Amazon Echo - no thread yet?

Mr. K

Mr. K

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So my Harmony Hub and Alexa have started failing me.

I think it's in large part due to switching to using ARC (and CEC) with my new LG TV and Denon receiver.

But it's basically 50/50 whether it will turn things on and off. Which is all I really want. Not looking to change channels or volume.

Tried unplugging, resetting, unlinking, etc.

So...anyone think the Fire TV Cube might be an option to replace?

It seems like it, but it's hard to tell.
 
meStevo

meStevo

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I replaced my Harmony Hub, Fire Stick and v1 echo with a cube. It has an ir extender I've got sitting next to my Onkyo. Working great.

Unrelated, Show mode coming to newer Kindles. Releasing a dock for the 8-10 in models for this purpose also.
 
Mr. K

Mr. K

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meStevo said:
I replaced my Harmony Hub, Fire Stick and v1 echo with a cube. It has an ir extender I've got sitting next to my Onkyo. Working great.

Unrelated, Show mode coming to newer Kindles. Releasing a dock for the 8-10 in models for this purpose also.
Click to expand...

Just curious. What devices do you have with it? And do you use ARC from your TV at all?
 
meStevo

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
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I have a Samsung TV and I'm using ARC. Actually off the top of my head I can't tell you if the Cube is trying to control the stereo at all and letting ARC do everything, probably the latter.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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guess it's finally time to have home automation, have 2, 3rd gen echo dots on order (feb), so far the only compatible thing i have is a schalge connect lock, i'll get a sensi thermo and some garage opener.
 
fris

fris

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I have 1 cube that manages my tv & dneon receiver. does surprisingly well. anyone w/ a denon receiver will tell you that a child holding the remote can result in hours of trouble shooting to figure out why the sound isn't working anymore. mine's pretty old, i hear new ones are better.

I also have 1 show and several echo's. there's about a dozen tp link switches i've installed and about a dozen various brand plug adapters. there's about 4 different apps i had to install to get the different plugs setup, but zero issue w/ any of them. i don't see any reason not to buy whatever's on sale. think the cheapest I've found is 4 plugs for $20.

i got a samsung smart things hub, which it integrated better into alexa. you can have the sensors activate anything. What i would like is a delay, which i can't figure out and not wanting to setup a pc/pi to manage. example, i would like for the sensor to see me moving downstairs at night, and thus turn on the lights in the living room and kitchen. then, turn them off 20 minutes later. right now, it can only then them off. so if i'm leaving the home, i have to stand in the door way, out of view of the sensor, and yell for alexa to turn everything off. ITTT doesn't seem to be able to do this either.

the door/window sensors w/ smarthings are a pretty cheap way to get into home security. i get an immediate text anytime a door is opened.

there's a few more switches i want to convert, it's always way more difficult than it should be due to the excessive amount of romex in the boxes, just getting the switches all the way in so they're flush w/ the wall is the hardest part.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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fris said:
I have 1 cube that manages my tv & dneon receiver. does surprisingly well. anyone w/ a denon receiver will tell you that a child holding the remote can result in hours of trouble shooting to figure out why the sound isn't working anymore. mine's pretty old, i hear new ones are better.

I also have 1 show and several echo's. there's about a dozen tp link switches i've installed and about a dozen various brand plug adapters. there's about 4 different apps i had to install to get the different plugs setup, but zero issue w/ any of them. i don't see any reason not to buy whatever's on sale. think the cheapest I've found is 4 plugs for $20.

i got a samsung smart things hub, which it integrated better into alexa. you can have the sensors activate anything. What i would like is a delay, which i can't figure out and not wanting to setup a pc/pi to manage. example, i would like for the sensor to see me moving downstairs at night, and thus turn on the lights in the living room and kitchen. then, turn them off 20 minutes later. right now, it can only then them off. so if i'm leaving the home, i have to stand in the door way, out of view of the sensor, and yell for alexa to turn everything off. ITTT doesn't seem to be able to do this either.

the door/window sensors w/ smarthings are a pretty cheap way to get into home security. i get an immediate text anytime a door is opened.

there's a few more switches i want to convert, it's always way more difficult than it should be due to the excessive amount of romex in the boxes, just getting the switches all the way in so they're flush w/ the wall is the hardest part.
Click to expand...

here's what i haven't figured out

do i need the samsung smarthub, with an echo dot? or does the smarthub becomes the brains and the echo just receives commands? so i gots to get me a samsung hub too?
 
fris

fris

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Echo can control all the tp link switches and the line. Smart things, Phillips hue, and some others use a different frequency. Tp link uses 802.11. Those other things require a hub to bridge over. That's where the cost jumps, and why I don't see any reason to get into Phillips.

Echo or Google's hub will control most anything.

Smart things has more inputs than just voice. You can use the door or motion sensor to turn lights on. Sounds cool, except I can't figure out how to do the opposite when I leave. Coming or going, the sensor just sees the door open.
 
Foler

Asshat Foler

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Spun up amazon alexa on my raspberry Pi. Made her sing Cardi-B's yellow bodak but ole jeff bozos is a nazi and beeps out all the curse words.

Thanks obama
 
Lanx

Lanx

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i have a my seni thermo setup, i just got a garage opener setup (decent enough to pop a notification door is open), and my front door. Just waiting on the back ordered alexa's

guess i'll checkout some water sensors and door/window sensors.
 
Foler

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Lanx said:
i have a my seni thermo setup, i just got a garage opener setup (decent enough to pop a notification door is open), and my front door. Just waiting on the back ordered alexa's

guess i'll checkout some water sensors and door/window sensors.
Click to expand...

Are you building this yourself?

I've had an Alexa project on the back burner for a while now. Have to Alexa sdk on my pi working and all the hardware for door sensors. Planning on hacking my Keurig to have her make me coffee. May even throw a pressure sensor in there to detect if a cup is under the dispenser just in case.

Using ESP8266's for connecting all this fun stuff to WiFi.
 
Foler

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Lemme know if u bros want something custom built.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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i'm just gonna have alexa open a garage door or 2, i think i need a smarthings, thats about it.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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ok so i gots a garage opener
lock
thermo
bedroom light

and two echos

theres a smartthings + adt special for 100bucks, gonna double check to make sure it's a real smart things hubs, AND it's gonna have ADT features? thats cool, i already have ADT sensors in place.

anything else i can hook up?
 
fris

fris

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The ADP smart things uses a different frequency than normal smart things(and diff hub), which I think means you can buy the cheaper sensors but have to pay the subscription
 
Foler

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If you guys could connect Alexa to anything what would those things be? Coffee makers? Ovens? Etc. Would be neat to be able to tell Alexa to preheat the oven and have her tell me when it's done.
 
Lanx

Lanx

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fris said:
The ADP smart things uses a different frequency than normal smart things(and diff hub), which I think means you can buy the cheaper sensors but have to pay the subscription
Click to expand...
actually best buy is having a sale, picked up 2 sensors and motion detector for 20bucks

from what i've set up, just seems like the subscription activates cellular and allows adt to call fire/popo.

i think the issue is that only adt smartthings sensors will do stuff smartthings sensors don't, still looks better than the old ass adt panel that came w/ the house.

but i'll keep playing around w/ it when i have time.

also bought a echo input, i'll plug in some speakers for it, guess i'm basically all alexa now.
 
slippery

slippery

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Been using a Fire Stick for most of my needs for quite a while. Going to update to the 4k stick to see if the improvements are really worth it. I'm mainly just looking for it to be more responsive. Will update after I've gotten it and got to try it for a while
 
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