Light Switches - where to start? (UK)

The EnergyEgg switches only work with their own EnergyEgg controller. Not compatible with SmartThings. And they only do one thing: turn the switches off after a period of no movement in the room.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-05/23/energy-egg

…which you can already easily do with ST…

they’ve told me they are working on a wifi solution and possible zwave integration, in the uk I dont know of a off the shelf light switch solution for 2-3 switches that works on a 2 wire house hold.

Hope you folks won’t mind a naive question. In our kitchen, we have two light switches at either end of the room, each controlling the lights in their respective half of the room. I’d like to be able to control both halves of the lights (independently) from either end of the room. I’m wondering if using some wireless solution (I’m open to any technology) would allow me to avoid having to physically join the switches - I haven’t yet counted the wires in the existing switches, if that makes any difference.
A slight complication is that one of the switches is a two-gang, controlling an outdoor light - I’m happy to partition that one off, but if there’s anything that can accommodate that as well…

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Once you have a SmartThings compatible wireless device in both switches you can do whatever you want to with them as far as grouping them or having one control the other. They don’t have to be on the same circuit. So that part’s easy.

The question is which devices to select which is what this thread is all about. :sunglasses:

Sharing my light switch findings

Continuing the discussion from VFAQ: Lighting Control Options for UK SmartThings:

I have the answer.

Well, I don’t, logitech does.

Pop.

Have you seen? All we need now is for them to be able to cover the current light switches somehow, but the logitech pop seems to be exactly what the original poster, and myself, have been searching for.

Do we need the Logitech bridge that comes in the starter kit or will the switches work direct with Smartthings?

I really dont want another bridge /hub

I suspect the bridge will be needed - but I’ve got the starter kit coming today so I’ll let you know if I can set it up without.

The bridge is wireless though, so no need to ethernet it up to the router, you can just find a spare plug socket out of the way and leave it in there. That’s my plan! :slight_smile:

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How did you get on? Any update…

Do we need the bridge?

The Logitech POP bridge is required for the SmartThings integration.

Thats a shame. I assume the hub needs to plug in the router? So my hub would be quite a distance from the switches.

Whats the range like and do they create a mesh?

No mesh. The pop buttons are Bluetooth to the wall wart and the wall wart is Wi-Fi to your router.

So the wall wart can be anywhere in your house that it receives Wi-Fi. The buttons have to be within Bluetooth range of the wall wart, which will depend on your local architecture. I’m getting about 15 m.

Is that the hub???

Yes, the Logitech pop bridge. (It’s technically not a hub, it’s a bridge just like the hue controller is the hue bridge.)

I’m sorry, I don’t have a UK picture for it, but the UK version is about the same size.

Here’s the UK link:

Yes sorry the bridge is required - these are all set up inside the Logitech app rather than inside the Smartthings app.

I have found the buttons not always responding correctly - it’s almost as if they go to sleep and need a button press to wake up before actually doing what they are supposed to do, but only sometimes. The double click doesn’t always work properly, depending on how you press it. Pressing too quickly or too slowly can be an issue. It needs to be just right.

And the main reason I bought them, to trigger automation routines - it doesn’t work with. They can only turn single items on or off. So whilst you can group all the items you want together, it can’t change Mode to Night for example, and turn on the security Armed (Away/Home) etc.

I’d like to have one at the top of the stairs to press to turn on the alarm at night, but it’s not possible.

Actually… It is possible. But you have to use the IFTTT integration, just as you would with echo.

On the SmartThings side, you assign a virtual switch to run a routine, and that routine can change the mode. Or arm smart home monitor.

Then you have your IFTTT applet turn on the virtual switch when the pop button is pressed.

Here’s the FAQ for how to do that. Although this is discussing echo, it’s the same process for the pop switch.

Of course this assumes that the IFTTT pop service/channel is available in the UK, and I haven’t confirmed that. please let us know if it isn’t. The UK page I link to above which describes the specifications for the pop switch does say it has IFTTT integration, so it should work. :sunglasses:

For a UK light switch solution, look at Energenie MI Home.

https://energenie4u.co.uk/mihome/the_range

I’ve just installed one of their brushed chrome light switches in the kitchen to control dumb downlighters. Works fine from Alexa/app with occasional lag. Also has on/off manual button and status led. You’ll obviously need a hub so either buy an energenie hub on its own or hub & plug adapter kit too… Main thing is it’s pretty cheap! I have experienced some random lag with some of the plug sockets though… But light switch seems fine. Allows you to convert dumb UK lighting to smart lighting at least! Oh and make sure you install it as a light switch in the app, it looks just like the relay picture but the images are out of date, it is definitely a light switch!

Here’s the product page - https://energenie4u.co.uk/catalogue/product/MIHO026?adnetwork=af

Oh and be careful with the wiring. Live goes to L, neutral to L1, slave unused!

There is no slave switch available yet for Energenie.
I believe there might be one coming.
Lightwaverf are another series of switches.
These like the energenie need there own hub for ST integration.
With Lightwaverf though, you can integrate with a raspberry Pi to act as a server and then integrate with ST to give minimal lag for automation.

I have Energenie here, albeit the plugs (not sockets). I added the Device Handler, and now run from ST with minimal lag, its all working quite well, and the Handler does a great job.

I also have LightWave, had them ever since B&Q started stocking the Siemans model years ago. Sadly I cant get that working through ST, no matter how many times I tried, so gave up. I’m sticking with them though, as their dimmers are great, sadly quite a lag through Alexa though as you’re always treated as remote. I really don’t want to go down the route of PI, even though this would remove it. I simply don’t want yet another hub :joy:

Apparently Energenie will be releasing more products this year, I’m holding out for this as their pricing is pretty good in comparison to others. :+1:

Cheers