clearing up some doubts before commiting to homey

melvin86k

hi ,

homey seems to be a product with so much potential . Would like some advise from the pros here before ordering 1 .


(1) how does the app system works ? For example X device running on ZIGBEE , with its own app "X" . does it means if I manage to sideload "X" app into homey , I can search ,add and control X device everything thru homey's app thru my phone?

(2) I intend to integrate Logitech harmony home hub with homey . Installing harmony app from homey's app store will allow me to gain full control of the Hub ? all thru homey's app?


Thanks

swttt

I'll try to answer your questions:

1. Zigbee isn't supported directly on homey. (At least not yet, the antenna is there tho) Hue and Lightify have an app to control it trough their bridge.
2. Not sure if it works directly from within the Homey app. (don't use the app myself) If not you allways could use the Better logic app to create a virtual device connected to a variable. (button or switch) Then create a flow when the variable changes and it could trigger an activity.

2Be

2. You have to build the IR flows (turn on TV, set input etc.) in the Harmony's own app. After that you install the Homey's Harmony Hub app and you can trigger the flows within Homey's flow manager.

melvin86k

2Be said:

2. You have to build the IR flows (turn on TV, set input etc.) in the Harmony's own app. After that you install the Homey's Harmony Hub app and you can trigger the flows within Homey's flow manager.

Thanks 2Be , I have a better idea now . Just one last question , when you say "trigger" , does it means triggering via Voice command ? Or via a physical button/key on homey's phone app ?

I am very intrigue by the idea of controlling all my IR device(TV , air Conditioning etc.) thru the homey , via smartphone , and thus exploring the possibility of a central control via homey app .

OpenMind_NL

Hardware: Logitech remote control + Harmony Hub.

Harmony Hub app:
Allows Homey to do anything that the remote control can do with the Hub.
In the Homey desktop app you can make flows which send "activity changes" and "button-controls" for all the devices that are installed in your Harmony Hub.
Homey's flows can be activated in several ways... one of which is by speech.

So...
- Homey can act like an extra remote control for the Harmony Hub.
- Homey is able to understand just about any speech command.

The user can combine these possibilities. Make a flow that is triggered when you say "I want to watch TV", and this flow can trigger the activity "Watch TV" in the Harmony Hub.
Besides speech, you can use just about any available trigger (connected temperature sensors, motion sensors, domotica remotes etc) to activate any flow which controls any connected device.
It's total freedom... you can do things that are very usefull, like dimming the lights and changing the color when you start watching TV... or do things that are totally useless, like switching the TV channel when the room temperature changes....

Some remarks about the Harmony Hub app:
- It works fine for a lot of people, but there are also people that suffer from crashes. It is still not clear why.
- There's a bug when the "miscellaneous" button-group for a device contains a lot of buttons (like around 20). In that case the Hub-app crashes when you try to select a button from that "miscellaneous" group.
- The developer is not very active with Homey at the moment. Busy with personal duties... but I understood that he is still working on solving the problems.... however, the source for the bug(s) might be in external libraries that are not under his accountability, so it might take some time.

Zigbee:

According to the latest news, Zigbee control is planned for system software version 1.4 or 1.5. This might allow Homey to directly control Philips, Ikea and other light brands. For now it does a fairly good job by controlling the Philips Hue lights, controls and sensors indirectly through the Hue Bridge over WiFi. Fairly, because the lights respond very fast to Homey's commands, but it takes a few seconds (up to 8 seconds) for the controls and sensors to send their info to Homey. But, you can still have the Hue Bridge handle the controls and sensors when speed is important.
I don't have any experience with the other Zigbee-brands that are available at the moment.
https://forum.athom.com/discussion/1430/software-status#latest

melvin86k

Thanks guy , finally pull the trigger on a piece of homey.

TedTolboom

@melvin86k welcome to the world of Homey!