Home Automation - Smartkit

Dolby said:
@Saba'a got it pretty right with what you need to look for.

* Most IoT devices need a neutral - but there are more devices coming out which don't need the neutral. My place (around 20 years old) luckily does have a neutral cable, which made installs just that much easier.
* Touch switch vs Tactile switch's is subjective - but I prefer a relay behind a real switch of your choice. It's a like a touch LCD remote control versus a real remote ... I hate a touch remote :/
* Also with the above you can make any light switch smart and you're not limited. You can buy a switch to suit your décor.

I think on the brands, you'll also get a few preferences and there's no right answer - but I do prefer the Shelly stuff over most the other stuff I've used :

* It's a Bulgarian brand that despite being only a few years old, already has 3,000,000 devices in over 100 countries. It's actually one of the fastest growing IoT brands in the world right now.
* They have unmatched support through the community and the Shelly team. There must be a firmware update released every month adding features or enhancing something.
* They're open source, so out of the box they support things like Home Assistant with zero flashing or complexities.
* For the extra cost, you're getting a much better product than the Sonoff

As for the certifications, the main issue with a non-certified product is getting your CoC or - God forbid - a house burning down / killing someone. You're going to have a huge issue with your insurance if they ever find out that you were using non-compliant products.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Are the Shelley Switches compliant?

This is what the inside of the switch looks like.

5380048f06f914266dd1380d4e10f549.jpg




0772d34779ad87baaab7771b5c34afd0.jpg

52b8aafa505d1f572ccd0fd5008688b6.jpg


I also prefer tactile (especially for that location)
 
AfricanTech said:
Are the Shelley Switches compliant?
Click to expand...
The Shelly that are available locally are compliant with both ICASA/NRCS (LOA) - so that's :
  • Shelly 1
  • Shelly 1PM
  • Shelly Dimmer 2
  • Shelly 2.5
From their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/shellysouthafrica) , these are the differences between each. There are still other products that aren't available locally though / pending certs - but these are done.

1631449483969.png
 
Don't get me wrong - I ran Sonoff in my house for years and there's nothing wrong with it.

It's that the more I compared to the two, the more I preferred the Shelly. As I say, it may R100.00 more - but it's worth it to me
 
Tinuva said:
Older houses the neutral and live is wired to where the light is, and only a live and earth is wired to the switch and back to the light.

Newer houses the live and neutral and earth is wired to the switch and then to the light.
Click to expand...

I find that to be the other way round.

The older ones are the most likely to have neutrals.

Mates of mine building brand new houses had to specially get neutrals pulled in.
 
Well, seems I don't have a neutral wire there so I'm stuffed from a quick swap in perspective.

I'm really trying for the least pt from my perspective - hell, I'd probably chuck Philips stuff in there but I'm not in the mood to replace the existing 'flourescent style' LED.

Blech! I was hoping to just be able to do a light switch swap but seems that it's not that easy yet
 
SauRoNZA said:
I find that to be the other way round.

The older ones are the most likely to have neutrals.

Mates of mine building brand new houses had to specially get neutrals pulled in.
Click to expand...
ok well only my experience, so maybe it really just depends on the initial electrical installers, but I do know from talking to them, it only became easier to do it with neutrals later on. The older house was built in 1980s and the newer house...I guess still not new, was built late 1990s and has neutrals.
 
AfricanTech said:
I'm really trying for the least pt from my perspective - hell, I'd probably chuck Philips stuff in there but I'm not in the mood to replace the existing 'flourescent style' LED.
Click to expand...
How much is the Philips stuff going to set you back ?
What about the Dimmer 2 @ R590.00?

smartshack.co.za

Shelly Dimmer - SmartShack

Shelly Dimmer-Control, dim a wide range of halogen lights,dimmable LED bulbs and ferromagnetic transformers anywhere,No neutral wire required
smartshack.co.za smartshack.co.za

It's pretty flexible - it measures power, you can select the power on default, the type of button, the fade times etc There's a cool night mode that automatically sets it to a specific intensity after a certain time. For price, I'm really happy.

The only thing is that you obviously do need dimmable LED and a minimum load on the device if you use no neutral.

1631450838654.png
 
Tinuva said:
ok well only my experience, so maybe it really just depends on the initial electrical installers, but I do know from talking to them, it only became easier to do it with neutrals later on. The older house was built in 1980s and the newer house...I guess still not new, was built late 1990s and has neutrals.
Click to expand...

Yeah my own house is <10 years old and not a neutral in sight.
 
Tinuva said:
ok well only my experience, so maybe it really just depends on the initial electrical installers, but I do know from talking to them, it only became easier to do it with neutrals later on. The older house was built in 1980s and the newer house...I guess still not new, was built late 1990s and has neutrals.
Click to expand...
Yep, my experience to date as well.
 
AfricanTech said:
Well, seems I don't have a neutral wire there so I'm stuffed from a quick swap in perspective.

I'm really trying for the least pt from my perspective - hell, I'd probably chuck Philips stuff in there but I'm not in the mood to replace the existing 'flourescent style' LED.

Blech! I was hoping to just be able to do a light switch swap but seems that it's not that easy yet
Click to expand...
So won't the Shelly dimmer work?
 
Dolby said:
The Shelly that are available locally are compliant with both ICASA/NRCS (LOA) - so that's :
  • Shelly 1
  • Shelly 1PM
  • Shelly Dimmer 2
  • Shelly 2.5
From their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/shellysouthafrica) , these are the differences between each. There are still other products that aren't available locally though / pending certs - but these are done.

View attachment 1146100
Click to expand...
Can I use the dimmer for a normal light switch? Not interested in dimming per se.

Edit seems so from the product page. Pity so pricy as I'd replace all my smart switches to use tactile switches.
 
Last edited:
Saba'a said:
Can I use the dimmer for a normal light switch? Not interested in dimming per se.

Edit seems so from the product page. Pity so pricy as I'd replace all my smart switches to use tactile switches.
Click to expand...
It's probably pricey because it does quite a bit though - does the power monitoring / no neutral / dimming function in one device. However I get what you're saying and even abroad they jumped up over night because of the ship shortage. I think think they went from 17.00 to 20.00 Euro instantly,

I have mine sitting behind this old standard R20.00 light switch from Builders ... so I can't dim from the switch (yet) until I change it to something fancier.

But I can dim if needed via :

- Amazon Alexa - 'Dim lounge to 30%'
- Schedule - 'at 6pm turn on to 80%'
- Button 1 - Single click to 20% / Double to 50% / Triple to 100% and long press for off
- Night Mode - Anytime the light is switch on from 19:00-07.00 , the brightness must default to 20%

I also like the transition mode - so I can set the time to turn on/off. It just looks elegant having a soft on / off.


1631529035809.png
 
Dolby said:
It's probably pricey because it does quite a bit though - does the power monitoring / no neutral / dimming function in one device. However I get what you're saying and even abroad they jumped up over night because of the ship shortage. I think think they went from 17.00 to 20.00 Euro instantly,

I have mine sitting behind this old standard R20.00 light switch from Builders ... so I can't dim from the switch (yet) until I change it to something fancier.

But I can dim if needed via :

- Amazon Alexa - 'Dim lounge to 30%'
- Schedule - 'at 6pm turn on to 80%'
- Button 1 - Single click to 20% / Double to 50% / Triple to 100% and long press for off
- Night Mode - Anytime the light is switch on from 19:00-07.00 , the brightness must default to 20%

I also like the transition mode - so I can set the time to turn on/off. It just looks elegant having a soft on / off.


View attachment 1146644
Click to expand...

Looking for a local (Caoe Town) supplier fir the Shelly Dimmer - shipping makes the item ridiculously expensive.
 
Hmm, so after a bit more research, it seems that I need to wait for the Shelly 1L to land here (Nology has it as available soon) - it looks the business and does not require a neutral line.


Shelly 1L - Shelly SA

Shelly 1L Convert your existing lights into smart lights with this intelligent device in just 10 minutes. You can convert […]
shellysa.co.za shellysa.co.za


Actually, I think I'll get the dimmer in the meantime and then, when the 1L lands, I'll swap the Dimmer 2 out and install the 1L in it's place - then the Dimmer can go into my bedroom
 
Going to try one of these as well

www.geewiz.co.za

Geewiz WiFi Smart Plug 16A TUYA South African Power AC Plug Socket works with Alexa / Google Home *NOW with Energy Monitoring Meter*

Control home appliances from anywhere in the world remotely using the Tuya / Smart Life app Voice Assistant Support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home Set timers and schedules for automatic turn on/off of devices Input Voltage: 100V-240V AC Frequency: 50~60Hz Working Temp: 10~60°C Max. Load...
www.geewiz.co.za www.geewiz.co.za

My father in law keeps forgetting to switch off the heater in the lounge - hopefully this will work to be able to a remote switch off or build a timed automation.
 
AfricanTech said:
Going to try one of these as well

www.geewiz.co.za

Geewiz WiFi Smart Plug 16A TUYA South African Power AC Plug Socket works with Alexa / Google Home *NOW with Energy Monitoring Meter*

Control home appliances from anywhere in the world remotely using the Tuya / Smart Life app Voice Assistant Support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home Set timers and schedules for automatic turn on/off of devices Input Voltage: 100V-240V AC Frequency: 50~60Hz Working Temp: 10~60°C Max. Load...
www.geewiz.co.za www.geewiz.co.za

My father in law keeps forgetting to switch off the heater in the lounge - hopefully this will work to be able to a remote switch off or build a timed automation.
Click to expand...
Good price!
 
AfricanTech said:
Going to try one of these as well

www.geewiz.co.za

Geewiz WiFi Smart Plug 16A TUYA South African Power AC Plug Socket works with Alexa / Google Home *NOW with Energy Monitoring Meter*

Control home appliances from anywhere in the world remotely using the Tuya / Smart Life app Voice Assistant Support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home Set timers and schedules for automatic turn on/off of devices Input Voltage: 100V-240V AC Frequency: 50~60Hz Working Temp: 10~60°C Max. Load...
www.geewiz.co.za www.geewiz.co.za

My father in law keeps forgetting to switch off the heater in the lounge - hopefully this will work to be able to a remote switch off or build a timed automation.
Click to expand...

Yea - the plugs are one Shelly item that won't make it to our shores :(
 
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