Updated : GE Link Bulbs - FINALLY getting ON status after manually turning on!

@JDRoberts Thanks for the reply and I’m sorry if I mislead but I understand you can only have one primary controller for each Zigbee Bulb. I have 6 all together and was just trying to see if another controller was having the same problem of resetting the GE Links and so far they don’t. I have one of the six bulbs now set up with the Staples Dlink and the rest with smartthings I keep having to resets the one on the smartthing hub. I been using the Staples Hub for the GE link one bulb and the Aeon Powerstrip which they already have set up. I just don’t know why I keep having trouble with the GE bulbs on the Smartthing Hub??? I have to reset them often.

No idea. Some people report this problem, others don’t. It may be local interference, but since we can’t change the ST hub zigbee channel, it’s hard to say. Very frustrating, I know.

Occasionally, one of my exterior bulbs will accidentally be turned off/on at the switch. I only use these lights at night and they are activated/deactivated by mode changes. So, after someone accidentally turns the light on, it will stay only until the following morning. Being a porch light, we don’t even notice that it’s on unless we are at the front of the house.

I’ve been looking for a SmartApp that will turn the bulb off if it’s on for so many minutes or in a certain mode, but haven’t had any luck. SmartThings KNOWS that the light is on if that helps…

Any ideas?

if you make a dashboard shortcut you can “turn it off after a period of time”

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Thank you! (We need an easier UI!)

Shortcut group, or Power Allowance smartapp are both possibilities.

Or

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Hey guys,

So I never used the dim rate function until a few weeks ago, but now that I tried it I love it. So my question is with the new Smart Lighting app there is the turn on and set level setting. If you use that, the bulb ignores the dim rate ability and just turns on instantly to the level setting.

I would love to be able to set an on and set level to 50% and still use the slow dim rate. Would something like that be possible? Thanks.

There is in the new Smart Lighting app I believe.

Setting level in Smart Lighting overrides the device type preference of dim rate.

I want to set level and use dim rate. That is my question. =)

oh, dim rate itself…yeah not in there. In fact I haven’t seen it outside my GE Link bulbs but thats all I will use now.

It’s an awesome feature

The Smart Lighting app isn’t ignoring the dim rate ability. It’s simply sending a setLevel() command to the bulb, which the device handler then sends to the bulb with the dim rate parameter (Live Logging confirmed this).

I think what you’re seeing/experiencing is due to how the zigbee level cluster works. When you send a level command the bulb will transition from the current level to the new level using the dim rate sent with the command. When the bulb turns off, it retains its current level so it can return to that level when its turned back on. So what happens is from “off” the bulb immediately goes to its current level, then transitions to the new level being sent.

Here’s an example:
Bulb is at 99%, then is turned off. Current level stays 99%.
Send setLevel(50) as part of your Smart Lighting app.
Bulb goes immediately to 99%, then dims to 50% using the rate specified.

The closer the current level and your new level are, the more it’ll look like it automatically goes to that setting. There’s also less distinction between light output in the top half, so it may be transitioning, but it’s hard to perceive it.

I guess we could add a check in the device handler, that will quickly move the level to 0 before sending a setLevel when the bulb is off.

sorry, you’re right I didn’t check the logs, and I didn’t notice any transition.

I think that would be awesome. The slow dim rate is really a nice effect.

I submitted this tweak to ST via GitHub along with an updated tile layout for the new app. Hopefully they see it and can apply the update quickly.

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Any possibility of reporting that a bulb has been manually turned OFF? E.g. If s bulb doesn’t respond to polling/refresh… Set it to OFF?

That’s been requested many times, but my understanding is that the platform just isn’t designed that way. In some ways, it makes sense, since both zigbee and zwave are mesh networks. There’s no garuntee that any given node will respond to any given poll.

2 Likes

Thanks… Makes sense but it’s unfortunate.
I was using them in reading lamps… A context where pulling the chain makes more sense than most automatic alternatives.
Glad I only purchased 2 bulbs :smile:

If manually turned off can’t the timeout of the poll be assumed as a off state (or not responding state)?. I have used a Wink hub & it has an icon which show bulbs which are turned off manually, with a disconnected symbol. May be ST can do something similar with these GE Link bulbs.

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if you make a dashboard shortcut you can “turn it off after a period of time”
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I use Android Mobile app. Can I make dashboard shortcuts on it? I have not found a way to make shortcuts in Android version. Is it available on iOS only?

ST got rid of the dashboard. You can do the same thing with power allowance in smart lighting or rules in rule machine.