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Smart Lighting

gr Offline kkokkolis

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Smart Lighting
on: May 26, 2017, 10:55:34 AM
Alright you sick people. We like fidgets, yo-yos', torches, colorful torches, everything. What about Smart Lighting?


I put a 600 euros hidden Smart LED strip in my daughter's living room and I am amazed with it. I say, why not one for me, to play with, by my bedside or over our bed? I single light bulb would do.





What are your thoughts and experiences?


wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #1 on: May 26, 2017, 11:28:37 AM
I like the smart lighting I have, I use the British gas Hive system and a mix of their bulbs and smart plugs and Philips hue lighting.
Hive controls my heating and the plugs and lighting in most of the flat (ceiling lights in all rooms except the bathroom and my bedroom).
Hue lights provide mood lighting in the living room.

Now the good bit is all of these work with Amazons Echo for voice control so I don’t have to go and pick up the phone to control anything.
I can set schedules for some of the lights so they go on and off at set times (which makes it look like I’m in when I’m not). The heating also is much more flexible than the regular heating timer so If I’m out all day or away for a few days I’m not wasting money heating a building I’m not in. So if I’m away and the heating is off there is a frost prevention setting of 7 degrees C which will turn on the heating regardless to avoid frozen pipes. Due to the peculiarity of how and where my flat is built it gets very hot in the summer so I can run fans or an AC unit and the thermostat can be told if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees C turn on the AC until it drops to 24.

Another use for me is the door sensor, I have this on my front door so when I open it the hall light comes on for two minutes. My hall has no natural light so even during the day it’s pitch black in there. Smashie comes home with arms full of shopping bags I don’t have to turn on the light to see what I’m doing.

It can be very useful but without Amazons Echo it would all be very disjointed and require you to spend time tapping your way through apps on a phone. Saying ‘Alexa turn on living room lights’ is faster than me walking round the room turning on lights individually. Ok that’s a first world problem.

I was an early adopter and suffered with the inevitable bugs and outages but now the systems are a lot more integrated and reliable.
Do I need it? No. Would I miss it? Yes! 
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” - Socrates
"I'm not feeling very talky today, off you smurf". - Smashie
Complaining is mental preparation for failure.
Si vis pacem, para bellum


gr Offline kkokkolis

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #2 on: May 26, 2017, 12:18:28 PM
That's Smart Home, not just Smart Lighting! Any link?


us Offline ducttapetech

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #3 on: May 26, 2017, 12:51:07 PM
Wow Smashie! Sounds like Skynet up in there.

I still using the primitive stuff. I just hit a switch.
Nate

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wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #4 on: May 26, 2017, 08:38:08 PM
There's no point in posting a link to Hive as it's UK only.


Amazon Echo (I have the Dot's) [size=78%]https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo-Black/dp/B01GAGVIE4[/size]


Philips Hue, Lightstrips for moodlighting [/size][size=78%]https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo-Black/dp/B01GAGVIE4[/size]
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” - Socrates
"I'm not feeling very talky today, off you smurf". - Smashie
Complaining is mental preparation for failure.
Si vis pacem, para bellum


us Offline parnass

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #5 on: May 27, 2017, 02:17:16 AM
I am still using X10 to control some some lights and other electronics without leaving my comfortable chair.   :)
Retired engineer, author.

A man with one multitool always knows exactly which to use. A man with many multitools is never quite sure. - parnass


wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #6 on: May 27, 2017, 11:24:35 AM
I guess it would have helped if I had posted the correct link to Hue lighting  :facepalm:


http://www2.meethue.com/en-gb/
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” - Socrates
"I'm not feeling very talky today, off you smurf". - Smashie
Complaining is mental preparation for failure.
Si vis pacem, para bellum


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #7 on: May 27, 2017, 12:28:46 PM
I stick to regular light switches. I like to think I'm the smart one round here  :P


The cantankerous but occasionally useful member, formally known as 50ft-trad


wales Offline Smashie

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #8 on: May 27, 2017, 12:32:24 PM
I stick to regular light switches. I like to think I'm the smart one round here  :P


 :whistle:
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” - Socrates
"I'm not feeling very talky today, off you smurf". - Smashie
Complaining is mental preparation for failure.
Si vis pacem, para bellum


gr Offline kkokkolis

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #9 on: May 27, 2017, 01:49:22 PM
I bought a plain basic LED color lamp for 20 euros. Not very bright and overpriced but good for testing the concept. It has 16 colors, 4 brightness levels, remote on-off and 4 color changing effects. Not bright enough for a main light even in the bedroom (it doesn't say but I guess 4W) but very good for my reading lamp.


A Xiaomi costs the same and it has more of everything, even color temperature choices, but this was available at a local store for immediate testing. I think I like it and I'm going to look for other options for a ceiling light. No need for voice control, a remote or smartphone app is fine.


gr Offline kkokkolis

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #10 on: May 28, 2017, 09:40:13 AM
Here's the remote and the lamp in the blue setting.
Smart Lamp.jpg
* Smart Lamp.jpg (Filesize: 106.73 KB)


00 Offline Mechanickal

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Re: Smart Lighting
Reply #11 on: May 28, 2017, 09:50:29 AM
No really smart lighting here.
I've got a WiFi smartplug which is basicaly an outlet with programmable functions and control through an app.
Works quite well! It's got scheduling posibilities from set times to "sunrise/-set" for any day of the week etc.
Bought it dirt cheap about 2 years ago because it had a damaged box and no manual (which is easily found online these days).

I'm planning on replacing some unused switches with relais, that I'll control with outputs from my alarm system, which has got it's own app.
So with this app I'll be able to control my alarm system, gate and exteriour lights for €0 extra.


 

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