Outdoor power "Controllers"?

[MJuric]

I've been digging around for a while looking for a good solution to being able to control, preferably remotely, all of ones outdoor power gadgets.

While I currently do not have all of the following in place eventually what I would like to control would be something like, pool pump, pool light, smaller pump for a solar heater, lighting for a couple different zones and maybe a couple other features that might include a valve or two.

My problem is that even when I look at some pretty expensive units they don't seem to include all of these things and don't include some of the control options "I would like". For instance I found a nice light controller, it could do a whole lot with lights but couldn't control a pool pump and couldn't do some of the things you can do with a cheap and simple light controller...like make the lights react to music....stupid I know but how fun would it be to have your whole back yard playing along to "Baby Elephant Walk" or "International Harvester"?

I can get pretty much everything I would want but would end up with two, three or more different controllers and then would have to control them all thru different apps and or it would be difficult to control them simultaneously. IE how do you get the pool light to time with the path lighting if they are on two different controllers?

Furthermore most of the units are not expandable. For instance lets say in five years I wanted to completely automate the pool care, I'd have to completely replace the pool controller because it wouldn't have any way to expand it to accept other inputs or outputs.

This seems like this should be something that was on the market with all the "Smart" stuff that is out there today but it seems to me that all the "Smart" stuff out there isn't very bright and is designed to control a thing or some set of things, lights, speakers, pumps, furnace etc not "One ring to rule them all"

Any thoughts or experience on this?

[Frederick_Law]

You won't find a single product to control everything.
You could use Google or Alexa or Siri to control all of them.
Some company: renovation, smart home has touch panel to control all those smart products.

Once you pick a product, there is no going back. They're not compatible with other.

So you'll need to pick one for each job you want to do.
Then pick one that can integrate all of them.

Sounds like a Hackaday project.

[matt]

For indoors stuff I've used plugs like Wemo. That gives you a bluetooth connection to the plug, from which you can connect various devices. Not sure if you're using hard wired stuff or if they make outdoor plugs, but that's one thing we have done at my house.

[MJuric]

Sounds like a Hackaday project.

Exactly, which is my point. I can find a controller that would do all the pool stuff and even the basic function of the pool light on/off. I can find a controller for lights. I can find a controller for valves etc but how do you tie them all together?

Seems like something like that should exist but like you said nothing seems to work together.

[SPerman]

For the higher voltage/current devices (like the pool pump) you could use a light switch controller to switch a relay.

If you really wanted to sink a bunch of time into it you could roll your own with an arduino, or for even more $ a plc.

[Frederick_Law]

You can IFTTT everything.

https://www.the-ambient.com/guides/smar ... ystems-152
https://home-automations.net/smartthings-vs-hubitat/
https://www.control4.com/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/smart-home-devices
https://www.vivint.com/packages/home-automation
https://www.techhive.com/article/320631 ... ystem.html

Search: Smart Home Automation, Smart Home System

[mattpeneguy]

I wish IoT would die...My damn gas range wants to connect to the internet...Who in the hell would want to turn on a gas range remotely?
Sorry @MJuric, I'm not with you on this one...

I remember years ago they had some standard like X10 that looked promising. It was not over the internet, but through your wifi, controlled by you. That's something I'd consider, but all the devices out there now want to phone home.

[MJuric]

I wish IoT would die...My damn gas range wants to connect to the internet...Who in the hell would want to turn on a gas range remotely?

What else are you supposed to heat your house with in the winter? Turn on Burner 1 and 4 30 minutes before you get home and the house is nice and toasty, one way or another, when you get home.

[mike miller]

I wish IoT would die...My damn gas range wants to connect to the internet...Who in the hell would want to turn on a gas range remotely?
Sorry @MJuric, I'm not with you on this one...

I remember years ago they had some standard like X10 that looked promising. It was not over the internet, but through your wifi, controlled by you. That's something I'd consider, but all the devices out there now want to phone home.

Yeah. Or what about the fridges with webcams inside? Seriously, the point is.................????

If the food is starting to go bad, maybe it would be better to dispose of it BEFORE it goes rogue in the fridge.

[MJuric]

For the higher voltage/current devices (like the pool pump) you could use a light switch controller to switch a relay.

If you really wanted to sink a bunch of time into it you could roll your own with an arduino, or for even more $ a plc.

I had thought of the Arduino idea and that's essentially what would be needed, I'm just kind of surprised that something like that off the shelf doesn't exist already.

A "master controller". You're really talking about something that can control relays, and run various programs. I have and Arduino but have barely played with it. Seems to me like you would need maybe multiple Arduino's or something else, Rasberry Pi or similar because you would have multiple programs. Timer for the pool pump, programs for the lights, I/O and programs for other items etc etc.

I could even go out and buy a thin client that comes with Wi-Fi, HD etc etc and then figure out how to write a program that would be able to control everything.

[MJuric]

You can IFTTT everything.

https://www.the-ambient.com/guides/smar ... ystems-152
https://home-automations.net/smartthings-vs-hubitat/
https://www.control4.com/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/smart-home-devices
https://www.vivint.com/packages/home-automation
https://www.techhive.com/article/320631 ... ystem.html

Search: Smart Home Automation, Smart Home System

That looks closer to what I'm looking for. I'll have to dig thru some of those links and see what they have. Typically what I was running into was if something could control high amp/Volt it didn't have much for low voltage and visa versa.

Looks like some of that stuff is actually more what I was looking for "Apps" to control other items.

Thanks

[Frederick_Law]

What else are you supposed to heat your house with in the winter? Turn on Burner 1 and 4 30 minutes before you get home and the house is nice and toasty, one way or another, when you get home.

You can cook dinner, wash your cloths, walk your dog, vaccum the house, flush the toilet, take out the trash all without lifting a finger
Just hire a servant. Probably cost less then all the device and subscription.
Or make more kids to do the job.

[MJuric]

Yeah. Or what about the fridges with webcams inside? Seriously, the point is.................????

If the food is starting to go bad, maybe it would be better to dispose of it BEFORE it goes rogue in the fridge.

Actually this makes a lot of sense to me especially if the camera(s) are controllable. You can see what's in the fridge without opening it, which saves a lot of energy. With the lenses and night vision they have on these small camera's now you could probably have a pretty good view of an entire shelf with a single camera.

You can also spy on you kids to make sure they aren't drinking your beer.

[Frederick_Law]

It'll answer the question: How many left in the fridge? When you're in beer store.
Not that it'll change how much you'll buy.

[Tahhhd]

It'll answer the question: How many left in the fridge? When you're in beer store.
Not that it'll change how much you'll buy.

I've often thought about a "beer fridge app" - something to scan the bar code when you bring the beer home, and mark the quantity before you put it in the fridge.
Have a little "can smasher" for when you pull a can out of the fridge to keep the count correct.
Then you could see that you only have 3 of this beer left, or whatever.
Have it displayed on a device so you can take requests before you run downstairs to grab a couple.
I haven't logged into Untappd in a really long time . . . maybe it does something like this now . . . would be cool/useful.
t

[mattpeneguy]

Cameras in our fridges?...what's next?...cameras in our toilets?...
Just because you can put a camera somewhere doesn't mean you should...

[SPerman]

At some point my "smart" dishwasher decided it needed to tell me if I ran the dishes and didn't open the door afterwards. It decided the appropriate time for this warning was at 3am. You could turn this feature off through the app, but the dishwasher will no longer connect to the wireless. (Ton's of reports on this for LG appliances.)

Long story short, my dishwasher no longer contains a speaker.

[MJuric]

I've often thought about a "beer fridge app" - something to scan the bar code when you bring the beer home, and mark the quantity before you put it in the fridge.
Have a little "can smasher" for when you pull a can out of the fridge to keep the count correct.
Then you could see that you only have 3 of this beer left, or whatever.
Have it displayed on a device so you can take requests before you run downstairs to grab a couple.
I haven't logged into Untappd in a really long time . . . maybe it does something like this now . . . would be cool/useful.
t

Actually I had a similar idea but for all the food in the fridge. You could program little RFID tags and attach them to all the food, left overs, etc in the fridge. You would then know all the things that are way in the back without digging thru the whole shelf You could also auto generate grocery lists based on fridge an pantry contents....and then of course auto order...delivery and so forth. Essentially the entire process would eliminate having to grocery shop at all.

[MJuric]

Cameras in our fridges?...what's next?...cameras in our toilets?...
Just because you can put a camera somewhere doesn't mean you should...

Well....if your over 50 you've probably had a camera in worse places then the toilet

[MJuric]

You can IFTTT everything.

https://www.the-ambient.com/guides/smar ... ystems-152
https://home-automations.net/smartthings-vs-hubitat/
https://www.control4.com/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/smart-home-devices
https://www.vivint.com/packages/home-automation
https://www.techhive.com/article/320631 ... ystem.html

Search: Smart Home Automation, Smart Home System

I looked at IFTTT and that seems....well stupid, unless I'm missing something. I looked at several dozen apps of "Send me an E-mail when the temperature hit's 81F", "Turn on my porch light at 6AM". 90% of the apps has something to do with getting or sending twitter posts or equally mind numbing action.

However I did run into https://www.yonomi.co/yonomi-app which seems like exactly what I'm looking for. "One app to rule them all". By using this, at least it appears, that you can write "Routines" that essentially send various commands to multiple devices.

So I can buy a "Smart timer" of any type for my pool pump and let the timer control the pump and whatever other devices I wanted. I could the write various routines in Yonomi to make those devices take various actions.