Suggestion for easiest way to set a group of bulbs to a color?

[ts1234]

What I want to do is have a group 5 exterior bulbs change colors based on dates. What I don't want to do is build a complete event for every holiday. I'd like to set a variable to that represents the color based on a date range and then feed that into an event that sets them to the color represented by the variable.

For instance, on Halloween - Orange and then on St Paddy's Day green.

I admit part of this maybe I don't get something in EasyTrigger...which was my starting point for doing this. When I try to set a group of devises to "#94DB09" (which is what shows on the device's setting field) I just log an error like "ERROR no viable alternative at input '' at line 0:-1"

I'm not a scripter...is there an easy way to do this?

THANKS!

[Eman]

Jowihue plug-in has that built in...






Eman.

[racerfern]

Z-wave bulbs or zigbee bulbs? Jowihue if zigbee

[ts1234]

Thanks. These are zigbee bulbs
(since zwave seem to be really hard to find now).

I loaded the plugin and can usually figure things out. I DON"T have a bridge. I have an HS Zigbee network interface. I must be missing something...it finds no hubs and even when trying to add bulbs it finds nothing?

Is this plugin only if you have a bridge?

[racerfern]

AFAIK you need a bridge, either PhilipsHue or JowiHue Plug in attached to a DeConz zigbee bridge either raspbee for a pi or Conbee for a USB windows connection.

Do you perhaps have the z-wave/zigbee stick from HS?

If not, I highly recommend the JowiHue Plug In along with the DeConz zigbee hardware. You might never go back to z-wave.

[ts1234]

Yes, have the HS Zigbee interface. Since all I have is a few Zigbee bulbs I don't want to make this complex or costly. I was just looking for a way to use variables to set the color of the bulbs based on dates. If I can't do this w/ Easy Trigger...I just make events for each holiday.

[racerfern]

If all you have for zigbee is the Philips Hue bulbs, I would get a Philips bridge and connect to it via JowiJue. The Philips bridge makes managing colors and updating firmware super easy.

If you're considering other zigbee devices then I would get a Conbee interface (assuming you have a Windows), again with the JowiHue plugin.

https://www.amazon.com/dresden-elekt...s%2C115&sr=8-2

Either way, once you get the bulbs recognized, JowiHue plugin makes it easy to setup pairs and patterns as does the Philips Bridge.

Right now I'm running three yellow and three blue for Ukraine. I have a wagon wheel with six hue bulbs that I vary throughout the year.

If you want the KISS way, get a Philips bridge along with JowiHue.IMO.

[ts1234]

I probably should go that way, but the bulbs I have are not that brand. I have the HS Zigbee interface already as well. I am surprised that I can't seem to find anyway to push/pop values between them, but I am already just building events to have them do what I want.

I basically have just three groups of them. Outside the garage, in the downstairs hall, and on the porch/patio. Events already control those, and I just added "then" steps to call manual events to change back to white each evening (whether they need to or not). Then, an event for each holiday I want to set lighting for...they just change those bulbs to that holiday's color(s) 30 seconds after they turn on for the night.

Just curious. is the ConBee that much better than the HS Zigbee interface? IE Why not it?

[racerfern]

I have no idea how many Zigbee devices are supported by the HS interface and plugin. As for the Conbee/Raspbee, I have only found one device it didn't support.
You'll have to search the forum for more info on the HS Zigbee interface capabilities.

So you have the Nortek HUSBZB-1 interface and the HS Zigbee PI?
https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/hs...ee-homeseer-aa

[ts1234]

The only Zigbee stuff I have now are the bulbs. I'll be adding two outlets for repeaters at the other end of the house. That may be all I ever have, but who knows.

and yes...I have the Nortek HS Zigbee interface and HS4 running on an older i7 windows laptop.

[racerfern]

What make bulbs are they? Have you not been able to pair the bulbs to the Nortek HS Zigbee interface?

Be careful, not all powered devices are repeaters. Some really cheap zigbee powered devices are not repeaters. I have a ton of zigbee devices but throughout the house I rely on a Philips Hue bulb in the living room and a Philips White dimmable bulb in a closet as my only repeaters using a Raspbee from DeConz along with the JowiHue PI

I had some GLEDOPTO zigbee colored bulbs but they were not repeaters and not very reliable.

So to be extra clear, I have:

1. The Raspbee paired with the JowiHue PI connected to two repeater bulbs and about 25 sensors throughout the house, backyard, etc.

2. A Philips Bridge connected with the HS Zigbee plug-in to the six Philips bulbs on a large wagon wheel in the sunroom.

It's all controlled through HS but these two setups are independent of each other.

[ts1234]

Yes, they are paired. I can control everything I need through events. I just expected to be able to config them in Easy Trigger and control them even easier. I can't seem to, but really have no complex needs. I've tried to stay entirely zwave...but it's hard to find zwave bulbs and they are pricy. I am about to put in a repeater (cheap wall plug for now) as the one in the front of the house won't pair. All the rest do.

[ts1234]

Sigh. After working with the HS Zigbee interface, it seems to either be unstable or it doesn't like my Sengled bulbs.

Is all I need is the Conbee interface and the JowiHue plugin? Just those two pieces...no other hardware?

Thanks!

[racerfern]

Just those two pieces, nothing else. However, you might want to post in the JowiHue forum or search for Sengled bulbs just to confirm they will work with Conbee and JowiHue. w.vuyk is very helpful.