Switchbot blind tilt - These work great

[Rupp]

Slide Position is fine. I can't believe they do not expose the battery level but the solar panel should keep that topped off.

[langenet]

What I do is issue a POST to move my curtain, then issue a GET to get the status right after. I agree, I can't believe they don't expose the battery status.
Every once in a while, I open the app on my phone to check the battery level on both curtain bots. One thing to note is that they last a more than 4 months between charging.
I didn't include "moving" as the status either since I thought it was useless.

[Rupp]

What I do is issue a POST to move my curtain, then issue a GET to get the status right after. I agree, I can't believe they don't expose the battery status.
Every once in a while, I open the app on my phone to check the battery level on both curtain bots. One thing to note is that they last a more than 4 months between charging.
I didn't include "moving" as the status either since I thought it was useless.

Thanks for the intel. I think I'll just wait for Michael's plugin as that should be so much easier.
One question I have not wrapped my mind around is once you set up schedules in the Switchbot app does your phone have to be within bluetooth range for the schedules to work or are they somehow uploaded to the blind tilts.

[langenet]

Not sure... I've never used schedules. My curtain-bot is controlled by a Zigbe luminace sensor. It provides the value to the api to move the curtain. So depending on light and weather, my curtain moves many times in a day at varying amounts. However saying that, I can check the level of the battery when I'm away from home. Saying that, schedules should work in my opinion.

[Demusman]

Thanks for the intel. I think I'll just wait for Michael's plugin as that should be so much easier.
One question I have not wrapped my mind around is once you set up schedules in the Switchbot app does your phone have to be within bluetooth range for the schedules to work or are they somehow uploaded to the blind tilts.

Why bother with the app?
Just set an event in HS at that point.

[Kevb]

Rupp Do you have the switchbot hub, or are you only using your phone? I think you need to have the hub to control remotely. That also opens up Alexa, Google, Node-red, etc. The hub also has an IR emitter built in.

[langenet]

Right... I have the hub. Yes, events would be the way I would go to control the blinds.

Looking forward to Michael's plugin.

[Rupp]

Why bother with the app?
Just set an event in HS at that point.

There's isn't a plugin available to do this (yet).

[Rupp]

Right... I have the hub. Yes, events would be the way I would go to control the blinds.

Looking forward to Michael's plugin.

Roger that!

[Rupp]

Rupp Do you have the switchbot hub, or are you only using your phone? I think you need to have the hub to control remotely. That also opens up Alexa, Google, Node-red, etc. The hub also has an IR emitter built in.

I do have the hub and knowing the plugin isn't available quite yet I'm just trying to figure out how the Switchbot app works when I'm not home. I have scenes setup that will open and close the blinds and I'm not sure if these get loaded into the blinds somehow. I'm simply trying to figure out how the scenes run if I'm not within bluetooth range ie not home with my phone.

I also use the hub for IR control and it works great. I'm impressed that this small device works so well with so many IR devices. The more I use Switchbot the more impressed I am with it.
If you live in an apartment where you do not want to swap out switches these Switchbot bots seem like an ugly solution to automate your switches.

[Rupp]

@Michael McSharry do you know if the Switchbot API exposes the learned IR codes within the Switchbot hub. This tiny hub is an amazing IR learner/blaster.

[Kevb]

It looks like schedules are stored in the device itself. I think "scenes" are stored in the cloud. https://support.switch-bot.com/hc/en...-and-App-Scene

[Rupp]

It looks like schedules are stored in the device itself. I think "scenes" are stored in the cloud. https://support.switch-bot.com/hc/en...-and-App-Scene

Yes, I just found this same information and you can tell if you select a blind as it takes a couple of seconds to retrieve the schedules. Curiosity satisfied. Thanks for the info.

[Michael McSharry]

I have my first pass of the 18 devices documented in the API setup and tested the Contact Sensor status reporting and Bot control. While I can send the Bot command, I get a report back that it does not have cloud service enabled. It is enabled in the smartphone App, but the slider is showing red rather than green. I sent a support ticket to find out what needs to be done on the App/Account to get it enabled. It is also odd that the App shows the cloud icon for the devices, but does not show a bluetooth icon.

For the Bot, a battery status is reported in the actual data, but not documented in the API. I included battery for all the battery power devices including the Blind Tilt.

A snapshot of the bottom part of the Devices screen is below. I elected to include all properties of all devices and let the user hide what they do not want. A capability appears to exist to group the Blind Tilt. What type of support should be provided for this capability in the plugin? I also elected to use slider for the position control. Is this the best one to use for something in the range 0 to 100%?

[langenet]

Wow... nice! How is the devices (device type.... curtain, tilt) selected in the plug-in?