[Bug Report] Text-to-speech not working with chromecast devices

[user2442]

I set up an automation to announce when the front door opened using a contact sensor and a Google Home Mini. It worked for a few days and then spontaneously stopped working, and has not been announcing events since.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a text-to-speech notification that fires when a contact sensor is open.
2. Tell hubitat to say "Front Door Open" when triggered, using a Google Home Mini.
3. Tell hubitat to also send notifications to your smartphone.
4. Save the rule.
5. Test it out by opening the door.
6. Notifications appear on my phone immediatly.
7. Hubitat takes a few seconds to connect to the chromecast the first time, but afterwards is almost instant.
8. Wait a few days.
9. Open the door.

Expected Behavior
Both voice and mobile notifications continue to work.

Actual Behavior
Mobile notifications continue to work reliably. But the voice announcements are no longer firing.

[StephenH]

Look at the devices list for your GH Mini. See if it has a backed up list of http:// commands. I use a rule to help make sure the speaker will be ready to respond. It has been almost fully reliable, power loss and subsequent restore sometimes affects it, but then initializing the speaker has restored it.

I created a rule to initialize the speaker every 30 minutes. I think that is why (beside reserving an address for it in the router) that it has been so reliable.

[user2442]

What is the Initialize() action that you configured?

[StephenH]

Simply enough, it is just the empty action. When you are editing the rule, you select the device and then under "Select Actions," then select the option that includes "Run Custom Action." Select your speaker, then select Initialize under the "Select Custom Action" menu. That is it.

Select "Done" and you are done.