I don't really have time to troubleshoot this for a couple weeks...but hoping maybe I'm just missing something really simple...like usual. This "was" working.
I have a set of 5 blinds. I have 2 RM rules. One triggered by a virtual blind "Bedroom Blinds" which opens/closes all 5. Rule 2 for "Morning Blinds" only opens blind 1,4, and 5.
Bedroom blinds (virtual) always works...Morning Blinds (virtual) falsely tiggers all 5 blinds when I run it from Alexa, but when I run it from the device page in Hubitat the rule runs correctly and only 3 blinds (1,4,5) are opened or closed. I've renamed the Morning device "Bob" just to make sure Alexa wasn't just confusing the "blind" part...and then created a new one called FAKE BLINDS...swapped it in rules...and have the same result.
I Googled and saw a couple threads saying Alexa sometimes creates routines on its own. I did see a few in the app...nothing with the blinds...but disabled all of them.
I'm mean this really looks like an Alexa thing...but "you never know till you know" I guess..since it's tied to Hubitat and there are a lot of really smart posters here...I thought I'd make this step one.
This is not happening anymore. They turned that feature off (it was called hunches) back in June of this year. I don't think it got rid of existing routines that were created from hunches. But, it has not been creating hunches since June.
Hunches would not be the cause of the rules triggering incorrectly.
My guess is that the virtual switches you have BOTH have the word "blinds" in them and it is causing recognition issues in Alexa. I had the same issue with Google home, using "lights" in the names of my lights.
For quick troubleshooting, try renaming the virtual switches something so unique that it cannot be mistaken - none of the same words in the name. (I use "Shuttle bay" for my garage door since I have a garage door AND a regular door with a lock on my garage) I think you can give them names in Alexa without changing anything in hubitat. However, not sure how that works with telling Alexa to act on them. So, I would try renaming in hubitat, and then syncing them again.
Edited to add - I just saw that you tried that. Did you verify the names changed IN THE ALEXA app before your test? You might try creating new virtual switches to use as triggers? That was something I did for lighting groups.
maybe a shot in the dark but just yesterday after the latest Hub update my Alexa refused to set any dimming levels, kept telling my devices were not responding (yet the on/off commands worked) after going through a few troubleshooting steps the fix was de-regsitering the Hubitat skill from the Alexa app and then re-registering.
Wow, thanks for taking all that time… Yes, I did. I went in and turned off the old one deleted it put it after renaming… I actually first figured this was just me because I’d have some overlapping rule like when one blind changes but I’ve gone through every single one associate with both devices. Nothing makes sense… That said I could certainly be seeing something incorrectly..
So, I am assuming (which is dangerous I know), that you are talking to Alexa when the issues occur.
Have you also tried going into the Alexa app, and toggling the devices in the app itself? That would rule out Alexa's interpretation of what you are trying to do verbally. If it works when you manually toggle in the app, you could possibly create routines that use custom phrases to toggle the correct devices.
If you want to confirm that your rule machine rules are working as intended, you’ll need to turn on logging for the rules and then review log entries when you try to trigger the rules (or screenshot the logs and post here).
Your issue may very well be on Alexa’s side of things, which may or may not be as easy to troubleshoot.
But you're the only one that can determine if the rules on Hubitat’s end are working correctly, and that does require some troubleshooting on your part.
Thanks, I did. And for Alexa...I see the command come from Alexa I just don't see a trigger for it on my side from the RM debugs...I really think RM is fine and I just need to probably break the connection and add Alexa back in.
Good idea ...I will...but I think since I already renamed the of virtual one Bob, and then replaced it with one called FAKE BLIND it's not just Alexa misunderstanding the command. One the other hand, Alexa has that unknown list of words that confuse it...like having the command "screen up" for my projector screen relay. It works "most" of the time and then she just get confused...and says she can't do that.
I would really try toggling in the app. I have had REALLY weird interactions with voice control that setting up routines fixed. I know you think the names can't be misinterpreted..... but I would beg to differ. Their AI can really get it wrong (turning on Pandora when I tell it to turn on a bedroom light).
this may not be helpful - but maybe it triggers thoughts - On a few occassions I've had corruption between HE and Alexa. Alexa will say I have a device, it will be attributed to HE as the source but it's an orphan. I have cleaned and refreshed individual, and more successfully, all my Alexa devices derived from the Echo Skill.
I first took all devices out of Echo Skill and saved/done'd it.
then I manually removed all the device from HE in my Alexa app. It took a bit but wasn't that hard.
Then restock the pile by adding to the Alexa skill. While nowadays it populates immediately, there was a time you had to initiate a discover on the alexa side to get them on. And one other item - recently as I was doing some heavy lifting I noted that the Alexa skill will show the device but it won't be completely in the Alexa for about a minute afterward. Then there is the 'switch' vs 'light' items to deal with as well.
From what I read on this earlier your HE commands your device okay, but the Alexa connection is a problem - did I even get that right?
I have shades and curtains that I have exported to Alexa. For example, two devices are specifically named Living Room Shades ((left and right) and a separate device called Living Room Curtains . I have a similar setup for dining room and kitchen as well.
Alexa can't tell the difference between these when being very clear that I want just one specific device to open/close. Most of the time, she opens and closes everything that is a window covering device.
I haven't investigated any further by changing names or using groups or anything else. But it just about has to be Alexa and Alexa only, the shades work fine individually through every Hubitat method of control.
I still think Alexa is a dumb blonde about 75% of the time. Or if you are of a certain age, Amelia Bedelia has transformed herself into these speaker devices. Luckily I haven't had Alexa spit out a picture of my windows when I told her to draw the drapes. Yet. So there is that.
Fantastic response and I completely understand what you’re trying to say because that seemed to be the only explanation.
I’m actually surprised a bunch of other people haven’t chimed in because this drives me nuts …it simply makes no sense whatsoever ….and you can’t see anything to adjust it.
It kinda like my screen up and screen down commands for my projector… Every a few weeks I have to tell Alexa to learn that those are home automation switches… but I don’t understand is why she forgets.
I’ve had a light in my dining room called dining… This morning Alexa told me she didn’t know what I was talking about… You would think it would be improving… But that’s certainly not the case
Ya… my problem is I’m about to leave town. There’s gonna be somebody in my house taking care of things while I’m gone… It’s just a crappy time to have to work on this kind of stuff.
The test should take <5 minutes. And if it shows what I am betting it will show, another 5 minutes to write two specific routines.
Open the Alexa App
Go to devices
Select one of the devices, toggle it - observe the behavior
Select the other device, toggle it - observe the behavior
If that works, write a routine with a phrase for each that acts on the specific switch/device you want and write that phrase down for your house sitter.
in fairness - the name problem of duplicate or shared components of a name isn't just an Alexa issue . If you do a search on your hub for 'bulb' you also get all the bulbs. Alexa just is more annoying since its speech.
A few years back I wrote a doc on how to avoid this sort of issue to a large extent. Pre-Alexa+ you could differentiate a bulb in a room from a bulb in another room IF that room had its own Echo device assigned. So in the Bedroom if you simply say 'turn on the light' (And yes, assume you have 1 light) the light in the bedroom would go on. the same words in the bathroom would turn on the bathroom light. and you of course could be specific if from the bathroom you said 'turn on the living room light'. This all changed with Alexa+. EVEN if you don't have Alexa+, you still need now swim the morass of it all and its FRICKEN stupid and I truly hate it. And if you think it's bad here, try DaGoggle Home. UGH. Just run away.
I'm considering a smarter voice engine specifically to run internal to the house. It would still have to be a voice bridge so you could get into your alexa routines.
Up until just last year, only a few basic device types were supported on Alexa through HE - switches, bulbs and some HVAC stuff... now, they've implemented a complete and robust list of sensors - the problem is - again - the same crap we've dealt with since the early echo skill days - there is no Primary sensor flag and Amazon only lets you use one sensor from a multi-sensor device. Take Temp / Humidity. Your $#@#ed. You have to virtualize and seperate and it's just not worth the headache. SOrry. Didn't intend to get so long winded but I always do.. sigh. back to the woodwork.
