Hiya Please can anyone help on letting me know of an ideal light controlled system for the Smartthings hub, ideally with a dimmable lighting functionality
Possibly, http://www.limitlessled.com/ or http://www.sparkdevices.com/ or a feasibly wireless controlled dimmer lighting switch?
Spark is pretty expensive. I am learning further and further towards limitless instead of LIFX, but it’s dependant on a few things:
LimitlessLED release the smartthings app (which they are working on)
It works with smartthings scenes, and more specifically voice control through TheUbi.
From a cost perspective, LIFX in a large home will be very expensive, especially if you have a lot of downlights (most large rooms have 4-8 downlights).
So it depends on how many lights you have and your budget, and if you want the color control option.
Cheers
I’m holding out for a true zigbee lighting solution, something like Philips hue but one that works natively with the smart things zigbee network and not over an API.
Aeotec (Formerly AeonLabs) has Z-Wave LED lights coming, they will also act as Z-wave repeaters.
@Tyrone - ?Check some of these => I do not know if they all will will pass the ‘SmartTest’ but my ears say most XBee is ‘getting handled’ with success. 'http://www.smarthome.com//Dimmers_Lighting_Appliance_Control/Dimmers_Wall_Switches_Keypads_Touchscreens/Z_Wave_Compatible//z/1QV/23V/nav.aspx
ZigBee based bulbs that have the ZigBee ZLL (ZigBee Light Link) firmware on them can be controlled by the SmartThings hub in theory. We’ve been talking about adding it as we have a few Phillips Hue kits ourselves. I had talked to the Philipps Hue representative recently since they were 2 booths down from us at CES. They were able to confirm they have the open ZigBee ZLL profile on their bulbs. It’s great to see a major company support an open protocol like that. In our case it causes quite a bit of work since we use the ZigBee HA (Home Automation) profile. They’re not incompatible by any means, but there is firmware upgrades that need to be made. We want to add it soon, there are just more crucial elements our ZigBee developers need to complete first.
In the mean time I would consider using a Z-Wave in wall dimmer switch. It’s what we used for the house we rented in Las Vegas for CES and I’ve wired a few more since then. They work great and are pretty easy to install yourself. They cost about $40-$50 USD, which for most would cost better than $60 dollars for a single bulb.
Andrew, Is is possibly yet with the new firmware to add a zigbee dimmer for hue or living colors without a hub at this point?
I saw the sylvania IQ bulb seems to do this okay now.
Thanks.
Jesse
I’ve got these TCP lights and they work great and I’ve heard they should be in labs any day now. At $50 for the hub and 2 bulbs, and then $16 per bulb after that it looks to be the best deal so far after they get fully integrated in ST
Did some basic testing on the @twack 's integration. I’ll do some more in-depth next week and hopefully get it into Labs.
The TCP lights are interesting. But honestly when I see yet another hub, I stop looking. I’m loving the idea of the sylvania IQ bulbs with ZLL with smartthings hub.
@dang there is a firmware version we need to get past our QA team and rolled out before we can put it into Labs. The timeline for that is pretty short, I wouldn’t expect it to be too long.
Wow! With the 603 hub update the TCPI lights are awesome!
I’m dumping some of my GE dimmers and ordering a bunch of new TCPI bulbs.
Isn’t this stuff cool!
@twack I didn’t notice how many different types of bulbs they had out for that system. The PAR38 looks like it be really nice for my 6" recessed cans. The BR30 630 lumens hue bulbs look a bit funky in the ones in my billiard room.
Will your labs integration communicate directly with the bulb, the controller, or through their cloud?
Most of the bulbs you see on the site are not compatible with the “connected” series. I think there are only two that are. Check for the “Connected”.
As for the communications, their hub talks “6LoWPAN” to the bulbs, so my integration is hub-to-hub since ST does not do 6LoWPAN at this time.
Twack
I think I saw three last night
Then there is a little candelabra, the App, and even a discontinued CFL.
OOOoooh. I stand corrected.
Thanks, I’m liking that recessed one. I have a few places that i might use that.
I am really kicking myself for replacing almost every switch/dimmer in my house to the GE/Jasco. These TCP’s would have been easier and cheaper. I’ve got a couple of 4 way circuits with 5+ CFL’s that have that audible buzzing that would have been a lot nicer with these.
Oh well, I saved the old switches…
Yeah me too. It’s super cheap being I’m putting in new Recessed cans and the trim is 15 bucks which that light includes. Do wish it was brighter though.
BTW, have you figured out if your integration can be made to work with your “dim with me” app to join Z-Wave switches and these bulbs together?
Idea being one switch that turns on the z wave switch, then uses the bulbs dim feature.
I have them hooked up two ways. A dim with me instance that follows a zwave wall switch and a dim with me instance that follows a virtual dimmer. I set scenes and modes via the virtual dimmer.