Both devices work correctly and separately when triggered from their manual switches, from the dashboard (SharpTools), and within rules. However, when activated using the built in Echo Skill everything is screwy. The devices have only been added within the Hubitat app - nowhere else in the Amazon app and I don't have any device groupings of any sort. The behaviour:
"Alexa...Turn on the Lounge Lamp" - Lounge Lamp turns on and the correct device icon on the Fire HD Device Dashboard appears. Similar correct action for "Turn off the Lounge Lamp" - all good there.
However "Alexa...Turn on the Lounge Lights"/"Turn off the Lounge Lights" - the Lounge Lamp turns on/off instead of the Lounge Lights! I know it's being heard correctly as the Fire HD Device dashboard correctly shows the Lounge Lights icon and the dimmer level (50%)
I can only get the Lounge Lights On or Off by saying "Alexa...Set the Lounge Lights 50%"/"Alexa...Set the Lounge Lights 0%"
So to summarise regardless of whether I ask for the Lounge Lights or Lounge Lamp, On or Off - it's always the Lamp that responds even though it's correctly heard. I've tried deleting and re adding both devices in the skill but there's no change.
No thats not it - two voice commands "lamp" and "light". Amazon identifies them separately as lamp and light, proven by the device dashboard display (Amazon device Dashboard not HE/SharpTools). This has only started in the last week - I've been controlling those devices with the same voice commands for about 9 months now without issue until now.
If both of these devices are in the same Alexa Group, named "Lounge", And the echo device is part of that same Alexa Group, then Alexa automatically interprets a command to "turn on lights" or "turn on lounge" as a command to all lights in that group.
Personally, I would never use the word "Light" or "Lights" in the name of an Alexa Device. It just causes way too much confusion from the Alexa side of things.
I use names like "Office Overhead" and "Office Lamp" to distinguish between two different lights in the same Alexa Group named "Office". This way I can simply say "Alexa, turn on Office Overhead", or "Alexa, turn off Office Lamp" and each individual device is controlled as expected. If I say "Alexa, turn on lights" then both lights in my office will turn on. It is important to note that "Alexa, turn on ALL lights" will turn every light in your house on, not just those within the same Alexa group as the Echo device you're speaking to.
I had the same problems before I removed this from all of my Alexa device names. It also stopped the incessant “which device do you want “ question from Alexa.
I have to agree with everyone else. The light vs lamp or even putting those names in Alexa at all really confuses her. I would change the first one to Lounge Outlet, and the second to Lounge Ceiling or something like that.
At one point when I had the name light in the name, you would have to say (in your example) "turn on Lounge Light Light" or "turn on Lounge Lamp Outlet" to get the correct one to turn on. I bet it still works that way. I got rid of the name "light" in everything, and "lamp" is only used for a couple specific table lamps. It all works correctly now.
Maybe this is obvious, and from your previous posts I believe it is understood. However it wasn't specifically mentioned here and may be helpful to spell out for others.
Alexa names and Hubitat names aren't the same, and don't have to be exactly the same. Once a device is added to Alexa, the name is copied over from the Hubitat device. There could be other devices or names in Alexa that have same/similar device names and therefore create the conflict. They could even be from previous devices which have since been removed from HE.
In the Alexa app under devices, when you select an individual device, the upper right corner has a gear settings icon. These settings include changing the device type from a switch to a light, which are treated slightly different in Alexa (as previously mentioned). They also provide the ability to edit and update the name. This change doesn't change the device name in Hubitat, and those names don't have to be the same. It IS the name, however, that Alexa will look for/recognize in voice recognition.
So if one name is confusing to Alexa and doesn't work - then change it!
The names aren't confusing to Alexa. As I've said in post 1 (not sure if anyone read it fully)
It has worked without error until this week - circa 10 months
Nothing has changed with regard to those devices - no name changes in either HE or Alexa
But most important was my comment regarding the (annoying unwanted) Fire HD Device Dashboard popup, that correctly displays the device I asked for while incorrectly switching only the lamp. Yet a dimmer level command switches the correct device as well as displaying it in the popup.
Anyway I think I'm flogging a dead horse - I want my lights called "lights" and to switch them on by calling them "lights". Pointless using voice control if I have to give my wife a list of what phrases to use because Alexa is as thick as mince!
Alexa's actions upon hearing a phrase has an element of randomness to it. I have many Alexa routines that are triggered by fixed phrases spoken to Alexa. I can repeatedly demonstrate that about one out of ten times I test a phrase, Alexa does something unexpected. The history in the app shows that Alexa heard the same thing each time, but didn't trigger the routine 100% of the time.
I gave up on "lamp", "light", and "lights" a lot time ago.
Yeah something has to have changed somewhere. To be fair, that's the only room where this is happening, so as the lights are downlighters I'll maybe rename "Lounge Lights" to "Lounge Spots" as a workaround.
It's a bit daft - Alexa should let me call a spade a spade... as opposed to a gardening tool
I’ve had this exact problem. Amazon told me “that’s how it’s supposed to work because lamp and light are synonyms.” I disagree with them. Yes of course their synonyms but in a context where I have two devices named differently you have to apply that context. But turns out Alexa isn’t quite as smart as she thinks she is.
