn't come on.... grrr

  7. #7
    Cynic Jomama's Avatar
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    Those bulbs that come with that starter set are color changing, I think all of the hue are. But you need the starter set to get the Hue bridge, before getting the bloom lights.

    Take the switch out so it cant be turned off. If I start using them enough I will remove some of mine and just put a blank switch in.

  8. #8
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    They are the white color change only. I have similar blubs that are $8 each that are Zigbee and connect directly. I will see if the color change bulbs go on sale after Xmas.

  9. #9
    Cynic Jomama's Avatar
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    Ah I missed the "white" part, thought it was just a 2 bulb version of what I got like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  10. #10
    Administrator Klaus's Avatar
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    Yeah your kit is what I want. I would like to change the color on my outdoor bulbs too. I notice about 50% of our neighborhood have color change lights (or several bulbs).

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