Unbelievable Alexa Experience -- GOOD

[tenholde]

New HomeSeer Echo interface:


http://www.homeseer.com/amazon-echo-integration.html


tenholde

[tenholde]

I have tried a few different voice control option and haven't had much success with any. This is giving me a bit of confidence but would like to verify something before I go spend money on this.

1. Does anyone know if this will work in Canada? The Canadian Amazon website doesn't sell it so want to make sure before I get one on ebay.

2. Can you program the exact key phrase you want and it will trigger the event. With Siri sometimes she will just google what I says instead of triggering the event.

3. How well does it work with ambient noise and how close do you have to be. I tried Kinect and didn't have success when the TV was on.

4. Lastly do you get any false positives? Meany events triggering without calling them.

2. Using the IFTTT interface, you specify the phrase, such as: turn on all lights
to run the recipe with this phrase you say: Alexa trigger turn on all lights. So far, I have only used the recipe channel that runs an event. So, I just build a recipe that triggers on Alexa hears: turn on all lights with a homeseer THAT of run event that I specify (that turns on all lights)

3. I've been very impressed with its recognition. I've talked to it from the next room and it has recognized command every time. Have not played with many different scenarios with ambient noise.

4. Have not used it much (wrapped and hidden away right now), but I have had no false positives yet


tenholde

[Automated]

Too bad I will never trust my automation to a cloud provider.

Surely the local voice control options can be just as good without needing to round trip through the cloud....if not now, then some day.

[waynehead99]

As to the false positives the echo is extremely good about this. The only time I have had it start to do something on its own is when the echo commercial is on the tv and it says Alexa. Then she goes crazy. As to the other concerns I can't speak to that.

[freeon]

I have tried a few different voice control option and haven't had much success with any. This is giving me a bit of confidence but would like to verify something before I go spend money on this.

1. Does anyone know if this will work in Canada? The Canadian Amazon website doesn't sell it so want to make sure before I get one on ebay.

2. Can you program the exact key phrase you want and it will trigger the event. With Siri sometimes she will just google what I says instead of triggering the event.

3. How well does it work with ambient noise and how close do you have to be. I tried Kinect and didn't have success when the TV was on.

4. Lastly do you get any false positives? Meany events triggering without calling them.

[TeleFragger]

so amazon echo and hdhomerun prime are now the only 2 things on my xmas/bday list (jan3 is bday)

[usLEDsupply]

I have copied some of this from ultrajones post that is gone now and updated it to the new version

1. Download and install Java 8 from http://java.com

2. Open a command prompt using Start > Run > cmd, then run:

Code:
     netstat -an | find ":1900" 
netstat -an | find ":8080" 
netstat -an | find ":5000"

Each command above should return nothing. However, chances are you'll see a result for 1900. If you do, then disable the SSDP Discovery service from Windows Services, then re-run the command to make sure it's been disabled.

(Or in most cases if you just disable the "SSDP Discovery service" and "World Wide Web Publishing Service" from Windows Services you will be fine) (or you could change the port to an open one if you would rather)

3. create a new folder named Echo in C:\ (C:\Echo)

4. download this and place it in the C:\Echo folder
https://github.com/armzilla/amazon-e...idge-0.2.1.jar

5. Create a new text file and paste this into it

cd c://echo

java -jar -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true amazon-echo-bridge-0.2.1.jar --logging.level.com.armzilla.ha.upnp=DEBUG --logging.file=ha.log --upnp.config.address=192.168.xxx.xxx >log.txt

pause

(change the IP address to match the IP of the PC running this mine is the HS3 PC)
then save changes and rename it to "Echo Java Startup v2.1.bat" and place it in the startup folder
if win 10 it should be here C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

7. double click the file you just made and it should open the cmd window and start the bridge (you can minimize the window)

8. open a web browser and go to http://192.168.xxx.xxx:8080/configurator.html



enter your Homeseer IP address in the top then
type a name you want to say to alexa in the
Name field like "Kitchen Light" then paste this in the
On URL field:

http://192.168.xxx.xxx/JSON?request=controldevicebyvalue&ref=xx&value=${intensity.percent}

Off URL field:

http://192.168.xxx.xxx/JSON?request=controldevicebyvalue&ref=xx&value=0

just change the IP to match your HS3 Computer and change the xx after ref=xx your device ID number (you can find with the tenScriptAid or under the advanced tab of the device or i just hold my mouse over the device link on the device management page and look at the status bar for the id#)

if you don't want to enable dimming but want the lights to come on to a set value enter it at the end like this (when you tell alexa to turn on the bedroom lights they will turn on to 50%) (in the link below the ref id is 108)
On URL field:

http://192.168.xxx.xxx/JSON?request=controldevicebyvalue&ref=108&value=50

when you are done you can click test for the on and off lines then click add device

when you are done adding devices ask Alexa to discover devices (e.g. "Alexa, discover devices").
After about 30 seconds, Alexa should indicate she was able to find x number of new devices.

You can navigate Settings then Connected Home in your alexa app to view or delete the discovered devices

[TomTom]

So, I bought an Amazon Echo for my wife for Christmas (even she won't believe that)and while she was not around, I spent a few minutes setting it up.



Can't wait until wife opens present, we go through a few things like get weather, play music, and then I say: Alex Trigger Christmas Tree OFF



WAF definitely going up!



tenholde

Thanks for the feedback, I guess I shouldn't wait anymore to give my wife the same. Surprise honey more home automation !


Sent from my iPhone

[dbmet]

Can you send the links for the Echo hue emulator ?

you should try the Echo Hue Emulator. you just say (Alexa turn on the fireplace or lights and it is on before she says ok)

i just updated mine to the latest version yesterday and it supports dimming as well (alexa turn on kitchen lights to 20%) or just (alexa turn on kitchen lights)

it looks a bit confusing but it is not bad and you will love how easy it is to add and rename devices

i see they have removed the form that had the instructions but it wasn't hard to install and i still have the links if you want to try it

when i have time i still plan on installing Thrags Bridge for the advanced features but i will keep the hue emulator as i don't want to have to tell her to tell homeseer to turn something on or off. i bet we use it about 40 times a day and never use the wall switches anymore

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dbmet]

Can you send the links for the Echo hue emulator ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[usLEDsupply]

I really didn't like the "tell homeseer" on the version that HS provided last week

you should try the Echo Hue Emulator. you just say (Alexa turn on the fireplace or lights and it is on before she says ok)

i just updated mine to the latest version yesterday and it supports dimming as well (alexa turn on kitchen lights to 20%) or just (alexa turn on kitchen lights)

it looks a bit confusing but it is not bad and you will love how easy it is to add and rename devices

i see they have removed the form that had the instructions but it wasn't hard to install and i still have the links if you want to try it

when i have time i still plan on installing Thrags Bridge for the advanced features but i will keep the hue emulator as i don't want to have to tell her to tell homeseer to turn something on or off. i bet we use it about 40 times a day and never use the wall switches anymore

[waynehead99]

Thanks for posting this. I was able to set this up fairly quickly as well. I really didn't like the "tell homeseer" on the version that HS provided last week and I am struggling with it finding my devices anyways which is frustrating. This way just works (though more setup).

Question, how do you make it say something other than "sent trigger to ifttt". Would be nice to be a little more custom.

[wkomorow]

I love my echo. I stream music all day long from prime, and voice control over HS is (sorry, keep using this phrase) a game changer. IFTTT control of HS via Alexa is nothing short of Amazing. I have 2 echos - one in the living room and one in the bedroom.
I have an event call good night that turns off all the lights and locks all the doors - puts the house to sleep. Once I get into bed, all tucked in under the covers, I say Alexa trigger good night and the house goes to sleep - lights out, doors locked, (if I wanted, temp down, etc.).

With both the HS skill set and the IFTTT trigger via Alexa, we have true voice controlled home automation available to just about anyone at just about any skill level.

[Richel]

So, I bought an Amazon Echo ...

Thanks! You inspired me to do this. I had already set up an IFTTT account and had already registered with the HomeSeer channel. So, it took me just a few minutes to set up recipes to turn a light on and to turn a light off with Alexa triggers. Very slick.

Elliott

[Krumpy]

There is hope. Maybe not quite yet. He hasn't started talking about how HomeSeer needs to be assimilated into the Amazon Web Services (AWS) collective.

When us users start hosting our HomeSeer instances into the AWS cloud and then have HS start taking statistical analysis to when we wake up, drink our coffee, etc, and when HomeSeer starts to give recommendations to all of our partners in terms of .... Ok, it started good and then my joke died.

Never mind.

While this does sound promising, I still would prefer to not have cloud services control my life. But it does seem cool.