Has anyone had/used this idea before?
Definitely limited still but I’m going to use this with an iOS Shortcuts Automation when I’m leaving my house to do things like turn on my inside cameras, set up the lighting, and turn on notifications.
I drew out the idea but I’ll explain here too for searching purposes:
Using a Wyze bulb set to turn on when the power is restored and a cheap HomeKit smart plug, and with some particular rules set up, I should be able to run a single Device Trigger rule from Apple HomeKit/Siri/iOS Shortcuts.
Meross HomeKit Smart Plug - $13.99 (reg 14.99)
Wyze Bulb 1pk - $7.99 + $3.99 shipping (can be had cheaper if bought strategically)
Outlet to Lampholder - $2.35
Total= $28.32 (29.32 when Smart Plug is reg price)
I already have a spare Wyze bulb and the lamp I can use, so this will cost me only 13.99. I’m going to set it up in the basement where the extraneous light won’t bother anyone.
I tested this with the rules by manually flipping the light switch (to mimic what the HomeKit plug will do) and got it to work successfully with these rules.
Thoughts?
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How are you doing your short cut? Based on what I’m reading the bulb is the trigger for it, but that would still require it be exposed to HomeKit. This is an easy work around, just curious how it looks.
If you’re using a Homekit Smartplug, why would you even need a smart bulb? In my Garage with all my T8 fluorescent tubes, I just use a couple of Homekit Smart Switches. Then I have my North Garage lights and South Garage lights. In fact using Apple’s HOME app, I have my south garage lights linked to my Garage Door opener when is Homekit supported. So I can just lift my wrist and say Open Garage and the garage door starts to open and the south garage lights come on. I can lift my wrist (I have a Apple Watch, no need to say Hey Siri!) say Close Garage and the door closes and the south garage lights go off. The best thing is I don’t even have to use Siri or Voice control. They are LINKED and so I can just push the garage door button on the wall and the light goes on/off with the door. Or use the normal Remotes and the light still goes on/off with the door. That’s one of the biggest improvements I’ve made for my Dad who is 73 and lives with me at my house. Much better light in the garage, espeally at night. Sometimes, not lately with the whole Covid thing, but he would go out and visit some friends and come back and be dark out. With much better light, he can better see where he is going and not trip over anything. I have the Ecobee 4 so he can easily adjust the home temp since he’s retired and so home most of the time. Which is my Home Security while I’m at work. Besides the PoE 5MP cameras all around the outside of my house
So I just think if you have a Homekit outlet and a Lamp holder to plug into it. Why would you need a smart bulb on top of that when you can just use a cheap LED bulb? Do you have an outlet that is up high where the bulb is not going to get hit?
I like Smart Switches over Bulbs anyway. If you want one that changes to different colors, OK, I get that for that reason. But for a normal bulb? If you turn the bulb off with the app or your voice, you can’t turn it on with the switch. With a switch, you can use the app or your voice or anyone and just operate the switch like always. I think all our is the best solution and you can use any light bulbs you want. I have an outside Garage light that is LED on a switch. Then I have a couple of Smart Switches for the North and South side of my Garage that handles a bunch of T8 Fluorescent tube type lights. For example, 1 switch controls 10 T8 bulbs. In time as they go bad, I’ll switch them out to LED Tube lights. I have a couple of them on the other side of my garage.
Figure out what works best in your situation. I have a number of WYZE products where Homekit support is not critical but would be nice, and other products of theirs I just refuse to get at this point because it lacks Homekit support. Then you have to look elsewhere. I have Siri control everywhere I go by lifting my wrist. That includes out back, out front, at work, etc. I don’t need to infest my whole house with smart speakers. My Dad uses his iPhone or iPad. A lot of this is really over his head. I wired my house with Cat6 Ethernet, have a fancy looking Network rack in my small closet. He has zero idea on any of it. The older generation really didn’t grow up with computers. My first was a Commodore Vic-20 with a tape drive!!! Does anyone remember X10 devices? This was way before Smartphones. It was a way to control your home devices also. But it was one-way communication. It was flaky. Really did not work very well.
Shortcut is an automation that says When I leave X address, Do: turn on the HomeKit plug. Wait 1 min, turn off the HomeKit plug.
To clarify: the purpose of this is to be able to use HomeKit/Siri/iOS shortcut triggers to run a single rule already set up in the Wyze app as a device trigger.
Because there is no official HomeKit support with the Wyze stuff, doing these more granular or complex triggers (using sunset/sundown, leaving or arriving at a location, connecting to a certain WiFi network or Bluetooth device) has not been an option without using something like IFTTT or Homebridge, etc.
I have 15+ Wyze bulbs plus cameras, sensors, etc so I was looking for a way to do this without reinvesting a bunch of money by replacing these or adding additional complexity to the setup.
This isn’t about controlling the bulb. It uses the bulb’s Power Loss Recovery setting to my advantage because a bulb turning on can be a trigger for a Wyze app Rule. So I’m essentially sacrificing a single Wyze bulb for these purposes.
Turn off the sacrificial bulb with a rule (20s step 2 rule in my drawing). Cut power to the lamp with the HomeKit smart plug (using a wait/timer in the Shortcut). Now if I restore power to the HomeKit plug using the more beneficial triggers, that bulb setting means the Wyze bulb comes on. Now whatever rule I have set up in Wyze for “When sarcrificial bulb turns on Do X” will run (the rule from step 3 in my drawing).
So I just use HOOBS to expose my bulbs to HomeKit and it’s perfect.
Thanks, I’ll look into that more. Seems like a workable solution for some of my WYZE stuff and another product I have. It looks like an interesting solution. It seems to be an Interface that’s easier to use that is over the top of Homebridge.
IT is a very simple interface, prevents Rabbit holing too much. Wyze products at this time that integrate with it are the plugs, sensors, and bulbs. But who knows once the new stuff releases
