Dumb Switch vs Zwave switch with HUE bulbs??

[olag00]

So I just purchased my first starter kit with the strip lights. I should receive in a few days.

I plan to use this plugin when I receive the kit. I started reading about the HUE bulbs and the "problems" created if you use dumb switches. If they are turned off then there is no control of the bulbs until the switch is turned back on.

This got me to thinking to use a Zwave switch with them but now the bulb turns into a $100 investment instead of the already high price of $60. This doesn't necessarily kill it for me but it got me to thinking how I could incorporate the Zwave switch in.

One of my thoughts is to have an event turn the Zwave switch back on immediately but leaving the bulb off if someone turns the lights out via the switch. This way there is power back to the bulb and it can be controlled when ready.

Would this switching back on make the bulb turn on for a split second and then off or is it fast enough where you don't see a flash?

Since I can't test this yet I thought I would ask here or see if there was something else that could be done.

[gearyt]

I have mine on Z-wave switches, you need to use the ones that require the neutral. The advantage of my set-up is that if a event is started, the switches go to on and the colors set. If, in the middle of the night, my wife wants light, all she has to do is double tap the switch and lights go on hi.... and yes, you see the flash

[olag00]

all she has to do is double tap the switch and lights go on hi

Can you explain this one a little bit more? Why would she need to double tap to get them to go on high? Does this plugin allow the lights to be turned on in their previous state even if the switch is manually turned off at wall? I thought they would go to normal white light if power is turned off and powered back on. I haven't downloaded this plug in yet since I don't want the trial to start until I received the lights.

If she tapped the switch once what would happen? I assume you are using a counter to trigger the bulb to go on high?

Sorry if this is common knowledge if I would just use the plugin.

Thanks.

[w.vuyk]

Does this plugin allow the lights to be turned on in their previous state even if the switch is manually turned off at wall? I thought they would go to normal white light if power is turned off and powered back on.
Thanks.

Olag00,

The next version of the plugin is going to be able to return back to the last known state of a HUE light. I delivered the plugin to HST last monday, but it did not make it yet to the update for some reason.

When power of a light is withdrwn, the plugin will register the light as unreachable. It will then save the last known settings. Once the light becomes reachabel again, it will restore the last known setting if that option has been configured in the plugin.

This process is initiated by the bridge once the light is discovered reachable again . There are a few seconds between restoring the power on the light and notification of the Hue bridge. So your light will turn on full bright and restore the last settings in 2 to 4 seconds with the plugin. Tests I did here show this and I guess it is quite acceptable.

Regards,

Wim

[w.vuyk]

Another thought I have: The Hue bulbs turn off by themselves fine and are still directly reachable, because they still have power (0.4 Watts in standby). If you want to use a zwave wall swith anyway, you could also use a switch that only sends the signal to homeseer, but does not physicallly breaks power.

With HS events you can trigger on the zwave signal en send control commands to the Hue lights (and other lights) based on this trigger. Advantage of this approach would be that the Hue lights would return to the last known settings right away?

Wim

[olag00]

That is one possible route. I have had several of the switches and didn't know you could allow them to be more of a status of the switch instead of actually interrupting the circuit. I thought the relay inside them was triggered when it was either turned on or off.

The only drawback to this and it really wouldn't be a hindrance in present day but in the future, if someone needs/wants to work on the socket for any reason, they may flip the switch and thinking it is off try to do the work or change bulbs and be in store for a shock But I do know there are ways around this like I will always know about the switch and if/when we ever sell the house to make the switch normal again.

Thanks for the idea and i will have check in how to turn the relay off. That seems to be the best option if possible.

[w.vuyk]

Olag00,

What I ment is a zwave sender switch. In Europe you can find zwave senders, which do not need to be connected to a power line directly. They work on battery and they just send the signal where other actors (HS3) can respond to.

One brand in Europe is duwi, they have those senders. You could put them on the wall anywhere you like. As the lights will be plugged in a wall socket a experienced electrician should know to unplug them first

Wim

[olag00]

Thanks for the clarification. I have searched a few US based sites and can't find anyone who makes the sender so I will probably just use normal On/Off Zwave switch.

I did think about bypassing the switch connecting the light to positive and then the switch would be similar to a sender but then you run into the scenario where it could be unsafe since it would always be live.

Having the switch wired correctly will also keep the bulbs from turning on High if the power is lost and then restored, especially if it happens at 3am or while I am away from the house.

I received a 16' strip light today as well as the FLS-PP lp wireless ballasts that is based on zigbee and can be connected to the HUE hub. Of course I can't test them until I receive my starter pack which is Monday

[w.vuyk]

I am curious how this FLS-PP lp wireless ballasts will behave with the plugin. Let me know if it works out of the box as I wanted to try the philips ledstrip, but it is just way to short for my purposes. I would need a 5 meter strip.

If it works for you I might just go for it myself too

Thanks,

Wim

[olag00]

Received my starter pack and have everything up and running.

I also connected the ballast to a 16' RGB LED strip. It added nicely to the hub and I can control it via the app, however, I dont know how to get the plugin to find the additional "light".

Is there something I need to do as far as "rescan" from within the plugin or should it automatically create the device when I add it to the HUE hub?

[gearyt]

add bulbs at the main hue app then HS will find them

[olag00]

Got it to recognize the ballasts by going to the plugin's "configuration" page and clicking the "+" down in the "Group" section. As soon as I clicked the "+" the plugin added it.

Only thing that might not be correctly associated is the icon for the On/Off status. It appears to be missing. The other light strips have an image for their status.

[olag00]

Well looks like it is "almost" working. The Brightness and Saturation works but the Hue is not changing.

The Color Loop works and that is the only way I can get it to change colors. I let it get to the color I want, press "off" then press "on". This sets the color and I can change Saturation and Brightness.

Any ideas on if it is a plugin to ballast communication problem or should I try deleting devices to re-create them?

[w.vuyk]

Olag00,

You are the first one to try this ballast, as it a non philips device, I cannot predict what will work or not work. That is why I have some questions here.

Did you add the light through the Philips Hue app first?
With which name was it added in the Philips Hue app?

Can you control the color when you use the Philips Hue app? In that case the plugin should be able to do the same.

Also, did this device add an extra group in the groups page?

It does not have a icon for the device yet, because it is unknown to the plugin. I could add one for it in the next release, no issue there.

[olag00]

Olag00,

You are the first one to try this ballast, as it a non philips device, I cannot predict what will work or not work. That is why I have some questions here.

Did you add the light through the Philips Hue app first?
With which name was it added in the Philips Hue app?

Can you control the color when you use the Philips Hue app? In that case the plugin should be able to do the same.

Also, did this device add an extra group in the groups page?

It does not have a icon for the device yet, because it is unknown to the plugin. I could add one for it in the next release, no issue there.

I did add the ballasts first in the app by following the directions from the ballasts website. Directions I followed are here:

HUE Bridge Quick Start Guide

I have already changed the name in the HUE app but it was something along the lines of "Extended Color Light 1".

I can control the color changes when selecting a scene and moving the light icon around the colors of the scene picture.

It did not create another group. I clicked the "+" on the group and it added it with the two light strips under "All Lights".