Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

iamtony · 14-01-2021 2:32pm

Risoc wrote: »

I’m looking to set up an Alexa routine for the lamp in the small area under my stairs which is boarded off and has a door.
I have a Calex Smart Bulb and thought I could simply purchase a magnetic door sensor to activate the bulb when I open the door. Unfortunately it seems all the door sensors are part of other security environments (Ring or Wyse). Do I need to get a hub of some sort (or even a camera etc) to operate these? If it was just the Ring app that wouldn’t be too bad. Are there cheaper sensors that would do the job?

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/tcp-smart-pir-sensor/737HK?gclid=Cj0KCQiA9P__BRC0ARIsAEZ6irgHL8r4BrOWfdVtvmkB77F9BC5l7l31_e46Xg9SxhOiqneZhc-90qcaAmSyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
This looks like what your after. What i dont know is if it will trigger your calex bulb or you have to buy the tcp bulb.

Edit: I see from the bad reviews it only works with there own bulbs. Still might be an option.

jarvis · 14-01-2021 2:56pm

Risoc wrote: »

I’m looking to set up an Alexa routine for the lamp in the small area under my stairs which is boarded off and has a door.
I have a Calex Smart Bulb and thought I could simply purchase a magnetic door sensor to activate the bulb when I open the door. Unfortunately it seems all the door sensors are part of other security environments (Ring or Wyse). Do I need to get a hub of some sort (or even a camera etc) to operate these? If it was just the Ring app that wouldn’t be too bad. Are there cheaper sensors that would do the job?

What about an echo flex? It detects motion and you can have a routine to turn on that light nice motion is detected. Or voice control it!

Deal: Introducing Echo Flex – Voice control smart home devices with Alexa https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PDJ9JFF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dlT4_E0eaGbHP3W817

Risoc · 14-01-2021 3:10pm

The socket is actually outside the door but plugged into an awkward location so the sensor wouldn't work there.

Re voice activation, ya fair enough but the Echos are a bit away from the area. I know this is overly fussy to make life easier / lazier but that's what SmartHomes are all about. Thought this would be an obvious one for Amazon to set up for their Echos. A simple pair of magnets that activate when they are separated as a door sensor to start a routine.

jmBuildExt · 14-01-2021 3:39pm

For me, I think the "smart" solution is overkill here... (although i understand you are prob just trying to make use of your existing bulb)

Since its under the stairs in what sounds like a cupboard area, you may not be worried about a few visible wires/truncing.

In that case I'd either
1. wire in an ordinary hardwired motion sensor to the lamp.
Or
2. wire the live of the lamp to an alarm contact on the door.

Both solutions call for simple dumb LED bulb.
number 1 is safest as alarm contacts are prob only meant for low level voltage.
https://www.screwfix.ie/p/lap-standalone-pir-360/9695v

ablelocks · 14-01-2021 8:26pm

can this thread be restickied please

ED E · 18-01-2021 11:52am

Alexa asking for product reviews is getting annoying.

Davy · 18-01-2021 10:38pm

ED E wrote: »

Alexa asking for product reviews is getting annoying.

Have you tried giving feedback just afterwards and say you don't like/want anymore.

.red. · 19-01-2021 11:27am

I'm looking to buy a device for a relative but not sure what to go for.
Radio reception is very poor out in the kitchen and we were thinking domething like an Alexa or a Dot might be a good idea.
Are they loud enough to work properly with a pot bubbling and a cooker hood turned on?
For the basic things it'd be used for I'd imagine they'd all work similarly well so speaker quality is probably the most important thing.
Any recommendations?

Gregor Samsa · 19-01-2021 11:33am

.red. wrote: »

I'm looking to buy a device for a relative but not sure what to go for.
Radio reception is very poor out in the kitchen and we were thinking domething like an Alexa or a Dot might be a good idea.
Are they loud enough to work properly with a pot bubbling and a cooker hood turned on?
For the basic things it'd be used for I'd imagine they'd all work similarly well so speaker quality is probably the most important thing.
Any recommendations?

I've a 3rd generation Echo in the kitchen. It's plenty loud and clear enough to use over the sound of robust cooking (although, I hardly ever use the cooker hood). The newer 4th generation is supposed to have even better sound.

I've 3rd generation Dots in the bedrooms (4th gen Dot is supposed to have the same sound). They're fine in a bedroom, where things are usually fairly quiet, but I don't think the sound would be good enough to use clearly over the noises of an active kitchen.

I'd go with the full sized Echo. If it's found lacking in some situations, you could always add a second and pair it for stereo, which will improve the sound quality and volume a lot.

jarvis · 19-01-2021 1:54pm

.red. wrote: »

I'm looking to buy a device for a relative but not sure what to go for.
Radio reception is very poor out in the kitchen and we were thinking domething like an Alexa or a Dot might be a good idea.
Are they loud enough to work properly with a pot bubbling and a cooker hood turned on?
For the basic things it'd be used for I'd imagine they'd all work similarly well so speaker quality is probably the most important thing.
Any recommendations?

I’d go with an echo show 8.

Perfect for a kitchen. Use it’s screen to rotate photos or ask Alexa for a recipe which she then displays on screen. Or use the built in browser to navigate to a recipe. Speaker works great.

clintondaly · 19-01-2021 3:38pm

Agreed on the Echo 8

Recipes with videos
Lists for shopping
Reminders(I use it for cooking times and when to take the bins out)
Radio
Alarms
Communication(with video), may be of use here if in trouble etc.as an older person could shout at her to contact someone

.red. · 19-01-2021 5:39pm

Cheers folks,
I'll have a look at the echo.
The show 8 is a lot more expensive than I'm looking to spend.
I can't ever really see it being used for much more than radio and he's not the kind of fella who'd use a recipe.
Thanks.

ablelocks · 19-01-2021 6:44pm

.red. wrote: »

Cheers folks,
I'll have a look at the echo.
The show 8 is a lot more expensive than I'm looking to spend.
I can't ever really see it being used for much more than radio and he's not the kind of fella who'd use a recipe.
Thanks.

echo show 5 might be an option - we had it in the kitchen for over a year before getting an 8...

ablelocks · 20-01-2021 9:05pm

ablelocks wrote: »

can this thread be restickied please

thanks Stoner!

.red. · 21-01-2021 10:28am

ablelocks wrote: »

echo show 5 might be an option - we had it in the kitchen for over a year before getting an 8...

How did ye find the sound quality?
The 5 is available for a decent price on littlewoods but some reviews say the sound isn't the best.

ablelocks · 21-01-2021 3:19pm

.red. wrote: »

How did ye find the sound quality?
The 5 is available for a decent price on littlewoods but some reviews say the sound isn't the best.

it's fine, as good as the 3rd gen anyway. I have it in my bedroom now as alarm clock/radio/spotify player and it sounds a bit better in a smaller room...

jmBuildExt · 21-01-2021 3:21pm

.red. wrote: »

How did ye find the sound quality?
The 5 is available for a decent price on littlewoods but some reviews say the sound isn't the best.

Different people have different perceptions, or requirements when it comes to sound.
What is it replacing? - if its just replacing your run of the mill kitchen radio, the sound will be more than adequate (as will the echo dot (no screen))

If on the other hand its replacing some fancy expensive sound system (who's intended use is not for listening to the news and the death notices

) then it might be left wanting a little.

For context, i have a dot and a echo 5 and they are both capable of filling my 55sqm kitchen/extension with perfectly audible sound - further more you can hear it everywhere else in the house.

Hope that helps.

.red. · 21-01-2021 7:24pm

jmBuildExt wrote: »

Different people have different perceptions, or requirements when it comes to sound.
What is it replacing? - if its just replacing your run of the mill kitchen radio, the sound will be more than adequate (as will the echo dot (no screen))

If on the other hand its replacing some fancy expensive sound system (who's intended use is not for listening to the news and the death notices ) then it might be left wanting a little.

For context, i have a dot and a echo 5 and they are both capable of filling my 55sqm kitchen/extension with perfectly audible sound - further more you can hear it everywhere else in the house.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, it's to replace a cheap kitchen radio that crackles and looses reception as you walk past it.

wally79 · 21-01-2021 9:03pm

.red. wrote: »

Thanks, it's to replace a cheap kitchen radio that crackles and looses reception as you walk past it.

I don’t have one myself but would an internet radio be a slightly more familiar replacement

.red. · 22-01-2021 12:15pm

wally79 wrote: »

I don’t have one myself but would an internet radio be a slightly more familiar replacement

I was gonna get one of them but prices were similar to the amazon products.
I ended up buying an Echo Show 5 last night on littlewoods for €58. That was the best deal I could find.
Thanks for the suggestions.

Irish Gunner · 01-02-2021 4:04pm

We have 2 separate Family Spotify accounts that we got on Bargain Alerts

So I have linked it to Alexa and now Miss Gunner wants to do the same but Amazon are saying not possible?

So I can play podcasts on Alexa via the Alexa app.

Is there anyway of adding 2 Spotify accounts to Alexa or do I need to give my login so that it can be used

Or any other suggestions?

cubatahavana · 14-02-2021 9:24pm

Is there a way to control my Samsung frame tv with my echo dot? I don’t want to have to press the remote button to activate Alexa

B_ecke_r · 16-02-2021 1:37am

Irish Gunner wrote: »

We have 2 separate Family Spotify accounts that we got on Bargain Alerts

So I have linked it to Alexa and now Miss Gunner wants to do the same but Amazon are saying not possible?

So I can play podcasts on Alexa via the Alexa app.

Is there anyway of adding 2 Spotify accounts to Alexa or do I need to give my login so that it can be used

Or any other suggestions?

You would need two alexas and then split the wifi to 2.4 and 5ghz then you both have an Amazon alexa app with spotify linked to a wifi channel.

I imagine that could work?

jogdish · 02-03-2021 11:45am

Me: Alex play rte radio 1
Alexa : Playing 'show name on rte radio 1'
Silence, and nothing
Repeat and the same again, this has happned a good few times in the last two weeks to me. Any ideas? Tried to unplug re plug helps sometimes, other times same result.

wally79 · 02-03-2021 11:56am

jogdish wrote: »

Me: Alex play rte radio 1
Alexa : Playing 'show name on rte radio 1'
Silence, and nothing
Repeat and the same again, this has happned a good few times in the last two weeks to me. Any ideas? Tried to unplug re plug helps sometimes, other times same result.

Happened here too. I uninstalled and reinstalled the RTE skill. I also plugged it out and back in. I’m not sure what fixed it but it works now

jarvis · 02-03-2021 12:02pm

jogdish wrote: »

Me: Alex play rte radio 1
Alexa : Playing 'show name on rte radio 1'
Silence, and nothing
Repeat and the same again, this has happned a good few times in the last two weeks to me. Any ideas? Tried to unplug re plug helps sometimes, other times same result.

Try:
Alexa play RTÉ radio 1 on Tune in

.red. · 02-03-2021 12:05pm

jogdish wrote: »

Me: Alex play rte radio 1
Alexa : Playing 'show name on rte radio 1'
Silence, and nothing
Repeat and the same again, this has happned a good few times in the last two weeks to me. Any ideas? Tried to unplug re plug helps sometimes, other times same result.

Try saying "RTE radio 1 on Tune In Radio"
When I say Today fm it plays some station called Tay fm. If I add in "from tune in radio" it works fine.

jarvis · 02-03-2021 12:09pm

.red. wrote: »

Try saying "RTE radio 1 on Tune In Radio"
When I say Today fm it plays some station called Tay fm. If I add in "from tune in radio" it works fine.

At least you can do it that way so.

If you’re really against saying “on tune in” you could try to make a routine so that when you say
‘Alexa radio’ it’s plays today fm do another key word for radio 1

Irish Gunner · 02-03-2021 12:25pm

B_ecke_r wrote: »

You would need two alexas and then split the wifi to 2.4 and 5ghz then you both have an Amazon alexa app with spotify linked to a wifi channel.

I imagine that could work?

We have 4 around the house but main one is assigned to my account. Wifi is split not sure what channels they are assigned to

Have Alexa app on my phone and all Alexa Echos etc assigned to my account

Was onto Amazon and they said not possible

Thought might be a way

jarvis · 02-03-2021 12:30pm

Irish Gunner wrote: »

We have 4 around the house but main one is assigned to my account. Wifi is split not sure what channels they are assigned to

Have Alexa app on my phone and all Alexa Echos etc assigned to my account

Was onto Amazon and they said not possible

Thought might be a way

I find it very awkward with assigning Spotify to a device. I’m my house we have 6 Alexa devices. All bar one are on my account and the 6th is on my daughters account. It’s fine. She can’t control a lot of my smart home items but she has no desire to either.
The biggest issue was if I was in the car and turned on Spotify then it would kill the music being played on any of the 5 echos at hole if it was being used. So I created a new login for my Spotify family to use on my phone separate to the one o have used on the echos. Pain really.

Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

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