Linux Raspberry Pi - Home automation

gadgethome

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Purchased a tellstick (USB) on ebay for £20 and set of 3 remote controlled sockets from maplins for £16 and was very easy to set up on the Pi.

tellstick install guide can be found here
Configuring the maplins plugs can be found here

Currently powering things on/off using Cron jobs. Need to look at installing some software now if anyone has any recommendations.
 
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This sounds interesting. It seems that with the maplins kit you can theoretically control up to 16 switches. But what sort of range does the tellstick have. it is good enough to control, say, a washer in the kitchen if the tellstick is in a bedroom. or would you need a tellstick and raspberry pi in each room you need to control stuff.

I'm thinking of using a pc instead of a pi though.
 
Yes up to 16 different settings but you can also have more appliances by setting the same plug settings. Setting would be 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, 2-2 etc
You can set multiple plugs to have 2-1 on say 2 lamps. Then by turning off 2-1 would turn off both lamps.

Tellstick does work on pc but going to test it tonight. Will also test it with sockets upstairs as my Pi is downstairs.
 
Just tested again. The Pi is downstairs back of the house and put socket upstairs front bedroom and worked fine. No issues.

Not managed to get it to work on Windows yet and tried all the available protocols. I will keep trying.
 
Sounds good.

Dunno if you've seen this page but it's the manufacturers page for the tellstick and they have windows software on.

Telldus Technologies

Also is the one for £19.99 on ebay a legit one or a chinese copy as it doesn't look like the ones on the makers website and also is around £40 cheaper.

I found this site which shows how to improve the range by using a wire antenna. The ones on the telldus site have antenna already.

http://sebastiannilsson.com/en/blogg/loed-pa-baettre-antenn-pa-tellstick/
 
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The one I got on ebay, I think must be of the older type as it did not have an antenna and its the same as in your 2nd link. It looks genuine, has sticker, model number etc and also when I logged in to telldus live, it picked up the test appliances I added using the usb stick.

I was using the software on telldus for windows but could get it to work with the maplin sockets but it does in my pi.
 
I got the one from the guy on ebay, didnt notice the "used" bit but at that price I wasn't too bothered. Plus it came with a remote dimmable socket too. :)

The reason I wanted this is I have a Denon amp and it's in a cupboard but the web interface keeps locking up and the easiest way to sort it is to turn off the power then back on again.

So now I can do it remotely from my PC. Well will be able to when I can find a remote socket that is compatible with this Tellstick and can also handle 800w. :)

It'll be good for turning lights, tv's etc.. on and off whilst I'm away on hols. I always leave my pc on 24/7 so setting up a schedule would be ok, and I log into my pc remotely whilst I'm away so I could turn things on and off randomly.

The guy from ebay also has he own website, dunno how his prices compare tho with other sites, but they are a bit more expensive than his ebay store.

HALX Compatible devices which can consist of consumer products that use Radio Frequency (RF) & Infra Red (IR) Control of your HALX Compatible devices are provided via the user configurable web page that provides a remote control interface
 
Same guy I got my tellstick from as well. I got the 3 pack remote sockets from maplin as there were reduced from £23 to £16.
 
I'm going to get some more of these byron ones as he's got them on his website for £3.99 each plus postage. I know they work in the software (set as Elro).

I already have 3 old ones made by Micromark but cannot find a setting in the software that will make them work.
 
Got the 5 pack of remote switches from Maplins.

For any that's interested the protocol to use in the windows software for these switches is the GAO - Codeswitch.

Seem to work well.

Might have to get me a pi to play with. :)
 
@Captin Do you have any projects in mind or will it just be on/off sockets? I was looking at xbmc voice control but my tv does not support CEC so not able to switch to the correct hdmi channel and start playing.
 
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Originally it was just a way of power cycling the amp to reset the web interface, but I might look at other things now.
 
Hi,

I also am abit playing around abit with domoticz on my raspberry pi. I bought some 3 wireless powerswitches at the action for less than 10 euros and I bought an owl wireless electricity meter for cheap. Together with a trxcom usb module connected to the raspi and the domoticz program i'm trying to save on my electricity bill by switching off al standby electrical devices by an schedule that turns off these devices at night and on when its 9 am. I measured with the owl (that is also recognized by domoticz ) and it showed we use more than 300 watts per hour at night .
Other experiments I want todo is temperature controlled thermostate cranes on heating controlled by the domitica program, I want to connect my wireless doorbell and let me send a message on the phone . Im very excited with the possibilities!

greetings Jan
 
wow mate,
did you manage to find any software which would control?
instead of cron jobs?
athough that works too.
 
I use the basic tellstick usb to turn on/off the maplin power socket plugs. Works well. The Tell My House software says it will only work with TellStick Net and Tellstick Duo. Looks like I'm out of luck.
 
If I had one of these I could look into it further but I dont (yet) as I have just learned they existed :) If i couldnt find an android app on google play, I would develop one. One that sends commands over the local LAN to the tellstick host. Or SSH into it and run a shell script maybe to start with.
 
I've played about in the past using Tasker and Autoremote see Linux | joaoapps.com
It lets you send commands via SSH. Also got it to work with their Autovoice app as well and you can just say things like "turn off lights".
 
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