Home automation

[tommye]

Get dimmer switches…. They’re the future …. You heard it here first

*this post was brought to you by soft ambient lighting

Hello 1985

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

You’ll need to decide what you want to automate (lights, heating, blinds, CCTV etc), then how you want to control it, Alexa, Google Home, Apple home.
Once you’ve decided you need to select accessories from as few manufacturers as as possible and seek kit that works natively with the control interface. A lot of these things need a bridge (hub) to integrate with each other and if you aren’t careful you’ll end up with more bridges than you have LAN ports on you router or sockets to power them.
Really think about it before you start buying and don’t rush as there’s a new protocol called Matter that’s starting to become more prevalent that makes integration much simpler.

This is the sort of info I’d hoped for
I’m tempted by Apple home as we all have iPhones and watches etc but, I hate Apple!!

What woukd you have?

 

[DualityNSNO]

To be fair, I don't think we've spent that much on everything, as most of it is plug and play off the shelf stuff and bought separately over time and then integrated.

We'd paid for Hive initially, we had a smart speaker or two and over time invested in some light bulbs and whatnot and used IFTTT (If This, Then That) to link it.

Obviously, a bog-standard lightbulb costs cheaper, but we've bought most of them when they're on sale so they've been about £14-25 each, and they're tunable.

I mean if you REALLY want to do it for as cheap as possible you can get and do everything yourself, there is free software to be found, you just need a device, etc. etc.

I am not that bothered as I said - when I get a house and I can do it from the ground up, sure, I'll sit and plan the whole thing. In the apartment right now though, nah, too much effort. We got a few remote controlled lightbulbs (and they're led and you can switch modes/colours/ambient and all that) and app-controllable appliances but that's just cuz I'm lazy lol

 

[tommye]

Its basically a house that runs on auto.

It learns your patterns and puts lights on, turns light off, puts heating on and basically controls the house for you.

Proper Skynet.

I looked into, but it seems like a lot of hard work just to not use light switches.

People used to have wives to perform the menial tasks around the home.
Much cheaper to run than electricity, especially at todays prices, and recharged itself overnight.


The world is broken.

 

[DualityNSNO]

This is the sort of info I’d hoped for
I’m tempted by Apple home as we all have iPhones and watches etc but, I hate Apple!!

What woukd you have?

I recently switched to Apple from Android - still hate it for work reasons but honestly it's the easier to use cuz stuff made with/for Apple devices just... work lol

 

[Bedfordblue]

There’s one particular piece of automation that comes highly recommended, it’s reviewed here;
Thread 'Sperm'
https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/sperm.117151/

 

[SerenityNigh]

I'm a bit old school so my home automation is a series of underpaid servants at my beckoning call.

There's nothing quite like asking your manservant to use the clapper to turn off the lights when you have already been tucked into bed

-SN/ms

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

I recently switched to Apple from Android - still hate it for work reasons but honestly it's the easier to use cuz stuff made with/for Apple devices just... work lol

Agreed
It’s their rip-off behaviour that bothers me. Defo the best interface though

 

[DualityNSNO]

Agreed
It’s their rip-off behaviour that bothers me. Defo the best interface though

Well it's a rip-off cuz it's 'exclusive'.

But, as it is exclusive, it works better/best.

 

[Goat]

To be fair, I don't think we've spent that much on everything, as most of it is plug and play off the shelf stuff and bought separately over time and then integrated.

We'd paid for Hive initially, we had a smart speaker or two and over time invested in some light bulbs and whatnot and used IFTTT (If This, Then That) to link it.

Obviously, a bog-standard lightbulb costs cheaper, but we've bought most of them when they're on sale so they've been about £14-25 each, and they're tunable.

Weve got a smart bulb in the bedroom like, its a pain in the arse when you cant find the remote tho.

I could probably get an app on my phone but we only have 2 bulbs, bought them from Amazon, dirt dirt cheap.

We got the red light on the go in the bedroom once!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rita_Poon]

And the other thought, as well as needless consolidation, is the insidious background power use of all the plugged in devices.

I like to keep my amp warmed through as well.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Ah yes those 3p a month for the different devices plugged in.

Not a huge fan regardless (or at least not until I get a proper house that allows it - my flat doesn't really, I have hands)

?

 

[DualityNSNO]

?

It's how I make my savings really.

 

[PhilM]

Weve got a smart bulb in the bedroom like, its a pain in the arse when you cant find the remote tho.

I could probably get an app on my phone but we only have 2 bulbs, bought them from Amazon, dirt dirt cheap.

We got the red light on the go in the bedroom once!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have Hive Bulbs, so it's all done through the app or by talking to the smart speaker. The other ones that have been recommended are Philips Hue.

 

[Goat]

We have Hive Bulbs, so it's all done through the app or by talking to the smart speaker. The other ones that have been recommended are Philips Hue.

To be fair we are about 10 years behind in this house, getting the wife a DOT for her Birthday next month.

My Brother has that Hive and all the bells and whistles.