Smart lights

[porsche4life]

I've always been intrigued by the Phillips Hue bulbs, but never played with them. Uconntim sent me the two bulb white starter pack in the gift exchange so now I can. I set it all up and played with the bulb in my bedside lamp, but I won't leave it there as that bulb only gets turned off on with the switch.

I'm just curious, what are you all using your Hue lights for? I want to pick up a color changing bulb, but I know at this point it would be just a novelty.

I have one spot right when we come in the house that I could use an IFTT recipe to turn that light on when we get home, but then that is dependent on the kids not needing to turn on that light when we are gone. Still trying to decide because we don't have any other smart devices to link them to other than HomeKit on our phones.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

More "technology for technology's sake" IMHO. The last thing on earth I want is my house connected to the Internet. I do have a couple of smart thermostats that I've played around with connected to the main boiler aquastat that are technically wifi capable, but I've used that system maybe once in the last two years (I usually run wood and pellet stoves - I utterly hate burning oil, even at $1.50 a gallon). Absolutely, positively no good whatsoever can come from Big Data (especially Google, who now owns Nest) having access to or control of - wholly or partially - my home. No way. Just my $0.02.

[Holger]

Next year I will install security-devices in my house ("smarthome"). The device also can control Sonos-devices and Philips Hue, so I might include that later on.
We will have hidden/indirect light, and that will be nice with the Hue LED-stripes.

[RKDinOKC]

Mood lighting. Fancier than throwing a scarf over a lamp.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

More "technology for technology's sake" IMHO. The last thing on earth I want is my house connected to the Internet. I do have a couple of smart thermostats that I've played around with connected to the main boiler aquastat that are technically wifi capable, but I've used that system maybe once in the last two years (I usually run wood and pellet stoves - I utterly hate burning oil, even at $1.50 a gallon). Absolutely, positively no good whatsoever can come from Big Data (especially Google, who now owns Nest) having access to or control of - wholly or partially - my home. No way. Just my $0.02.

Not really, if at this time you are about to redo your house, you can save a lot of hassle from not having to wire all the light circuits.

Just circulate the wire to just where you want light fixtures ,that's all

[GH85Carrera]

I guess the artist side of me is underdeveloped. I don't even understand the purpose of wanting the lights to change or to be some strange color. I like 5500K bright white lights. I hate dim "mood" lighting. I have been to some friends houses and it looked like they were filming a vampire movie with the dim lighting they like. I could hardly see the food. I almost got out my cell phone to light up the food to see what it was. I guess they can save time cleaning the house because no one could ever see a mess in the corners or dirt on the floor or dust on the furniture.

I don't understand wanting a colored light but that is just me. YMMV.

[svandamme]

Well you can do more then just dim or change the color
You can program em to be lit when you walk in on a timer, or on motion detection, or a combination of the 2 schedules, like motion detection at night so you don't stumble on your way to the ****ter..
or random so it looks like somebody is home, to a burglar.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

More "technology for technology's sake" IMHO. The last thing on earth I want is my house connected to the Internet. .

^^^^Exactly, I said this very thing to my wife on the way home last night from her parents house who had just gotten a new Echo Dot.....the one you have to address as "Alexa" before asking a question, or wanting the lights turned on.

There is no reason in the world for them (80 years old) to have this new fangled crap making their life more connected.

I barely know where my cell phone is most times, and could care less about the latest technology....truly old school), but I live in a family who loves everything new, so slowly, they are dragging me into the 21st century.

[Gogar]

I enjoy it. I have a Hue Tap right by the front door and I can set 3 scenes for my living room, which has about 6 Hue lights in it. I have an "all on" scene, a "gone" scene, and another one with a little color and mood to it.

Don't be worried about the light switch that controls each bulb. You can sort of train yourself to just use it like you always did, with the bonus of control when it's on.


Also remember that the GE smart bulbs at Home Depot for like $12 or something will also work with Hue at a much lower price.


And the IFTT stuff is fun, but sometimes you just don't need your lights to turn green when you get an email and blue when you get a text. What a terrible way to live!!

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I guess the artist side of me is underdeveloped. I don't even understand the purpose of wanting the lights to change or to be some strange color. I like 5500K bright white lights. I hate dim "mood" lighting. I have been to some friends houses and it looked like they were filming a vampire movie with the dim lighting they like. I could hardly see the food. I almost got out my cell phone to light up the food to see what it was. I guess they can save time cleaning the house because no one could ever see a mess in the corners or dirt on the floor or dust on the furniture.

I don't understand wanting a colored light but that is just me. YMMV.

I will eventually use color mixing lighting in a place without windows, have it subtly shift based on real time to give an idea of passing time.

I'll soft light the ceiling and walls with color mixing 7K Lumens 80 Watt fixtures. Probably happen next year. Two should do the trick nicely.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

I will eventually use color mixing lighting in a place without windows, have it subtly shift based on real time to give an idea of passing time.

I'll soft light the ceiling and walls with color mixing 7K Lumens 80 Watt fixtures. Probably happen next year. Two should do the trick nicely.

That would just drive me crazy. I work in a metal box of a building with no windows. I have to go open the back door or front door if I want to see the weather outside. 100% florescent lights in here.

Good luck with the color changing lights on your next place.

[crustychief]

We have some in a couple of rooms. Mrs Crusty loves them. She likes the color schemes and the fact she can turn them on from anywhere.

[Hugh R]

Had a party last night, I turned the Hue's red and green. I don't play with them much, my Echo Dot I got for xmas can apparently dim them as well.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

More "technology for technology's sake" IMHO. The last thing on earth I want is my house connected to the Internet. I do have a couple of smart thermostats that I've played around with connected to the main boiler aquastat that are technically wifi capable, but I've used that system maybe once in the last two years (I usually run wood and pellet stoves - I utterly hate burning oil, even at $1.50 a gallon). Absolutely, positively no good whatsoever can come from Big Data (especially Google, who now owns Nest) having access to or control of - wholly or partially - my home. No way. Just my $0.02.

I'm OK with Smart stuff, but I want mine to be able to work 2 ways, via the Internet and/OR via my home wifi and a controller or app at the home. I don't trust most of the folks that make smart stuff to have good security on their phone home website, and don't want a bunch of 14 year olds or Chinese or Russian hackers playing with my lighting or thermostat when they are bored. I had a smart/wifi thermostat at home. The great thing was that I had an app on my PC that would control the thermostat and didn't even have the thermostat phoning home. I don't need to make changes when I'm not at home, but it's nice to be able to program from an application rather than the screen on a thermostat.

[Gogar]

I dont care about changing the temp on the house from afar but it is nice to do it from my phone in bed if the thermostat is in the other room.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

That would just drive me crazy. I work in a metal box of a building with no windows. I have to go open the back door or front door if I want to see the weather outside. 100% florescent lights in here.

Good luck with the color changing lights on your next place.

Same place.

Not sure what exactly to do with them, they will be an unplanned for (on my part) bonus where I get a few to play with permanently when they go to production.

I am however, in an upstairs of an office building structure put within a larger industrial building.

I do not really like the fad with colored LED's and clear plastic windows all over Personal Computer cases, pointless distraction. I may feel the same with color change lighting, but until I actually do, I'll hold judgement.

Florescent's drive me nuts. I think I'm really sensitive to the sounds they make, even when the ballast is in good condition.

[Holger]

I think V1 of Hue does not good in the green and yellow area? For V2 this should be fixed.

Gogar, the Hue Tap is interesting. But I think they also have a motion sensor to trigger the light when entering the house or a room?