I love your videos except please, please, please stop the thumping, mindless, repetitive “music” in the background while you are explaining things. Thanks!
Brilliant vid Brian. Your approach to engaging with your audience has just the right balance of tech and simplicity. Keep up the great work chap... right i'm off to write to Google automation scripts. Wish me luck!
Question on presence sensors. How would they do with a long narrow hallway (like 80+ feet). Ive played with multiple motion sensors in the hallway and still end up with dead spots. Are the presense sensors any better for this type of space?
Sadly, no. And with them requiring power I think worse in your situation. There are a few motion sensors that go 20-25 feet reliably. Check our video on motion sensor comparisons and you'll find a Z-Wave one from GE that might really help
Not sure about other systems, but if you're using Home Assistant you can combine multiple motion sensors to act as one: if one (or more) detect motion, lights on; if none detect motion, lights off. Maybe Hue can do this as well with their Hue Labs routines.
I only have one question regarding presence detection. That is, what happens if you have any pets such as cats? It's great to talk into a room and have the lights go on and stay on, but if said occupant isn't a human that can play havoc with light automations.
Absolutely, and I personally have to do more testing, but sensitivity settings on these presence sensors will have to be there. Aqara has some adjustments that you can make and in general they don't pick up smaller humans (kids) as well as larger ones. So from what I can tell, it'll be just fine.
Recently purchased 2 Aeotec wallmote 7 switches after watching 1 of your previous videos. I'd love for you to do a short video about how to use it. Added it to ST with no problems but not quite understanding setting it up with all the stuff you can use it for. It shows " button " " button 1 " and " button 2 " and with each of those there's SEVERAL functions you can set up. I'm not completely sure the difference between " held " and " held down " either. So there's 21 possible , different, programmable functions to set up? I get 14 ( pressing the switch up or down ) but I'm not understanding where the other 7 come into play. I have learned a lot from your videos and have made purchases based on your reviews/opinion on various smart home devices which is why I'm hoping you'll be able to explain these switches in a way that'll be easy to understand and that I'll be able to utilize them to their fullest.
I don't know that I'll get to a whole video over here on this channel, but maybe over on our tutorials channel :) It's called Automate Your Life Tutorials
Hi Brian, great vid as always, quick question, I using Aeotec Recessed Door Sensor 7, as I don't want to see the sensor and also from a security side I don't want anyone else seeing them, but I find these sensors just kill batteries, as in I am changing them almost every month, do you know of any other low profile sensors I could use instead of the Aeotec. TIA PS having a nightmare getting the EP1 working with ST... any tips would be appreciated...
Hey Big Daddy! Yeahhh, so that's too fast. Something is up there and I wonder if you have one of the time delays for the sensor set really low in your hub? OR...things just aren't connected very well and it's having to connect constantly. I don't really know any other good recessed sensors, honestly. Sorry! And as for the EP1 working with ST, where are you getting stuck?
Thank you for the fast reply, I had a quick look in the smartthing app, and can't find anywhere to change the times of the sensors, yes maybe the connection could be an issue, but then would that be the same for any of the other sensors close by, as for the EP1, it just don't want to work, 90% of the time it just shows off line in the app, and then when it does show online, the routine of say turn light on when movement, that just don't work. oh one other question (you can start charging me if you like lol) I think I am up to the max on my ST hub, and I can't find the video you done about switching over hub, need one that will take more than 200 devices. thank you again, all help is very very much appreciated..@@AutomateYourLife
I don't have a video on switching, and nothing from ST will take more than 200 devices. You might need to start splitting things....Get a second hub or maybe even a third. I'm thinking about doing a video on what happens when you get to larger smart homes...and it's not always pretty. Approach that carefully ok? As for it being offline, that's odd. Feels like to me that maybe the sensor is truly going offline, which could be more based on WiFi, network, or even a power issue depending on how you've done that. It's been rock solid for me for a long time. Go into the web interface for the sensor. I think there's a lot there that might help you, and make sure it's on a static IP!
I think the video of yours I watched was the one about matter coming to ST, anyway as for the EP1 I can see it working great on the laptop vir the wifi, good point about the static ip will try that, the problem I don't think is wifi, as it seems the EP1 just isn't talking to ST. anyway thanks again, for everything it is really appreciated, I''l look into getting a second hub, do you have a vid about splitting devices between 2 or 3 hubs, or do you have any quick pointers, have a great rest of your weekend..@@AutomateYourLife
Hi Brian. Really sorry to bother you again. You said about the Arotec time delay being to short. I have look all through the app etc. but there isn't anywhere to change said setting. Please could you point me in the right direction. Many many thanks any help would be really appreciated. As I'm going through batteries weekly. TIA...
I would've place a door/window sensor where it can easily be reached. They should be as invisible as possible. Some additional sensors like luminous, temperature, air quality, ... can make sense to combine. A button would be the last of my choices.
I have sensors working with Google...indirectly. A sensor turns on a light or power socket which triggers a routine to start. My old Belkin WeMo have been great at my front door.
@@AutomateYourLife but I thought Matter/thread allowed devices to work without a hub? I don't understand why it takes so long. You could say "but motion sensors are low power and incompatible with wifi" then made a wifi wall plugged motion like aquara
Do you know of any smart robot lawn mowers? I can't be the only one who who like the possibility to trigger a robot lawn mower to start when my dog leaves our home to go for a walk and stop mowing the lawn when the dog returns from the walk. My sister is a wet and I have heard some sad stories about dogs being cut by robot lawn mowers 😢 so I would not want it to start if the dog is at home.
I do know of a few, but I haven't had an opportunity to test things like that. Many are built with the idea that people or animals could be around though, so I think you'll find safety measures are pretty strong. But do your research for sure!
Is the google script editor localized? Or does it need to an internet connection? Matter and Thread is very promising, but its taking a while. Who would've predicted that competing industry giants werent going to be able to work together? 🤣🤣
The Google Script editor...I don't think it's localized, but I haven't tested it that thoroughly. Just from how things run it seems related to cloud services
