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Using Alexa routines to trigger HS events

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    Using Alexa routines to trigger HS events

    I apologize if this had been discussed previously, but I haven’t seen this mentioned in the forum, so just wanted to share a method I use for utilizing custom Alexa voice commands and routines to trigger HS events.

    Routines set up in Alexa can be triggered from custom voice commands that over-ride default Alexa and connected skills’ voice commands.

    So, I can set up pretty much any custom voice command in Alexa without using the cumbersome “tell HS to ...”. The routine triggers a virtual device synced to HS, which in turn trigger a HS event. Or I can use Alexa’s geolocation, which seems to be more responsive and accurate than any of the other geolocation options I have tried.

    For example:
    - I set up a virtual device in HS called “Alexa Trigger Bedtime”; and check the control with voice checkbox and make sure I don’t change the default On/Off status or values.
    - I add devices in Alexa, which will bring the created virtual device into Alexa. I personally have created an Alexa group called “zzzTriggers” to “store” those devices, but that is certainly not necessary
    - I then set up an Alexa routine that triggers on voice command “Alexa, goodnight”, which simply turns on the virtual device and then responds by speaking “this is the way” 🤪
    - In HS I have an event that triggers off of the virtual device turning on, which runs my standard bedtime event (turns off lights, locks doors, closes garage door, locks my car, turns off TV, disables my doorbell etc), and then turns the virtual device off (to enable future triggers by Alexa.

    - For geolocation, I have a “Alexa Trigger Richard Gym” virtual device in HS synced to Alexa
    - I set up an Alexa routine to turn the virtual device On when Alexa geolocation becomes becomes my Gym, which then turns the HS virtual device on.
    - I set up a second Alexa routine to do the opposite; turn the virtual device off when I leave the gym.
    - On the HS side I have an event that triggers if I have been at the gym for more than 30 min and it is after 6pm on a weekday and my house is unoccupied. If it triggers, the event turns on my ecobee to “Home” so that’s it’s more temperate when I arrive 15 min later.

    it’a obviously a little bit of a manual workaround, but i can effectively trigger my most common HS events with simpler voice commands than I can achieve without doing significantly more complex workarounds.

    I am pretty sure I can use the same approach to trigger custom spoken voice from Alexa, but HS devices are not available as triggers in Alexa routines, so still looking for an option to make this work.

    Just in case someone else finds it useful.

    #2
    I know you posted this several months ago, but I just wanted to say thanks for documenting this. I have a Tivo Mini that frequently needs to be power cycled to bring it back to life. I put a z-wave switch on it, and am able to control it with an old X10 remote using the RFXCom plugin. However, I needed a way to voice control it due to a health issue of a family member. This now works perfectly with Alexa

    Again, thanks

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      #3
      Fantastic! It’s obviously a pretty manual configuration, but I have found that 80% of the voice commands I have use for are covered with a half a dozen of these commands.

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