Amazon Echo FAQ

c.hanratty · 24-10-2016 02:54PM

Hi,
I got an echo Dot. Was wondering if anybody has set up one of these in Ireland and how they did it. I have an apple phone. Amazon keeps sending me to the us app store to download the app. which it then says I cant download as my apple account is in Ireland.

Any ideas.
Thanks
Cathal

Basq · 24-10-2016 03:01PM

^ Best to read back a few pages and you should get your answers.

EDIT: From previous page:

You have a few options.

1) Create a UK iTunes account and get the app from there. Or

2) Go to alexa.amazon.co.uk in Safari and in safari show the desktop version of the site and you can then run it from the browser.

Zascar · 24-10-2016 03:02PM

I don't even have an Echo yet, but with the amount of problems people are having around this address issue, someone should think about compiling a user guide and adding it to the first post... Just an idea...

mrcheez · 24-10-2016 04:14PM

Zascar wrote: »

I don't even have an Echo yet, but with the amount of problems people are having around this address issue, someone should think about compiling a user guide and adding it to the first post... Just an idea...

There was talk of a sticky alright... probably will be required for the year ahead as these get more popular.

Any mods up to the task?

bk · 24-10-2016 04:45PM

Zascar wrote: »

I don't even have an Echo yet, but with the amount of problems people are having around this address issue, someone should think about compiling a user guide and adding it to the first post... Just an idea...

mrcheez wrote: »

There was talk of a sticky alright... probably will be required for the year ahead as these get more popular.

Any mods up to the task?

As was previously mentioned, a new Home Automation forum * is currently being created for boards. I would assume such a guide/sticky would be a top priority for this new forum.

* The forum may not be called exactly that, but it would cover this topic.

degsie · 24-10-2016 04:53PM

If somebody could start a blog for Irish users similar to this...

https://amazonechouk.com/

...that would be great.

RoYoBo · 24-10-2016 05:44PM

Not sure how useful this is for Ireland - have only just come across it via the reviews on the Dot on Amazon. A Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/alexafansuk/ Seems interesting and might pick up some hints & tips.

TheGreenMile · 24-10-2016 05:46PM

It was the Netatmo bargain alerts forum that has me interested in the 'SmartHome'. Netatmo is up and running and Echo dot arrived today. I've read this entire thread with great info but has anyone successfully pair the Netatmo and Echo Dot together?? Any help would be much appreciated.
Next up will be the Philips Hue. Damn bargain alerts will have me broke. Again

Basq · 24-10-2016 06:12PM

I can ask what weather is in Sligo.. and it tells me. Were people having issues with it?

uck51js9zml2yt · 24-10-2016 06:22PM

Basq wrote: »

I can ask what weather is in Sligo.. and it tells me. Were people having issues with it?

Not much use us knowing the weather in Sligo if we're in Dublin

;)

Sniipe · 24-10-2016 06:44PM

NakedDex wrote: »

Anyone else having trouble inputting a location? It keeps refusing any change I make, popping up "Could not set your address. Please ensure you have correctly entered a complete address.", despite the address being correct, and having entered a dozen variations on it.

I got mine today. I cannot set the location correctly. Did you ever resolve it?

Basq · 24-10-2016 06:50PM

Sebastian Damaged Herb wrote: »

Not much use us knowing the weather in Sligo if we're in Dublin ;)

No, but I thought people were having issues getting weather outside of Dublin and Cork

Thelomen Toblackai · 24-10-2016 08:07PM

Basq wrote: »

No, but I thought people were having issues getting weather outside of Dublin and Cork

I think they've fixed something. Previously it was difficult to get certain locations and others weren't working at all. All seems to be working fine for me now. A the county level anyway.

bk · 24-10-2016 08:09PM

TheGreenMile wrote: »

It was the Netatmo bargain alerts forum that has me interested in the 'SmartHome'. Netatmo is up and running and Echo dot arrived today. I've read this entire thread with great info but has anyone successfully pair the Netatmo and Echo Dot together?? Any help would be much appreciated.
Next up will be the Philips Hue. Damn bargain alerts will have me broke. Again

Welcome to the expensive addiction!

In order to get Netatmo working:
1) Go to alexa.amazon.co.uk or the Alexa app
2) Go to Smart Home
3) Go to "Get More Smart Home Skills"
4) Select Netatmo and follow instructions.

The commands are (my thermostat is called "house"):
- Set house temperature to 22
- increase/decrease house temperature (changes it by 1 Celsius)
- increase/decrease house temperature by x

I find that the Amazon Echo Netatmo integration is pretty poor and not well thought out, hopefully they will improve it in time. Apple Siri handles Netatmo much better.

bk · 24-10-2016 08:12PM

Thelomen Toblackai wrote: »

I think they've fixed something. Previously it was difficult to get certain locations and others weren't working at all. All seems to be working fine for me now. A the county level anyway.

Yup, Galway, Wexford, etc. are working now. They weren't two days ago.

I'm not surprised, I'm certain that many of the complaints we currently have will get fixed in time.

TheGreenMile · 24-10-2016 08:37PM

I'll be out cutting grass for light bulbs

Thanks for the reply. I did exactly what you mentioned before you posted and the problem is when I click enable skills for netatmo the following page where I log in seems to repeatedly crash. For pig iron I tested all other pages philips hue etc and no such issue. So iv contacted Netatmo to see if they had similar complaints. Hopefully they back shortly but the last time I contacted them reference wiring it took a week.
My try do it from pc to see if a different platform will let me finish the process. Be interesting to see if people on here with the Alexia app access the Netatmo or is it just me.
Thanks in advance.

Any spare light bulbs ....

kids think I'm gone mad.

torrevieja · 24-10-2016 09:22PM

Just wondering what site do i download the App for Ireland thanks

Basq · 24-10-2016 09:35PM

Having awful grief getting Hue to work.. shouldn't be this difficult!

torrevieja · 24-10-2016 09:37PM

Hi Basq were do u downlaod the app from thanks

bk · 24-10-2016 09:40PM

torrevieja wrote: »

Hi Basq were do u downlaod the app from thanks

Depends on if you are using iPhone or Android.

Either it is easier to just use alexa.amazon.co.uk from a laptop or do the same from a smart phone, but enable view site as Desktop site in the browser.

Sniipe · 24-10-2016 09:41PM

bk wrote: »

Yup, Galway, Wexford, etc. are working now. They weren't two days ago.

Hey BK, I can't for the life of me get Galway to work.

As you type in an address it finds them, and when you select it I get "Could not set your address. Please ensure you have correctly entered a complete address."
I've nothing set for the the second box which I think is a zip code.

bk · 24-10-2016 09:42PM

Basq wrote: »

Having awful grief getting Hue to work.. shouldn't be this difficult!

It isn't, what is the issue?

For me I just did a search for devices and it picked up all my Hue lights. Now it won't pick up your rooms or scenes, but it is pretty easy to create groups in the alexa site.

Basq · 24-10-2016 09:45PM

bk wrote: »

It isn't, what is the issue?

For me I just did a search for devices and it picked up all my Hue lights. Now it won't pick up your rooms or scenes, but it is pretty easy to create groups in the alexa site.

Discovered Devices, and it picked up all my Hue lights / scenes.. also tried creating groups etc.

But Alexa doesn't recognise anything to do with them.

torrevieja · 24-10-2016 09:49PM

bk wrote: »

Depends on if you are using iPhone or Android.

Either it is easier to just use alexa.amazon.co.uk from a laptop or do the same from a smart phone, but enable view site as Desktop site in the browser.

I have music on ipod ?

what do u mean by enable view site as Desktop site in the browser ?

it wont let me download im on a ios device

bk · 24-10-2016 09:50PM

Also BTW, for those who say that the Dot 2's have better voice recognition. Reading up on it over on the reddit echo forums, that this is only compared to the first gen dots.

Turns out the first gen dots had far inferior mics to the full size Echo's and people were having major issues with them. Seems that the dot 2's have improved on this, but compared to the gen 1's. Many people are finding them to be much closer to the full size Echos, but still not quiet as good. Which is what I've experienced myself. An example thread here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/amazonecho/comments/591tb0/the_dots_have_a_mic_problem/

I do think the Dot 2 mics are good enough, but I wouldn't over-hype their ability. I also think that the high position of the full size Echo also makes a difference.

bk · 24-10-2016 09:56PM

Basq wrote: »

Discovered Devices, and it picked up all my Hue lights / scenes.. also tried creating groups etc.

But Alexa doesn't recognise anything to do with them.

That is weird, it just works for me, no issue. I created a group called living room lights and just say: "Alexa, turn on living room lights"

torrevieja wrote: »

I have music on ipod ?

what do u mean by enable view site as Desktop site in the browser ?

If you view alexa.amazon.co.uk in a mobile web browser (e.g. Safari) it will just tell you to get the app. However most mobile browsers have the option to view the desktop version of the site. In safari for instance you click the share button and then scroll to "Request Desktop Site" and click on it.

Stoner · 24-10-2016 09:57PM

bk wrote:

Also BTW, for those who say that the Dot 2's have better voice recognition. Reading up on it over on the reddit echo forums, that this is only compared to the first gen dots.

So once and for all, I've read that the mics are the same in dot gen 1 and 2 , but gen 2 has a speech processor, also more up-to-date firmware, that the dot gen 1 has since received .

That's slightly different to what you've read BK.

adox · 24-10-2016 10:05PM

Has anyone got scenes to work for this Philips Hue?

It's supposed to enabled now but doesn't work for me. I have a load of them discovered in the Alexa app and can even get her to recognise some of them, but even when she recognises the command and says "ok" nothing happens.

I have the basic on/off, increase/descrease brightness working.

adox · 24-10-2016 10:07PM

One more question when I'm at it. Is line in preferred to Bluetooth if both options are available and practical on a speaker?

At first I was connecting by Bluetooth and keeping the speaker well away from the dot but I have it beside it now and the voice sensitivity seems roughly the same so was thinking of running a 3.5mm jack between the two.

Stoner · 24-10-2016 10:14PM

adox wrote:

At first I was connecting by Bluetooth and keeping the speaker well away from the dot but I have it beside it now and the voice sensitivity seems roughly the same so was thinking of running a 3.5mm jack between the two.

Well you'll lose the ability to connect and disconnect via voice.

Amazon Echo FAQ

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