Color bulb Recomendation - porch light? (2019)

Have not even tried to keep up to date with all the current items.

What I’m looking for is one that will hold up outdoors, even if the specs. does not say it will.

Also would need to be able to change color via Alexa, if possible to use some of the device handlers where I have seen flash or alternate colors.

Even if I need to create virtual switches to do a few pre-configured setups would be fine.

Flashin red, flashing blue, etc…

I have one Aeon, but have not bothered to see if any newer handler with those options.

Where do you live?

“ outdoors“ in Los Angeles and “outdoors“ in Minneapolis are very different specifications. :sunglasses:

1 Like

I have been using a LIFX bulb outside in a protected fixture for about two years now in PA weather, no issues.

Ditto on the LIFX bulb in an half enclosed fixture has been working fine, Houston Tx.

How are they (LIFX) for direct Alexa commands?
I just played with my AEON and could not change color with Alexa.
Edit - all I see is WI-FI, am I missing Zigbee or Z-wave? Link?

I can say to mine Alexa, make the porch light red or Alexa make the outside lights blue. That is through integration with LIFX and Alexa. It does not involve Smartthings. Although all of my LIFX bulbs are integrated with Smartthings as well.

I don’t change the colors on mine that much, I do use the color coordinator app with a few virtual switches, that can be triggered with voice commands.

Which Model Aeon are you using?

Good question… Nothing in the IDE actually ID’s it.

Is it a bulb? An RGBW controller? Or?

Aeotec doesn’t connect directly to your Amazon account, you have to go through SmartThings. So most likely you would have to set up a SmartThings scene for the color changes you want, and then use Alexa to activate those scenes.

What DTH are you using for the Aeon device?

It’s a bulb,
This one - I’ve had it since 2015 - have not tried any other DTH since then (Pre-Alexa)

Using this DTH
Will not post the entire code
/**

  • Copyright 2015 SmartThings
  • Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the “License”); you may not use this file except
  • in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
  •  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
    
  • erocm123: Modified setColor for more accurate colors with my bulb. I also made it so that if you choose “Daylight - Energize”
  •        from a SmartApp like SmartLighting it would choose a random color.
    
  • Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed
  • on an “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
  • for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
  • Z-Wave RGBW Light
  • Author: SmartThings
  • Date: 2015-7-12
    */

metadata {
definition (name: “Aeon RGBW Bulb Custom”, namespace: “smartthings”, author: “SmartThings”) {
capability “Switch Level”
capability “Color Control”
capability “Color Temperature”
capability “Switch”

Have you tried creating a scene with the different colors? Scenes have been added to the platform since that DTH was written. And you can now activate them with the official smart lighting feature. So you should be able to activate the scenes with Echo.

I use a couple of Osram/Sylvania BR30 bulbs in a flood light fixture in my back yard. They’re under the eve but otherwise full exposed. This is in sunny AZ, though.

They’re pointed down, so if they did get a little water in them through the cover, it wouldn’t run into the electronics.

Need to play with scenes… sometime.

1 Like

I’ve used sengled bulbs outdoors for a while now, both color and soft white. Held up surprisingly well in Chicago winters, one of my white bulbs has the tiniest flicker but all the others are going strong after a year.

Edit for clarification: one under the porch overhang and two in bottomless fixtures. Strangely it was the one on the porch that developed the flicker. The white bulbs were outside for about a year and a half, just switched to color about 6 months ago.