Home Automation - Smartkit

Does anyone do anything special to get USB to more remote locations?

I’ve bought one of the Aqara cameras with Homekit support to try out and want to park it at the front of the house to monitor the comings and goings and kind of use it as a doorbell if the notification and detection work well enough.

I do believe there’s a 10m restriction on cable length so probably best to just put a plug socket there with USB, but thought maybe there are some creative solutions here.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Does anyone do anything special to get USB to more remote locations?

I’ve bought one of the Aqara cameras with Homekit support to try out and want to park it at the front of the house to monitor the comings and goings and kind of use it as a doorbell if the notification and detection work well enough.

I do believe there’s a 10m restriction on cable length so probably best to just put a plug socket there with USB, but thought maybe there are some creative solutions here.
Click to expand...

I assume you will use WiFi and the usb is just for power? if so you could surely just make your own cable with an old micro usb and just make sure you give it the right power source. I assume voltage will drop over distance so just keep that in mind, shouldnt be too big a deal if you do it right.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Does anyone do anything special to get USB to more remote locations?

I’ve bought one of the Aqara cameras with Homekit support to try out and want to park it at the front of the house to monitor the comings and goings and kind of use it as a doorbell if the notification and detection work well enough.

I do believe there’s a 10m restriction on cable length so probably best to just put a plug socket there with USB, but thought maybe there are some creative solutions here.
Click to expand...
If you have POE available you can use that with a splitter at the end. You even get splitters that give 5V output already, like this:

Amazon.com: 802.3af PoE Splitter with 5 Volts Output | Power Over Ethernet for 5v Devices Like Foscam, iPads, USB, Dropcam, Raspberry Pi and More (5 Volt 10 Watt - 1.35mm DC Barrel): Camera & Photo

Amazon.com: 802.3af PoE Splitter with 5 Volts Output | Power Over Ethernet for 5v Devices Like Foscam, iPads, USB, Dropcam, Raspberry Pi and More (5 Volt 10 Watt - 1.35mm DC Barrel): Camera & Photo
www.amazon.com

Maybe you get one with a USB plug on it already? Or you can make your own one.

Edit: https://www.progearsa.co.za/micro-connect-poe-splitter-micro-usb/
 
SauRoNZA said:
Does anyone do anything special to get USB to more remote locations?

I’ve bought one of the Aqara cameras with Homekit support to try out and want to park it at the front of the house to monitor the comings and goings and kind of use it as a doorbell if the notification and detection work well enough.

I do believe there’s a 10m restriction on cable length so probably best to just put a plug socket there with USB, but thought maybe there are some creative solutions here.
Click to expand...
What about something like a small battery with solar panel? One of those setups that run LED floodlights should be able to provide enough power. Haven’t seen any out of the box solutions with usb output though.

Something like that would cover you for load shedding too, assuming you have battery backup on your internet too.

Edit: Wonder if this panel would be able to survive being permanently mounted outside: https://www.geewiz.co.za/power-bank...coCyndvBcbgWX8zPdtRZk5BMhXKi-echoCg5EQAvD_BwE
 
Supercarfan said:
What about something like a small battery with solar panel? One of those setups that run LED floodlights should be able to provide enough power. Haven’t seen any out of the box solutions with usb output though.

Something like that would cover you for load shedding too, assuming you have battery backup on your internet too.

Edit: Wonder if this panel would be able to survive being permanently mounted outside: https://www.geewiz.co.za/power-bank...coCyndvBcbgWX8zPdtRZk5BMhXKi-echoCg5EQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...

Will be going full solar in the next year so doesn’t really help to do that now.

I guess the right answer is just running a plug point close by.
 
spiff said:
did you buy from this Aqara site
Click to expand...
Doesnt seem like they sell directly on that site. ‘Where to buy’ just opens up takealot.

I bought from Takealot, Superbalist (using a first time user voucher to get R250 off a camera) and from iStore while they were cheaper than Takealot.
 
Saba'a said:
energytalk.co.za

Integrating alarm system with Home Assistant

I have no idea, but I have heard such stories too (that IDS is local). In any case, I believe the comms between the panel and the main board is RS485, so in theory you could hook into that and do whatever you want, if you knew the protocol. Being a security system, one would hope this is not...
energytalk.co.za energytalk.co.za


No conclusion but maybe you could ask there?


community.openhab.org

IDS X64 Alarm Integration

Hi. I thought it might be a lost case. but as soon as my construction is finished I will get on it and se what I can do. I ordered my coms module and also the hyyp unit. so hopefully I can get part of it in to openhab. but will start a post once I can start with it. then we can maybe get more...
community.openhab.org community.openhab.org
Click to expand...
I doubt you will be able to integrate directly with an IDS panel. Their serial bus is proprietary and even they Hyyp IP module doesn't allow you to communicate directly to the panel but goes via their cloud service. Maybe there could be some basic integration possible through the phone line interface using Contact ID. Another way to do it, which is more like integrating with the sensors than the actual panel is to use https://konnected.io/
 
Dolby said:
It's alive - just pointed out this comment to the powers that be ...
Click to expand...
Order delivered short, number going to voice mail. Do you have an alternate means of contact? No email listed on the site
 
Steamy Tom said:
I assume you will use WiFi and the usb is just for power? if so you could surely just make your own cable with an old micro usb and just make sure you give it the right power source. I assume voltage will drop over distance so just keep that in mind, shouldnt be too big a deal if you do it right.
Click to expand...

Yeah apparently you can’t go over 10m on strictly USB and I suspect I may need just a wee bit longer than that.

But I’m yet to measure it out, maybe I can get away with 10m to the garage motor where I have a plug sitting already.
 
furpile said:
If you have POE available you can use that with a splitter at the end. You even get splitters that give 5V output already, like this:

Amazon.com: 802.3af PoE Splitter with 5 Volts Output | Power Over Ethernet for 5v Devices Like Foscam, iPads, USB, Dropcam, Raspberry Pi and More (5 Volt 10 Watt - 1.35mm DC Barrel): Camera & Photo

Amazon.com: 802.3af PoE Splitter with 5 Volts Output | Power Over Ethernet for 5v Devices Like Foscam, iPads, USB, Dropcam, Raspberry Pi and More (5 Volt 10 Watt - 1.35mm DC Barrel): Camera & Photo
www.amazon.com

Maybe you get one with a USB plug on it already? Or you can make your own one.

Edit: https://www.progearsa.co.za/micro-connect-poe-splitter-micro-usb/
Click to expand...

Aaah this would actually be magical as I do have PoE and this is literally in my garage where my rack lives.

Seems a bit pricey but will check what Banggood has.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Damn, I just bought the Chinese version assuming that the local stuff is just someone doing large imports of the same.

Fortunately will be using it with HomeKit so don’t really need the app.
Click to expand...
You do need the app to pair devices though. And apparently if you setup the app in homekit only mode (without an Aqara account) you can't do firmware updates anymore.

Must be noted though, even with my locally bought stuff, I think I still had to choose between creating an Chinese or EU Aqara account.
 
Supercarfan said:
You do need the app to pair devices though. And apparently if you setup the app in homekit only mode (without an Aqara account) you can't do firmware updates anymore.

Must be noted though, even with my locally bought stuff, I think I still had to select between creating an Chinese or EU Aqara account.
Click to expand...

Yeah only need the app to rotate the camera I believe so it’s a once off.

I don’t mind using the Chinese server, just after my shitty door bell experience don’t want to be forced to struggle with slow server on the daily.

But HomeKit Secure Video will sort all of that out.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Yeah only need the app to rotate the camera I believe so it’s a once off.

I don’t mind using the Chinese server, just after my shitty door bell experience don’t want to be forced to struggle with slow server on the daily.

But HomeKit Secure Video will sort all of that out.
Click to expand...
BTW, even with HSV you can still record locally to SD card. Handy in case of internet connectivity issues and then you won't be reliant on the motion detection picking things up to trigger the iCloud recording.
 
Ipwn 4 said:
Order delivered short, number going to voice mail. Do you have an alternate means of contact? No email listed on the site
Click to expand...

I have the same number :(

The guy is Jason
 
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