On 11 Dec 2020 13:11:59 +0000 (GMT), Theo
wrote:

T i m wrote:
Then I remembered Theo (I think) talking about he 'Smart Life' app so
I installed that, unlinked the hub from the Lidl app and re-connected
it to the Smart Life app and all went as easily as before (easier as I
now had a bit more of a clue), the idea being that it might be a bit
more flexible than the Lidl one (that it looks like it's based on)?

It seems the Lidl is a rebrand of Tuya Smart Life, so Smart Life should talk
to more things than just the Lidl products.

Including Sonoff I hope as I've ordered one of their PIR detectors.
;-)

The current lamps are in std B22 pendants and because these smart
lights happen to be ES27, I have to use converters. I was wondering if
it's worth changing to ES27 pendants as it seems many lamps from the
likes of Ikea / Aldi / Lidl are only ES? Has anyone fitted an ES
pendant and can recommend some 'nice' (as in mechanically / design /
usage) ones please?

Various people sell brass/copper/chrome ES pendant lampholders.
ebay has a selection, or eg:
https://www.lampspares.co.uk/es-e27-lampholders/

Yeah, I don't thing I like the idea of metal in such things and we are
all white plastic in any case.

Getthing white turned out much harder if you want to support a lampshade -
things like this:
https://www.lampspares.co.uk/es-whit...d-shade-rings/

Yes, that would be more the sort of thing we would want / use (even if
we didn't use a shade in every instance).

but I don't like the 'shade rings'. The only 'normal' ES pendants I found
were these (also in black):
https://mastertrade.co.uk/set-lg9490...00w-white.html
They're fine.

Cool, and they look more familiar.

Are you able to explain *why* ES seems to be so 'non standard' or is
it just here in the UK? Are ES actually standard in the EU, given how
often the likes of Aldi / Lidl / Ikea only seem to offer lamps in ES
fittings?

I also fitted a chrome batten holder, which was fine too:
https://www.lampspares.co.uk/chrome-...older-4475062/


I was thinking of getting at least one ES battenholder, mounted on a
bit of wood, wired with a flying lead with a surface mains switch as a
test bed (handy for the on-off lamp resets etc).

Coming down to the front and rear lobby lights off bade us realise how
dark it was out there but not just because is was close to sunrise (so
sunrise + N time wouldn't help) it was. So the next thing I'm going to
try is adding a 'rule' that turns those lights on when 'Overcast'. It
could mean they are on all day (and night) but it will be interesting
to find out.

I would also be interested to find a B22 LED Zigbee compatible lamp to
put in my neighbours (unused) outside light and trigger it from the
PIR I've ordered (with his full permission etc). ;-)

Should I be able to sum the rules, eg, Only if between sunset and
sunrise and the PIR is triggered, turn the light on for 10 mins?

Cheers, T i m