New member advice needed (UK, no ST hub)

Hello all . I’m new here :slight_smile:

I joined as I wanted to keep up to date and get advice .

I’m using smartthings , with action tiles on Amazon tablets (1x fire hd8 3x fire7)

I have them set up in Various rooms of the house . I have it controlled all my lights and everything else I could get it to control . My goal is to add more to it , here are the things I can’t yet figure out how to add , I’m not great at this stuff but I think I have done well so far

-Fireplace (IR) I’d love to be able to turn this on and change the colours on it

-finger bot . (Like switchbot but I needed one that works with toggle switch)
This controls my shakers under the sofa

-my amplifier (Yamaha RXA2A) I’d love to be able to select channel ie sky/xbox etc

-ceiling fans x3 (IR)

I had the fans and fireplace linked to switchbots IR blaster which works ok on my phone . But can’t link to Alexa or tablet when it’s not a pre set remote from the switchbot set up (as they are unknown brands)

Any help / tips / comments would be greatly appreciated

Ps I’m not sure if I’ve posted this In the right place :slight_smile:

Here is a pic of one of my smart tablets

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Welcome! :sunglasses:

For the toggle switch, there are a couple of smart switch covers that fit over the top of the toggle switch and physically move it.

I use the third reality zigbee model for this use case. Like all devices of this type, it’s a little noisy when it’s actually moving the switch. Not as loud as a garbage disposal, but definitely loud enough to startle the cat. I have several of these on switches where I didn’t want to do any rewiring and they work fine.

The product description may mention their own hub, but you don’t need that, you will be using smartthings instead. As long as you have a smarthings hub, of course, I forgot to ask that.

image

Make sure you get the Zigbee model, however, the Bluetooth model doesn’t work with smartthings.

Ecolink also has a Z wave device which is somewhat similar, but harder to find.

Both of these are battery powered devices which fit over the top of the existing switch, no wiring required.

( By the way, I am quadriparetic and use dictation software to post. So sometimes I have to edit a post three or four times, especially if I’m adding links. If you see a post to go up from me, you may want to wait a few minutes just to be sure I’m done editing it. )

As far as using SwitchBot as an IR blaster, if you create scenes in the SwitchBot app, they should show up in Alexa, So some people use that for unknown device classes. It’s not as good as fully integrated control, but it can be useful.

Thank you for reply ,

I tried the scenes in the switchbot app and it wouldn’t show up so I sent the blaster back .

I don’t have a smartthings hub , it’s all just linked to app on my phone , then too the tablet .

Thank you for the switch advise . When I say toggle switch , I mean the small metal type , as it’s on the small ,single channel bass amp that runs my shakers . Plus I’m in the uk and those switches look like they are more suited to US style switches? .

This is the switch ( excuse the tape , it’s a work in progress) works great , just not compatible with smartthings

You have to have the SwitchBot hub or mini hub in order to get compatibility with the smartthings app. You don’t need a smartthings hub for that, but the switchbots can’t talk directly to smartthings, they have to go through their own hub.

Sorry about the confusion on the region: I should’ve asked what country you were in. My bad. The device selection does vary quite a bit from one place to another.

As far as the small toggle switch, yes, I think everybody ends up building something like what you’re working on.

tried the scenes in the switchbot app and it wouldn’t show up so I sent the blaster back .

The switchbot scenes won’t show up in smartthings, but they should show up in Alexa. You have to do things in a specific order, though, In order to get them set up and you do have to have a SwitchBot hub or mini hub.

Would it be possible to simply leave that power toggle switch on all of the time, and instead add a smart outlet that the single channel bass amp is plugged into? You could then simply turn the smart outlet on/off as needed.

I did link the switch to a switchbot hub but because of my items being cheap/not branded . Like the fireplace and ceiling fan . It didn’t have a preset remote for it . So I had to create one by learning each button of the remote , but unfortunately when you do it this way , it doesn’t show up/work on Alexa or smartthings .

I did try having a smart plug on the bass amp , but when it’s turned on like that , it makes the shakers thud , and I think In time will damage the amp/shakers , I think I’ve done a fair job so far linking everything up to the tablet (for a newbie) I just need to link a couple more things to have full control

I think I’m going to get my mate to 3d print a better arm for the finger bot switch which will then work better

I’d also like to figure out how to control the kitchen lights x3 with one button , at the minute I have 3 buttons as there is 3x bulbs

The other trouble I find now with using Alexa , is , when I turn something on using Alexa , it doesn’t link to the tablets to say it’s on/off so everything goes out of sync .

Thanks for the help . I’ll have a play around

I know people say to write the code and create a virtual switch then link it that way , for a wider application, but I have not idea on that and I’m rubbish with computers .

Here is a pic of my home entertainment set up which I control the lights on my tablet .

What do you think ?

I built the false wall myself . And I’m running

Samsung 85 inch 4K tv

Yamaha amp ,

Dolby atmos 7.1 with ceiling speakers

Bass shakers ,

The front speakers and sub are Klipsch which I love

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Since the Fingerbot uses the SmartLife app you maybe able to get partial ST integration using the following method:

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Thank you I’ll give that a go

Hey, re the switchbot ir minihub, learned ir commands DO go through to smartthings via the official integration, however it’s wonky - they will only go through to smartthings if you pick a device preset (so anything EXCEPT ‘other’) and THEN edit/relearn it with your remote.

Also only the power button goes through, so you essentially need to to create a new device in the switchbot app for every button you want to control, and then ‘learn’ it to the power button of each switchbot device.

Sounds like a pain but works v well once it’s all set up.

Here’s a screen of my switchbot app, where each button on my stereo remote has been learned to the power button of several separate speaker device presets (for the purpose of brining them all into smartthings)

I think the switchbot mini hub would be able to achieve what you want as long as you’re aware of the wonky way you need to set things up.

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Thank you ! I’ll definitely give this a go , would this also work for my fireplace and ceiling fan which are IR only , no Bluetooth ?

I only use switchbot for IR control (and to control a couple of bots which do my hot water and heating), I don’t have any bluetooth stuff in my smart home at all :slight_smile:

IR wise it controls my stereo, fan and telly in the master bedroom. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for your fireplace and ceiling fan. Like I say though, you will need to set up each remote button you want to use as the power button on a switchbot devices in the switchbot app, using an existing template (not ‘other’)

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Thank you so much for the help . I’ll give it a go

Thank you so much for the help , I’ll give it a try

Another question .

I use my smartthings app with action tiles on my tablet . What I’m not sure of , is if I create a different button for each thing I need to do , I.e fan on fan off , fan level 1 etc . I’m not sure how it would work as action tiles are on/off buttons , and not momentary buttons , so for instance , the on button will stay on , even after I’ve pressed the off button . Is there a way around this ? Can anyone help

Tia

Richie

I suspect I am missing some useful context for this from the remainder of the thread which I have only lightly skimmed, but …

ActionTiles tiles are only latching on/off ‘buttons’ if you select the switch capacity of a device. If you select the momentary capability of a device they act as stateless momentary buttons triggering the push() command. If you choose a Scene (if that is currently an option - I’ve lost track) that is again a stateless momentary action.

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Ah ok , thank you . I’m going to have another go at setting it up .

So I know I have to use a preset control for the items . And not use “other”. Do you know if this requires the brand of my item to be known by switchbot ? As they are un-named items

Thank you so much for your help guys !

I now have my fireplace , amplifier and ceiling fan working on my home control tablets ! I am so happy , been trying to figure it out for months .

The only thing I can’t get to work is the “fingerbot” but as they are Bluetooth and not a switch bot product I’m assuming they can’t be linked to the switch bot hub mini . But never mind , I can live with that :slight_smile: