Back from Smartthings

Posted on
Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:04 pm
thedon offline
Posts: 246
Joined: Apr 01, 2011

Back from Smartthings

Hello All,
Once a happy indigo user I switched to smart things hub a few years ago. Major reason was no need for a dedicated Mac and Z-Wave lock support….. Well I have a use for a dedicated Mac and went looking to Indigo again (now with lock support)

My main concerns are the lack of native support for Alexa and Presence through mobile phone. I saw the plugin work around which should be fine for Alexa but I am trying out the trial and the presence plugs don’t seem to work as easy… hopefully I’m missing something.

Things I loved about Indigo, Rule building, 3rd plugins and first class support with a great community.
I am looking to switch back as I have to use a 3rd party app to create decent rules with smartthings…..

I don’t mind loosing Zigbee as I can pick up Insteon but does anyone have any thoughts about the switch? AND is there a mobile presence solution I am missing. I use it to arm and disarm ST when I leave and return home built into the ST app. This feature is a must.

Thanks, fingers crossed I’m coming back!

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 2:44 pm
thedon offline
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Joined: Apr 01, 2011

Re: Back from Smartthings

Maybe i should clarify my question.... Is there a mobile phone presence option for Indigo using GPS?

Thanks

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 3:01 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

Welcome back. Some users are using the Home Remote iOS app and it's geofences. There are a variety of other presence detection plugins and solutions that others are using.

If you're using Android devices, I think DomoPad has location features.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 3:59 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

Home Remote works like clockwork, but the interface is a stumper. Read, ask questions in the HR forum, and persist. Once you figure out the terrible UI, it's very robust.

I dedicated a weekend to switching from ST to Indigo nearly 2 years ago now, and found that the most tedious part was unregistering Z-wave devices from ST's damn "SmartApps." That took forever.

However, once everything was ready to include into Indigo's controller, I got more done toward making my house reliable in 4 hours than I did in a year with ST. I was pretty much done once I had all the devices out of ST. And that was as a naive Indigo user!

I'm no Alexa user, but given my experience with Indigo's 3rd party plugins and their amazing developers,, I wouldn't hesitate to rely on them. In fact I do quite a lot, just not for Alexa.

Here's my advice: Bring up Indigo with all the things that are sort of peripheral first: iTunes for example. I found the IP based stuff easiest to move over, in part because, for example, a Hue Hub doesn't care if it's still listening to an ST hub when you are also connecting to it via the Hue Lights Plugin.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:34 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

Just to clarify, you wouldn't need to exclude the devices from ST -- you can exclude a device with any Z-Wave controller. The important thing is when you include the device in Indigo. That, you'll want to do with your primary controller.

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:51 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

THAT would have been handy to know!

ST docs of course give no guidance that isn't designed to get the device re-included in their hub.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:54 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

Yeah, the designers of the Z-Wave spec may have not always done things the way that I would have, but they were definitely smart with that part. Think about it this way: if your primary controller failed, you wouldn't be able to use your devices anymore. By allowing any controller to do the exclude, you're covered.

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:29 pm
thedon offline
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Joined: Apr 01, 2011

Re: Back from Smartthings

That's great news about The Home Remote... can someone point me to the "how to" I looked around and couldn't find anything.


THANKS

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:48 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

thedon wrote:
That's great news about The Home Remote... can someone point me to the "how to" I looked around and couldn't find anything.


THANKS

Try this link. There something going on with the link to the main page -- it's redirecting on me. But I just tested this link and it works for me:

http://bouncingball.mobi/apps/files/HomeRemote/Documentation/index.php?title=Action_Screen

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:59 pm
thedon offline
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Joined: Apr 01, 2011

Re: Back from Smartthings

Had the wrong app! I had The Home Remote not Home Remote..... now it all makes since

Posted on
Fri Aug 18, 2017 5:47 am
jh71283 offline
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Joined: Jun 16, 2014

Re: Back from Smartthings

For Alexa, you could probably put together a solution involving ST and indigo talking to each other over MQTT or something.

Posted on
Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:23 am
Different Computers offline
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Re: Back from Smartthings

Why not just use this? viewtopic.php?f=65&t=15374

Emulate a Hue Bridge and Alexa can see it.

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

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