Skybell HD

Mine is the first gen version. LOL It's a little long in the tooth, but still keeps on keeping on!

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From what I've read, the V2 isn't THAT big of an improvement. I'm looking at the Pro because I'd like to have specified motion zones.

I mean, I'd love an Elite, but the price diff is huge.

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Yeah, for my use, I just needed basic motion detection and a button. The Pro is nice, but for me, not worth the cost.

I had a ring pro for 2 years, worst piece of tech I owned.

I had very strong WiFi at the doorbell, and despite that about 50% of the time I would get black screen instead of video.

So when I moved last May I got a Skybell Pro. Has worked exactly 100% of the times I've used it. Very happy.

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I've heard that before about the Pro. Mine is about 15' from the router:

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Sounds like this method might work for you since you're happy with the ST cloud integration with Skybell. In my example, I'm using a virtual motion sensor that I'm triggering via Google Assistant, you would just ignore that part about Google Assistant and building a Node.js server. You wouldn't need that. This can all be done via cloud and then turn on a light in Hubitat locally. You will instead use Skybell's motion to trigger the virtual motion sensor in Alexa. Then you can do multiple things. You can have voice announcements, and/or trigger a light with an Alexa routine.

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Uhhh... I'm gonna need to read this a few times. it's... convoluted. =)

oh... so I expose Skybell to Alexa via Smartthings, then trigger off that. okay.

I honestly hadn't even considered keeping my Smartthings API at all once I killed my ST hub...

nice.

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If the Skybell doesn't work out, you might just consider a Wyze cam mounted up top. I bought the outdoor mount for $11. Routed black CAT 5e inside and down to my basement to plug it in, since I don't have an outlet near my front door. I cut a micro USB cable in half and coupled the appropriate USB ends to the Ethernet cable.

The particular path the cable takes for me, allowed me to splice into the same cable and use two of the remaining 6 wires with a regular doorbell button. On the other end where the Wyze power adapter is plugged in, I attached two wires I soldered to the reed terminals of a Xiaomi contact sensor (choose your favorite sensor for this task).

When someone presses the doorbell, HE triggers IFTTT > Wyze, and that takes a 12 second video clip (No service fee), The closing of the contact sensor triggers Alexa to announce "Someone is at the door. I haven't installed it yet, but I also modified a Xiaomi motion sensor for a 5 second hardware timeout. So when someone walks up to the door, instead of using the Wyze motion detection (which is overly sensitive like most camera based motion detection and is limited to 30 seconds timeout before the next clip), the Xiaomi motion sensor triggers a rule that uses that IFTTT automation to take a clip from Wyze as often as I want in 5 second or longer intervals. The frequency is adjustable by altering the motion sensor "reset to inactive" time.

I also use HE and IFTTT to send me notifications when someone walks up to my door and when they push the doorbell. Currently with the Wyze cam motion detection, there's about an 11 second delay for IFTTT notificaitions. The doorbell takes 3 seconds for Alexa to announce "Someone is at the door" after the button is pressed, and the IFTTT notification comes 1 second later. So I should then get my first recording within 5 seconds or so of the motion sensor detecting and that will be roughly the same timing for showing me the Wyze cam on the Google Home Hub, and whatever else I want to do, like turning the porch light on (which I do already with the Wyze motion detection).

Soon I'll also have a Google Home Hub. Wyze is releasing an update the end of this month that allows you to see your Wyze cam. In the demo it was pretty fast. So with the Google Assistant Relay, I can have motion trigger the Google Home Hub to automatically show me the Wyze cam, and I can even use those capabilities allow me to ask Alexa to show me the front door and HE would then trigger the Google Home Hub to show me that Wyze cam by way of Google Assistant Relay.

Wyze also just released a beta that supports viewing multiple cameras as once. I'm guessing if they can, they'll add that capability to the Google Home Hub at some point. They also have RTSP support coming.

Interesting. =/ What wireless access point/router do you have? Does the Ring Pro show as having 5ghz or 2.4ghz signal?

I don't have my ST hub anymore, but I use their cloud API for this. It wasn't clear to me if Skybell is exposed to Alexa as a motion sensor. If it is, then you don't need the virtual motion sensor on ST. However, if it isn't, then you would automate Skybell motion in the ST app to turn on the virtual motion sensor. Then an Alexa routine would turn on a light or make an announcement when the virtual motion sensor became active.

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Thanks everyone for the help. I did get the smartthings -> alexa routine going, and I think it'll work, but sadly, I went down the Ring rabbit hole and found a Pro for cheap. So, I'm switching. Hope I don't regret it. =)

I just don't have a lot of faith Skybell will be around long term given their support responses (they're real quick to respond, but they always seem like they have zero influence on their engineers)... =/

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Good luck.

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A matter of priorities I guess, but if Skybell is still working, and the ST > Alexa routine works, why switch right now? Ring is only going to get less expensive and Amazon likely will introduce new models with better features at a lower cost. Skybell might go away, but Ring isn't going anywhere now. Plenty of time to jump on board with Ring anytime you want.

Of course, if the want is right now, I totally get that. I have a problem saying no to IoT stuff as well.

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Thanks. I'll definitely post back if I find any issues with Wifi. I have a Unifi system at home and wireless is pretty solid...

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yeah... I get that. And yes, I have a hard time not spending money on IoT stuff. lol.

I'll test the ST->Alexa bit when I get home. I expect it'll work. I'll also post back about how the Ring ends up working once I get that installed on Sunday.

Thanks all!

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One of my clients just had three Ring 2 doorbell cam and two spotlight cam installed. They had me install a mesh WiFI for them and they've added two Ring Chime Pros for remote ring and to help with the signal.

I have to say, I was there working recently and it was performing flawlessly for them. The battery life, despite having solar cells is dismal though. Even in temperatures that are above freezing, if you don't get full sun, those batteries do not charge with the amount of activity there is around there house and they level of notification they prefer. I would definitely only ever buy a PoE solution like the Ring Elite or a Ring 2 converted to constant power.

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yeah, the Elite is PoE... but the cost is huge too high. But for the $100 I found a new in box Ring Pro for... hard to pass up. And it will be hardwired.

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Opps, Yes, I meant Elite. Thanks

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ST -> Alexa -> Hubitat worked. Cool....

Still buying a Ring Pro. =P But did seem to work! =)

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