HomeSeer HSM200 alternative? Mini/micro smart indicator?

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1

I'm surprised in this IOT world not to see more 'mini' or 'micro' smart indicators. HomeSeer HSM200 seems to be the closest I've found.

It's great to be able to look at your dashboard, e.g. we have a kiosk one in our pantry off the kitchen. Or on my iPhone. But it'd also be nice to be able to know the status of some things without having to trudge to your kiosk dashboard, or have to dig out your iPhone, turn it on, unlock, navigate to your dashboard, etc. We're talking serious first world problem here, y'all.

Two use cases I have in mind.

First is our kitchen under-sink water heater (e.g. for tea). In the 'before times' we just had it powered 24/7. When the water wasn't 200 degrees, or what evs, the heater would come on and heat the water (and suck lots of electricity). Next step, on a timer... heater unpowered from 8pm to 5am.

Now, heater power is 'smart' and comes on before breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also have a button by the sink that we can press to have the power come on 'on demand'. The smart plug monitors power draw and when back to 0 amp draw the power is cut off. If we watch the kiosk (or iphone) dashboard (like an animal) we can know when the water is hot. Better would be if there was (were?) a visual clue, close to the sink/spigot, that lets us see whether the heater power is off or on.

Enter the HomeSeer HSM200. It seems I could use that to accomplish what I'm looking for. It's less than ideal in that it's plugged in and thus it requires that there be a 'visually convenient/unneeded' outlet availble nearby. Battery would be better. Also the HSM200 seems to get mixed reviews (on reliability of the LED indicator control).

Anyone know of any other devices that would solve this?

Use case II is the freezer in our detached garage. We're in Texas where the heat makes one nervous about the freezer mis-behaving and expensive food going to waste. I do have a sensor in the freezer (with a flat cable providing USB power) which lets me know the temp at any time, but again I either have to trudge (like an animal) to the kiosk dashboard in the house or dig out my iPhone, etc. etc.

A more perfect world would have a mini/micro indicator that says (at a glance) what the temp is in the freezer (and maybe the 'running/idle' status, coming from the smart plug powering the freezer).

Am I alone in searching for such mini/micro status IoT devices? Or do they exist and I haven't found them yet? Or is my fav Zooz working on such a beast? Or is a custom programmed Raspberry Pi/Arduino Rube Goldberg monstrosity the only (current) solution?

Thanks! Scott

2

I don't have one but I believe that others have used the LEDs on an Inovelli switches to indicate status of other devices.

I just bought a few Zooz Zen32 scene controllers and the LEDs can be controlled to do similar. I turn all of the LEDs red for switch at door to backyard when alarm is armed.

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@stephen_nutt, thanks! It seems this suggests this is a real need, as opposed to the crazy rantings of a lone madman. I'll check it out, though am still hoping Zooz, or someone, is working on a more ideal solution for this. Most of my Zoozes (Zoozi? What the plural?) are Zen 26s and 27s. I'll see if that might be a (an interim) solution. I'm quite colorblind (how's that for moving the goal post) so the LED color solution would likely work better for others than for me. Thanks again. Scott

4

Buy a Zooz Zen32. Then, you can make different pattern unrelated to color.

  • Top left and bottom right LED on means one thing....
  • All four LEDs on means something else.....
  • Top two LEDs on means a third.....

Then have weekly quizes w/ others in house on what each pattern means.

5

Whoa. What the what?? When did this come out? This is awesome. To paraphrase Will Smith in Independence Day "I got to get me some of these". Perfect. Sold. Thanks! I have a ? Brother? label maker and can make labels for which button does what. They have black writing on white background. Alas, they don't have grey on white (which would be less 'in your face') but what evs. Thanks! Will start researching. Problem solved (methinks).