Home Assistant : Q&A, Tips & Tricks, Your Configs

I have some of these, no neutrals and works with SonoffLan.


However, I did have to put in a capacitor (supplied) behind one of the lights in each of the circuits

That is the one I was considering.

I compared the pricing between the sonoff from bangood vs eachen from geewiz. Its a R1k+ difference for the switches I was looking at getting.

Pulling the neutrals will probably cost less, but it will require much more time and effort. On the other hand pulling the neutrals will remove future limitations (not that I plan on routinely changing light switches).

I somewhat trust sonoff more as a brand, eachen doesnt seem very well established yet. Even their website says not secure lol
 
Has anyone manage to integrate existing intercom/doorbell into HA.

I have a Polophone from Centurion I would like to get MQTT notifications for,not sure if this can be hacked to accommodate a ESP8266 board like a Wemos D1


IMG_3017.jpg
 
I use a r120ish Ellies wireless doorbell with a Sonoff RF

You can't talk to the person - but - I have a camera outside, so - they push the button, I get a picture of who's there, and decide what to do. I generally don't answer the door unless its someone I'm expecting. (I also have an automation that disables the doorbell for 5min if it's someone I'm not interested in)
 
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I thought I might as well add the posts I bookmarked while I struggled with this

Post 555 << This is the code posted here, its same as the one you posted (well similar)


Post 638 << This is where I got stuck for a while, the topic is case sensitive.

Post 649 << For some nice looking toggles

All credit should go to @xrapidx, @Tinuva and @JacoBushy. These guys really helped a lot of folks here

I forgot to say thanks as I got this working :cool: And to @xrapidx, @Tinuva and @JacoBushy.
 
I use a r120ish Ellies wireless doorbell with a Sonoff RF

You can't talk to the person - but - I have a camera outside, so - they push the button, I get a picture of who's there, and decide what to do. I generally don't answer the door unless its someone I'm expecting. (I also have an automation that disables the doorbell for 5min if it's someone I'm not interested in)

Thanks seems like the only way without having to tinker to much.

I’m looking for pretty much the same solution as you, bell rings and notification to be sent with a picture.

Was hoping to make use of the existing hardware and retain the intercom features as well as the intercom is connected to the centurion D5 gate motor
 
Thanks seems like the only way without having to tinker to much.

I’m looking for pretty much the same solution as you, bell rings and notification to be sent with a picture.

Was hoping to make use of the existing hardware and retain the intercom features as well as the intercom is connected to the centurion D5 gate motor
I asked a similar question here: https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/make-cheap-intercom-smart.1136861/

While mine looks different than yours, sounds like they kinda do the same thing. Mine I dont think the headset works. Only the ringing part and being able to open a centurion gate.

So going to try and find the wire that increases in voltage when the button is pressed.
 
I asked a similar question here: https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/make-cheap-intercom-smart.1136861/

While mine looks different than yours, sounds like they kinda do the same thing. Mine I dont think the headset works. Only the ringing part and being able to open a centurion gate.

So going to try and find the wire that increases in voltage when the button is pressed.

my tinkering skills are limited but I’m keen to learn .. will def share any of my findings in the hope that it can assist ..
 
I'm also still learning this tinkering thing. I managed to successfully hook the alarm up to Home Assistant, and it now sends me telegram messages when it triggers indicating which zone has triggered, as well as being able to arm / disarm via telegram commands. I'd like to set up a button on Lovelace to bypass certain zones and then arm, but it's here where I need some assistance. I'm thinking the button press would serve as the trigger, with the bypass commands sent as an action, followed by the arm command. I've managed to test the bypass command via developer tools so I know that works, it's just getting it to activate via a lovelace button press. Any suggestions?
 
I'm also still learning this tinkering thing. I managed to successfully hook the alarm up to Home Assistant, and it now sends me telegram messages when it triggers indicating which zone has triggered, as well as being able to arm / disarm via telegram commands. I'd like to set up a button on Lovelace to bypass certain zones and then arm, but it's here where I need some assistance. I'm thinking the button press would serve as the trigger, with the bypass commands sent as an action, followed by the arm command. I've managed to test the bypass command via developer tools so I know that works, it's just getting it to activate via a lovelace button press. Any suggestions?
I have this, sort of a button, that runs a service call for me.
Screenshot 2021-05-17 at 18.02.20.png

The lovelace yaml looks like this:
Code:
type: entities
title: Alarm Commands
entities:
  - type: 'custom:paper-buttons-row'
    buttons:
      - entity: binary_sensor.main_bedroom_window
        name: Bypass Main Bedroom Window
        state_styles:
          Open:
            icon:
              color: 'rgb(25, 147, 255)'
            text:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
          Closed:
            icon:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
            text:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
        tap_action:
          action: call-service
          service: envisalink.alarm_keypress
          service_data:
            entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
            keypress: '*115#'

Now, if you want this to combine the zone bypass and arming the alarm, you can create a script and then call the script that then does both actions.

It doesn't look nice, but it will do what you want.

That said, I think I have seen other stuff where you can add a custom tap action to anything basically, so I guess you could add it to something else in lovelace.
 
How do you arm/disarm via telegram? That would be quite cool. Usually I just leave home and it arms itself after 5 min, now I disarm with the app. Telegram would be faster than opening the app all the time
 
How do you arm/disarm via telegram? That would be quite cool. Usually I just leave home and it arms itself after 5 min, now I disarm with the app. Telegram would be faster than opening the app all the time

wouldnt a remote and receiver just be easier? sure i get using your phone on the occasion you dont want to take keys etc but it seems like you are making your life harder trying to make it "easier"
 
I've got mine set to auto-arm when no one is home (location based) and then I have a widget (Android HA companion app) on my homescreen to call a service that will arm/disarm.

Not a fan of auto-disarming when I get home for security reasons.
 
wouldnt a remote and receiver just be easier? sure i get using your phone on the occasion you dont want to take keys etc but it seems like you are making your life harder trying to make it "easier"

Eventually I will get a remote but at the moment, my current remote only has 2 buttons for both complex gates.

To get a 4 button remote will involve me going to the body corp to get it programmed for the gates and those people are full of s**t. So trying to avoid that for now
 
How do you arm/disarm via telegram? That would be quite cool. Usually I just leave home and it arms itself after 5 min, now I disarm with the app. Telegram would be faster than opening the app all the time
Here's my code:

id: "000010"
alias: "Telegram disarm alarm"
trigger:
platform: event
event_type: telegram_command
event_data:
command: "/disarm"
action:
- service: alarm_control_panel.alarm_disarm
data:
code: !secret alarm_code
target:
entity_id: alarm_control_panel.safe_alarm_panel
mode: single

- id: "000011"
alias: "Telegram arm alarm"
trigger:
platform: event
event_type: telegram_command
event_data:
command: "/arm"
action:
- service: alarm_control_panel.alarm_arm_away
target:
entity_id: alarm_control_panel.safe_alarm_panel
mode: single
 
I have this, sort of a button, that runs a service call for me.
View attachment 1070939

The lovelace yaml looks like this:
Code:
type: entities
title: Alarm Commands
entities:
  - type: 'custom:paper-buttons-row'
    buttons:
      - entity: binary_sensor.main_bedroom_window
        name: Bypass Main Bedroom Window
        state_styles:
          Open:
            icon:
              color: 'rgb(25, 147, 255)'
            text:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
          Closed:
            icon:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
            text:
              color: 'rgb(5, 147, 255)'
        tap_action:
          action: call-service
          service: envisalink.alarm_keypress
          service_data:
            entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
            keypress: '*115#'

Now, if you want this to combine the zone bypass and arming the alarm, you can create a script and then call the script that then does both actions.

It doesn't look nice, but it will do what you want.

That said, I think I have seen other stuff where you can add a custom tap action to anything basically, so I guess you could add it to something else in lovelace.
I wrote my first script, which seems to work:

bypass_arm:
description: Bypass pizza and front garden beams and then arm away
sequence:
- service: esphome.alarm_alarm_keypress
data:
keys: '*109#'
- delay: 1
- service: esphome.alarm_alarm_keypress
data:
keys: '*110#'
- delay: 1
- service: alarm_control_panel.alarm_arm_away
target:
entity_id: alarm_control_panel.safe_alarm_panel
 
wouldnt a remote and receiver just be easier? sure i get using your phone on the occasion you dont want to take keys etc but it seems like you are making your life harder trying to make it "easier"
We have remotes, find it easier using our phones, either Telegram (wife) - or I have shortcuts when I hold down the power button.

Thing with a remote is its another thing to carry (and keep track of).
 
How do you arm/disarm via telegram? That would be quite cool. Usually I just leave home and it arms itself after 5 min, now I disarm with the app. Telegram would be faster than opening the app all the time
Not sure if its changed - but you first have to create a chat bot, then create a Telegram group with yourself and the bot - get the ChatIDs for the bot and yourself - and get the Group ID - authorise those in HA - and then you'll be able to capture and process the chat commands.
 
We have remotes, find it easier using our phones, either Telegram (wife) - or I have shortcuts when I hold down the power button.

Thing with a remote is its another thing to carry (and keep track of).

you could leave the remote in the car, i highly doubt that pushing a button within arms reach is easier than using your phone.
 
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