Super Simple You've Got Mail

Wiki Projects & Stories
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I wanted to know if the Mail has been delivered and if so has my wife got it yet before I get home. The mail is usually delivered between 10am and 4pm. And we get home after 5pm. So if the mailbox gets opened between 10am and 4pm we can assume that it has been delivered and I have mail. If the mailbox has been opened after 4pm, then I can assume that someone has gotten the mail.

I used a cheap door open/close sensor mounted in my mail box, and named it Mailbox.
I then created virtual/simulated On/Off switch called Mail.
Then created 2 Smart Lighting Apps

  1. Turns on the Mail switch and siren beep when the Mailbox sensor is opened between 10am and 4pm.
  2. Turn off the Mail switch when Mailbox sensor is opened between 4pm and 10am.

So if the Mail Switch says On, then I know that there is Mail in the Mailbox, and if Mail switch says Off, the Mailbox is empty.

I did not want a text each day when the mail arrives, but that could be accomplished with the Notify Me When Smart App.

I also added another Smart Lighting app, to turn Off the Mail switch at 9am because even if I forgot the mail the day before I may want to know when the mail was delivered today.

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Ideally though, you’d want to turn Off the Mail anytime the Mailbox is opened after the mail has been delivered. You’d have to use Core to do this I believe (I don’t have Core installed yet).

So the logic would be:

  1. If the Mailbox is opened between 10am and 4pm and the Mail is Off, turn On Mail (Mail has been delivered).
  2. If the Mailbox is opened between 10am and 4pm and the Mail is On, turn Off Mail. (Someone got the mail)
  3. If the Mailbox is opened between 4pm and 10am, turn Off the Mail. (Someone checked/got the mail).
  4. Automatically turn off the Mail at 9:30am (Makes sure that when the mailman delivers the mail, that he won’t accidently turn Off the Mail if it is still set to On from previous day)
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