Christmas light rule question

[PunchCardPgmr]

Rule Machine 4.0 Christmas Lights

Just looking at the different ways we take to accomplish roughly the same task. In my case it is remote DC lighting on a large Spruce. Taking advantage of Predicate, Modes, and a little different "two step" to increase the odds that the OFF gets received by the distant relay's Zigbee radio. Disclaimer: Yet to be tested. [image]

Tested and working. Second other replies that made a rule "sit waiting til the season". Do wonder how many of these kind of "waiting in the wings" rules can add up to a system burden vs pausing.

@jtp10181

Made a group so I could easily add or remove devices from the various rules I have.

Now this is a good idea! I'm already adding things and the requisite code to execute. Needlessly obviously! Groups; something I've never messed with in HE. I assume that will all be clear when I open up the relevant doc page(s)...and that there's no "gotchas" in using these.

Doing a quick read on Groups. Wondering if it is the case that one should avoid this if there is any concern whatsoever of ZigBee communication or "device attention & response" to commands. I guess I could always tell the Group to turn on twice and off twice just like I do individual devices that are a bit remote where I'm concerned they might not of heard it the first time. No harm done.

[KD8GRN]

Thanks everyone who replied, I ended up settling on two rules, a basic rule that triggers at 6am, then waits until the lux is above 21 then shuts things off, then a 5.1 rule that triggers when the lux is <= 21 or the time is 11:30 to turn on and off the lights.

I could probably make things a bit more clean, but its good enough for this neighborhood. I will just pause the two rules when were out of season. vs. adding to the rules.

[CurtisZM]

Thanks for the Group Lighting setup tip @jtp10181. Sure cleans up your rule!!

Does it really matter if the rule operates every day? Unless you are using switched outlets. Since I do not I'll just unplug the outdoor GE plugs and move them. Unless Bruce might have a good suggestion? @bravenel

[rlithgow1]

It seems this is overly complicated for what it is unless I'm missing something.... He're mine using Simple automation rules

[jtp10181]

Yeah I was also going to use the simple automation also, but it did not have an option to then turn back on again in the AM. I could have made two but I opted to make one rule in RM using the wait for a time, still pretty simple, but not as clean as the simple automation rules app.

[PunchCardPgmr]

in a year from now if we're all havin to lift the hood and tweak on our implementations for some reason....then your simple implementation in Simple Automation may be lookin real good