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Anyone using Amazon Echo as HS3 Speaker?

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    Anyone using Amazon Echo as HS3 Speaker?

    I have not been able to come by any definitive solution for using the Amazon Echo as a Speaker for HS3. Is anyone doing this in any capacity? (i.e. Bluetooth, API, Skill) I have been looking for a speaker for device status announcements like washer/dryer complete, etc. and the Amazon seems like it would be perfect for this.

    Any ideas?

    #2
    I linked an Echo to my PC via bluetooth and sent announcements from HS3.

    You need to have the Speaker.exe app for HS3 running.

    As it's using the text to speech process in Windows, it doesn't sound like the Alexa voice however.

    A nice feature in the Echo is when it receives the bluetoothed audio it turns down the audio it is currently playing in favor of the bluetooth one, then resumes the original audio afterwards.


    It should work on a Linux box as well but I don't know the specifics regarding that.
    Wade

    "I know nothing... nothing!"

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by rxatwell View Post
      I have not been able to come by any definitive solution for using the Amazon Echo as a Speaker for HS3. Is anyone doing this in any capacity? (i.e. Bluetooth, API, Skill) I have been looking for a speaker for device status announcements like washer/dryer complete, etc. and the Amazon seems like it would be perfect for this.

      Any ideas?
      I think I read previously that some people had managed to link it to their HS3 machines with standard Bluetooth pairings. I tried that a couple of times, but my HS3 machine is too far away from my Echo. Worth a shot if your devices are close enough.
      cheeryfool

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        #4
        Thank you, Shultz.

        cheeryfool, I had the same thought. Especially once walls are between the units. Thanks!

        Comment


          #5
          I have mine paired with bluetooth, and it works great. It is set to play certain audio files or read text to speech when exterior doors are opened, the alarm is armed or disarmed etc.

          Comment


            #6
            Has anyone thought about or tried using the Echo "Simon Says" feature to send HS speaker messages? It would be a hack but I am sure it could be done.

            Comment


              #7
              Echo on a Linux HomeSeer

              I have my echo paired on Linux as a bluetooth speaker and I can use it as the default sound device. So far the sound is clear and working nicely.
              However I am new to HomeSeer and have not been able to get it setup as a speaker device.
              I understand there is some way you can use Linux to do this. Can someone please advise how this can be done?

              Comment


                #8
                What hardware / software is needed to connect HS speaker to use the Echo as a speaker?
                --
                Jeff Farmer
                HS 3, HSPhone
                My HS3 Plugins: CFHSExtras, Random, Restart, Tracker, WeatherXML, PanaBluRay
                Other Plugins In Use: APCUPSD, BLOnkyo, Device History, EasyTrigger, HSTouch Server, PHLocation2, Pushover, RFXCom, UltraGCIR3, UltraMon3, UltraPioneerAVR3, X10, Z-Wave

                Hardware: GoControl Irrigation Controler, Schlage Lever Lock, Schlage Deadbolt, Way2Call Hi-Phone, RFXCom RFXrec433 Receiver, WGL 800, TI-103, Z-Net, Pioneer 1120, Pioneer 1021, Pioneer LX302, Panasonic BDT-110, Panasonic BDT-210 x2

                Comment


                  #9
                  On Windows I'm sure you could just use Bluetooth and set it up as an output for hs speaker. Linux is more complicated as there is no hs speaker. It works using an AirPlay server.


                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by rxatwell View Post
                    I have not been able to come by any definitive solution for using the Amazon Echo as a Speaker for HS3. Is anyone doing this in any capacity? (i.e. Bluetooth, API, Skill) I have been looking for a speaker for device status announcements like washer/dryer complete, etc. and the Amazon seems like it would be perfect for this.

                    Any ideas?
                    Thank you for posting this question. I've been trying to figure out how to lower the kitchen PC footprint (aka reclaiming counter space) and this was the perfect solution. And I'm getting more use out of the Echo to boot.

                    This is why I read new posts every day or so. Never know what you are going to learn.

                    Barry

                    Comment


                      #11
                      For those who like projects, I came up with a process to have Alexa speak without a prompt, and it would be in the Alexa voice.


                      You first need a program or plugin similar to spud's Alexa plugin.

                      This plugin mimics an Amazon Echo, so it allows input from a PC micophone, and responds through the PC speakers.

                      Second you need to convert text to speech.
                      HS3 has that ability with the process HS.SpeakToFile(TextToSpeak, "", FileName).
                      That would get used in a script.

                      The last thing you need is an Alexa skill that can give you the audio you want.
                      I had thought about this awhile ago, and I added a function to the echo process call MirrorText. (you could build a lambda function that does this as well.)
                      This function simply responds with the exact same text that was sent.

                      The schema and utterance are:

                      {
                      "intents": [
                      {
                      "intent": "MirrorText",
                      "slots": [
                      {
                      "name": "TextToMirror",
                      "type": "LITERAL"
                      }
                      ]
                      }
                      ]
                      }

                      MirrorText {The Text|TextToMirror}


                      So, the whole thing works like this:
                      HS3 fires an event that runs a script to build an audio file.
                      The Alexa .exe takes the audio and sends it to the skill in the Alexa app at Amazon.
                      The skill sends the text to our echo processing site (or your lambda function), and gets back the exact same text.
                      The audio response is sent back to the Alexa .exe, which is then sent out the audio output of the PC via bluetooth.
                      The echo receives the bluetoothed audio and plays it.

                      The end result is that is sounds as if the echo has spoken without a prompt in the correct voice.
                      Wade

                      "I know nothing... nothing!"

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I'm really happy with a Bluetooth transmitter that's plugged into a small tablet there next to the Echo. Instead of the TTS coming from the crappy speakers in the tablet the Echo has its BT paired with the transmitter, Cost $20.
                        Blair

                        HomeSeer: HS3 Pro | Blue-Iris 4 on Windows10Pro
                        | Devices: 832 | Events: 211 |
                        Plug-Ins: Z-Wave | RFXCOM | UltraRachio3 | Sonos
                        BLLAN | BLLOCK | NetCAM | Global Cache Pro | Blue-Iris4

                        Comment


                          #13
                          It looks like Amazon will help us rip out the bailing wire and duct tape used to attempt to make Alexa speak soon: http://lovemyecho.com/2016/09/13/ale...-talking-blue/

                          I think Alexa's IFTTT channel will support this by adding Actions. We'll be able to trigger canned speech via device toggles, IFTTT's action would contain the static notification text, Homeseer would send the device status change. Stone age, but functional day one.

                          Sgt, any word in the dev forums about allowing skills to push directly to Echo? Will we see HS3 event actions directed to Alexa with the same functionality as the Speak Something action?

                          Could HS's IFTTT channel be upgraded to receive a device string change trigger that can be sent to Alexa as a notification action?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            We haven't seen anything yet from Amazon regarding push notifications.

                            As far as working it through IFTTT, an HS3 on/off device can be accessed through events, so pretty much anything in HS3 can cause a trigger in IFTTT.
                            Wade

                            "I know nothing... nothing!"

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Sure, loving IFTTT and virtual devices, and IFTTT off/on triggers give me mostly static text: If Homeseer device turned on Then Tell Alexa to Say This is my notification text. I can vary the text said with multiple virtual devices.

                              Next level would be: If a Homeseer device has its status text changed Then Tell Alexa to Say <that status text>. I can construct infinite status text and merge in momentary data.

                              I've got this rose-colored vision of Dots as speaker clients for TTS given Amazon's announcement of push notification for Echo.

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