I have a rule I would like to create but being new to Hubitat I am not familiar enough with the Rule Machine to know how to properly set the options. I want to make sure the family is aware if any of the garage doors to the outside are open as we often let one or more older cats into the garage to get a respite from the younger cats or foster kittens.
Two doors on the garage that need to be monitored to make sure cats do not get out if they are in the garage. The main large roll up door and side door each have a Ecolink Wireless (model 4655BC0-R) zigbee contact sensor with the generic zigbee contact sensor driver. I have a generic RGBW zigbee light strip located in the laundry room that goes to the garage from the house. I want to make a visual alert with the light in the laundry room to show that a garage door is open and to not let any cats into the garage. The older cats love to go chillout in the garage from the younger or foster kittens. I also have the Echo Speaks App and Alexa Skill App so I can make audible alerts. I would like to make an announcement on the “Echo Everywhere” device group to alert that the garage door(s) is/are open.
Upon either of the contact sensors going to “OPEN”
Capture current state of light strip
Set strip light to Red, 100%
Announce on Echo “Everywhere” group “Garage Doors are open!”
When both door contact sensors are “Closed”
Return strip light to previous state
Announce on Echo “Everywhere” group “Garage is closed”
I have tried using the Rule Machine but there are options that confuse me. It seems like this would be a simple automation and that perhaps Rule Machine is not needed but being new to Hubitat and automation rules, I'm not sure how to properly do this, and I'm sure there are several ways to "skin this cat".
Thanks for any assistance you may have. It may be that I just need a good primer on Hubitat automations. I learn fastest by observing how its done or using a similar rule and modifying it.
OK, here is my attempt at the "Garage Doors Open" rule. This were a bunch of screen shots while I was creating this rule but adding them might be ridiculous. I'm about to go test the rule. Fingers crossed....
Well, that was interesting. I got the strip light to go RED @ 100 brightness - EXCELLENT! However I got no notification from Alexa. Instead of "Everywhere" I will change that to a single Echo device and retest. Here we go...
OK, improvement. I got a single Echo to make the announcement then I added additional Echo's to ensure coverage through out the house. I guess I need to update my "Everywhere" in Alexa settings. Minor issue but everything is working except for notification to the iPhone. Not sure what to do there. Not sure how to "setup" an iPhone in the Hubitat interface and perhaps on the iPhone itself. But the Rule does work for the purpose that I want, alerting the family that one of the garage doors are open to the outside and to not let a cat in the garage.
Thanks all for the excellent assistance. My final rule screen capture is down at the very bottom.
When you put the HE app on your other phone (wife's phone) did you use your HE login credentials or did they use their own HE login in credentials? I put it on my family's iPhones and used my credentials. I'm wondering if that is causing things not to work with my phone.
OK, that worked. I must have really screwed up putting my phone onto the system previously. Well, that is a n00b for you. I think I may have setup the app prior to having the HE up and running unaware that I needed the HE up and running first. Eager beaver I guess.
Super awesome of you to help me with the Rule and the iPhone issue. You Rock! Thanks
Oh that sounds "fun". How does one keep the app in "sync" with the right device? Are you meaning that if I remove a device to make sure the apps and rules and dashboards are cleared of that device before removing it?
It had three phones listed, all for my other family members but not mine so i told it to create a new one? Should I go through the deletion process again and hit "existing one"? I thought it wanted me to select one of the three as an option.
OK, so I went to "Tools" and "Notifications" and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the test notifications that I was "pushing" .
So these are Pushed to the phone App but unless I have the "notifications" for the iPhone app set to show on the phone's screen in the "Settings" I have no way of knowing the notification came in. No buzzer, vibration, nothing, just he banner on the screen, correct? Or have I got some other setting unselected?
It's getting late, you're in the same time zone as me, have a great night.
