[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Will get another few as soon as I evaluate it. Anything else worth picking up?

Have got similar ones from Wipro.
Been using since past 2 years almost I guess, have got 3 smart plugs, all working fine. Have got option to set timer too.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Just bought one of these on the Amazon summer sale.
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will get another few as soon as I evaluate it. Anything else worth picking up?

Have 4 from Crabtree/ Havells for 16A sockets. Using them for heavy appliances like AC, dishwashers etc. One became temperamental & would not respond to the commands and then at times would start working normally. Raised a complain to Havells and it was replaced under warranty.
Have a 3-4 of them for 6A as well (Zebronics), they are working fine though.

[Newtown]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Just bought one of these on the Amazon summer sale.
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will get another few as soon as I evaluate it. Anything else worth picking up?

Yes, that's the one I use as well.

You should also pick up a Wifi based IR controller. Controls all your remote-controlled devices through voice. Thats a must.

[itwasntme]

Bought 6 on the sale for the washing machine, dryers dishwasher and fridges. Looking good! Very well made and far better than the Sonoff range.

[14000rpm]

Folk: need some assistance to Automate my Window Blinds.

Off the bat, I'll let you know this - I am dumb. I can't code even if my life depended on it. So that's that.

However, I have a burning desire to have lot of functions automated at home. Given the intelligence of a DODO in coding, I have merely integrated off the shelf 'made for dumb folk like me' components.

Lighting - Philips Hue wherever possible. Works like a charm and has been doing great.
Smart Switches - Nedis SmartLife. For cases where the light fixture can't be changed like Chandeliers.
Smart Plugs - Smart Life. for some very specific use cases.
Smart Thermostats- RuuviTag. for Sauna and for Terrace.

I have merely scratched surface and there are a lot of things that can still be done.

The use case that I can't find any off the shelf solution for is Smart Blinds. Seems like innovation in the Home Automation industry has tapered down.

Essentially, the window blinds are Horizontal slats that can be rotated for Open/Close with a wand and can be fully rolled up with a string.

For the time's when we get good sunlight, I roll up the blinds with the strings and roll them down in the night for privacy. I want to make this a one command task using Google Assistant and a mobile phone app.

All the smart Blinds solutions I am finding are a)Smart Wands for rotating the slats open/Close b) need the whole system to be replaced and c) extremely expensive.

All I am looking for is a simple retro-fit solution.

A battery operated Smart Motor that can Wind the String clockwise and anti-clockwise and can be controlled with a mobile phone app and talks to Google Assistant.

Calling for Advices and suggestions from all the Smart Folk in TBHP.

Any commercially available solution for the retro-fit solution I ask?
if none, any boutique Engineering Consultancy company that can take up such a small Paid project?

[srini1785]

Not exactly the type of "Automation" that's being discussed here but we did this RO waste water collection automation at our house recently. Bangalore was undergoing a serious water shortage during those days and I decided that water conservation starts at home. I originally come from Chennai and running behind water tankers was a childhood memory. I thought that I would not witness that in Bangalore but Alas!.

The RO waste water collection uses a lower tank (20L) and a storage loft tank (100L) both of which use a level control. The overall control uses a PLC (Programable Logic Control) which I had as a spare. The scheme is simple. There is a lower water tank to which the RO purifier is connected. This stores the water and when the water reaches maximum a submersible pump pushes the water to the overhead tank. When both tanks are full a bye pass arrangement simply sends the overflowing water from the lower tank to the sink and the Bye Pass Bulb glows.

Lower Tank:

Lower Tank with Pump and Level Control Switch :

Upper Storage Tank :

Control

Instrument Panel: