Amazon Echo FAQ

Stoner · 25-10-2016 12:09PM

bk wrote:

Just read this and the comments over on the reddit forum and it is very disappointing.

Can be any worse than the lightwaverf nest integration.

They mirror the home and away features. That's it.

Stoner · 25-10-2016 12:18PM

mrcheez wrote:

imho the Dot is a better device than the Echo as more flexible, plus a stereo speaker as opposed to mono

I agree even though I dont have an echo.

It's like security lights with a built in PIR

Get a good security light and mount it in the best place for lighting the area.

Connect it to a separate PIR that that is mounted to pick up the traffic into the area you want to light best.

Some thing here. Put in the speaker in the best place for sound and the DOT in the best place for picking up your voice.

bk · 25-10-2016 12:22PM

mrcheez wrote: »

FYP

imho the Dot is a better device than the Echo as more flexible, plus a stereo speaker as opposed to mono

*ducks*

That is fair enough, it is your opinion, but that is different from what you were claiming originally, that the dot 2 has better voice recognition then the Echo, which certainly is not the case IME. And I wanted to correct it so that people could make more accurate purchasing decisions.

I think both the Echo and the Dot 2 each have their own pros and cons and slightly different use cases, which is why I have both.

The Echo is excellent in the sense that it just works effortlessly, with no extra fiddling with separate speakers. The Echo has good enough audio. Of course it isn't a patch on the fantastic Audio Engine 5 speakers that I have hooked up to the Dot 2 in the bedroom.

However interestingly my OH loves the Echo and uses it every day, but she has never used the dot 2 (unless I turn it on) as she says it requires too much fiddling to get working :rolleyes:

So I believe each absolutely has it's place and people should consider their needs.

Basq · 25-10-2016 12:37PM

Spent the last 45 minutes resetting Hue Bridge, removing lights, re-adding lights to no avail.

Don't know who best to ask about it.. Hue lights work fine with Philips app, Echo Dot working fine other than lights.

Pain in the ass!

bk · 25-10-2016 12:42PM

Basq wrote: »

Spent the last 45 minutes resetting Hue Bridge, removing lights, re-adding lights to no avail.

Don't know who best to ask about it.. Hue lights work fine with Philips app, Echo Dot working fine other than lights.

Pain in the ass!

Try resetting the Echo?

mrcheez · 25-10-2016 01:18PM

bk wrote: »

That is fair enough, it is your opinion, but that is different from what you were claiming originally, that the dot 2 has better voice recognition then the Echo, which certainly is not the case IME.

lol ah I was just yanking your chain as you like to vehemently defend the Echo (as I defend the Dot)

Regarding the mic improvements I was saying this is what Amazon were saying, but that it was possibly a firmware update coming to the Echo later. So physically the microphones are the same 7-way mics as in the Echo, and the Echo doesn't have better mics.

The truest test is to put the 2 devices side by side, with the mics at the same height (place the Dot on a can of beans?) and trigger the keyword and see does Alexa respond equally.

Stoner wrote: »

But I've fire TV, sticks, tablets etc.and for me they are top quality devices.

Did you manage to connect up the FireTV to the Echo Dot?

First thing I will be doing (after I setup Spotify) is getting Kodi working with the Echo.

Also has anyone tried connecting 2 separate bluetooth speakers to the Echo? How do you tell it which one to use (or can you)?

Do you just have to turn off the speakers you don't want to use?

Stoner · 25-10-2016 01:32PM

bk wrote:

So I believe each absolutely has it's place and people should consider their needs.

That's true and whenever things are combined like that they sell more anyway

Stoner · 25-10-2016 01:34PM

mrcheez wrote:

Did you manage to connect up the FireTV to the Echo Dot?

I'm stuck in hospital atm mrcheez. I went to try it. I was messing with it on Sunday when and I ended up in A&E , lol completely unrelated

mrcheez · 25-10-2016 01:36PM

Stoner wrote: »

I'm stuck in hospital atm mrcheez. I went to try it. I was messing with it on Sunday when and I ended up in A&E , lol completely unrelated

erk.. ok Stoner hope all is well! :eek:

Gadgetman496 · 25-10-2016 01:38PM

Stoner wrote: »

I'm stuck in hospital atm mrcheez. I went to try it. I was messing with it on Sunday when and I ended up in A&E , lol completely unrelated

Did Alexa call the Ambulance or did you have to go to A&E manually?

Eitherway, get well soon

Stoner · 25-10-2016 01:40PM

mrcheez wrote:

Also has anyone tried connecting 2 separate bluetooth speakers to the Echo? How do you tell it which one to use (or can you)?

Didn't try that. I've used the

Alexa connect to Bluetooth speaker
To show it off. When setting it up there was no option to tag that speaker in anyway.

I'd imagine it links to just one and pushes the previous one out when you pair a new one. But I'm only guessing

Stoner · 25-10-2016 01:52PM

Gadgetman496 wrote:

Did Alexa call the Ambulance or did you have to go to A&E manually?

Unfortunately no lol.

mrcheez · 25-10-2016 01:55PM

Stoner wrote: »

Didn't try that. I've used the

Alexa connect to Bluetooth speaker
To show it off. When setting it up there was no option to tag that speaker in anyway.

I'd imagine it links to just one and pushes the previous one out when you pair a new one. But I'm only guessing

Yeah looks like it connects in order that you connected

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202011820

If you want to play audio from another device on your Bluetooth speaker, say "Disconnect."

To connect to a previously paired device, say "Connect." Echo Dot connects to the device that was last connected.

So I assume the following steps are required...

1) Turn on the first bluetooth speaker say "Connect"

2) When you want to switch to another speaker say "Disconnect"

3) Turn off first speaker / Turn on second speaker

4) Say "Connect"

hmm a bit of work... would be nice if they add an update to specify the bluetooth devices by ID.

givecredit · 25-10-2016 03:00PM

For those without a means for auto update to Alexa app, a new version was released today. For android users I recommend installing Amazon underground app for auto app updates.

setanta1984 · 25-10-2016 03:34PM

I've been having bluetooth annoyance with my Echo Dot, but I am 90% sure it's actually just the way the bluetooth device I have is designed. May be an issue for people looking to switch between bluetooth/wired outputs

I have the Echo Dot, not wired into anything.
I then have a HiFi amplifier, which has 2 inputs - one is the TV, other is a Logitech Bluetooth Audio adapter.

I pair the Dot to the Bluetooth adapter, and all output from the Dot goes through the amp. Great for music, listening through a proper sound system.
The issue then is needing to keep the amplifier always switched on, and also switched to the correct output. The main problem here being when using the TV, can't hear any output from the Echo, such as asking questions or feedback when changing the lights.

As mentioned in post above, the Echo has the command to tell it to disconnect from the bluetooth speaker, which it does, for about 10 seconds the output reverts back to the echo's own speaker. The problem I am having then rears it's head, as the Echo immediately reconnects to the Bluetooth adapter.

It appears this is a feature of the particular bluetooth adapter, and from googling it seems other bluetooth speakers do the same and there is no way to stop it. Or maybe, it is a fault in the "Alexa, disconnect bluetooth" where the Echo should be smart enough not to try to immediately reconnect?
The only choice for it not to output via bluetooth is to un-pair them (having to do it through the Alexa app, and a bigger pain to re-pair them again) or plug out the bluetooth adapter.

I haven't been able to find any info online, but it would be great as a workaround if you could completely disable the bluetooth radio in the Dot with a voice command, and reenable it again when needed. Anyone have any idea if that is possible?

Another workaround I am looking at is those TP-Link plugs to plug the bluetooth adapter into. Flow should then be tell echo to turn on smart plug, bluetooth auto connects and away we go. Tell it to turn off smart plug, output reverts back to the Echo. Should work, right?

mrcheez · 25-10-2016 03:45PM

Would a 3.5mm audio splitter work here and not use the bluetooth audio?

https://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Audio-Splitter-Speaker-Headphones/dp/B005GNQNHU

So TV and Echo Dot both connect to the speaker using 3.5mm and you leave it always plugged in like this.

I'm thinking of doing this for my 3.5mm setup:

- Connect 3.5mm to main audio when I want to play music (turn off the speaker when I don't want music)
- Connect 3.5mm to a smaller always-on speaker which will act as replacement for the internal speaker.
- Y-splitter goes between these cables and the Dot
- Y splitter connected to the 3.5mm output on the Dot.

When I'm playing music it will come out of both speakers, but the smaller speaker will be drowned out.

Basq · 25-10-2016 04:41PM

bk wrote: »

Try resetting the Echo?

Unfortunately that didn't work either!

adox · 25-10-2016 05:37PM

Basq wrote: »

Unfortunately that didn't work either!

That's a really weird one. All the basic commands on mine worked straight away but not the scenes, even though they show.

Did you delete your Hue lights and Hub from the Echo and then rescan for them?

I got scenes working through Yonomi.

Basq · 25-10-2016 05:47PM

adox wrote: »

That's a really weird one. All the basic commands on mine worked straight away but not the scenes, even though they show.

Did you delete your Hue lights and Hub from the Echo and then rescan for them?

I got scenes working through Yonomi.

Yeah, have done everything I could think of to be honest. Have sent Amazon an e-mail on the topic.

Have tried setting up on / off / dim scenarios in Yonomi and they're not working either.

adox · 25-10-2016 06:06PM

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, have done everything I could think of to be honest. Have sent Amazon an e-mail on the topic.

Have tried setting up on / off / dim scenarios in Yonomi and they're not working either.

I couldn't get the yonomi working at first either. Noticed some text on their website saying for UK Amazon users that you have to set things up within the Echo app, which I did and then it worked.

Basq · 25-10-2016 06:26PM

adox wrote: »

I couldn't get the yonomi working at first either. Noticed some text on their website saying for UK Amazon users that you have to set things up within the Echo app, which I did and then it worked.

I'm curious now as to whether it's something on my router as:

a) couldn't connect automatically to WiFi on initialisation.. had to go into manual method (onto Dot internal wireless network and configure it)
b) Saying "Alexa Discover Devices" doesn't work either.

degsie · 25-10-2016 06:33PM

Basq wrote: »

I'm curious now as to whether it's something on my router as:

a) couldn't connect automatically to WiFi on initialisation.. had to go into manual method (onto Dot internal wireless network and configure it)
b) Saying "Alexa Discover Devices" doesn't work either.

Might be wifi security settings?

By default, your router may use both WPA+WPA2 for security. To resolve connection issues, switch the router security type to either WPA or WPA2 only. If the router also has an option to set the type of encryption, setting it to AES only is recommended.

Basq · 25-10-2016 06:46PM

degsie wrote: »

Might be wifi security settings?

Yeah, I've mine just set to use WPA and AES.

Anyone else need to go through manual setup of setting up WiFi on it (I.e logging onto its internal Wireless network and connect to your home network)?

degsie · 25-10-2016 06:59PM

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, I've mine just set to use WPA and AES.

Anyone else need to go through manual setup of setting up WiFi on it (I.e logging onto its internal Wireless network and connect to your home network)?

Is the IP address you assigned outside of the DHCP pool?

shootermacg · 25-10-2016 07:01PM

Just got my dot, app-store told me i'm not eligible for the app. Downloaded an apk from somewhere. Tried to connect the dot to my wireless, no luck getting some time out stuff.

Now it doesn't even see the wireless networks anymore. WTF?

Basq · 25-10-2016 07:13PM

degsie wrote: »

Is the IP address you assigned outside of the DHCP pool?

Didn't assign an IP address... just connected it to my WiFi network (which it did successfully connect to) - so unlikely to be outside of the DHCP pool.

degsie · 25-10-2016 07:34PM

Basq wrote: »

Didn't assign an IP address... just connected it to my WiFi network (which it did successfully connect to) - so unlikely to be outside of the DHCP pool.

One more go....you connected to 2.4 or 5Ghz on echo?

Basq · 25-10-2016 07:41PM

degsie wrote: »

One more go....you connected to 2.4 or 5Ghz on echo?

Don't have a dual-band router.. so presuming 2.4Ghz.

Thelomen Toblackai · 25-10-2016 07:51PM

I didn't realise changing the language from English US to English UK changed Alexa's accent. I changed it today after the update and it just didn't sound right. The UK voice sounds like the one Sky use for it's ads.

I had to change it back to US.

Basq · 25-10-2016 08:40PM

Just an FYI - if, like me, you don't give a crap about rooms or scenes.. removing the Hue Skill entirely seems to just give just the bulbs.

Still, no closer though to getting it working though unfortunately... just a constant rotation of "Sorry, something went wrong" and "I'm not quite sure how to help you with that".

Amazon Echo FAQ

Comments