Newbie just starting out

[Arun_Nayar]

I just got a smartthings home kit today. I also bought a 6 pack of the Cree connected bulbs, 3 GE Link BR30 bulbs, ecolink tilt sensor and the Zen thermostat. I plan to start setting all up this weekend. Any caveats I need to worry about. I see the GE link are not fully supported, but the other things are all on the compatibility list.

My main goals are turning lights on/off based on motion, changing heat/cool mode based on ambient temps, keep track of the garage door(somehow figure that we went out and close on its own.

Also I am wondering if the Harmony home control remote is worth getting. I currently use a Harmony 900 that I use to control my entertainment center.

[diehllane]

Welcome aboard!

One thing I will say is to start closest to the hub and work outward from there. Your mesh networks will build so as you get further away, the devices can use each other as repeaters (for those that support being repeaters).

[Arun_Nayar]

does it matter where I store the. I was planning to keep it in the living room, near the entertainment center.

[diehllane]

The only recommendation is not to be too close to the wireless router. If you are too close, you could potentially see some interference on the Zigbee side, however I personally have had no issues and my router and ST hub are less than 3 feet apart.
I have a hub from another vendor that does get some interference from the WiFi though.

[dbstring]

Hi @Arun_Nayar

Once I got the basics of the app I got up and running on the Rule Machine thanks to @JDRoberts FAQ: An Overview of Using Custom Code in SmartThings

A good read. Enjoy!