Apple HomeKit

Optimus Prime

Hi,

I see a lot of threads on here for Amazon echo etc but i was wondering if anyone else here is using Apple Homekit to mainly control their house and if so what way do you have it setup?

Currently ive a mix of stuff, Hue Lights, Elgato Eve plugs, lifx bulbs, hue motion sensons etc.

Ive an Ipad on a speaker dock in the hall that acts as my apple hub, its always in the house so controls everything. we then have another iPad on a speaker dock in the kitchen too. My wife and kids also have the apps on the phones though my wife has an android phone so is limited to the individual apps for Hue and Elgato.

Right now ive some 3 Hue lights i need to install in the kids bedrooms with remotes to add to this setup and i have 2 lifx bulbs installed but these do not appear in apple home yet, though might with the update this month from lifx.

I have these currently coming on at sunset and off at 12. they are in the front porch and outside the side door of the house.

Ive a hue motion sensor in the kitchen and upstairs bathroom which works great and another to go into our utility room this weekend with a hue bulb.

Ive two elgato eve plugs that i use to control devices, you can see below. Im going to get more of these, they are expensive but i think they are worth it.

Ive to get about 10 GU10s for the sunrroom and my attic room, im not sure if they will fit in the connections in the sunroom but that attic will be fine so i can buy one pack first and test.

This is what my Apple homekit looks like below, ive a lot of scenes setup though in the rooms view. what sort of setup do you have if you are using Apple homekit?

bk

I use Siri and thus homekit a bit, but not too much.

The reason being that my OH is on Android, so Homekit is not a cross platform solution. I do find Siri voice control is better then either Alexa or Google Home. But then it is only on my phone and it requires a button press and that makes it more limited.

I can control both my many Hue lights and my Netatmo thermostat with it.

Optimus Prime

Siri doesnt need a button press does it? on my phone and tablets i just say hey siri and then turn on the kitchen lights etc and it works fine. i think you have to enable that in the settings.

bk

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Siri doesnt need a button press does it? on my phone and tablets i just say hey siri and then turn on the kitchen lights etc and it works fine. i think you have to enable that in the settings.

Depends on the model. iPhone 6 requires a button pressed, when not plugged in and powered (then it doesn't).

Though even when it doesn't need the button, it doesn't solve the issue of it being an apple only solution, nor the issue of the mics not being great at picking up your voice from across the room, unlike Alexa, GHome.

flogen

Hey - looking to dip my toe in the home automation waters and as my wife and I are both using Apple devices I was thinking HomeKit would be a good place to start.

Any recommendations on a good place to start? I would like to do something with the lighting but not mad about Hue bulbs - ideally I'd like to get smart switches but they don't seem to be available in Ireland yet.

Any other good HomeKit-ready gear out there for the Irish market?

bk

Well the Hue bulbs work extremely well with Homekit

Netatmo Thermostat works well with it too.

Optimus Prime

I've a load of hue stuff myself and they work great. I've elgato eve plugs as well that are cool.

flogen

bk wrote: »

Well the Hue bulbs work extremely well with Homekit

Netatmo Thermostat works well with it too.

Optimus Prime wrote: »

I've a load of hue stuff myself and they work great. I've elgato eve plugs as well that are cool.

There's something that bugs me about paying that much for a bulb - I do like the idea of having ones that can change colour but realistically I'd use that a handful of times.

I'd rather set up a smart light switch and work with normal (inexpensive) bulbs instead - though I've not seen one of those for the Irish/UK market just yet.

I think a thermostat will be my first HomeKit purchase, though, just need to make sure I find one that works okay with the boiler (though that's quite modern so don't see it being a major problem).

Optimus Prime

I use the colour lights all the time, ive hue light strips above the units in the ktichen, hue go's all over the place and a couple of blooms. My hall, kitchen and utility rooms have Hue sensors in them so i only walk into a room and the lights come on.

The four bedrooms have dimmer switches in them, which are great because you can put the switches beside the kids beds so they can turn the lights on and off from there instead of the socket on the wall.

The bulbs work out about 50 each, its expensive, but they last a hell of a lot longer than a normal bulb and consider the colour changing, wireless hardware inside them etc i dont think its that bad. My bulbs in the house where constantly going before i got these, havent had one go in over a year.

thats just my opinion on them, i love the whole setup, just wish the would bring out e14s so i can finish off the house light fixtures with them!

superleedsdub

flogen wrote: »

There's something that bugs me about paying that much for a bulb - I do like the idea of having ones that can change colour but realistically I'd use that a handful of times.

I'd rather set up a smart light switch and work with normal (inexpensive) bulbs instead - though I've not seen one of those for the Irish/UK market just yet.

I think a thermostat will be my first HomeKit purchase, though, just need to make sure I find one that works okay with the boiler (though that's quite modern so don't see it being a major problem).

You could get a z-wave module for a light switch and control it via a hub like samsung smartthings, fibaro home centre or veraplus.

I`m planning on doing this next month as I have 10 LED spotlights in my living room, so it would a lot cheaper than buying 10 bulbs....