Home Automation - Smartkit

So I am running a pilot project in our street to improve security, would love to get some ideas from everyone else on what else to do.

Basically we contribute monthly to a guard that sits in the road from 6pm to 6 am. He doesn't have any weapons or anything to its merely his presence which we hope deters potential robberies (and it has done many times over the last 8 years).

So what I have done is install a wyzecam at my gate, connected the wyze sense bridge and made a make shift switch with the wyze contact sensor. Then I installed a MF'er of a siren in the guard house that will alert people from jhb to Durban if there is activity happening.

So now what happened (which I linked to alexa).

When the guard flicks the switch, the smart plug starts the siren (sonoff basic), the wyze app sends a notification to everyone in the street that the switch has been opened, it switches on all my outside lights (sonoffs), bed light, and alexa next to my bed has a siren that goes off so I can press my panic button.

This happens just with a flick of a switch.
 
Chris_SA said:
So I am running a pilot project in our street to improve security, would love to get some ideas from everyone else on what else to do.

Basically we contribute monthly to a guard that sits in the road from 6pm to 6 am. He doesn't have any weapons or anything to its merely his presence which we hope deters potential robberies (and it has done many times over the last 8 years).

So what I have done is install a wyzecam at my gate, connected the wyze sense bridge and made a make shift switch with the wyze contact sensor. Then I installed a MF'er of a siren in the guard house that will alert people from jhb to Durban if there is activity happening.

So now what happened (which I linked to alexa).

When the guard flicks the switch, the smart plug starts the siren (sonoff basic), the wyze app sends a notification to everyone in the street that the switch has been opened, it switches on all my outside lights (sonoffs), bed light, and alexa next to my bed has a siren that goes off so I can press my panic button.

This happens just with a flick of a switch.
Click to expand...

And the people on your street actually contribute?
 
Steamy Tom said:
And the people on your street actually contribute?
Click to expand...

It's a struggle. We keep losing people. Have about 4 months left in kitty plus existing contributions and then we either have to let the guards go or reduce salaries. So trying to convince others to contribute.

Hence me trying to add value so there is more of a sell.
 
Looking to replace my old wired BPT intercom and gate controller/relay with something smart (google home integration). Ideally video intercom and gate open/close button in one app. Not too savy with IOT so would prefer a simmple all in one solution? any tips would be appreciated.
 
muzee said:
Looking to replace my old wired BPT intercom and gate controller/relay with something smart (google home integration). Ideally video intercom and gate open/close button in one app. Not too savy with IOT so would prefer a simmple all in one solution? any tips would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
I'm also looking for something here. The best I can find is a hikvision unit which can integrate in HA. Could then also use HikConnect to control and see who is at the gate. I'm not sure if you could speak though.
 
Hi guys,

Quick Q ... I'm looking to get started with Home Automation. I am a HEAVY Apple user and planning on using HomeKit and HomeKit supported items but I might need some help.

Am I in the right place or is this restricted to "Smartkit" ?
 
CraZee said:
My problem with these is that they are created for the US doorbell market not really the traditional South African driveway intercom. Very similar to ring and all the other similar profile devices. I think it would look out of place in a driveway and more than likely would get stolen.
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Also some issues. If battery runs flat you end up with a brick? But check reviews for it.

Think @Thor had some issues with Wyze products.

I have Wyze pan cameras and they are brilliant. But can sometimes lag, despite good internet as I have 50mbps fibre. My wifi reolink is far more stable.
 
Huys, does smartkit.co.za still exist? I see they have a new website and it only has sonoff devices. They previous stocked Shelly as well.
 
-Prismo- said:
Hi guys,

Quick Q ... I'm looking to get started with Home Automation. I am a HEAVY Apple user and planning on using HomeKit and HomeKit supported items but I might need some help.

Am I in the right place or is this restricted to "Smartkit" ?
Click to expand...

Use Home Assistant and you can publish almost any device to HomeKit.

I have one single official HomeKit device in my house (LIFX bulb) everything else is third party and published to HomeKit.

Part of why I find Alexa such a dud, as it’s bizarrely not near as open or simple or feature rich in the same context.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Part of why I find Alexa such a dud, as it’s bizarrely not near as open or simple or feature rich in the same context.
Click to expand...
Alexa battles with dutchman english. Our relationship has deteriorated to me only giving her a stink eye when I walk past her. She simply doesn't understand me or my needs.
 
gbyleveldt said:
Alexa battles with dutchman english. Our relationship has deteriorated to me only giving her a stink eye when I walk past her. She simply doesn't understand me or my needs.
Click to expand...

I’ve found her quite accurate but maybe my Saffer accent isn’t so heavy.

I just found her backend a bit dumb, or rather hard to tap into.

Maybe it’s the timing of Covid and being mostly at home but I rarely have a need to talk to her outside of cooking. And then only when I need multiple timers otherwise I use Siri.
 
Steamy Tom said:
What do you need to know about them?
Click to expand...
the lock feature, believe when it is enabled... the circuit works on a normally closed principal.
the pedestrian feature is just a momentary toggle like the main open/close.
the gate position feature that the board exposes, what does it "expose" how. going to either use a nodemcu or a pi zero and wanna figure out what value i get out of that patch point,
G
 
georgelza said:
the lock feature, believe when it is enabled... the circuit works on a normally closed principal.
the pedestrian feature is just a momentary toggle like the main open/close.
the gate position feature that the board exposes, what does it "expose" how. going to either use a nodemcu or a pi zero and wanna figure out what value i get out of that patch point,
G
Click to expand...

the lockout feature does work on a normally closed circuit yes, you can use this to essentially make the gate not respond to the remotes until it is unlocked.

the pedestrian feature allows you to basically open the gate to a set distance, normally just enough for a person to enter or exit, so basically just like a normal open/close but with different boundaries.

I assume you mean the status indicator when you say the gate position sensor? or are you physically referring to the position sensor inside the housing that counts the little ridges on the wheel to know how far the gate has travelled? if so i have no clue about interfacing with that off hand. The status LED though you could use to essentially monitor the status, open, closed, partially open.
 
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