Philips Hue FAQ

wexfordman2

Black_Knight wrote: »

Their app developers don't strike me as the best in the business. Terribly clunky app last time I used it. I hate having to add new devices.

I don't think it's a feature that should be built into the app, but the firmware of bulb itself.

The bulb should simply alter its state whenever the 220v power is toggled within 2 seconds. If you do that, then sorted. And, you could then also continue to use standard type (or momentary) wall switches for manual control of your bulb.

darrenheaphy

Taking the plunge on Philips Hue, buying a good suite of stuff upfront. Any recommend sellers? Seems prices are generally fixed everywhere but worth a shot, seems cheapest on Amazon (but comparably same pricing everywhere).

TitianGerm

darrenheaphy wrote: »

Taking the plunge on Philips Hue, buying a good suite of stuff upfront. Any recommend sellers? Seems prices are generally fixed everywhere but worth a shot, seems cheapest on Amazon (but comparably same pricing everywhere).

Maybe wait for black Friday for deals on Amazon if your not in a rush.

darrenheaphy

Good point, I can't wait though now that I've decided. I'll use Black Friday to buy more :-D Was going to compliment the Hue range with Innr GU10's for outside but it turns out the Ikea Tradfri range is Apple Homekit compatible from Oct/Nov. Like we'll need the Ikea gateway/hub to run the update but having it all accessed via Siri would be awesome.

TitianGerm

darrenheaphy wrote: »

Good point, I can't wait though now that I've decided. I'll use Black Friday to buy more :-D Was going to compliment the Hue range with Innr GU10's for outside but it turns out the Ikea Tradfri range is Apple Homekit compatible from Oct/Nov. Like we'll need the Ikea gateway/hub to run the update but having it all accessed via Siri would be awesome.

I got 6 GU10s for the kitchen in the last sale. I think that were half price.

Optimus Prime

See there is a double pack of colour E14s available now, think they only launched yesterday 84.99 sterling, 15 cheaper than buying them separate.

AndyBoBandy

Optimus Prime wrote: »

See there is a double pack of colour E14s available now, think they only launched yesterday 84.99 sterling, 15 cheaper than buying them separate.

F**k it, I' guess I'm going to have to replace my sitting room centre light with a 5-16 bulb chandelier!!

Optimus Prime

haha i know im the same with the sitting room chandelier, i also have b22s with e14 adapters in the kitchen and am now contemplating changing them to e14 bulbs to get rid of those annoying adapters.

AndyBoBandy

I did have a 5 bulb chandelier type light in the living room that took E14 bulbs, but they were fully in view, so adaptors would have looked sh1te, so I just replaced the whole thing with a pentane and shade (which now has a B22 colour bulb in it).

Although I'm not a fan of the chandelier type fitting, I like the idea of having 5 or so colour bulbs in close proximity to each other!!
Pity I don't have the ceiling height anywhere in the house for this

darrenheaphy

Hah! That's nuts! I just invested in a suite of Hue stuff, getting a couple of Hue GU10's for the sitting room, coloured bulbs for a few places around the house and light strips to go over the counter! I'd like to outside bulbs too but will wait for the Ikea range to be in stock (in Dublin) since they're also HomeKit and Hue compatible.

Optimus Prime

I need 5 for my sitting room chandelier , i have lifx bulbs in my two outside lights. got them on sale on amazon a while back. they are not as good as hue lights though, i just dont think they have the same range because of the way the hue bulbs all connect to the next closest bulb. the lifx sometimes dont respond because they are two far from my router.

plus still waiting for homekit support for lifx, pain having to use two apps.

darrenheaphy

I didn't realise that's how the Hue bulbs work, so each bulb relays to its neighbour? That's smart. Maybe I could extend to Hue's outside in time then ...

matrim

darrenheaphy wrote: »

I didn't realise that's how the Hue bulbs work, so each bulb relays to its neighbour? That's smart. Maybe I could extend to Hue's outside in time then ...

That's how most zigbee / zwave stuff works.

AndyBoBandy

darrenheaphy wrote: »

I didn't realise that's how the Hue bulbs work, so each bulb relays to its neighbour? That's smart. Maybe I could extend to Hue's outside in time then ...

I have an old Hue Lux bulb that the glass dome had broken off of, I have it in a light in my side laneway, towards my back garden (I used it because it was E27, and still low energy so might as well put it somewhere). When it was on, I could never find it with the app as it was always out of range, but when I installed 10 GU10's in my kitchen, it became visible every time it is turned on.

roosterman71

I'm in the process of moving house, and the new place in the kitchen, rooms, halls has stupid retarded lights that hold 3 or 5 candle style B22 bulbs, and my B22 Hue bulbs won't fit into the holder (they won't go down far enough to clip in. I'm suicidal

AndyBoBandy

roosterman71 wrote: »

I'm in the process of moving house, and the new place in the kitchen, rooms, halls has stupid retarded lights that hold 3 or 5 candle style B22 bulbs, and my B22 Hue bulbs won't fit into the holder (they won't go down far enough to clip in. I'm suicidal

Give me all your Hue lights, I'll provide them a good home.

roosterman71

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Give me all your Hue lights, I'll provide them a good home.

NyOmnishambles

I have a light strip in the hall that I have been considering placing there permanently

Up to now I have just turned it off and on with the Hue app as needed and it retains the scene it is using each time

I set up a routine for it at the weekend which works for turning it off and on

But when it comes on it is bright white, is there a way to get the routine to use a particular scene? I didn't see one

AndyBoBandy

NyOmnishambles wrote: »

But when it comes on it is bright white, is there a way to get the routine to use a particular scene? I didn't see one

Yes, in the routine that turns it on and off, you can select what scene you want to happen when the routine is activated.


Hit the arrow on each room and it will bring up the default list of scenes you have for a particular room, then just select which scene you want to activate at that routine time. If the scene you want is not there, you will just have to create one

NyOmnishambles

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Yes, in the routine that turns it on and off, you can select what scene you want to happen when the routine is activated.


Hit the arrow on each room and it will bring up the default list of scenes you have for a particular room, then just select which scene you want to activate at that routine time. If the scene you want is not there, you will just have to create one

Thanks, the screenshot was a big help

I think I see where I was going wrong
I was using the Wake Up function (which you can now also turn off the bulb in)
If I go down to routines I see an option to select the scene and get much the same wake up and off function

Thanks

AndyBoBandy

Wake Up & Go to Sleep routines use a particular scene that cannot be changed, so to select any scene with a routine, the routine needs to be in the other routines menu

darrenheaphy

Presumably (assuming one has an electrician and all that) it's pretty easy to wire the striplight into a light switch socket rather than using a plug socket?

Another question - I'm getting the GU10's next week and the more normal bayonet/B22 bulbs, all of them are activated by dimmers. Presumably I just leave the dimmer turned to max and never touch thereafter? Not sure if simply having a dimmer switch means the bulbs won't work or whether it's that the dimmer switch won't actually dim the bulbs

Optimus Prime

I changed my dimmer switch to a normal one as I seen comments before saying they didn't work right. But i figured myself you could leave the dimmer at max and it would be ok. I just preferred replacing mine.

illdoit2morrow

How have you who have done the above achieved it?

I would like to do this, but not sure how to go about it.

Were there screws in the box? I can't find any with mine, but not sure of there was any in the first place.

What other solutions have people used to attach theirs to a wall?

irelandrover

illdoit2morrow wrote: »

How have you who have done the above achieved it?

I would like to do this, but not sure how to go about it.

Were there screws in the box? I can't find any with mine, but not sure of there was any in the first place.

What other solutions have people used to attach theirs to a wall?

It comes with sticky tape on the back of the switch. Just peel off the covering and stick to the wall. Easiest switch i ever installed.

darrenheaphy

What's the quality of the Philips Hue switches? The pictures look fairly cheap looking.

irelandrover

darrenheaphy wrote: »

What's the quality of the Philips Hue switches? The pictures look fairly cheap looking.

It's actually pretty good. THey are well built in my opinion. I've dropped it a few times and there is no visible damage on them and they still work well.

AndyBoBandy

darrenheaphy wrote: »

What's the quality of the Philips Hue switches? The pictures look fairly cheap looking.

They are very well built.

I've 6

The ones in our bedroom appear to be toddler proof (he actually likes playing with them and changing the lights through the 5 preset scenes I have set).

Optimus Prime

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

They are very well built.

I've 6

The ones in our bedroom appear to be toddler proof (he actually likes playing with them and changing the lights through the 5 preset scenes I have set).

I've a bulb and a lightstrip in my kids room. Can you create a scene to turn the light bulb off and the lightstrip a certain colour at the same time with the remote ?

E.g.

1 press bulb on and lightstrip pink
2 press bulb off and lightstrip pink
3 press bulb off and lightstrip blue

Etc , can you control multiple hue devices like that with the remote ? The way it is now it just turns them on and off.

Thanks

bk

Optimus Prime, if you have an iOS device, check out the app iConnectHue, it should allow you to do this. Far more versatile options in this app then the official app. It is aimed more at power users.