Bedside remote/button that can call a ST app

I am likely a little unique in that I leave my phone downstairs to charge each night. I would like a remote or button or something that I can install near the bed or place on my nightstand that can call a Goodnight app that I wrote that shuts down my house. I have seen success on this forum of connecting the GE 45600 Z-Wave Basic Handheld Remote and the GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller but can these devices call an application?

I know I can have an app trigger based on a particular switch/outlet event but I donā€™t have a one in mind that I always want to call the Goodnight app if it turns off. Hopefully there is something out there that will fit my needs.

Thanks in advance!

These are a really $25 good deal right now (especially in a 3-Pack ā€“ $70) because they are Version 1 model (but firmware is easy to upgrade and works fine with SmartThings. A slight delay (1/2 second?) after button press to ST Action.

Aeon Minimote by Aeotec Labs

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSA03202-v1-Minimote/dp/B00KU7ERAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422840238&sr=8-1&keywords=aeon+minimote

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSA03202-v1-Minimote/dp/B00LDTEMJC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422840238&sr=8-3&keywords=aeon+minimote

I love them ā€¦ your questions welcome, but you can also search for ā€œMinimoteā€ mentioned in many Topics.

And my own SmartApp is in Beta:

Iā€™m also unusual in that I donā€™t have a smartphone at all as I canā€™t use them. (Iā€™m quadriparetic.)

If by app you mean a SmartApp then sure. There arenā€™t that many choices, but there are some.

The aeon minimote has 4 buttons and can execute a Hello Home Action which triggers one or more smartapps.

I use a motion detector inside a box on a shelf as a touchless switch. Details in the following topic, along with discussion of other devices:

The biggest advantage for me of the touchless switch is that itā€™s easy to find in the dark and since itā€™s touchless I donā€™t have to be precise. But itā€™s not a toggle switch: it just does the one thing.

The minimote, having 4 buttons with two options for each, gives you a lot more control. But requires more precise use.

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I use Minimote pretty often and now with the jawbone up24, good mornings and good nights can be triggeredā€¦ Single push button. Minimotes are decent. I have 2 GE fat remotes collecting dust out of laziness to set it up.

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The Smartenit 3 button remote is a good option:

See the following thread:

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Did anyone ever get the smartenIT to work triggering Hello Home Actions? The only thing Iā€™m seeing in the other topic is people eventually getting it to work as a toggle switch for some end devices, and some speculation that it would work for Hello Home Actions, but I didnā€™t see anyone post that it actually did work the way the minimote does. Iā€™m not saying it doesnā€™t just wondering if itā€™s actually been demonstrated.

Thank you everyone for the replies. This information is very helpful. Sounds like the Minimote or Smartenit could do the trick. One question though to confirm with both of these devicesā€¦

My goal is to push a button which will cause my GoodNight SmartApp to execute. Right now this application is looking for a double-tap on a particular GE switch in my bedroom or by me tapping a tile in the iOS app. Do these remotes show up as another device I can monitor events for in my existing SmartApp? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to ensure I know how these devices integrate into the SmartThings world.

Itā€™s very good questionā€¦

The current Device Handler for the Aeon Minimote (and the Enerwave 7-Button) is not properly implement the Button Capability (but thatā€™s because there is no standard for Multi-Button Capability).

So you can only use this remote with custom programming, or the existing SmartApps which have parameters to trigger switch, lock, mode change, or Hello Home Phrase.

This is not a big deal at this time, since there are only a couple multi-button devices defined, but, ā€¦ well, this is going to become a big deal if SmartThings and Device Type developers donā€™t get on the same page with the definition of ā€œCapabilitiesā€.

ā€¦CP / Terry.

If youā€™re looking for something a little more custom and donā€™t mind a DIY project, this one is great - http://www.instructables.com/id/Z-Wave-Easy-Button/. I did something similar with a small push button from Radio Shack and mounted it in the night stand and it is awesome for Good Night and Good Morning.

Hmm, now I want to make a big door bell button out of an Easy button.

Awesome thank you for confirming. I just ordered 2 so we will see how it goes. I appreciate the link to your SmartApp. I will start from there. Greatly appreciate the help!

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Anytime. Let us know if you encounter any hiccups when installing.

Enjoy!
ā€¦Terry.

Minimotes arrived tonight and I was able to get my buttons assigned to various things as well as one button to work with my SmartApp. Thanks again to all for your quick responses and help.

One final quick question, do I need to update the firmware? I have seen posts where it was suggested, but my remotes are working fine as is. I guess I am not clear on what additional capabilities the firmware update (or v2) provides.

The Minimote is capable of acting as a direct Z-Wave controller (master or secondary)ā€¦ ie, it can be used to join Z-Wave devices to the network and can directly control them bypassing the SmartHub.

I presume that if you are functional without the firmware upgrade, then the upgrade is only fixes for advanced features like above paragraph.

If itā€™s not brokenā€¦

I got a second ā€œv1ā€ minimote that the vendor said has the new firmware. Itā€™s working great (for 2 days) and I donā€™t have a handy windows pc so I am sticking with it.

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You mention that the firmware is easy to update, voa Smartthings or do I have to buy a different hub to update these?

It is a very simple USB upgrade via your Windows PC.

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DOH! so thatā€™s a data port and not just charging. I wish the instructions with the remotes would have mentioned that.

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Aeon Labs: good devices, not so good documentation.