Struggling to get started with Hubitat

[nclark]

@robertsonslodge, I think he was referring to the Lutron switches / dimmers.

[robertsonslodge]

...my apologies.

[SmplTeddyBear]

@robertsonslodge

I do however have my doorbell integrated with Alexa, and Alexa to Hubitat. So that, when there is motion at the front door, it triggers a routine in Alexa that tells Hubitat to turn on the porch light. It works quick enough that the light is on before the person reaches the door. You could just as easily turn on any light, switch bulb, whatever...

I haven't made it that far in the setup process yet, still trying to get the basics online, and think around with a few of the things.. Next Step is Alexa support.. While we do have a handful of the HomePod Minis, there are current 11 Echo devices floating around the home.. We kinda fell into the Alexa ecosystem before the HomePod Minis were released, and had no interest in the enormous HomePod (plus the price tag was iffy with no screen, when the Echo Show was at the same price point with a screen)

I'm intrigued by this HomeBridge mentioned in the thread, but I still plan to use Alexa, if not both HomeBridge and Alexa once all is done.. So I'll certainly be trying to use the Ring stuff though the connection of Alexa + Hubitat.. as the Ring stuff was just to expensive to just set aside and not use.

[robertsonslodge]

I am completely unfamiliar with Homebridge. I see it mentioned and discussed a great deal. I started with Alexa, thinking I could just get the 4Th gen, use it's built it zigbee hub and that would be all I need. Little did I know then just how addicting this would be. I quickly had to adapt.

[SmplTeddyBear]

@nclark

Inovelli can be used with smart bulbs, there's an option so that power is always on the bulb even if you push the paddles (up or down). Then you only need to make an automation to turn on the light(s) when the up button is pressed once, etc.

Hmm, this might work then.. Although several of the rooms, and hallway have 3 way setup, most importantly the living room, so I guess I would just need to use the same setup on the opposite side of the room.. Can two switches be set to active/control the same rule/scene?

For whatever reason, the folks that built this home many years ago, didn't wanna have to get up out of bed to turn off the bedroom light, so there is actually a random wall switch in the center of one of the walls, assuming just over where they had their bed positioned, that turns off the lights as well. Its currently hidden behind our beds headboard...

[Ken_Fraleigh]

@SmplTeddyBear

the Ring stuff was just to expensive to just set aside

There is also a Ring plugin for Homebridge. This is probably easier to setup than setting up virtual triggers from Alexa to Hubitat.

[SmplTeddyBear]

@robertsonslodge

..thinking I could just get the 4Th gen, use it's built it zigbee hub and that would be all I need. Little did I know...

Not to mention, that not all functions work on all devices when they are paired directly to a Alexa Hub... had some colored bulbs, daughter wanted to make her lights pink, that paired to the Alexa Hub, could turn the bulbs on/off and dim them.. but you couldn't change the color, needed the bulbs hub + skill for that.

[SmplTeddyBear]

@Ken_Fraleigh

There is also a Ring plugin for Homebridge. This is probably easier to setup than setting up virtual triggers from Alexa to Hubitat.

Is there an article, or post here, that you might suggest that goes into depth of setting that sort of thing up.. If not one on Ring Plugin + Homebrige, but perhaps one just on Alexa + Hubitat..

Really only interested in using the Rings as sensors/triggers, don't care really about the video side of it..

[Ken_Fraleigh]

@SmplTeddyBear

Can two switches be set to active/control the same rule/scene?

Yes, using Button Controller you can select multiple devices as long as they have the same functionality.

[robertsonslodge]

Agreed on the limitations of the built in Alexa Hub. There are so many other devices, hubs and integrations that you're limited only by your imagination. The folks here both share this passion to constantly improve. It's exciting. I'm sure there are better ways to achieve your automation goals than what I throw together. I just want you to know it can be done. I am super pleased with my Habitat experience as well as the encouragement and advice found here. Succeed SmplTeddyBear!

[Ken_Fraleigh]

@SmplTeddyBear

Really only interested in using the Rings as sensors/triggers, don't care really about the video side of it

I don’t personally use Ring (thought about it for a while), but the plugin appears to sync all Ring alerts to Home. You can setup actions in Home as well once you have all of your devices connected. I do this with my garage door that runs on Homebridge.
Here’s one of the Apple threads Hubitat + HomeKit + HomeBridge + HomePod Mini = WOW

[cjkeenan]

@SmplTeddyBear

had no interest in the enormous HomePod

The big Homepod was actually discontinued recently so I would be weary of jumping into that ecosystem as a whole, especially if the Mini sales do not pan out as Apple expected.

@SmplTeddyBear

Can two switches be set to active/control the same rule/scene?

It depends on your specific setup, iirc, you can use 2 smart switches, a smart switch and an add on switch, or a smart switch and a dumb switch. See this post from Inovelli about this topic:

Knowledge Base Redirect

At the very least, if all of your switches have the relays disabled, everything can effectively be a wireless 3 way since the commands are coming from the hub anyway since the switches are effectively just buttons mounted on the wall.

[rocketwiz]

@cjkeenan

I mean that is not really the purpose of those Zero's, they are more for single purpose embedded applications

In computing terms the CPU is on par with the original first gen Pi (although it has been clocked 30% faster) so it's quite a capable general purpose machine in its own right.

I run all sorts of stuff on these like cameras and media servers (LMS), although I don't run multiple demanding applications on them.If the thing can run pi hole well I would imagine that homebridge should be ok.

[cjkeenan]

@rocketwiz

I run all sorts of stuff on these like cameras and media servers (LMS), although I don't run multiple demanding applications on them

Yeah that is more what I was getting at, they are single purpose devices, but I bet most people here that have a RPi setup have 3 or more servers that are running on a single pi, i.e. PiHole with PiVPN or other VPN server with Node-RED, etc, and at that point I think the Zero would be stretching it. I am using my zero as a OctoPrint server for my 3D printer and it even struggles with that alone.

[rocketwiz]

@cjkeenan

OctoPrint serve

I was going to mention that too , I was running octoprint on a pi model B for ages, it worked just fine unless you wanted to view the gcode progress then it would take forever to load if it was a large print (probable more a memory issue I suspect)

But back to OP - a pi zero should work ok if it only has homebridge on it.

[erktrek]

I use the Ring and have the doorbell trigger an old Aeotec Siren.. The way I do it is use a product called Node-RED + a node (a plugin) which can trap Homebridge device events. I then have Node-RED activate the siren. All my rules are in NR rather than HE - for me I prefer the interface, flexibility and reduced hub overhead it gives me..

This is the Ring Doorbell in Homebridge

And this is my Node-RED "sequence". The "Front Door" node (orange box) waits for an event from Homebridge and when it triggers sends a message (object) down the wire to the next node, in this case a time-range node which won't let anything pass unless it's in a given time frame, if okay then the message travels to the "Living Room Door Chime" HE Command node (green box) which plays sound # 4 on my Aeotec Device (which is paired to HE). Works great!

Edit: I know this sounds complicated but it really isn't. Companion servers such as Node-RED and Homebridge augment the power of HE and provide additional flexibility and control. It is NOT for everyone though so ymmv.

[aaiyar]

@erktrek

Companion servers such as Node-RED and Homebridge augment the power of HE and provide additional flexibility and control.

100%. I will have to remember that phrase!

[rocketwiz]

The HE equivalent of a power loader? (movie fans will know what I mean )

[rlithgow1]

Correct, you need the pro bridge 2. The one you're looking at doesn't support telnet which is how HE communicates with lutron. Liuke I said, Lutron just works (I have around 45 dimmers and switches and pico's). Lutron does have an on/off switch in their caseta line but that does require a neutral. Innovelli has one that does not. If you want to control smart bulbs with a smart switch use Innovelli as they can have the smart disabled so they don't interfere. If you can though I would return all those bulbs and start over.