Amazon Echo

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Reply # 1824484 18-Jul-2017 15:36

gnfb:

Trying to work out the best value way to buy a harmony remote with the following abilities

Control Kodi

interface with Alexa

Control Sony TV

Am I correct in thinking you have to have the hub for the alexa connection?

Yes. I have a Hub Ultimate I found in Jan which I absolutely love. There are skills you download for Alexa and install. There are lots of step by step guides on Youtube for setting it up.

SumnerBoy

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Reply # 1824485 18-Jul-2017 15:36

reven:

i did try using a smart watch and say "ok google, open garage door", but that was extremely flaky as well.

I have a Tasker on-screen button setup on my LG R Smart Watch which I can double-tap to launch the open-garage-door action in openHAB (via the REST API). I find this works very well. I just have to double-tap my watch as I am approaching (maybe 1-2 mins out, well before RF range) and when I pull into my drive the door is open and the house is _awake_.

Works great when on my bike as well.

reven

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Reply # 1824488 18-Jul-2017 15:40

SumnerBoy:

reven:

i did try using a smart watch and say "ok google, open garage door", but that was extremely flaky as well.

I have a Tasker on-screen button setup on my LG R Smart Watch which I can double-tap to launch the open-garage-door action in openHAB (via the REST API). I find this works very well. I just have to double-tap my watch as I am approaching (maybe 1-2 mins out, well before RF range) and when I pull into my drive the door is open and the house is _awake_.

Works great when on my bike as well.

1-2 mins away, yeah, what if say you have a accident, and your now away from home, possible being taken away to the hospital, and your house is left wide open???

your phone could be completely ruined, so last gps location would stay in that location (so gps update wouldnt rearm the house).

so yeah, ill stick to pushing the button when i pull into my driveway and waiting the 5 seconds it takes to open the door.

SumnerBoy

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Reply # 1824490 18-Jul-2017 15:41

reven:

1-2 mins away, yeah, what if say you have a accident, and your now away from home, possible being taken away to the hospital, and your house is left wide open???

your phone could be completely ruined, so last gps location would stay in that location (so gps update wouldnt rearm the house).

so yeah, ill stick to pushing the button when i pull into my driveway and waiting the 5 seconds it takes to open the door.

Ha - that is a fairly worst-case scenario! But fair enough, I take your point. Just pointing out the potential usefulness of simple smart watch apps, as opposed to relying on GPS position, or having to get your phone out and open an app.

reven

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Reply # 1824498 18-Jul-2017 15:47

yeah i know its a worst case scenario, but its a possibility. like i said i like the ability to remotely open/close a garage door, but i wouldnt want to automate opening/closing/unlocking any access to a house. these things are basically impossible to get perfect, and its kinda easy to think of a situation when it would fail.

the effort to try and get it perfect, isnt worth the risk IMO. and pushing a button, entering a code on a door, is pretty easy.

yale zwave door locks are still my preferred lock because its basically perfect. if you dont have your keys/phone/any device on you, you can still get in, and its nice a easy. the only downside to any smart lock is they require power, so they can go flat (and then you have to use the dreaded keys).

gnfb

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Reply # 1824509 18-Jul-2017 16:03

networkn:

gnfb:

Trying to work out the best value way to buy a harmony remote with the following abilities

Control Kodi

interface with Alexa

Control Sony TV

Am I correct in thinking you have to have the hub for the alexa connection?

Yes. I have a Hub Ultimate I found in Jan which I absolutely love. There are skills you download for Alexa and install. There are lots of step by step guides on Youtube for setting it up.

Is that a remote? or just the hub?

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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kryptonjohn

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Reply # 1824525 18-Jul-2017 16:16

SumnerBoy:

reven:

1-2 mins away, yeah, what if say you have a accident, and your now away from home, possible being taken away to the hospital, and your house is left wide open???

your phone could be completely ruined, so last gps location would stay in that location (so gps update wouldnt rearm the house).

so yeah, ill stick to pushing the button when i pull into my driveway and waiting the 5 seconds it takes to open the door.

Ha - that is a fairly worst-case scenario! But fair enough, I take your point. Just pointing out the potential usefulness of simple smart watch apps, as opposed to relying on GPS position, or having to get your phone out and open an app.

You could put a timer on it so that if you don't arrive in say 5 min it closes the door.

kryptonjohn

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Reply # 1824533 18-Jul-2017 16:18

gnfb:

networkn:

gnfb:

Trying to work out the best value way to buy a harmony remote with the following abilities

Control Kodi

interface with Alexa

Control Sony TV

Am I correct in thinking you have to have the hub for the alexa connection?

Yes. I have a Hub Ultimate I found in Jan which I absolutely love. There are skills you download for Alexa and install. There are lots of step by step guides on Youtube for setting it up.

Is that a remote? or just the hub?

Both:

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Ultimate-Customizable-Cabinet/dp/B00BQ5RY1G/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1500330391&sr=1-14&keywords=harmony+hub

But you don't need the remote if you are happy to just use Alexa (and also an app on your device)

razor2000nz

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Reply # 1824659 18-Jul-2017 18:05

kryptonjohn:

Also is it fussy about phrasing? Does it care if it is "alexa change the channel to 51" or "alexa change to channel 51"?

doesn't seem to be to fussy, she obeyed when told "alexa change to channel 51", she did struggle with 52 though (got there on the second attempt) she went to channel 5 first, could be more to do with the kiwi mumble though.

razor2000nz

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Reply # 1824663 18-Jul-2017 18:19

kryptonjohn:

Sweet. Can't you define favourites to name channels though?

Looks like I'm going to have to get me a Harmony Hub.

Can you put the hub in the middle of a room to control other stuff? I'm thinking heat pump as well as the TV and related components. What's the range and coverage of the IR like?

possibly about the favorites i tried but it didn't work - may have to some more research/investigating.

my hub is in a cupboard and it controls tv/soundbar/sky - its the position of the ir blaster(s) that is important.

russelo

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Reply # 1824984 19-Jul-2017 09:38

nurcopolics: I'm currently looking for a way to control the garage door but it just doesn't seem to be a good option for the echo yet. Does anyone have one that works?

I've done this and it is working reliably. I used MQTT on esp8266 connected to ha-bridge. No need for Openhab or Home Assistant. As discussed here, I disabled it as I can shout from outside to open the garage.

I'd rather use Home Assistant's presence tracking to automatically open it as soon as I arrived.

kryptonjohn

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Reply # 1825052 19-Jul-2017 11:42

@razor2000nz - I can envisage one problem with scripting activities... Say I want to script watching Roku. One of the steps would be to select input source HDMI2. But that's not a simple button press. If currently on HDMI1, with the TV remote I would press "Source" then move down one to HDMI2 and select it. But if it was already on HDMI2 or some other source it wouldn't work.

Is there a way around that?

gnfb

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Reply # 1825097 19-Jul-2017 12:14

Just to clarify

You need a Harmony Hub in addition to any of the harmony remotes to use voice commands through Alexa Echo??

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razor2000nz

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Reply # 1825136 19-Jul-2017 12:59

kryptonjohn:

@razor2000nz - I can envisage one problem with scripting activities... Say I want to script watching Roku. One of the steps would be to select input source HDMI2. But that's not a simple button press. If currently on HDMI1, with the TV remote I would press "Source" then move down one to HDMI2 and select it. But if it was already on HDMI2 or some other source it wouldn't work.

Is there a way around that?

with in the harmony system you have to create activities, ie i have turn tv on, off, and go watch fire tv, (but you can have as many as you want) then designate a button to do all what is needed with one press of a button. for instance tv on - is tv power on then to hdmi1, soundbar on to arc, sky box on. you give that activity a name then alexa recognizes it , so all i have to say is alexa turn on the tv, and all the correct components fire up and go to the designated inputs - then as long as your "in" that activity you can change channels/volume by voice command

can be a bit tricky to get it all set up but once you do its all good!

kryptonjohn

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Reply # 1825140 19-Jul-2017 13:02

Yep, but if someone uses the old remote to change the source, or turn it off, does it get out of sync and need to be got back in sync manually?

Cheers

JohnO

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