Advice on wifi-enabled bulbs?

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57 posts

Master Geek

#2280932 21-Jul-2019 19:54

I've played with iGlo from Mitre 10 and Limitless LED (MiLights) bulbs.

Limitless have a base station and use RF to control the bulbs rather than wifi. The base station is on the wifi though.

Both work with Home Assistant (hass.io) which is an excellent and extremely well support home automation package that runs on a PI or a container on your nas or linux platform

iGlo were good as they also had IR remotes so you can control them via app, via Home Assistant, Alexa or just via the remote.

I've also noticed that most wifi smart bulbs run hot which is why i like the limitless led ones as they are slightly cooler.

The other thing ive done is install a SONOFF smart switch to control non smart bulbs and they work really well - some of the newer sonoff switches now measure energy , temp and humidity too.

The worst thing about smart bulbs is that after a power cut some forget their previous state so turn on when the power comes back on.

have fun!!

jonathan18

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#2280953 21-Jul-2019 20:21

I picked up one of the Xiaomi RGB bulbs from PB Tech yesterday - $29 ($39 at Mi Store, so this seems to be a special price). Given the price, it's a pretty good deal; connection to the Mi Home and Google Home apps went smoothly. Control for colour isn't always assured by the Google Home app, but controlling it via the screen on the Google Hub has been rock solid, and similarly via voice control. Light quality's pretty good, though it would be needing to see the whole room with the same bulb to have confidence in how they perform in the sapce.

The bulb does go back to previous settings if it's turned off and on again via the physical light switch, and it reconnects to Google Home pretty quickly after that.

I'm using it in a downlight normally filled by an R80 bulb - should I be worried about using them in this kind of fitting? Light dispersion seems fine, and no worse than the R80 LEDs in there currently.

Anyway, I think I'll take the next steps slowly, given it seems that both of the main paths are paved with issues and compromises - particularly cost vs reliability. I see in another recent thread that Bunnings is selling a brand of 'smart' bulbs that uses a hub, so there certainly are increasing options.

Thanks again for all the advice.

richms

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#2280958 21-Jul-2019 20:34

Most R80 lamps are pretty trash for light distribution anyway so not a huge achievement on that one. Problem with smaller lamps in those downlights is if the gaps around the lamp gets larger letting more room air out into the roofspace. Some older downlights are barely a frame around the lamp instead of a nice airtight cup.

Best to replace the whole light. Still waiting for someone to import and sell a legit certified to NZ building regs LED downlight with zigbee. Even just adjustable colour temp would be OK for me since I dont really need RGB in the downlights.

Richard rich.ms

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#2280962 21-Jul-2019 20:46

I just bought about 20 Philips Hue White light bulbs to fit around the house. They were $24 each after I got Mitre 10 ($29.80) to price beat Bunnings ($28.90). And because I had some Airpoint Dollars racked up, I managed to pay for them using that too!

I have set up some rules for them in OpenHAB, so that if it detects that no one is in the house (when each person's phone drops off the WiFi), it will turn off all the lights in the house if any are on. And when Night Mode is enabled (checks the Astro binding to see if the sun has set or not), and I come home (when my phone connects to the WiFi), it will turn on certain lights in the house.

My next steps is to find some motion sensors (Looking at the Xiaomi ones) and set up some rules around that too.

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jonathan18

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#2280963 21-Jul-2019 20:47

richms:

Best to replace the whole light. Still waiting for someone to import and sell a legit certified to NZ building regs LED downlight with zigbee. Even just adjustable colour temp would be OK for me since I dont really need RGB in the downlights.

Yeah, I started down that line with 'dumb' replacement LED downlights and, after finding the way they'd installed at least that specific light meant the only way of getting it out would damage the edge (and therefore extend the size) of the hole, I decided the pain was simply too much!

jonathan18

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#2284903 28-Jul-2019 18:04

I'm pretty impressed with these $30 Mi bulbs, and am going to get some more (wife unkeen on the purchase prices of the Hue system); however, the absence of a bayonet model is frustrating, and I've read elsewhere on GZ that bayonet-to-screw adapters are illegal so that's clearly not an option. (Having a 1920s' house, most of the light fittings are bayonet.)

What options would people recommend for decent but affordable wifi bulbs with bayonet fittings? Looking for colour, white, and/or white-adjustable models, but struggling to find well-priced options (ideally $50 or less). Happy to get from Amazon, eBay etc if anyone can recommend specific brands/models.

Thanks again!

Edit - DSE/Kogan has this B22 option - $39 for 1, $49 for 2, or $79 for 4 - has anyone experience with the Kogan-branded smart bulbs?

https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/buy/kogan-smarterhome-10w-ambient-rgbw-smart-bulb-b22/

redfiat

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Master Geek

#2284919 28-Jul-2019 19:27

jonathan18:

I'm pretty impressed with these $30 Mi bulbs, and am going to get some more (wife unkeen on the purchase prices of the Hue system); however, the absence of a bayonet model is frustrating, and I've read elsewhere on GZ that bayonet-to-screw adapters are illegal so that's clearly not an option. (Having a 1920s' house, most of the light fittings are bayonet.)

What options would people recommend for decent but affordable wifi bulbs with bayonet fittings? Looking for colour, white, and/or white-adjustable models, but struggling to find well-priced options (ideally $50 or less). Happy to get from Amazon, eBay etc if anyone can recommend specific brands/models.

Thanks again!

Edit - DSE/Kogan has this B22 option - $39 for 1, $49 for 2, or $79 for 4 - has anyone experience with the Kogan-branded smart bulbs?

https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/buy/kogan-smarterhome-10w-ambient-rgbw-smart-bulb-b22/

you can buy screw in fittings for less than $5, so you could just replace your baynotte with screw ins.

Disconnect fuse to your lighting circuit, test power is off by turning on/off your light switch.

Unscrew the baynotte fitting, mine had 2 wires which I just screwed into the new fitting, screw it back to the ceiling.

Put in new light bulb, reconnect fuse, hey presto!

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jonathan18

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#2284922 28-Jul-2019 19:33

@redfiat, thanks for the tip - can you please post a link to such a fitting?

And, most importantly, is this totally legal and something a homeowner can do? I don't want to put my insurance at risk!

redfiat

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Master Geek

#2284928 28-Jul-2019 19:48

jonathan18: @redfiat, thanks for the tip - can you please post a link to such a fitting?

And, most importantly, is this totally legal and something a homeowner can do? I don't want to put my insurance at risk!

weirdly I cannot find a link for it on Mitre10 website - the code was gbhe27 - goldair E27 batten holder.

They have the bayonette one on the website: https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-batten-holder-white/p/247649

MIne cost $4.95 yesterday at mitre10 and they had lots of them.

redfiat

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Master Geek

#2284929 28-Jul-2019 19:50

jonathan18: @redfiat, thanks for the tip - can you please post a link to such a fitting?

And, most importantly, is this totally legal and something a homeowner can do? I don't want to put my insurance at risk!

yes you can.

https://worksafe.govt.nz/managing-health-and-safety/consumers/safe-living-with-electricity/getting-electrical-work-done/doing-your-own-electrical-work/

jonathan18

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#2284931 28-Jul-2019 19:52

Sweet, thanks for that as it's at least a start point to find the other ones!

That would work on some of our lights, but most are on cords so such a fitting wouldn't work with these. I guess I could look at replacing the fitting on the cord?

Edit - something like a screw version of this?

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/hpm-lamp-hold-cord-grip-with-skirt-240v-white/p/167294

redfiat

57 posts

Master Geek

#2284932 28-Jul-2019 19:58

jonathan18: Sweet, thanks for that as it's at least a start point to find the other ones!

That would work on some of our lights, but most are on cords so such a fitting wouldn't work with these. I guess I could look at replacing the fitting on the cord?

yeah you can buy those too.

https://www.shadyladylighting.co.nz/lampholders.asp

richms

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#2285018 29-Jul-2019 00:05

The shade ring size is different from b22 to any of the e27 holders, and the cheap goldair one doesnt seem to be the normal size for e27 shades, so if you have a shade with the reducer ring to fit a B22 holder it will not fit either way on a goldair or the deta e27 holder from bunnings.

If you have just bare lamps hanging down then perhaps look at one of the nicer pendant sets with a normal e27 holder on them. I dont think they need an earth which is always a concern with old houses and not having one.

Richard rich.ms

redfiat

57 posts

Master Geek

#2285058 29-Jul-2019 09:52

richms:

The shade ring size is different from b22 to any of the e27 holders, and the cheap goldair one doesnt seem to be the normal size for e27 shades, so if you have a shade with the reducer ring to fit a B22 holder it will not fit either way on a goldair or the deta e27 holder from bunnings.

If you have just bare lamps hanging down then perhaps look at one of the nicer pendant sets with a normal e27 holder on them. I dont think they need an earth which is always a concern with old houses and not having one.

haha , yes I just discovered this last night when I went to put the old shade on the new fitting!

How annoying.

jonathan18

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#2285059 29-Jul-2019 09:54

Thanks for that advice - clearly not a totally straight-forward endeavour!

Which takes me back to asking whether there are any acceptable cheaper B22 bulbs, and, in particular, whether anyone has tried out those Kogan bulbs linked to below?

jonathan18:

What options would people recommend for decent but affordable wifi bulbs with bayonet fittings? Looking for colour, white, and/or white-adjustable models, but struggling to find well-priced options (ideally $50 or less). Happy to get from Amazon, eBay etc if anyone can recommend specific brands/models.

Thanks again!

Edit - DSE/Kogan has this B22 option - $39 for 1, $49 for 2, or $79 for 4 - has anyone experience with the Kogan-branded smart bulbs?

https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/buy/kogan-smarterhome-10w-ambient-rgbw-smart-bulb-b22/

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