The Wink home automation thread

[hanly2]

As much as I babysit this thread & love the concept, I understand your decision. It's not acceptable to be asked to invest hundreds of dollars in a system with subpar performance. I just read over the last couple of pages of posts here & it's nothing but bugs. I really, really want them to get better, but as it stands, the Wink Hub is a toy, not a reliable household fixture. That's just how it is at the present time.

I've been considering my own home automation choices moving forward. I am planning on buying my first home later this year, so this was a test-run for a fuller integration down the road. I'm leaning towards multiple independent systems. Here's what I have in mind so far:

Those okidokeys look like a cool product. But the amazon echo is only a one room speaker so that wouldn't really work for home audio. I think the best option right now is if you have a hdmi port open on your amp you throw a chromecast on there and anyone can connect and play pretty easily. It would be nice to have a all in one amp though that you could just control from any android or apple device.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

FWIW, Wink responded to my inquiry regarding poor battery life for the Trippers and said the following:

We are currently investigating an issue with the Trippers having low battery life. I will absolutely follow up with you as soon as I receive any feedback from our Wink techs regarding the issue! I apologize for the inconvenience, definitely feel free to respond back or give us a call with any further questions!

 

[nyvram]

Hi,



Also a quick question about lighting and robots. Can you use a light state to trigger a robot? I have seen it inferred in older posts but can't find that option on mine. For ex I can only start a robot by my gps location. If home, then turn on the light. But not , if light on, send email. Of course by shedule also, but that is it.

yep, it was in there in an earlier version of the app. I still have my robot that is triggered via light state.

as soon as i posted how i did it on the quirky forums the app suddenly updated and this was removed.

makes no sense; much like the wink hub itself.

 

[nyvram]

Those okidokeys look like a cool product.

what am i missing?

- more expensive than schlage
- no name brand (would you trust okiedoke's locks over schlage or kwikset?)
- no keypad entry if phone not in pocket
- 'novelty' entry devices like arm bands, key pad cards, etc.

i dont get why people like these over a schlage with zwave?

 

[fletchb]

yep, it was in there in an earlier version of the app. I still have my robot that is triggered via light state.

as soon as i posted how i did it on the quirky forums the app suddenly updated and this was removed.

makes no sense; much like the wink hub itself.

Thank you..at least I know I am not doing something wrong.

That is crazy, why would they want to make Wink less useful?

This is why I am watching smart things to see how things pan out.

 

[nyvram]

PS TIP of the DAY. The schlage lock state can't be toggled in the actions for a robot. You try to and get a weird blank button and the state it shows isn't accurate.

TO SET THE DOOR TO LOCK OR UNLOCK (for instance if the smoke detector goes off as a trigger) make sure you do this:

To get the lock to unlock, make sure the current STATE of the lock product is UNLOCKED before creating the robot (ignore what it says when you get that part of the robot, just select the deadbolt & hit OK)

likewise to have the robot LOCK the door, make sure the state of the deadbolt is LOCKED before creating the robot and it will set that correctly as well.

buggy buggy buggy as hell. i can't get over how many simple things don't work right in this product.

 

[Kneedragger]

Another article on hacking the Wink http://hackaday.com/2015/01/08/using-the-wink-hub-with-openhab/

 

[hanly2]

what am i missing?

- more expensive than schlage
- no name brand (would you trust okiedoke's locks over schlage or kwikset?)
- no keypad entry if phone not in pocket
- 'novelty' entry devices like arm bands, key pad cards, etc.

i dont get why people like these over a schlage with zwave?

You can use this with your schlage lock. If you dont have your phone use your key.

 

[Kaido]

Those okidokeys look like a cool product. But the amazon echo is only a one room speaker so that wouldn't really work for home audio. I think the best option right now is if you have a hdmi port open on your amp you throw a chromecast on there and anyone can connect and play pretty easily. It would be nice to have a all in one amp though that you could just control from any android or apple device.

Well, the idea is that you put one in every room. It has a built-in speaker, so you get music (and I'd imagine it'd hook up to larger speakers, either by Bluetooth or a cable), plus a microphone in every room so you have whole-house control wherever you're at. Amazingly affordable compared to systems like Sonos, or even Airplay - an Airport Express streaming box is $99 without a speaker or mic, and Amazon Prime members get an Echo for $99 with everything inside.

 

[Kaido]

what am i missing?

- more expensive than schlage
- no name brand (would you trust okiedoke's locks over schlage or kwikset?)
- no keypad entry if phone not in pocket
- 'novelty' entry devices like arm bands, key pad cards, etc.

i dont get why people like these over a schlage with zwave?

Base price is $10 cheaper than Schlage ($189 for the deadbolt unit on Amazon for $199 for the Schlage). You can use whatever single-cylinder lock you want; it's an add-on that goes over compatible deadbolts, of which there are many, including Schlage, Yale, Kwikset, Weslock, Baldwin, and Weiserlock.

Yes, I would trust it because it's from an international hotel security access company (OpenWays) that makes security keys for hundreds of rooms. This is their consumer offering, which is why no one has heard of them (because they're a commercial B2B company). Despite the lack of a keypad (which has its drawbacks...finger oil builds up over the key code you use over time on the screen or numpad, unless you change it on a regular basis, which no one ever does), you get multiple entry options:

1. Key
2. RFID (keycard, keychain, bracelet)
3. Dumb phone entry
4. Smart phone entry (including hands-free unlock via Bluetooth proximity)
5. Internet unlock

They also just announced an API for integration this past week at CES:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...tegration-simple-with-open-api-300015198.html

You also get notifications & a built-in alarm. It's the most comprehensive door, garage, and gate-locking system I've seen to date. Aside from the goofy name, my only complaint is that all of their equipment looks like cheap toys. So far, the reviews have been excellent, however.

 

[nyvram]

Schlage has multiple built in sensors for alarms including both locking picking detection and forced entry.

The argument against a keypad doesn't hold water because it's there only in case you don't have your phone so it won't be used that often.

I have the schlage and in the last 2 months I would say the keypad has come in handy on multiple occasions.. Twice the geofencing from wink to auto unlock failed and I had an arm full of groceries and my phone was in the car so I was still able to open the door.

Plus the keypad will allow a non techie neighbor a way to get into your house in an emergency if you can't be reached to remotely unlock it.

You start adding some of those gimmicky bracelets and the okie quickly gets much more expensive.

I still think the schlage is a more complete solution.

 

[Kaido]

Schlage has multiple built in sensors for alarms including both locking picking detection and forced entry.

The argument against a keypad doesn't hold water because it's there only in case you don't have your phone so it won't be used that often.

I have the schlage and in the last 2 months I would say the keypad has come in handy on multiple occasions.. Twice the geofencing from wink failed and I had an arm full of groceries and my phone was in the car so I was still able to open the door.

Plus the keypad will allow a non techie neighbor a way to get into your house in an emergency if you can't be reached to remotely unlock it.

I still think the schlage is a more complete solution.

I think Schlage is a great solution, nothing wrong with it. My only complaint is on Wink's side of the integration, which is why I haven't picked one up yet.

 

[nyvram]

I totally agree. The good news is the schlage has a very good zwave api so if wink refuses to support all those feature I'll switch to a zwave brain that does.

 

[MjnMixael]

Wink is not refusing to do anything. They are just trying to do a lot of things all at once. It's now been confirmed that they are working on those Schlage features.

 

[RossMAN]

Received my 3 sets of trippers yesterday. When placing them on a door they aren't exactly flush, any suggestions?

Can they be about 1.5" apart from each other at a slight angle and still function properly?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Received my 3 sets of trippers yesterday. When placing them on a door they aren't exactly flush, any suggestions?

Can they be about 1.5" apart from each other at a slight angle and still function properly?

Probably not, but you can test.

 

[Kaido]

Wink is not refusing to do anything. They are just trying to do a lot of things all at once. It's now been confirmed that they are working on those Schlage features.

And see, that's the flip side of the coin with Wink - I totally understand Wink's situation:

1. Smarthomes are difficult to do; even the expensive guys don't get it 100% right.

2. X10 & INSTEON were the only major game in town for the OOTB DIY'er, and they were problem-ridden. Or you could turn it into your hobby by going hardcore with custom programming, relays, etc.

3. They got pushed out to consumers due to the market heating up (re: Samsung's SmartThings acquisition), so they released a half-baked product: poor firmware with update issues, limited real-world testing (as evidenced by the horrible geofencing & scheduling issues, as well as the history of server downtime), zero documentation, etc.

4. They have a small team dealing with a lot of problems at once, so I'm sure they're overwhelmed with (1) the support calls, (2) fixing the existing bugs, and (3) adding proper functionality (like full Schlage support, IFTTT, Windows Phone app, web app for control for your desktop/laptop, etc.), not to mention adding new features & integrating new hardware into the system.

They are making a valiant effort. They have good backing with GE & Home Depot. Part of the issue is the rush to market, part of the issue is that Quirky has a history of making products that are very poorly-reviewed, and this is no exception. Time will tell if they pan out or not. I'd really like them to work out long-term because I really like the concept & think they have a great foundation.

But from a purely consumer POV, it's obvious from the 500+ negative reviews posted online that the average buyer is not going to see what I see. I've been into smarthomes for a long time & nobody has really had a turn-key system like this that you can just buy from Home Depot, so it's really very new territory & there's still a lot of work to be done. I knew going in there was a risk of this being a total fail. Mine has been pretty decent. Like 80 or 90% decent. I have quirks, but they're not showstoppers because I'm not totally dependent on the system working for my house to function normally. It annoys my wife when it doesn't work, especially since I'm already a couple hundred dollars deep, but it's not like I hate the system or anything.

With that said, I am definitely open to looking into other systems, or even a piecemeal system down the road. Vera's new Hub looks like garbage already, based on the initial reviews, but the SmartThings v2 hub looks pretty awesome. I'm not going to invest in anything until it's been on the market & played with (by other people this time!) for a few months so I can make sure it's worth spending the money on. My Wink Hub was only 99 cents, so it won't be a huge loss as long as I can import all my devices into the replacement system, should I go that route.

 

[Kaido]

Interview with the inventor of the Tripper here:

https://www.quirky.com/blog/post/2015/01/inventor-story-robert-sweeney

If you're interested in the development side, they just launched a Quirky Experts beta test:

https://www.quirky.com/experts

 

[nyvram]

I'm not a wink basher at all. In fact I want them to succeed because I talked about 50 people into buying the hub before Christmas.

I'm also a veteran of X10 so I definitely have scars.

I'm also a developer for software that has to work for millions of users. I'm not exaggerating either.. Our system has almost 4 million users and on a good day we serve over 200,000 users consuming multiple products.

What I would like to see is wink focus less on supporting 479 different dimmers and light bulbs and more time focusing on something more practical like locking up the house and notifications for things like smoke and water and electrical usage.

You want to get the average Joe excited? Show him a sub $500 seamless solution that gives him visibility into how much energy he's using and secures his house automatically at night and alerts him if his smoke alarm goes off and turns on all the lights and unlocks the doors.

Its no wonder people aren't excited over phone-based light switches. Thats not even a solution looking for a problem..thats just unnecessary baggage to haul your phone around when you want to use your lights. WHO CARES.

Quirky would be well served to dedicate a separate developer to each of these key products and allow them to own them and make sure they are kick ass when added into the app, inherit common classes for ALL (time since last activated, schedule, profiles, activity), display this information consistently for ALL and for heavens sake create an amazing dashboard that not only simplifies this info on s single screen but is rock solid from the code side.

 

[Kaido]

You want to get the average Joe excited? Show him a sub $500 seamless solution that gives him visibility into how much energy he's using and secures his house automatically at night and alerts him if his smoke alarm goes off and turns on all the lights and unlocks the doors.

You know, I think a bundle would be a great idea. I think one of the things that Quirky has working against them is the low price. In marketing class, we learned about perceived value based on price. If your product is a dollar, then in a lot of consumer's minds, how can it be any good, why even get it? That's why luxury brands like Apple keep their prices high...it's part of the perceived value. I mean, when I go to Home Depot, none of the workers even have a clue about it (I've been to like 4 of them in my area). None of the customers have a clue (I've talked to a few people eyeballing different things...they almost always just end up going with a Philips Hue system and maybe a Nest and probably never get anything again after that.

But if you had a bundle for a few hundred bucks that had some outlets, some switches, some Trippers, the Hub, some Link lights...suddenly it feels like the product has value, and you can open people's minds to what's available. I think a boxed starter kit would be a great idea, with a giant picture of an iPhone on it - control your house with this kit, it's the future! Then you'd get hooked & buy the rest of the gear for your home.

 

[nyvram]

when I go to Home Depot, none of the workers even have a clue about it (I've been to like 4 of them in my area). None of the customers have a clue (I've talked to a few people eyeballing different things...they almost always just end up going with a Philips Hue system and maybe a Nest and probably never get anything again after that.

yep. complete ignorance is what i've been met with at home depot. sad since the wink endcap is LITERALLY the first thing you see when walking in the store.

the employees at 4 different home depots i've been to have absolutely no idea how this works or which products are compatible.

i ended up buying most online from other sources because of that.

 

[azgdds]

I have a wink relay that is wired into a single light box. I use the top button to control the "load light" as if it were just a standard switch. Well the damn thing randomly turns on. It is not part of any schedule or robot nor does the on command show up in the activity log, but it comes on a couple times a day by itself. When I turn it off, it shows up in the activity log. Any ideas?

 

[hanly2]

Well, the idea is that you put one in every room. It has a built-in speaker, so you get music (and I'd imagine it'd hook up to larger speakers, either by Bluetooth or a cable), plus a microphone in every room so you have whole-house control wherever you're at. Amazingly affordable compared to systems like Sonos, or even Airplay - an Airport Express streaming box is $99 without a speaker or mic, and Amazon Prime members get an Echo for $99 with everything inside.

The first thing I checked when it came out was for a audio out. If it had one, I would have bought it right away. Then it would be perfect for home audio.

 

[jmcguire525]

So, the Wink stuff I ordered on 12/3 that was supposed to ship 12/20 has now been pushed back a second time to March 2nd! That pretty much means if the spotter, norm, ascend, and trippers don't work well I won't be able to return my Relays (the return period will have passed before I even get the rest of my order).

I wish they would stop sending emails telling me you are sorry for the delay and actually offer a real incentive to wait on Wink to get their act together.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Good News: According to a review on Amazon, the Tripper works with SmartThings.

Bad News: The new battery I put into my dead Tripper is now showing low. I installed it 1 week ago IIRC. I'm just going to let it die and not replace it at this time. It looks like I am still in the return window so I may go ahead and ship them back, though since they work with SmartThings, maybe I should just hold on.