Control lights

PeterGroeneweg

Hi all,

I would like to begin my usage of Homey with to control the light in my house. At this moment I have completely no domotics in my house so I can choose everything I want. Can some of you help me with choosing the best system for me?

I would like to use a WiFi system because most of my neighbors use KlikAanKlikUit and there is a lot of interference between them.
I also would like to use switches on the walls so that I'm not stuck to a phone or iPad to control them. And then not a switch with 3 presets like the Philips Hue.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Emile

I'd personally go with KlikAanKlikUit all the way. Are you sure there's that much interference? They're quite well protected.

Otherwise, look at Fibaro. They make great products!

PeterGroeneweg

I had another look at the technical description of the KlikAanKlikUit (KaKu). It seems that they have changed their codings. Now there are 67 million addresses in stead of the 256 they had before.

So probably I will go for the KaKu.
Thanks for the tip!

Emile

No biggie

JPe

Be aware that KAKU is only one way communication, you don't get information back if the status of the device is changed or not, (I have the same problems with my old X10 devices). I have decided to change over to Z-Wave devices that uses two-way communication and there are a lot of brands that support Z-Wave.

PeterGroeneweg

That also sounds very interesting! Two way communications sounds better if I want to monitor the status of my lights via the web. That's one of the purposes, I want to switch of the lights in the bathroom when my wife let them turned on when she goes to work... Perhaps I will once install some more intelligence in there.

Julian

Peter, this will be very hard, I have been trying to install more intelligence in my wife for years but failed up to now. Also, KAKU has dedicated on/off channels, no power toggle so you could decide to send a power off signal to all lights to tackle this?

MarkSwift

I use Z-Wave, it's awesome and supported by everyone.

MennoVanGrinsven

Anyone here have some experience with light switches? I want to start putting in coco or z wave switches to control the lights. As common in the Netherlands, I do not have a blue/neutral wire behind my switches. As far as I can see all z wave products require a 3 wire setup.

I have one coco installed that only needs 2 wires and had the light flickering (solved by using a dimmable ikea led lamp).

Any suggestions? Also looking for a solution for a double light switch (you know in two smaller switches that fit in one frame)

PeterGroeneweg

Hi Menno,

For what you mention, the KaKu is great... You can solve the 2-wire by using the battery solutions like the AWST-8802. By the way, that's also a double switch ;-).

I'm still not convinced to go to use the Z-Wave, it really is much more expensive as the KaKu. At least what I found.

RobinVanKekem

KaKu is great for switching but Z-Wave devices functions as a bridge for other devices further away.
And Z-Wave has (as a protocoll at least) feedback. It will tell if the roller shutters are closed or if the light did switch on.

JaapPelt

I have nearly all lights converted KAKU. All main lights still have a wall switch using the AWMR series. Combine with some socket plugs andere you are in business.

Just install one bebind the bedroom lights and place remote on the nightstand: instant wife adoption achieved

I recommend starting with a simpele and easely accessible standard. Upgrade only tot a more expensive standard if you feel you need to. Only them will you know what you really want and need. Homey will probebly work with everything anyways.

Tip: Wait for your favorite hardware store tot have a 20% discount.

PeterGroeneweg

Waiting for a discount is not necessary, I got an employee discount at the Technische Unie (TU). I'll pay €11,99 for a AWMT in stead of €21,30 according to the KaKu website.

For a amount of €450 I covered my whole house with KaKu. I still think that's way cheaper as using Z-Wave...

MarkSwift

KAKU is okay, Z-Wave still offers a far greater feature set and expandability. Cheaper isn't better ;-)

tommyjay

Does anyone know about an alternative to keep existing switches, but make them IoT-able? I've been wondering for some time now.... I asked once on this forum here, but I guess that was because I assumed there wasn't really a preexisting solutions.... After looking at this thread, I would really like to buy some CoCo/KaKu switches to put behind my normal switches... This would be EXCELLENT!!!! (Hey @PeterGroeneweg, can I get on your employee discount?? O:-) )

I only have 6 switches, just a small apartment. So um... anyone have any suggestions for alternatives??

ErikVanDongen

Put in z-wave micro modules. Then homey knows when you switch on a light manual AND can control it remotely.

PeterGroeneweg

Here I am again with my KaKu :-p. @tommyjay, you can also put these behind your current switches to digityse them

tommyjay

@PeterGroeneweg So basically, CoCo/KaKu is the best way to go...? (Or are you saying that just because you're an employee? ) Then again, as @ErikVanDongen, I guess with z-wave i can check if the light is actually off? Which is better for use with Homey? I'm definitely not planning on getting another controller (that's why I got Homey), but things like asking Homey to turn off all the lights everywhere... If the CoCo lights are off, would Homey turn them on or already know they are off?

RobinVanKekem

If you switch your lights with a remote, it's possible Homey doesn't know.

Since KaKu is one way traffic Homey isn't able to request the status of the switch/light.

And is less secure and is much cheaper.

jovink

tommyjay said:

... If the CoCo lights are off, would Homey turn them on or already know they are off?

The signal for on or off are different. So if the lights are off they stay off.

tommyjay

RobinVanKekem said:

And is less secure and is much cheaper.

For now, being in a small apartment in a house on the suburb, I think that security isn't_ that_ big of an issue, and price is of course great about CoCo. As someone said, I guess for starters cheap is good. Then again, I don't want to spend a bunch on CoCo just to find out that there's something much better out there. @RobinVanKekem you know of any good alternatives?

That's great @Jovink! I didn't realize this, I have 433mhz wall plug adaptors with a remote control, and it of course has one button for on, one for off. How stupid of me!

I guess I'll still have to find something else for my motorized blinds. (something with feedback)

Ideas?

kasteleman

Just go for the Fibaro shutter. Have them installed with Somfy. Works perfect and as stated before supported by Homey.

San

Hi Guys, another question related to controling your lights (couldn't find it on the forum).How will homey deal with the situation that lights are automatically turned on (e.g when below x lux land later thans x hour turn on lights). But later manually turned off (e.g when watching a movie). Can this possibly result in a endless on/off war with homey (at least until the next morning...), since the 'on' command will be pushed again resulting from switching off the lights?

djesko

San said:
Hi Guys, another question related to controling your lights (couldn't find it on the forum).How will homey deal with the situation that lights are automatically turned on (e.g when below x lux land later thans x hour turn on lights). But later manually turned off (e.g when watching a movie). Can this possibly result in a endless on/off war with homey (at least until the next morning...), since the 'on' command will be pushed again resulting from switching off the lights?

Need to use variables , if lux is X change variable day/night to Night and turn on x lights , that wont turn on any light if you turn them off manually !

That the way i do on fibaro ,

@Emile , does Homey support variable ?

That the way i do on fibaro ,

Niklas

MarcoF

It's possible to store variables.
I used the forum search function to find the answer.

See this post and @emile answer(s) on question 8

https://forum.athom.com/discussion/194/questions/p1

djesko

MarcoF said:
It's possible to store variables.
I used the forum search function to find the answer.

See this post and @emile answer(s) on question 8

https://forum.athom.com/discussion/194/questions/p1

Thanks, will search next time! :-)

San

Thanks!

PeterGroeneweg

@ tommyjay, I don't know for sure. I installed KaKu in one third of my house now to see if it works nice with Homey. If not, I will change to an other system later. But for me, the cost of KaKu is very interesting, that's why I will test them with Homey at first.

If you send an command to a KaKu receiver Homey will also receive that signal and can act on that. Plus it doesn't mind for KaKu to receive a turn off command twice.

By the way, I'm not working at all at KaKu ;-)

Jaxc

KaKu is a nice way to be able to switch some stuff, but the units are big. Not configurable, and not able (out of the box) to be able to see if switching worked, and no status availability.
Z-wave (Fibaro) (more expensive yes). Has all these futures, are micro modules witch you can place inside a wall-plugs.
Next to that the rage of Z-wave modules is much larger due to the mess-network all units make together. so the chance of getting a unit that is out of range is very slim. Kaku has a very limited range.

So here in holland we have a saying "goedkoop is duurkoop"
I would advise Z-wave all the way. Much more possibilities, and much better flexibility.

Not working for Z-wave also

tommyjay

@PeterGroeneweg Ah ok, understood. I'm glad that you're also willing to test everything out with Homey and let us know how it all works! I sent an email to KaKu asking some more questions specific to them (I don't want to make this forum post just about them and their products of course, so I took it straight to them). The price and size are what brought me to them, and that from the forums here it seems everyone has good things to say about KaKu as a 'beginner's choice'. Were you able to install them behind existing switches, or are they somewhere else?

@JurgenHuijbregts I'm happy you also have some opinions against Kaku, I wouldn't want to go for the first pick without finding out what's available from the competition. From what I've been reading I agree that Z-Wave is more versatile then 433Mhz, that's the main reason I'm interested. But you're saying they're big? According to the site, the little switches (like the AWMT-003 or AWMR-300 which I was looking at) should fit behind a light switch? I checked Fibaro and their site seems a bit funky, not much information about their actual products, I got more of an impression of a service site. The problem I have with Fibaro is that the resellers that offer the brand in the Czech Republic have high prices, and also don't offer many products. The Fibaro.com site links to 10 different resellers here in the Czech Republic, out of which 9 only offer 'complete services' (meaning they will come and install products in your whole house) and don't sell the products. The one that does, after extensive website digging does sell these, and I guess you were referring to a micro module like this one? They offer this one for (converted €62.5) where as the KoKo ones are for €30 each...

Obviously the point of these questions is to find the best product which can be retrofitted into existing light switches, while offering the best functionality with Homey, and of course the best bang for buck.

Fire69

Obviously z-wave is more expensive than Kaku, the tech is way more advanced.
Check amazon.de, the prices are usually better than anywhere else.