Hi,
Apologies for the long post but I wanted to document my findings so others can relate and in the process hopefully find more options.
I have Smartthings hub V2 setup in my house on the European cloud (apparently this matters as I learned the hard way that I can not integrate ecobee with it unless it’s setup on the US cloud!!!). I live in Dubai so 240V is something that is limiting my options when it comes to accessories and sensors.
I have started investing in LightwaveRF light switches and LIFX bulb, and found out some limitations
LightwaveRF --> works like a charm but it doesn’t support two way communication (there is not way to know the current status of the lights)
Lifx --> light switches has to be always on to control them by voice or using the app which is not practical at all in a lot of cases.
I want to find other options to LightWaveRF and a way to control LIFX using switches. so I went through a lot of threads in the community and found a few solutions, but still not sure which will be the best one, and would like your advice especially if I missed any.
Here are what I have found so far
The only switches that I have found supporting 240V other than lightwaveRF are the Wemo light switches sold in Australia (the problem is that it’s not the standard shape/dimension used here in Dubai, and it’s out of stock)
flic buttons --> hub expected to be released by end of Dec 17, but not sure if it will always go through Smartthings or it depends. Also how many hubs should one own to do home automation!!!
Aeon Wallmote --> looks very promising but based on reviews battery need to be charged every week!!!
Sylvania Dimming switch --> Can it directly connect to my hub or do they need a bridge?
Sylvania Remte --> Really bad reviews, has anyone tried it?
Fibaro switches --> Still struggling to make them work but someone told me that they need toggle switches to work and I have a problem to fit them behind the switches I already have
Logitech Pop --> Requires a bridge, not sure if it can be added directly to my hub as I do not see it in my market place.
Please let me know if I have missed anything
Thank You
I’m not quite sure what you’re asking. But it looks like four different questions.
what options do people use to control lighting if they have a typical EU set up with 240 V and a UK frequency hub?
if you have a neutral wire at the switchbox, there are quite a few options, including some nice zwave switches from DeVolo/Popp and TKB. Vesternet has a good selection, just look under Z wave and Z wave plus.
If you don’t have a neutral wire at the switchbox, the most popular method is probably to use one of the in wall micros. There are models from some manufacturers including Fibaro which will not require a neutral wire. In other cases, the micro is put at the fitting at the ceiling rose where there will usually be a neutral wire. In both of these approaches, there are many different switches that you can use at the wall switch once the micro is in place. They definitely don’t require toggles. Momentary switches are the most popular, and there are many different styles of these:
All of these options and more are discussed in the UK lighting FAQ:
what are good battery operated buttons/switches that can be used with SmartThings?
There are a couple of dozen of these, including the ones you mentioned like Logi Pop, Flic, and more. You’ll find these listed in the buttons and remotes FAQ. That thread includes both mains powered and battery options and both handheld and wall mount, so read the descriptions carefully. Each post in that FAQ just has a picture of the device, a brief description, and a link to a discussion thread. Please put follow-up questions on any specific device in the discussion thread, not in the FAQ thread. Or come back to this thread and ask questions here.
can anything be done about capturing lightwave RF status when someone manually flips the switch?
Lightwave RF has just announced a second generation of switches which are due for release next month and will have status reporting. These are going to be compatible with HomeKit. They will not be directly compatible with smart things, but since lightwave RF already has an IFTTT channel there may be some options there, but we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what gets released.
what other options are available for controlling smart bulbs besides voice and the app?
See the following FAQ for more ideas:
I hope that helps. Also, I have moved this thread to projects so you can get individualized answers and suggestions on your project in general.
Regarding The specific battery operated devices that you mentioned:
The only way to use it with SmartThings is to connect it directly to the smart things hub. However, it will then work as a two button remote, it won’t do dimming from the switch. It’s still fairly popular.
Sylvania Remte → Really bad reviews, has anyone tried it?
There are some community members who have been looking at it, but no reports on it yet and no device type handler for it.
Fibaro switches → Still struggling to make them work but someone told me that they need toggle switches to work and I have a problem to fit them behind the switches I already have
Very popular, work very well. You don’t need toggle switches for them. @anon36505037 has done his whole house with these and can see more. If you need a smaller micro, look at the Qubino or the new Aeon Nano. Or consider moving the micro to the fitting instead of the switchbox.
Logitech Pop → Requires a bridge, not sure if it can be added directly to my hub as I do not see it in my market place.
There is an official cloud to cloud integration. You do need their bridge so that their buttons can talk to the cloud. You will then be able to and smart things to your pop account and set up the buttons to activate SmartThings devices. The pop button itself never shows up in your SmartThings app, but you don’t need it to.
