#Simple RGB light bulb + remote setup

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

halcyon aspen
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hi,
i want to get started with house automation with a few simple RGB light bulb setup, controlled with a single remote.
it seems that zigbee light bulbs + remote would be a good solution, what do you guys think ?

also i found this remote which seems nice, but can't find any reviews of it online. any opinon on it ?

thanks ! :)

mystic glade
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Is this a home assistant related question? Generally if you have the remode you don't need a computer to also control (but some people do...).

halcyon aspen
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so you think any zigbee remote would work with zigbee lights bulbs (or maybe even, any device) ?

molten pollen
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The Zigbee lights and remote will need to be paired with a Zigbee Hub. Whilst Home Assistant does support some hub's most people would connect a Zigbee radio directly to the Home assistant server making it the Hub.

Therefore, you should think about setting up Home Assistant first, then looking at how to add lights to it.

If you are looking for a solution for getting lights that will work now and can be added to Zigbee later, have a look at Gledopto and in particular their Pro range of lights. These lights are compatible with Zigbee, but also work on RF so can be controlled via a Remote even if their is no Zigbee network.

halcyon aspen
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and thanks for the insights !

rough junco
# halcyon aspen what is needed to have a "zigbee network" ? i guess i *have* to have a hub/coord...

IMO, if you want to get started in home automation, but you're not wanting to jump right into Home Assistant, then I would recommend getting an Amazon Echo Dot Max (US Link). (Not the cheaper Echo Dot.) It costs about $100USD and has a built-in Zigbee hub. Get some Zigbee RGB bulbs. Start automating via the Alexa app.
Some things to consider:
The Echo Dot Max requires internet. No internet, no smart home. Using HA and Zigbee devices, if the internet goes down, there's a strong chance that your smart home will still function. Avoid WiFi-based devices as they more-than-likely require some sort of cloud connection.
Automating via the Alexa app is somewhat limited. You may quickly find yourself wanting to do more than it is capable. The good thing is by using the Alexa to start automating, you'll get into the mindset of how to automate and get things to do what you want. This would be helpful going to HA in the future.
There is no easy migration from Alexa to HA. You would have to factory reset your bulbs and re-pair them with HA. Not a big deal but something to consider especially as your smart devices start to accumulate. Also, any automations you make in Alexa will need to be recreated in HA. If you do choose to migrate at some point, I would not recommend trying to migrate everything at once; work your way into it. HA can have a steep learning curve. Consider migrating one room. Give that room's devices and automations working before adding more. This way, your Alexa-based automations that haven't been migrated will still functions as your learning to use HA.
Lastly, with Alexa, Amazon has your data. HA doesn't.

halcyon aspen
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hey, thanks for the help
the thing isn't that i don't wanna jump directly in HA, it's that i'd rather not have a 24/7 pi running (for now at least) ; i already have a spare raspberry pi that i could use for that, AND i absolutely do NOT want my devices to be reachable to the internet nor send my data to Jeff Bezos :)

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so im trying to have a simple light bulbs + remote only setup, but if i need a hub i'll probably go for a HA on my raspberry ig

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setting it up is not a problem at all, i administer linux servers already, i think i'll manage x)

molten pollen
# halcyon aspen hey, thanks for the help the thing isn't that i don't wanna jump directly in HA,...

I'd take a step back if I were you. In all honesty, what is the point off having light bulbs that you can control with a remote control other than it saves you having to get up and walk a few meters to a light switch. I also suggest you think twice about using RGB lighting - you will find that it is mostly a novelty.

You have stated you don't want your devices to communicate with the Internet, and hence you need to see what works locally. You will need to be careful about using cheaper brands such as Tuya which uses a cloud based platform and of course most off the commercial Voice Assistants (ie. Alexa, Google Home etc.).

My advice since you say you have a Raspberry Pi, is to put Home Assistant and have a look at it. Don't even bother with smart home stuff yet, but get it to give you local Weather and other information you may be interested in. Yes, this does mean allowing it access to the Internet, but nothing more than you would be doing on your mobile or desktop.

The simple fact is if you were to go the Zigbee route, you would need a 'coordinator'. You go and buy a hub such as a Philips Hue Hub or as suggested an Alexa Max, but instead just run your PI 24/7 it will use about the same power as a Hub. At least with a PI and running Home Assistant you are in a bit more control as to what it does, who knows what the Alexa Max does in the background - you can't really disable the Internet access as it would disable most off the functionality.

So, simply put bite the bullet - run your PI 24/7 and maybe spend a bit getting a couple of Shelly's to go behind your existing wall switches to save you getting up and walking over to the light switch.

halcyon aspen
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why would you assume i want a remote for not moving my lazy ass to the switch ? :p
what i want is rgb light bulbs (even if it’s recent) that i can control (color + brightness) WITHOUT a smartphone (so guests could use it, or i could still use it if im out of battery)