@GraemeH - correct.
1 Like
Is there a problem in getting up and pressing a switch?
1 Like
Yes.
G
The new generation of Philips Hue are compatible with bluetooth as well. It should display the bluetooth sign on the box. If it is only one light you need you just need the app on your ipad and control the light through bluetooth. I believe you should be able to go up to 10 lights without the need for a hue bridge.
1 Like
Who uses a switch nowadays? Lol
That’s really helpful. Thanks.
G
Having all this tech just to control the lights seems ridiculous. In two years time it will be superseded and there’s more money spent and more waste in landfill. All our wall lights are individually switched and it’s not hard to press the little button. But each to their own of course.
1 Like
Npyw. You should check out the filament types as well. They are not multicolored like the normal hue’s are but have a nice warm glow to them. I use them in my hall and landings. The rest of y house are colored hue’s and strips, voicecontrolled and through a kaku system.
2 Likes
Each to their own, agreed. But for me the benefits are setting the room in different modes. When i say “start woonkamer” to my google mini it will turn on the lights in a certain level and color. When i say “start sunset” it will set the lights to different shades of red orange and yellow in a way it will look like a sunset. I have programmed a few scenes that way. And i can turn the place into a disco haha
It’s not just about switching the lights on and off. There are many apps for these lights which can emulate tungsten, fluorescent, daylight, candlelight etc. One app has a setting to set your lights 6500k at a dim setting. Useful if you have a strip light on the back of your tv, as it slightly punches the image up. Lights can be set to come on automatically at a predetermined time before sunset. Mood lighting at your fingertips. You can even have a light flash when the doorbell is rung. Good if you are hard of hearing. Can be easily operated from outside the home via Wi-Fi. Make it look like you are at home. The possibilities are almost limitless. Wall switches have been superseded, although I will be keeping mine as a back up.
2 Likes
I have ‘mood’ lighting in the lounge for a while & can change ‘k’ numbers & Lumens levels, but not colour tints. However after the initial fascinated learning period, I (we) now rarely change anything. I have them (down-lighters) set to a mellow gold, but we invariably only have the ‘coffee table’ lights on when home alone in our own chairs for chat, reading, TV & HiFi.
Graeme, I find it’s not just the convenience of being able to control my heating and lights remotely but also the security aspect.
I have Diabetic eyesight problems so reading a LCD screen on a wall mounted heating thermostat is extremely difficult but with the Hive App it is a breeze also this time of year if you go out for the day you can turn the heating down and switch it on when you are getting close to home.
I have a small desk light in the Conservatory which switches on and off in a random sequence in the evenings and in the summer I activate a door and movement sensor which activates my reading light in the lounge plus my phone will buzz.
As you say the possibilities are endless and you can customise to suit your own particular circumstances.
2 Likes
Quite right, I forgot about those new ones.
Also worth mentioning perhaps that more recent colour bulbs in the last year or so have a better colour gamut than earlier ones - I’d imagine virtually all on sale currently will be up to date specs unless from smaller 3rd party sellers with old stock.
1 Like
It’s certainly far from essential, but as with many things I think you pay through the nose as an early adopter, but the technology seems pretty mature already - undoubtedly there will be slightly more efficient /potentially brighter bulbs in the future.
Lighting can add so much to a room’s ambiance, even with all my clutter!
There are many accessories for these ‘smart bulbs/light strips’ including non-wired dimmer switches, motion detectors and so forth - perhaps it seems a bit like having a graphic equalizer on a Naim preamp but remote control of lighting is very useful, especially when you can change things away from home for security purposes.
I’ll admit I hate ‘conversing’ with ‘smart digital assitants’ such as Alexa/Siri/Cortana/whoever and am happier controlling items on a smartphone which allows better granularity of colour changes whereas the digital assistants only understand a small number of ‘colours’.
I’ve yet to optimise it but being able to make sure the kids bedroom/bedside lights are off is very handy, and there are features which allow gradual dimming at a predetermined time to ease them to sleep and also to gradually brighten to simulate dawn. Not essential unless you have blackout blinds I guess, but there are standalone products which emulate these diurnal light changes and smart bulbs allow you to do this via software without a dedicated intelligent lamp assembly.
Indeed yes
And you can control by not using the bridge too, by using Zigbee switches… some are battery powered, and others are kinetically powered… ie the electricity to operate the switch and the Zigbee transmitter is powered by simply clicking a switch… no waste of batteries and totally efficient.
I have the battery powered ones set as wall light switches… and the kinetic switches on various dressers or sideboard tops.
I have used Hue switches for over two years now and have been very impressed, and my front path lighting automatically comes on and off in the evening using Hue lamps in external fixtures… with the daisy chaining you get a large range… and with Alexa, the last one to bed simply says “Alexa all lights off”, and all the Hue lights go out…and if you don’t, the automation switches off at 1am… easy.
The only downside is that if you have a power cut, all the Hue lights power on at full brightness, and you need to wait for automation to switch off, or manually switch off.
I always buy the clear led filament bulbs. They’re brighter and the light is crisper (if you get my drift). About a year ago I bought a load of bc22 clear filament bulbs 1520lm, but both manufacturers of this spec bulb seemed to have stopped making them. For many years it’s always been very difficult to buy good bright bulbs. There really must be a market for them.
6000k in the computer room, 4000k in the kitchen/bedroom and 2700 everywhere else.
2 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.