Philips Hue WiFi lighting set up - what do you have?

ted1

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

You'd still need all your light fittings though, that's the idea of hue, you don't need any more or less, it simply goes into your existing set up,

The only aspect you could probably bypass would be the switches on the wall, but doing this could hamper you down the line, what if eventually you decided to go back to standard bulbs (new owner etc).

Well you save on the switches and also the cabling that goes between them. That's a good chunk of work gone.


It doesn't quite just go into your existing setup as the switch still over rides the remote set up, so if switch is off the light is disabled

Stoner

ted1 wrote:

It doesn't quite just go into your existing setup as the switch still over rides the remote set up, so if switch is off the light is disabled

The wiring solution I offered above sorts that out. As does linking the switch and feed cables in the switch.

TBH I'd never advise to wire a house for a single provider

Advbrd

Stoner wrote: »

As it stands the hue is aimed directly at the domestic market so it's not a commercial product. They have their resellers sorted out.

It would be crazy to leave out light switches and limit people to just one type of lamp, apart from anything else it's not competitive.

For new builds the wiring should change alright .
The switch wires should be looped to the fittings from the switches and permanent lives looped at the fittings offering people a range of home automation options. By giving them uninterrupted 220v at the fittings

Stoner, in my house, most lighting is controlled from two switches. Does this mean it is looped. If so, what other home automation options does it give me?
Off topic to this thread but I have a three zoned heating system, well, two zones and the immersion all with thermostatic controls and shutoff valves. The three timers are the bog standard APT type which to be honest are a pain in the ar$e. All three are currently out of action. Is there a single multi zoned networked device that you would recommend to replace the APTs? would I also need to replace the thermostats and shutoff valves? If you do not know, which would be the most appropriate thread/forum on which to raise this?
Cheers and apologies all for lashing this in here.

ellobee

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/03/hackers-hijack-a-philips-hue-lights-with-a-drone/

ted1

Advbrd wrote: »

Stoner, in my house, most lighting is controlled from two switches. Does this mean it is looped. If so, what other home automation options does it give me?
Off topic to this thread but I have a three zoned heating system, well, two zones and the immersion all with thermostatic controls and shutoff valves. The three timers are the bog standard APT type which to be honest are a pain in the ar$e. All three are currently out of action. Is there a single multi zoned networked device that you would recommend to replace the APTs? would I also need to replace the thermostats and shutoff valves? If you do not know, which would be the most appropriate thread/forum on which to raise this?
Cheers and apologies all for lashing this in here.

A NEST will do 1 zone and hit water, so you'll need two.
A climote will do all three, but has an annual charge. I really can't believe these guys havn't updated their product in 5 years to work
With wifi. Both are available from electric Ireland

A hive will also do multi zone and is available from board gas. https://www.hivehome.com/hive-multi-zone-heating-control
Hive is developed by British gas who own board gas
Hive also have lights and sockets https://www.hivehome.com/products/hive-active-light

AndyBoBandy

ellobee wrote: »

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/03/hackers-hijack-a-philips-hue-lights-with-a-drone/

I have noticed more software updates in the last few days!! more than the once a month anyway!

Graham

ellobee wrote: »

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/03/hackers-hijack-a-philips-hue-lights-with-a-drone/

Awesome, imagine the fun you could have with a Drone and a flightpath over AndyBoBandy's house

paulbok

Graham wrote: »

Awesome, imagine the fun you could have with a Drone and a flightpath over AndyBoBandy's house

What's the Morse Code for "stop, you have enough"?

AndyBoBandy

I actually reduced my total by 3 lights today as I set my old bridge up in my mothers house and gave her 3 white only hue bulbs, as she's always asking me to fix her timers when I'm down!!, so now she can do it via the app, or I can do it remotely for her!

Graham

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I actually reduced my total by 3 lights today as I set my old bridge up in my mothers house and gave her 3 white only hue bulbs, as she's always asking me to fix her timers when I'm down!!, so now she can do it via the app, or I can do it remotely for her!

:eek: now your house will only be visible from a lower orbit. How will ISS be able to tell when they're passing over Ireland.

AndyBoBandy

Graham wrote: »

:eek: now your house will only be visible from a lower orbit. How will ISS be able to tell when they're passing over Ireland.

Funnily enough, years ago when I still lived at home, my room was the attic, and my brother & everyone else used to call it Starship Andy such was the amount of tech I'd usually have up there!!

Also, I'm using IFTTT, and I've my office light set to blink when the ISS goes overhead, so they might not see me, but I'll know there are up above!

Stoner

Advbrd wrote:

Stoner, in my house, most lighting is controlled from two switches. Does this mean it is looped. If so, what other home automation options does it give me? Off topic to this thread but I have a three zoned heating system, well, two zones and the immersion all with thermostatic controls and shutoff valves. The three timers are the bog standard APT type which to be honest are a pain in the ar$e. All three are currently out of action. Is there a single multi zoned networked device that you would recommend to replace the APTs? would I also need to replace the thermostats and shutoff valves? If you do not know, which would be the most appropriate thread/forum on which to raise this? Cheers and apologies all for lashing this in here.

Bruthal has what you need achieved with motorised valves and a lightwaverf system.

Search his posts he has it pictures too

I've lightwaverf but a less fancy plumbing solution my heating water, upstairs and downstairs are all the one. I use lightwaverf tvrs

Open a thread on the electrical forum about your switches, we've answered a couple recently.

Stoner

Advbrd wrote:

two zones and the immersion all with thermostatic controls and shutoff valves. The three timers are the bog standard APT type which to be honest are a pain in the ar$e. All three are currently out of action. Is there a single multi zoned networked device that you would recommend to replace the APTs? would I also need to replace the thermostats and shutoff valves? If you do not know, which would be the most appropriate thread/forum on which to raise this? Cheers and apologies all for lashing this in here.

. forgot to add lightwaverf have an immersion/ 3kw switch that would leave your immersion as a separate electrical item. They also have a 3kw inline timer relay, that's what I use.

You are saying it's electrical and the other two apts are for oil or gas heating right ?

Stoner

BTW.

I picked up a Google onhub in adverts, new for 100 euro. It's the only IFTTT approved router. Well it was the first anyway. Has a Zigbee radio and hue control from within its app. Very happy with it I get WiFi at the gate coming into my house now , worth a look although I think I was blessed getting it for that money

AndyBoBandy

Oh, super cool new forum!!

Optimus Prime

I setup my Philips motion sensor over the weekend, I put it over the kitchen door after some testing. I have to say I think its great, It could do with more options regarding times, as in it only has 2 you can set really, it could do with a 3rd time window. but I love it, walk in the lights come on. I have it set to turn off the lights after 5 minutes of no activity. I think im going to get one for every room I put the bulbs in.

OU812

Just a heads up for those buying Edison screw bulbs who have bayonet connections. I was in ikea earlier and hey have a pack of two adapters for €1.50. Which is less than I paid on eBay & I feel a little more secure using these ones.

AndyBoBandy

Optimus Prime wrote: »

I setup my Philips motion sensor over the weekend, I put it over the kitchen door after some testing. I have to say I think its great, It could do with more options regarding times, as in it only has 2 you can set really, it could do with a 3rd time window. but I love it, walk in the lights come on. I have it set to turn off the lights after 5 minutes of no activity. I think im going to get one for every room I put the bulbs in.

I've my sensor in the kitchen as well, the only issue I have with it is it supersedes the timer I'm using from the original hue app.

I have my kitchen lights on timer in the evening, they start off on concentrate from 4pm - 6pm, then at 6pm, I have a relax scene that fades in over 15 minutes. this is all done with the original (black and white) hue app.

As the sensor is only used/recognised by the newer (colour) hue app, setting it to turn the lights off after 5 minutes of activity sounds great in theory, but we were sitting at the table having dinner the other day, and about 5 minutes after all sitting at the table, the kitchen was plunged into darkness!

my fix is to set the sensor to do nothing after any amount of time of inaction, which is a pity, as I'd like to use that feature, but only at certain times.

I agree Optimus, they need more functionality for it, and more timezones, not just day & night, but the beauty of hue means they can easily do this down the road with software updates.

AndyBoBandy

OU812 wrote: »

Just a heads up for those buying Edison screw bulbs who have bayonet connections. I was in ikea earlier and hey have a pack of two adapters for €1.50. Which is less than I paid on eBay & I feel a little more secure using these ones.

I've actually more E27 fittings in my house now than B22's, though I have been using eBay adaptors since 2013 and have found no issues with them.

The great thing nowadays is they do both E27 & B22, whereas at the beginning it was only E27, so any time I was buying any fittings, I was specifically looking for E27, not I can buy either, depending on where I'll use the bulb (although the house is full, so I don't need any more )

Optimus Prime

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I've my sensor in the kitchen as well, the only issue I have with it is it supersedes the timer I'm using from the original hue app.

I have my kitchen lights on timer in the evening, they start off on concentrate from 4pm - 6pm, then at 6pm, I have a relax scene that fades in over 15 minutes. this is all done with the original (black and white) hue app.

As the sensor is only used/recognised by the newer (colour) hue app, setting it to turn the lights off after 5 minutes of activity sounds great in theory, but we were sitting at the table having dinner the other day, and about 5 minutes after all sitting at the table, the kitchen was plunged into darkness!

my fix is to set the sensor to do nothing after any amount of time of inaction, which is a pity, as I'd like to use that feature, but only at certain times.

I agree Optimus, they need more functionality for it, and more timezones, not just day & night, but the beauty of hue means they can easily do this down the road with software updates.

Actually that was something I was worried about, it switching off on me, but so far it hasn't done that. Not sure if its because I don't have any timers setup and in fact we are not even really using the Hue app, we where using apple home to control the lights. I just have the lights bulbs set to come on when we walk in and go off after five mins. I don't have the lightstrips included in that setup. if we want them on we just use apple home to turn on Full Lights.

It really is cool though to walk into your kitchen and the lights just come on.

Stoner

Optimus Prime wrote:

I just have the lights bulbs set to come on when we walk in and go off after five mins.

You know that is the basis of all lighting control, so many people over complicate it.
I've been involved in very complicated set ups in commercial building , delay this, hold that, over all time clock turn on at 7am and off at 8pm.

Turn this on with that etc

Then you ask what about when people work late, or come in early , what about the security guard.

Clients usually default to wanting lights on only when the rooms are occupied.

The next layer to add to this is energy efficient dimming set to a lux level.

So lights on only when it's occupied and using the minimum energy required to light the room to the specified Lux level.

After that it gets fancy.

OU812

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I've actually more E27 fittings in my house now than B22's, though I have been using eBay adaptors since 2013 and have found no issues with them.

The great thing nowadays is they do both E27 & B22, whereas at the beginning it was only E27, so any time I was buying any fittings, I was specifically looking for E27, not I can buy either, depending on where I'll use the bulb (although the house is full, so I don't need any more )

You t seems near impossible to get bayonet fittings now even for normal bulbs.

ted1

LEDs are so cheap now a days offices etc should just leave them on and kill them at 11pm.

AndyBoBandy

Who is using a Hue Tap? are they any good? I get the 4 buttons for doing various scenes/actions etc.. but just looking at some videos there, and the pressing of the buttons looks awkward given the fact you need to press the button quite hard as your pressing the little button as well as the main kinetic one!

are they worth it?

matrim

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Who is using a Hue Tap? are they any good? I get the 4 buttons for doing various scenes/actions etc.. but just looking at some videos there, and the pressing of the buttons looks awkward given the fact you need to press the button quite hard as your pressing the little button as well as the main kinetic one!

are they worth it?

I don't have a tap but have the dimmer switch and it works well. One press of the on button turns to your last setting. The the next presses can be used to cycle through configurable scenes.

It's cheaper than the tap and does just about the same thing (even if it takes a couple of more presses)

AndyBoBandy

matrim wrote: »

I don't have a tap but have the dimmer switch and it works well. One press of the on button turns to your last setting. The the next presses can be used to cycle through configurable scenes.

It's cheaper than the tap and does just about the same thing (even if it takes a couple of more presses)

how do you configure it to cycle through the scenes? (I have 5 dimmer switches)


ah, I see now, I've to use the newer hue app to set it up, I've always set them up in the original app!!

Caillte

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

how do you configure it to cycle through the scenes? (I have 5 dimmer switches)


ah, I see now, I've to use the newer hue app to set it up, I've always set them up in the original app!!

Why do philips even have two versions of the app? Should the newer version not have superseded the older version and remove it from the store?

AndyBoBandy

Caillte wrote: »

Why do philips even have two versions of the app? Should the newer version not have superseded the older version and remove it from the store?

I guess it's to keep the apps simple, It would be nice if all functionality was in 1 app, but then the app would just be clunky!!

I'd use the old vs the new app about 99% of the time, all my timers, as well as scenes are in the original app, so it's usually my go to app for anything hue related on the phone

matrim

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I guess it's to keep the apps simple, It would be nice if all functionality was in 1 app, but then the app would just be clunky!!

I'd use the old vs the new app about 99% of the time, all my timers, as well as scenes are in the original app, so it's usually my go to app for anything hue related on the phone

What's the difference with the old app? I've only used the new one and it seems to cover all the basics and then has some optional advanced setup

AndyBoBandy

matrim wrote: »

What's the difference with the old app? I've only used the new one and it seems to cover all the basics and then has some optional advanced setup

its probably just a more basic version of the new app, but it's the first one I started using over 3 years ago, so just stuck with it.

the newer app probably has better functionality, but I'm set in my ways at this stage!

plus I've so many timers set up it would take me ages to move them all over to the new app!