Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

LiamG

https://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=206521.0

guys - just came across this - giving it a try so hopefully it will take care of these issues

mrcheez

LiamG wrote: »

https://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=206521.0

guys - just came across this - giving it a try so hopefully it will take care of these issues

So adding the station to Favourites means that Alexa will understand the name when you request it vocally?

It doesn't help.

dcalbal

I have found a solution for getting accurate weather regardless of the location settings. I used the skill Big Sky. Just enabled it and signed up to a free account then put in my local address, I was out in Baltray village in Drogheda and there was no way Alexa was accepting my location settings. The main thing I wanted that set for is the weather and this skill works great. I used a local address nearby as even my house address doesn't show up on google. Now Ive got accurate weather for my village and it even has a detailed forecast setting so you can ask

Alexa ask big sky when will it rain?

works a treat!

Tip though I used an address with an Eircode so make sure you put that in when you enter your location in the account.

kesey

dcalbal wrote: »

I have found a solution for getting accurate weather regardless of the location settings. I used the skill Big Sky. Just enabled it and signed up to a free account then put in my local address, I was out in Baltray village in Drogheda and there was no way Alexa was accepting my location settings. The main thing I wanted that set for is the weather and this skill works great. I used a local address nearby as even my house address doesn't show up on google. Now Ive got accurate weather for my village and it even has a detailed forecast setting so you can ask

Alexa ask big sky when will it rain?

works a treat!

Tip though I used an address with an Eircode so make sure you put that in when you enter your location in the account.

Hi dcalbal, where do you sign up for the Big Sky free account? I can't find a link.
Regards,
kesey

rolion

Alexa has ordering shopping enabled by default !
More HERE and HERE ...
Nice, but no thanks !

mossym

kesey wrote: »

Hi dcalbal, where do you sign up for the Big Sky free account? I can't find a link.
Regards,
kesey

big sky has been mentioned a lot in the thread before, not sure if there are in instructions, but you can enter the address when you enable the skill in the alexa app

degsie

kesey wrote: »

Hi dcalbal, where do you sign up for the Big Sky free account? I can't find a link.
Regards,
kesey

http://sarkonovich-2.elasticbeanstalk.com/sign_in

kesey

degsie wrote: »

kesey wrote: »

Hi dcalbal, where do you sign up for the Big Sky free account? I can't find a link.
Regards,
kesey

http://sarkonovich-2.elasticbeanstalk.com/sign_in

great stuff, thanks:-)

BobPresto

Here's a strange one. I've got Alexa setup on a US account so as I can use all the American skills. I just checked my command recordings from last night and I hear a male English sounding voice say "Alexa, what's nutritional value of avocados" WTF!!!! That's fecking freaky...

donegal.

I have 2 hue lights named MAIN and STRIP in the room KITCHEN. And nest , labeled DOWNSTAIRS.

Can anyone tell me the list of what i can say to alexa, or point me to another website ?
eg how do i activate scenes ?

garbeth

Can't help with scenes but say Ale a turn my downstairs thermostat to 22 degrees

You can also setup ifttt to turn your thermostat up and down. I have it setup so that if I say Alexa House warm it sets my thermostat to 18. If I say house cold it sets it to 21. If you look at the description for the nest skill it will tell you what other phrases work.

setanta1984

donegal. wrote: »

I have 2 hue lights named MAIN and STRIP in the room KITCHEN. And nest , labeled DOWNSTAIRS.

Can anyone tell me the list of what i can say to alexa, or point me to another website ?
eg how do i activate scenes ?

Do a device discovery to add all your scenes to alexa (they will all appear as individual devices in the alexa app.)

Then just say "Alexa, turn on <device name as seen in the list>"
So for example, I have one room, called "Sitting Room". My Relax scene is discovered in the device list as "Relax in Sitting Room". So I just say "Alexa, turn on Relax in Sitting Room" and the scene gets activated.

For other commands, these are pretty much all I use, you can use any of these with either the room or individual bulb names
Alexa, turn on/off <room/bulb>
Alexa, dim <room/bulb>
Alexa, increase <room/bulb>
Alexa, dim <room/bulb> to 50 per cent (any number value)
Alexa, set <room/bulb> to 50 per cent (I find saying 'set' works best for increasing brightness)

Much more granular controls like fading in/out and more can be achieved using Yonomi app to create a routine, which is then discovered as a device in alexa and controlled like the scenes above - "Alexa, turn on <routine name>"

phenom

What is the best way to get a near location to work with the alexa and also traffic updates ? Tried putting in my address on the alexa app but I keep getting an error.

I know this probably a frequent request so my apologies .

garbeth

Addresses within the m50 should work or just use O'Connell street. This part is only used for the time anyway. For the traffic it took my address and work address set it up under traffic.

phenom

garbeth wrote: »

Addresses within the m50 should work or just use O'Connell street. This part is only used for the time anyway. For the traffic it took my address and work address set it up under traffic.

Brilliant thanks for that

Doodah7

Got Alexa to play 2fm!!!

Looked at the Tunein list of local stations on the Alexa app. It included Rte 2fm 90.7. So I asked Alexa " play 90.7 Rte 2fm" and it did!!! At last I have this sorted!

mrcheez

tallpaul wrote: »

Got Alexa to play 2fm!!!

Looked at the Tunein list of local stations on the Alexa app. It included Rte 2fm 90.7. So I asked Alexa " play 90.7 Rte 2fm" and it did!!! At last I have this sorted!

well I'll be, it worked.

One for the sticky I think?

GristlyEnd

DarrenG wrote: »

Got an Echo Dot today from Amazon. I've set it up and partnered it with my Harmony hub but I'm having issues where on quite a few occasions it can't find the hub. I've read up online and it seems to be a recent issue. Anyone else have the same problem?

Apart from that I'm loving it. Hue bulbs are next on the shopping list.

Anyone else with an Echo dot and a Harmony hub having issues? I regularly get "I was unable to reach your logitech harmony hub" and I've looked online for solutions but nobody seems to have an answer.

mossym

mrcheez wrote: »

well I'll be, it worked.

One for the sticky I think?

This is the sticky...:)

Nelbert

DarrenG wrote: »

Anyone else with an Echo dot and a Harmony hub having issues? I regularly get "I was unable to reach your logitech harmony hub" and I've looked online for solutions but nobody seems to have an answer.

There seems to be issues with the harmony and wifi networks in "n" exclusive mode.... set your access point to a "g" compatible mode and it should be fine.

bk

Nelbert wrote: »

There seems to be issues with the harmony and wifi networks in "n" exclusive mode.... set your access point to a "g" compatible mode and it should be fine.

Really!! that sucks badly, "g" compatible mode causes your entire wifi network to slow down!

Nelbert

bk wrote: »

Really!! that sucks badly, "g" compatible mode causes your entire wifi network to slow down!

It's a solution I read on one of the Logitech forums.... I've 4 access points around the house (thick walls not giant house!). Have the ones closest to the hub in that mode and haven't had the issue since....

Wireless has its place but something like the hub which by design is going to stay in one spot should really come with an Ethernet port.

Shane732

Have now got Alexa working well with Harmony and Hue. Overall control is good - now using it to turn on and off lights all the time.

The integration of Harmony with Virgin Media Horizon isn't the best. The delay on initial power up seems to cause problems and I haven't managed to et an activity working for Netflix on Harmony. I'm not at a stage where I feel I can leave the remote controls down and use Harmony through Alexa to control the TV.

Also not at a stage where I have full control of the TV through the Harmony remote.

Nelbert

Shane732 wrote: »

Have now got Alexa working well with Harmony and Hue. Overall control is good - now using it to turn on and off lights all the time.

The integration of Harmony with Virgin Media Horizon isn't the best. The delay on initial power up seems to cause problems and I haven't managed to et an activity working for Netflix on Harmony. I'm not at a stage where I feel I can leave the remote controls down and use Harmony through Alexa to control the TV.

Also not at a stage where I have full control of the TV through the Harmony remote.

Is it the first harmony you've setup? Read a few people having issues with horizon box.

Shane732

Nelbert wrote: »

Is it the first harmony you've setup? Read a few people having issues with horizon box.

Yes first Harmony I have set up.

Nelbert

Shane732 wrote: »

Yes first Harmony I have set up.

There is a fair bit to them. Might be easier to set it up with laptop rather than via phone app.

You should be able to replicate every button (apart from the keyboard on horizon remote) to a button (remember short and long press options can be separate functions) on the harmony.

A bit of time and trial and error for what works for you does wonders.

GristlyEnd

Nelbert wrote: »

There seems to be issues with the harmony and wifi networks in "n" exclusive mode.... set your access point to a "g" compatible mode and it should be fine.

Tried that and it's still the same. Driving me nuts. One moment it works fine but try again later and it's the same issue.

Nelbert

DarrenG wrote: »

Tried that and it's still the same. Driving me nuts. One moment it works fine but try again later and it's the same issue.

Once you've done that reboot the harmony. Been fine for me ever since that change (with my older smart control hub, not sure if issue is still present with companion hub..... I assume the hub part is identical but not sure).

mossym

Shane732 wrote: »

Also not at a stage where I have full control of the TV through the Harmony remote.

You can map every button on your TV remote to the harmony if you like, so this is an issue with how you have it set up,not the harmony. Any button you don't have can be added to the screen as a soft button. An afternoon with the manual should sort you out

The only thing the harmony can't do is pointer based control where you can move the arrow around the screen by pointing the remote. This isn't IR in the first place though