Canadian SmartThings User Group

General Discussion Groups & Events
1

Ok, here it is a group for Canadian SmartThings users to discuss those subtle differences that make us unique (and better :wink: ) than our compatriots south of the border.

Have you found any great sources for hardware share it here!

Custom code modifications for using metric? Share them!
I’ll start with one, did you know that your temperature readings don’t have to show up in blue? I never realized that until I started looking into the code. Here’s a snippet to resolve that little issue:

valueTile(“temperature”, “device.temperature”, width: 1, height: 1, inactiveLabel: false) {
state(“temperature”, label: ‘${currentValue}°C’, unit:“C”, backgroundColors: [
[value: 10, color: “#153591”],
[value: 15, color: “#1e9cbb”],
[value: 20, color: “#90d2a7”],
[value: 25, color: “#44b621”],
[value: 30, color: “#f1d801”],
[value: 35, color: “#d04e00”],
[value: 40, color: “#bc2323”]
]
)
}

So, if you are a Canadian SmartThings user, let us know where you are at, there’s probably someone more local than you might think. We can possibly arrange to get some of us together for a pint.

Cheers,
David
Burlington, Ontario

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Hi from Upper Canada Village (uh, Morrisburg), 80km south of Ottawa) in eastern Ontario. Just got into ST about 4-6 weeks ago after several years of frustration with Wemo. I am finding it very difficult to obtain z-wave devices in Canada. Home depot has several as does Amazon.ca but the latter prices are out of this world. I found that so far I have been able to find what I want at http://thesmartesthouse.com/ in the US. Even with shipping and currency exchange costs it is still cheaper than anything Amazon.ca offers.

Can’t find a reasonable canadian source for several things. In particular, a CT100 thermostat ($140 at amazon.ca, 83 at amazon.com) . Severasl Aeon Labs devices appear to be available in Canada but again, “the SmartHouse” is cheaper.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing for other canucks. How about them Leafs, heh?? :wink:

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I will poke through the forum and try to tag some Canadians.

I had a good experience with http://aartech.ca/ for Z-Wave (that’s ZED-Wave) hardware. The prices are on the higher side, but you don’t need to deal with currency exchange and duty fees.

I would like to know if there are more sources of affordable hardware.

Home Depot Canada finally started carrying Z-Wave devices, not cheap though. We will never see a price of $35 for a switch, as do our southern friends.

I am considering releasing V5 of ActiON Dashboard under a different name: CanaDashboard. I think it has a good ring to it.

Alex
St Albert, Alberta

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Sound like something Bombardier might build :smile:

I live about 15 min from the border and can order from amazon.com and have it shipped to a UPS store in the US. Lately, with the declining dollar, it hasn’t been worth it for most part. A $35US switch converts to $44CAN then add the cost of crossing border (twice) and $5 fee at UPS store that same switch is about $56. The $50+ difference in price for the CT-100 thermostat on the other hand may make the trip worthwhile

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CanaDashboard is perfect! Alex, your work has been, and continues to be, terrific and I’ve always been proud to see that you are Canadian. I have been helping a relative who is building a new home on Lake Ontario in St. Catharines with his home automation, based on SmartThings, and your Dashboard has made all the difference!

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I know. A switch at Home Depot is $60, hustle free. But I do remember the days when $35 = $35.

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I’ve used AARTECH for a few things. Considering they have sales sometimes and you have no boarder to deal with it hasn’t been too far off. I think my last order was free shipping as well. HD finally has GE Link lights but they are 19.95 so 5.00 more than the US price.

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@cdikland
Have you considered the CT30 thermostat? If you are connecting it to ST for control, it should work just as well, and cost about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cost.

I have purchased much of my stuff through ebay.ca. Wherever possible, I try to purchase multiple items to minimize the shipping cost. I have only rarely needed to pay duty on any of my items, and that was just the equivalent to normal sales tax rates. I’ve also purchased things directly from ST and Monoprice without any problems.

TigerDirect (tigerdirect.ca) also has some deals. They have only a few items in their retail stores, but they offer reasonable prices especially on items bundled together in 4 packs.

Cheers,
David

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The only thing I can think of when I hear Canada is Justin Bieber which makes it very hard to take you serious. :slight_smile: Just Kidding

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Ouch , Matt I used to like you! :smile:

Actually we shipped JB down to you. No take backsies!

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Let me guess
@TOBob Toronto?

@daven ?

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Yes, Toronto. Born and bred.

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That has been a Canadian policy for as long as I can remember. “Policy 23,56,67-1.11: All undesirables will have their sorry ass kicked south of the border immediately”. Harper rewrote the policy as he was afraid he wouldnt have any mps left :wink:

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I have not but will now :slight_smile: Guess this group is already paying off :smiley:

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Hi David, I’m very familiar with the Celsius code snippet as I created the custom ecobee device used by some ST users out there. As you may know, Ecobee is a Toronto-based company, but they sell their products all over NA.

I’ve coded many smartapps around energy efficiency and security.

Refer to my github:


Regards.

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Hello fellow Canuck’s!!

Checking in from Calgary :+1:

I am also voting for a unique Canadian server to handle our needs :sunglasses:

@Tyler are you a transplanted Canadian?

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I’m Canadian…

But I live in the US… Do I count?:wink:

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Me too :maple_leaf:, eh!

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@tslagle13 and @tgauchat

It depends on how you do on a couple of tests:

  1. Pronounce the word “about”
  2. Proper spelling of the word: colour or color?
  3. Greatest Hockey team?

But there are also some provisions, do you ever say Y’all or even worse All Y’all?

Maybe we can have stuff shipped to you and then brought across the border. :smile:

Cheers,
David

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