Prompted by George's heads up and the discussions re Home Automation
with others here recently, I diverted from our dog walk though a
fairly quiet Lidl earlier and picked up one of their 'Smart Lighting
Starter Kits' (£39.99) and a Smart Socket (£7.99).

The starter kit consists of a wired (only I believe) 'Zigbee 3' spec
hub inc Ethernet cable and USB style PSU, 3 x ES27 white LED lamps (9W
/ 806 lm / 2200-6500 K) and a single 4 button remote.

Upon plugging the hub in, nothing happened so I tried a phone charger
and the LAN and Status LED's lit up so it looks like a dead USB-wart
(the supplied USB A -uSUB cable is ok as I'm currently powering it
from the MacMini USB port).

I then installed the Lidl Home app and got it connected to the hub ok.
I then plugged the smart switch into the mains and added that equally
easily. Fun to toggle the thing on and off from your phone. ;-)

I then found a B22 to ES27 adaptor, screwed one of the new LED lamps
in and it was fading up and down (indicating it was in 'pairing
mode').

I added that to the Lidl app and again, was able to turn it on and off
from my phone and play with the brightness and colour temperature
controls.

Getting the light remote was a little trickier (all this was without
reading the manuals of course, part of my test for how intuitive
something is) but the onscreen prompts got me going there. You
basically simultaneously press the power on and off buttons for 5
seconds (to get the indicator LED flashing on and off) to pair the
remote to the hub then simultaneously press the brightness up and down
buttons (for 5 seconds) to pair the remote to the lamp you want to
manage (via the app).

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)?

Then I replaced the dusk to dawn LED lamps in the front and rear
lobbies with two of the Smart LEDs and set them up to both go off and
on at sunrise and sunset (for this region). It will be interesting to
see if they are off when we come down tomorrow. ;-)

The dusk to dawn LED's they replaced needed quite a bit of ambient
light to go off so this time of year they were quite often on most of
the day. I noticed that the smart setup had 'overcast' as a setting so
I might be able to include that on these lights as well.

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?

The next step is to see if I can link any of this into Google Home ...

Cheers, T i m

On 10/12/2020 22:50, T i m wrote:
Prompted by George's heads up and the discussions re Home Automation
with others here recently, I diverted from our dog walk though a
fairly quiet Lidl earlier and picked up one of their 'Smart Lighting
Starter Kits' (£39.99) and a Smart Socket (£7.99).


Check out Idratek.

On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:36:02 +0000, gareth evans
wrote:

On 10/12/2020 22:50, T i m wrote:
Prompted by George's heads up and the discussions re Home Automation
with others here recently, I diverted from our dog walk though a
fairly quiet Lidl earlier and picked up one of their 'Smart Lighting
Starter Kits' (£39.99) and a Smart Socket (£7.99).


Check out Idratek.


Have you used any of that stuff OOI?

It looks like it uses it's own standards / protocol (IDRANet) so that
would mean extra stuff over what I already have (Zigbee).

Cheers, T i m

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.

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/

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/
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.

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

Theo

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

T i m wrote

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'.

Some like the Philips Hue movement sensor has a light level
detector so that is completely automatics. Just overcast and
not isnt enough, heavily overcast is very different light level
wise to medium overcast or light 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?

You certainly can with the best of them.

On Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:32:36 +1100, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

T i m wrote

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'.

Some like the Philips Hue movement sensor has a light level
detector so that is completely automatics.

This seems to suggest that their products can be ZigBee compliant::

https://zigbeealliance.org/zigbee_pr...sor-module-v1/
https://zigbeealliance.org/zigbee_pr...motion-sensor/

Just overcast and
not isnt enough, heavily overcast is very different light level
wise to medium overcast or light overcast.

Agreed.

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?

You certainly can with the best of them.

I am going to try to get an RPi running Home Assistant although I'm
still not exactly clear how all this stuff bolts together and what's
needed for what.

I think I got from Theo that HA allows you to keep everything 'in
house' (and I think that's not a bad idea), as long as I can still get
confirmation of any sensor triggers when out-and-about etc.

Cheers, T i m

"T i m" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:32:36 +1100, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

T i m wrote

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'.

Some like the Philips Hue movement sensor has a light level
detector so that is completely automatics.

This seems to suggest that their products can be ZigBee compliant::

Yes they are.

https://zigbeealliance.org/zigbee_pr...sor-module-v1/
https://zigbeealliance.org/zigbee_pr...motion-sensor/

Just overcast and
not isnt enough, heavily overcast is very different light level
wise to medium overcast or light overcast.

Agreed.

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?

You certainly can with the best of them.

I am going to try to get an RPi running Home Assistant
although I'm still not exactly clear how all this stuff bolts
together and what's needed for what.

That's one real advantage of the Hue stuff,. that's all
completely automatic even to the level of being able
to ask siri what the temperature of the individual
movement sensors is without any setup required at all.

I think I got from Theo that HA allows you to keep everything 'in
house' (and I think that's not a bad idea), as long as I can still get
confirmation of any sensor triggers when out-and-about etc.

On Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:33:32 +1100, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

snip

Some like the Philips Hue movement sensor has a light level
detector so that is completely automatics.

This seems to suggest that their products can be ZigBee compliant::

Yes they are.

Cool.

snip

I am going to try to get an RPi running Home Assistant
although I'm still not exactly clear how all this stuff bolts
together and what's needed for what.

That's one real advantage of the Hue stuff,. that's all
completely automatic even to the level of being able
to ask siri what the temperature of the individual
movement sensors is without any setup required at all.

I saw someone doing similar on Youtube but I've not tested it against
any voice stuff as yet (and not sure I'm bothered in any case as I'm
unlikely to use it as the Mrs would forget what to say).

Last night I picked up the Lidl LED strip lamp and couldn't seem to
see it on the list on 'Smart Life', so I reverted to the Lidl App and
soon found and bound it (really just to make sure it was working).

This morning I went back to the Smart Life app and just did a search
and it found (one at a time) all 3 smart switches, the strip lamp and
remote control. I put the two pendant lights into paring mode before
it scanned them as well. I created a group of the two lights then set
them up to come on an hour before sunset and go off 30 mins after
sunrise.

I may try having them come on brighter before dusk and dropping back a
bit at midnight (more like night / security lights).

I'd like an input sensor (PIR on the way) and maybe a 'Smart light
switch' to run in parallel with a wall one (so I can override the
Smart / scheduled setting either way)?

Only time will tell how reliable it all is in use.

Fun finding out though. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Sun, 13 Dec 2020 21:41:46 +0000, T i m wrote:

snip

I'd like an input sensor (PIR on the way) and maybe a 'Smart light
switch' to run in parallel with a wall one (so I can override the
Smart / scheduled setting either way)?

A tiny Sonoff PIR sensor turned up this morning along with some B22 to
ES27 converters (for now) and no more than 60 seconds later the PIR
was paired and on my Smart Life desktop. The 3rd lamp that came with
the Lidl starter kit was also paired first time and then linked to the
PIR.

The PIR is just stood in the hall for now, under the hall lamp and so
set to turn the lamp on as the PIR is triggered and off again 2 mins
later.

All seems to work as expected. ;-)

I'm going to power the 3D printer and RPi (running Octoprint) from a
smart switch so I can power it on remotely, then access the heaters
via Octoprint and get the printer warmed up, ready to load the
filament. It also means I can turn it off remotely once it's done (as
reported by Octoprint and it's Webcam).

I think I'd like a current sensing ZigBee compatible switched socket
and see what sort of thing I could do with that ('Washing machine
finished' etc).

I also have a ZigBee USB dongle and some more 32GB uSD cards on their
way so I can install Home Assistant on a RPi3B.

A couple more PIR's and a Sonoff switch on the kitchen lights and I
might have my goal of being able to have the lights follow me around.
;-)

Cheers, T i m