Wall light switches that work with Amazon Echo?

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  • wywywywy
    Automated Home Sr Member
    • Dec 2005
    • 86

    Wall light switches that work with Amazon Echo?

    Hi all,

    So the Amazon Echo is going to be delivered tomorrow Can't wait!

    But any recommendations on wall light switches that work with the Echo in the UK please?

    All of the ones I've seen are for the US, particularly the WeMo which as far as I can gather is the most popular one.

    I have HomeEasy switches everywhere in the house and it's a bit of a shame that I can't use them

    Thanks.
  • franktate
    Automated Home Sr Member
    • Feb 2007
    • 70

    #2
    Amazon are now bundling the WeMo Smart plug with the Echo Dot for £73.98 for Prime Members. So the assumption is that the WeMo system is endorsed by Amazon as working with Echo.
    Echo should also work with anything you have connected to a SmartThings hub, so anything 'Samsung', Z Wave or Zigbee should work.
    If all else fails Echo works with ITTT which is even more universal.

    Frank

    Comment

    • wywywywy
      Automated Home Sr Member
      • Dec 2005
      • 86

      #3
      Thanks but unfortunately I don't think any of the listed options has UK-style wall switches?

      Comment

      • MichaelD
        Automated Home Guru
        • Mar 2006
        • 167

        #4
        Echo works with IFTTT, and HomeEasy does too, so you should be able to use the Echo with your existing switches

        Did the Echo arrive? I thought the UK ones weren't being shipped until late October

        Comment

        • paulockenden
          Automated Home Legend
          • Apr 2015
          • 1719

          #5
          Originally posted by MichaelD View Post
          Echo works with IFTTT
          The UK version doesn't.

          Comment

          • wywywywy
            Automated Home Sr Member
            • Dec 2005
            • 86

            #6
            Originally posted by MichaelD View Post
            Echo works with IFTTT, and HomeEasy does too, so you should be able to use the Echo with your existing switches

            Did the Echo arrive? I thought the UK ones weren't being shipped until late October
            How do you make HomeEasy work with IFTTT? The only way I've found a bit convoluted - to use a Domoticz server with RFXcom.

            And yes my Echo has arrived

            It's a bit shitty that UK Echos don't work with IFTTT yet though! Hopefully it'll be fixed soon.

            Comment

            • wywywywy
              Automated Home Sr Member
              • Dec 2005
              • 86

              #7
              I got it working with HomeEasy now (without needing IFTTT).

              Thank you MichaelD for inspiring me to look for a software solution rather than buying a bunch of new products.

              I looked at Domoticz yesterday and to my surprise it's very easy to set up now, unlike when I looked at it 5-6 years ago. I brought out my spare Raspberry Pi and spare RFXcom, copied Domoticz to the SD card and that's it, it's ready to add devices. Then I saw in its wiki (which was very bare when I looked at it a number of years ago) and there's a detailed page to make it work with HA-Bridge, so Alexa thinks these are Philips Hue lights!

              Very easy. Just gotta add the rest of the HomeEasy devices now

              Comment

              • MichaelD
                Automated Home Guru
                • Mar 2006
                • 167

                #8
                Great to hear you got there without having to buy a stack of new hardware.

                I'd been looking through the IFTTT list of channels to see what they have now, and saw Echo on there. Hadn't imagined it would exclude UK Echos, my Echo dots won't arrive until later this month so haven't been able to try anything yet.

                And I thought I'd seen HomeEasy on the IFTTT list, but on checking through, see it was actually Lightwave RF I'd seen, had thought they were the same underlying tech, but apparently not ...

                Comment

                • goody
                  Automated Home Lurker
                  • Oct 2014
                  • 5

                  #9
                  Originally posted by wywywywy View Post
                  I got it working with HomeEasy now (without needing IFTTT).

                  Thank you MichaelD for inspiring me to look for a software solution rather than buying a bunch of new products.

                  I looked at Domoticz yesterday and to my surprise it's very easy to set up now, unlike when I looked at it 5-6 years ago. I brought out my spare Raspberry Pi and spare RFXcom, copied Domoticz to the SD card and that's it, it's ready to add devices. Then I saw in its wiki (which was very bare when I looked at it a number of years ago) and there's a detailed page to make it work with HA-Bridge, so Alexa thinks these are Philips Hue lights!

                  Very easy. Just gotta add the rest of the HomeEasy devices now
                  Hi

                  I have had HomeEasy light switches and sockets for about 7 -8 years. I use them with a HomeEasy remote. What do I need to buy in order to get them on the network so they are controllable via Amazon Echo/Dot?
                  Do I need a RFXcom transmitter and Domoticz. It is 'easy' to sort out, or do i need a degree in programming?!

                  Can i use Domoticz on an iMac , add devices and then control them via Amazon echo and/or iPhone or am I way off the mark?

                  Will I be able to control HomeEasy double wall sockets as well as the light switches?

                  Thanks
                  Last edited by goody; 6 June 2017, 06:09 PM.

                  Comment

                  • wywywywy
                    Automated Home Sr Member
                    • Dec 2005
                    • 86

                    #10
                    If you have experience setting up Raspberry Pis, or have Linux experience in general, it's reasonably easy to setup Domoticz + HABridge. Just follow the instructions.

                    Then you can point your iMac or PC or mobile device to the Pi's Domoticz webpage and control the devices from there. You will get Alexa talking to the HABridge in the Alexa app.

                    You can control any HomeEasy module.



                    Comment

                    • wywywywy
                      Automated Home Sr Member
                      • Dec 2005
                      • 86

                      #11
                      However if you're replacing the HomeEasy devices, from my research the LightwaveRF products (also mentioned by MichaelD above) seem to be the best bet. Good range of modules, works with Alexa out of the box, and not too overly expensive. And this is probably what I'll do when I eventually move.

                      Comment

                      • goody
                        Automated Home Lurker
                        • Oct 2014
                        • 5

                        #12
                        I will probably go down the Rasp Pi route as i have about 10 double sockets and a few outdoor sockets and 8 double light switches.

                        It's a shame you can not just replace the homeEasy modules on the back of the sockets and switches with Lightwave modules instead of replacing the whole socket/switch

                        Thanks very much!

                        Comment

                        • alexstephenson
                          Automated Home Jr Member
                          • May 2017
                          • 15

                          #13
                          control your lights from anywhere with Wemo Dimmer. This smart dimmer connects to your existing home Wi-Fi network to provide wireless control of your lights .

                          Comment

                          • goody
                            Automated Home Lurker
                            • Oct 2014
                            • 5

                            #14
                            As I am not very programmer savvy, and a bit too old and busy to learn all about it,i was wondering if I got something like a Homeseer controller with a RFXcom transmitter do anyone think that this would allow the HomeEasy wall sockets and wall switches to work with the Echo? Or have I got all this totally wrong ?

                            I have read differing reports about Vera, Homeseer and one or two others but have not really figured out which , if any , is best

                            Thanks guys

                            Comment

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