chgoeditor

Thanks for sharing. I'm about to try it out. I find the SmartThings dashboard to be so un-intuitive. It took me more than a week to figure out that when I click the + I can do more than just add a new device.

gfunkdave

What do people do with SmartThings? I am in the market for a new gadget that can be useful, and even after going through their website, I still don't know what I'd use it for.

chgoeditor

I have the following:

• SmartThings hub
• Yale RealLiving touchscreen deadbolt
• SmartThings Moisture Sensor
• Two FirstAlert Smoke & CO2 detectors
• Two SmartThings Multi Sensors
• Two SmartSense Motion Detectors
• A bunch of GE Link bulbs
• SmartSense Open Close Sensor
• Homeboy webcam

My cell phone also acts as a presence sensor.

I use mine in a number of ways:

Front door -- Unlock my door using the ST app on my phone rather than entering the code on the touchscreen, plus if I'm not home (which the system knows because of the presence sensor on my phone) I get a text alert any time the front door opens/is unlocked or closes/is locked. My Homeboy camera also knows if I've left the house, arms the camera and takes a 30-second recording (which I get on my phone) whenever motion is detected. The Yale locks can be set to automatically relock after 30 seconds.

Lighting -- Certain lights in my house automatically turn on at about 7 pm and off at 11 pm. During that same period, my kitchen and front hallway lights turn on automatically if motion is detected (via the motion detector) and turn off a minute after the motion stops. If I'm not home or if I leave the house during that period, they automatically turn off.

Bathroom -- A few years ago I needed to do a $12,000 bathroom remodel thanks to a water leak that went undetected. Not wishing to repeat that, I now have a moisture detector under the bathroom sink.

Valuables -- I have a safe located in a closet. The closet has a motion detector in it and the safe has a multi-sensor. If I'm not home and the closet door is opened (motion detected) I get an alert. If the safe shakes or the safe door is open (both detected via the multisensor) I get another alert. At some point I'll probably add a siren that would sound if the safe is moved/opened and I'm not home. Separately, my jewelry box also has a multi-sensor and also alerts me if it's moved/opened and I'm not home.

Safety -- If my smoke detectors sound and I'm home, all of the lights will turn on and my front door will unlock. If I'm not home, I'll get a text alert.

I'm considering a few additions, but will probably hold off given that I may buy a new place within the next year (one great thing is that this all can relocate with me).

* Curb Energy Sensor: I have real-time electricity pricing, so I'd like a system that monitors energy consumption, turns certain things off when I leave the house and also turns them off if power prices are over a certain threshold. (I'd also have to automate some of my electrical outlets to do this.)

* Automatic window shades/curtains: During the summer months, I'd like my shades to lower or curtains to close as soon as the sun rises in the morning (eastern exposure) and open again when the windows aren't getting direct sunlight.

* If I stay in my current condo -- which is a 1950s building with window air conditioners -- I'd probably replace my air conditioners with the Quirky ACs so I could have some more energy-efficient AC usage that is better tied to the indoor/outdoor temp and whether anyone's home/in the room with the AC.

* I'm hoping to swap out my kitchen/hallway motion sensors with a sensor that has a brightness monitor, so the lights would go on if there is motion and it's dim/dark, rather than simply limiting it to a particular time of day.

chgoeditor

I know a couple of us on this thread use SmartThings. The company does have a referral program, so if you're thinking about making a purchase, please consider pinging us so we can give you a referral code (usually comes with a discount) and get a credit ourselves.

mooper

Do you have a Dropcam installed in my house, or what? So odd you wrote this, as I was just researching Smartthings as you posted that.

After considering Wink, Wemo, Philips Hue, Amazon Echo, and Smartthings hubs, I'm going with Smartthings, as it's broadly compatible with IFTTT (a must for me) and many other platforms. For example, I'm picking up some $15 Cree Connected LED bulbs that work with it... they are the cheapest smart LED bulbs available and rated to be superb. When my phone senses that I'm home, I'll have the desired bulbs turn on and other turn off, and vice versa when I leave. I'm also going to pick up a few sensors to play around with Smartthings and the Android app a bit. For example, I often have windows open in non-winter months and often forget which ones are when a storm is approaching. I'm going to slap some open/close sensors on the two that I most often use so I can check when away from home, or even when somewhere on my property where I can't see them but have my phone in-pocket. Motion sensors for security and the like are easy to use for those with the need.

chgoeditor

Are you waiting for the SmartThings hub v2 or going with the original?

I will say that the ST app interface, while lovely looking, is actually a UX nightmare. So many things aren't intuitive, and you often need to navigate down several menus to figure out how to do stuff. I do know they're redesigning it, but in the meantime it can cause headaches. I've been using mine since about March and only yesterday figured out how to make groups of devices. It's sort of like the gift that keeps on giving Every once in a while I'll be messing around and discover a screen or function I never new before (and sometimes have trouble finding again). That said, because it's open source, the community is fantastic about developing apps and interfaces that improve what doesn't work well or writing code for officially unsupported devices.

mooper

When is SmartThings v2 being released?

IsleOfMan

I'm currently leaning heavily towards SmartThings mainly for lighting control, but likely also for thermostat control. My main reason is I have Logitech Harmony Ultimate and I'm about to put Logitech Smart Control in the bedroom and livingroom (replacing older Harmony 600/650 remoted) and SmartThings is the only hub working natively with Smart Hub-based Harmony devices for control. I am, however, going to wait at least a few months to see how v2 support with Harmony fleshes out and make sure there's not major bugs or support lag on that front.

Jeannietx

If you want DIY this won't help, so just ignore me.

I have ADT Pulse and can control lights in three different rooms and see all my cameras. It tells me if a door or window isn't armed, about the smoke and CM, and heat detector, and all kinds of options that I don't use. My wants were to be able to control lights in the rooms that normally have lights on, and see what my cameras are seeing. I could also control my thermostat but I don't use that since I leave it where I want it.

gfunkdave

The rumor is early September, I think.

Even now, after people's feedback, I think I will probably not buy any home automation system. While I like the idea of it I just don't see the value for money. I live in a larger building, and the fire alarms and smoke detectors are all linked/hardwired. I might buy an Ecobee thermostat or a Nest thermostat, and just wire it so that it mostly works. I'd have to re-change two of the wires to switch from heat to cool but I don't think that's a big deal necessarily. I would probably also buy one or two more Wemo outlets and call it a day.

chgoeditor

Got an email from them earlier this week saying early September, and it's currently available for pre-order.

All the power to you if you've been able to figure out the Logitech Harmony configurations -- you won't have any issues with the SmartThings user interface. I'm a smart person, but wanted to personally go to Logitech's offices and scream in peoples' faces while trying to set up a Logitech Harmony wireless keyboard.

One of the great things about ST is that its hub works with a variety of protocols and manufacturers' devices.

IsleOfMan

I've always had very good luck and very little frustration with programming Harmony remotes, going all the way back to the very first ones Logitech released after originally acquiring Harmony. Hardware longevity, on the other hand, has never been their strong suit, but I have ~5 years on my current bedroom/livingroom 600/650, so that's actually not terrible.


This was the big draw to me for Wink and also Revolv when they were both in infancy, but not being able to control via Harmony (either IP, Bluetooth, or even an IR receiver) always made me feel like an implementation would lag one of the biggest convinience features of my current pretty archaic X10 setup. If SmartThings could just control my existing boatload of X10 light switches (at least until Halogen bulbs aren't available anymore and I have to replace them anyway) then I'd probably suck is up and jump in now.

mooper

Thanks guys. Yeah, I found their forum and the pre-order info as well. September looks like a pretty safe bet. I'm going to wait. Best part is the price is still $99. Usually a next-gen product will see a price hike, at least temporarily.

Tummy

I just preordered the new Smarthings hub, can't wait to try it. We've been using a Vera for the last 6 years with over 65 zwave devices in our house. It will be nice to be able to integrate the Harmony, our 6 Nest thermostats, IFTTT, and hopefully makes rules based on phone proximity.

chgoeditor

Wow...impressive. What kinds of devices do you have and what are you doing with them?