I’m stealing this idea from another forum. I’d like for this thread to be a discussion on what you did with your Vera today - did you add a plugin or device, did you implement something interesting, or upgrade firmware? Post below.
I added an Aeon Labs window sensor to one of my garage doors. I’ve found that it communicates only when the steel door between the garage and my home is open. I also added a Prowl notification for the garage door. I used an if/then statement in Luup to differentiate between the door opening when I’m home (typical) and the door opening when I’m away (something I absolutely need to know about immediately).
I added an additional GE/Jasco 45605 Outlet. I’m having a terrible problem with Vera routing, so I’m hoping things stabilize with more nodes available. ???
I added Text To Speech notifications to Vera Alert (Vera Plugin changes and Android Application changes) … Hope to publish soon.
Now my phone verbally tells me “The Garage Door was opened”.
In addition to the existing 5 notification tones … it can now speak the message when it is delivered … I plan to add a repeat, and repeat interval to the app … until the alert is acknowledged. Maybe even an option in the android client to present ALL messages using TTS.
Not sure if this behavior should be defined at the source of the message (VERA) or the receiving client (VeraAlert android client).
@RichardTSchaefer:
I’m confused how you do this.
What is making the announcement? Your phone? Your computer?
What I have done with my Vera (lately):
I have PGE and a time-of-use plan. I added combo switches, and virtual switches on schedules which tell me if it’s peak, partial-peak, or off peak based upon PGE’s schedule including when it’s summer versus winter. This allows me to smartly turn off groups of devices when I’m not home and re-enable them when rates are low. Examples: Devices which ‘charge’ batteries and have inherent vampire power (like my TV).
TTS stands for text to speech … I send a text notification from Vera based on some event … on the the Android Phone, Vera Alert App (Update soon to be released) speaks the text. Also saves the text for later review of notifications sent.
I’m working on creating a set up in Vera where I can monitor and then regulate the temperature in a number of rooms in the house, making calls to the boiler or hot water system when necessary.
Just to follow on the TTS theme, I’ve also been playing with TTS via the Sonos Plugin, which is working nicely and (thanks to Guessed) it’s being more closely integrated in the next Sonos plugin release.
Today I wired up an extra 9VDC power supply from a cordless phone to an automotive relay coil. 9V operates the relay just fine. I’m planning to use it to open & close my garage door upon arrival of a Z-wave outlet.
Whoa! I like that idea. I have a spare Intermatic HA01 ( I was looking for a use for it) that switches one of the 2 outlets. I also have a spare 12v PSU.
Replacing the ceiling outlet in my garage with the HA01 would give me the opener on the unswitched outlet and the PSU with attached relay on the switched one. All I would need to buy would be a widow/door sensor to determine the state of my garage door.
What kind of relay are you using? I was trying to find one that just activates and then auto deactivates. As my Craftsman opener only needs a pulse from the button. I worried about a longer on state of the relay interfering with the opener. I have a spare car remote so easy enough to wire the relay up to that one and keep it all compact.
I use the Evolv LFM-20 on my craftsman garage door opener. I than use the garage door plugin to open and close the relay. The plugin will turn on and off the relay in a fraction of a second just to trigger the door opener. Actually I modified woodys plugin to make some changes etc and was hoping to release it to the app store at some point for easy installation.
Garrett,
I was going to release Woodies plugin … I emailed him and he is OK with it.
I have moved the sense and control variables to service variables and made them available on the advanced tab. What changes do you have ? We should merge before release.
For halloween I added a scene to flash/dim the lights randomly in one of the upstairs rooms. We have a Vampire Stencil in the window of that room so it flashes now.
If nothing else, it’ll be an interesting stress test for the Leviton dimmer in that room
For those interested, the Luup looks like:
[code]function thunder(cnt)
local DEVICE = 103
if (tonumber(cnt) > 0) then
luup.call_delay(“thunder”, 1, tonumber(cnt) - 1)
local tmp = math.random(20, 85)
if (tmp <= 30) then
tmp = 0
end
luup.call_action("urn:upnp-org:serviceId:Dimming1",
"SetLoadLevelTarget",
{newLoadlevelTarget = tostring(tmp)},
DEVICE)
else
luup.call_action(“urn:upnp-org:serviceId:Dimming1”,
“SetLoadLevelTarget”,
{newLoadlevelTarget = “0”},
DEVICE)
end
end
I used the door sensor to detect when I am home or away from home. hook up a magnetic keychain to my keys, and installed the sensor near my key holder…
when i hang the key, it untripped and turn on all lights if is evening, switch on my fan, roll up the blinds, and unarmed my security.
when i leave the house, it tripped and switch off all appliances, armed the security.
Today I realized that the restart I did yesterday (first one ever), resolved a issue I had with one of my plug-in modules refuses to answer (Could not communicate with device error).
Today I have being trying to get my first piece of code to work, I have never written code before, so the fact that purchasing a Veralite has encouraged me to it, is testimony to how much I like it.
However, I do wish there was an app or webpage (or anything) that would allow me to check/debug my novice attempts line by line, explaining each time where I might be going wrong
and (thanks to Guessed) it’s being more closely integrated in the next Sonos plugin release.
