Philips Hue FAQ

AndyBoBandy

Soarer wrote: »

Cheers Andy.

So what's the whole Zigbee thing?

Actually, don't answer that 'cause we'll go too far OT. I'll start a new thread!

This is the thread for FAQ though!!

Zigbee is just the wireless (wifi) protocol that Hue (and other smart tech) runs on. I believe it's at a slightly different frequency than your normal house wifi. This would mean you use separate bands/frequencies of the wireless spectrum for zigbee stuff, and again for standard wifi things like phones/computers etc.. so as not to clog up the bandwidth across each frequency (I have about 67 hue items in all, all running on zigbee, so imagine if all that was running on normal wifi and how clogged it would get!). Its the very same spectrum that everything else wireless runs off from TV, Mobile Phone, Radio, Walkie Talkie etc.. just all using different frequencies.

*I think.

bk

Actually Zigbee uses 2.4GHz, the same as wifi (well wifi operates in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz).

However Zigbee uses a different protocol, so isn't compatible with Wifi. Andy you were probably thinking of Z-Wave, which uses 868MHz in Europe.

Soarer, I think Hue bulbs will work with the Echo Plus, but it is a bad idea. You loss a lot of the functionality of the Hue bulbs by doing this, for instance, I think you lose colour control ability of the Hue bulbs. If you are going to get Hue, best to invest in a Hue hub, it isn't expensive anyway, you can usually pick up a Hue starter kit with bulbs and hub for the price of the bulbs alone.

Note if you do use the Echo Plus, you lose the ability to use the Philips Hue app, all third party Hue apps, IFTTT, Stringify, SmartThings, Nest, Harmony integration. It is just a bad idea.

Plus you then save the €70 or so on having to buy an Echo Plus versus an Echo.

RonTon

If I use 2 bridges in same house does it double the amount of bulbs/sensors that can be used?
Any disadvantage in using 2 ?
I’ve a spare bridge coming from the bargain thread .
Thanks

punisher5112

RonTon wrote: »

If I use 2 bridges in same house does it double the amount of bulbs/sensors that can be used?
Any disadvantage in using 2 ?
I’ve a spare bridge coming from the bargain thread .
Thanks

Only reason would be if you have over 50 bulbs.

If you plan on going over then use away.

RonTon

punisher5112 wrote: »

Only reason would be if you have over 50 bulbs.

If you plan on going over then use away.

Think I’ve 50 already including accessories,5 bulbs on the way ,I’ll get 8 more gu10’s when a good offer comes up ,whole house will be done :eek:

Clareman

I'm getting a starter kit (hub, 4 bulbs and a dimmer switch) delivered this week, just wondering if I have to put the dimmer switch on a light with Hue bulbs in it or can I use it on a "normal" fitting?

AndyBoBandy

Clareman wrote: »

I'm getting a starter kit (hub, 4 bulbs and a dimmer switch) delivered this week, just wondering if I have to put the dimmer switch on a light with Hue bulbs in it or can I use it on a "normal" fitting?

A Hue dimmer switch will only control Hue bulbs.

punisher5112

Clareman wrote: »

I'm getting a starter kit (hub, 4 bulbs and a dimmer switch) delivered this week, just wondering if I have to put the dimmer switch on a light with Hue bulbs in it or can I use it on a "normal" fitting?

There are holders you can get to fit over existing switch. You can also stick holder to the wall and remote comes out and can be hand held.

There is a magnet on it for likes of fitting to fridge or metal.

You can still use light switches but leave on for full control in app and remote.

BionicRasher

Anyone using a G9 to E14 adapter?
Any recommendations?

Looking at a new light fitting for TV room but it uses G9 bulbs. Would love to have it with Hue bulbs

Rew

How flexible front to back is the indoor lightstrip, could it bend 90around a corner?

donegal.

Bend 90* which way?

If you mean like in the corner of a room , its fairly flexible and it'll bend grand but won't be totally flat.

If you mean like around a tv you can fold it like this

Rew

donegal. wrote: »

Bend 90* which way?

If you mean like in the corner of a room , its fairly flexible and it'll bend grand but won't be totally flat.

If you mean like around a tv you can fold it like this

I want to wrap it around a cube if that makes sense so it would be bending 90 degrees backwards, sounds like it should be grand from what you have said.

Irish Gunner

Looking for one colour bulb that will work with the hue Bridge.

Junior likes changing colours on the lights and the bulb we have only white.

Any other bulbs that will work with hue not necessarily Philips and is compatible with the app and Alexa?

punisher5112

Irish Gunner wrote: »

Looking for one colour bulb that will work with the hue Bridge.

Junior likes changing colours on the lights and the bulb we have only white.

Any other bulbs that will work with hue not necessarily Philips and is compatible with the app and Alexa?

Osram and a few others do wifi colour lamps.
Ikea ones are compatible but not 100% if they do colour.

Rew

punisher5112 wrote: »

Ikea ones are compatible but not 100% if they do colour.

Ikea do a colour bulb that is Hue compatible (I believe)

RobbieTheRobber

Irish Gunner wrote: »

Looking for one colour bulb that will work with the hue Bridge.

Junior likes changing colours on the lights and the bulb we have only white.

Any other bulbs that will work with hue not necessarily Philips and is compatible with the app and Alexa?

The INNR colour bulbs work well with hue but aren't hugely different in price to philips own ones.

I bought one Ikea colour bulb and haven't been impressed.
Loses connection to the hub which other further away philips or innr bulbs dont.
The ikea bulb also occasionally has issues with transitioning from colour themes needs to be turned off at the app or switch for themes to appear properly.

BoardsMember

Hi folks - wondering if you can suggest a solution for me. Have some hue bulbs, a light strip, and some hue gos. All in kitchen and dining room.

Now I want to introduce hue bulbs to the following single fittings: hall light , landing light and porch light.

We currently have a 3 gang light switch downstairs that looks after all three of these bulbs, with a 2 gang switch upstairs that looks after hall and landing.

Wondering what the best way to implement hue for the 3 bulbs is.

Probably the porch light can work off timer linked linked daylight hours, coming on automatically, no witch/senson required to activate it.

Maybe both hall and landing lights should work off separate/dedicated sensors, and not introduce switches at all. Would only need switches if the sensors don't work that well, presumably.

Any thoughts/advice welcome.

Irish Gunner

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

The INNR colour bulbs work well with hue but aren't hugely different in price to philips own ones.

I bought one Ikea colour bulb and haven't been impressed.
Loses connection to the hub which other further away philips or innr bulbs dont.
The ikea bulb also occasionally has issues with transitioning from colour themes needs to be turned off at the app or switch for themes to appear properly.

Yeah have 3 colour bulbs in the house so might swap one. Was thinking of IKEA bulbs but not sure.
Didn't realise prices of individual bulbs that expensive for hue bulbs

AndyBoBandy

The Hue bulbs are very expensive, but in my opinion, expensive for a reason.

In almost 5 years of using Hue, I’ve had zero issues with any bulbs.

They are always working, always available, and never have any issues connecting to any app.

If you regularly check Amazon, they can be got for prices not dissimilar to their lesser counterparts. Just keep checking for the various deals and price reductions.

punisher5112

Black Friday or cyber Monday should bring some deals

carq

Hi

Doing a house renovation and looking at getting some of these in.
Thinking I will need a starter kit and some various strips and bulbs for lamps etc.

I will be getting a new kitchen and wiring in and was looking at incorporating some hue strips into above and below cabinets.

Does every strip ( portion of Strip) require a connection to mains power?

Any other tips for setting up / especially when other work is being done that could make things easier?

punisher5112

carq wrote: »

Hi

Doing a house renovation and looking at getting some of these in.
Thinking I will need a starter kit and some various strips and bulbs for lamps etc.

I will be getting a new kitchen and wiring in and was looking at incorporating some hue strips into above and below cabinets.

Does every strip ( portion of Strip) require a connection to mains power?

Any other tips for setting up / especially when other work is being done that could make things easier?

Mains yes.

You can get extension strips etc.

Get your electrician to wire up points for you in places that you will want to fit strips say at bottom or top of cabinets.
Tell him what it's for and you could look to have a switched supply to be looped to all so if any issues you can always switch on/off.

It's probably one of the best things you will ever do and really brighten up the house

carq

punisher5112 wrote: »

Mains yes.

You can get extension strips etc.

Get your electrician to wire up points for you in places that you will want to fit strips say at bottom or top of cabinets.
Tell him what it's for and you could look to have a switched supply to be looped to all so if any issues you can always switch on/off.

It's probably one of the best things you will ever do and really brighten up the house

Thanks
What do the strips connect to - direct to the mains or a middle switch ?
Just wondering what to tell the electrician to leave as the connector .

punisher5112

carq wrote: »

Thanks
What do the strips connect to - direct to the mains or a middle switch ?
Just wondering what to tell the electrician to leave as the connector .

They come with a normal type plug. So sockets are needed at locations.

You then join if needed with extension or another light strips.

carq

punisher5112 wrote: »

They come with a normal type plug. So sockets are needed at locations.

You then join if needed with extension or another light strips.

So every portion of lights needs an individual mains connection via its own plug ?
Or can i have only 1 plug and split out the wiring somehow if i know where the strips will be going ?

Rew

Has anyone bought aluminium profile and diffuser and put the lightstrip in that? Im wondering what it takes to get the diffuser to look uniform and not spotty.

EletricMan

How well does the hue bridge work in a house with block walls and ducon slab. Would I need two, one for upstairs and downstairs.

RonTon

EletricMan wrote: »

How well does the hue bridge work in a house with block walls and ducon slab. Would I need two, one for upstairs and downstairs.

No problem in my house with the 1 hub(I do have a spare hub) all block walls , I think each bulb retransmittes signal so it’s like a mesh system , I’ve bulbs a long way from house too up the driveway and they connect no problem too .
Hope that helps...

AndyBoBandy

EletricMan wrote: »

How well does the hue bridge work in a house with block walls and ducon slab. Would I need two, one for upstairs and downstairs.

Hue bulbs talk to each other (and the bridge) via a mesh network, so if you have a bulb that’s really far away, putting more bulbs between it and the hub will improve the connection between them all.

Rew

EletricMan wrote: »

How well does the hue bridge work in a house with block walls and ducon slab. Would I need two, one for upstairs and downstairs.

Hue runs off the Zigbee system. Zigbee is a mesh network so every Hue device will extend and repeat your Hue network so unless you have a bulb very far from any other ones you will be fine.