Mine are fully locally controlled with a radio that hooks into my network. No internet needed whatsoever. Just as bright as any other LED lights, if not brighter than most cheap ones.
Plus since I can control the color/temperature I have them set to follow the sun cycle so that during the day they’re brighter and more white, and as it gets later in the day and the sun goes down they become dimmer and more warm. It even adjusts to the changing sunset year round. They are pricy though.
I do agree that sunlight is usually enough during the day for most rooms.
Do you have any recommendations? I bought mine in 2014, and they’re still rocking but there is a bit of buzzing when the switch is turned on, and the app isn’t supported anymore.
Do a Zigbee setup. You’ll need something like Homeassistant which you can setup on a home server or raspberry pi (there’s tons of tutorials). Or buy a pre built little plug and play one. https://www.home-assistant.io/green
For bulbs the highest end Zigbee ones would be Phillips Hue (which yes work with this setup - you don’t need their proprietary hub). But they are stupid expensive IMO. There’s a brand called Innr which are half as expensive and just as good. If you want a more budget friendly one ThirdReality makes bulbs which are perfectly good but maybe not quite as bright or good on colors as Innr. I have a mix of both, but try to keep them in separate rooms so you don’t notice the slight color difference.
You’ll also want a Zigbee switch. I rent so I can’t replace the wall switches so I just stuck on these battery buttons by ThirdReality. and covered the switches with 3d printed covers. The batteries last a year or so with a AAA. But there’s also ones that completely replace the wall switch like https://a.co/d/01w5jj63
And now that you’ve got Homeassistant you can do other cool things. It can hook into basically any smart devices. When I press and hold down on the light switch/button in my living room it turns off all the lights/lamps and the TV at the same time. Or the one in my bedroom also controls the fan by the bed. You can get motorized curtains that can help adjust light levels automatically and close when you’re away to insulate. You can hook into motion sensors, weather stations, door sensors, humidity sensors, etc. There’s also Zigbee smart plugs so you can control really anything.
It is a bit pricey to get into but once you have it you own it, and no company can just shut down and leave you SOL.
You’ll want Zigbee powered bulbs. Phillips Hue are probably the highest end but stupid expensive. Innr is a brand made by ex-Hue employees that are half the price and just as good. ThirdReality makes ones that are also good but maybe not as bright or as good on colors.
But you’ll also need a Zigbee radio/controller. I think most Amazon Alexa devices can do it, or other smart hubs. But I recommend an open source and local solution that you own, which would be something like HomeAssistant plus a radio. I put more details here; https://thelemmy.club/post/47243166/25883772
No just don’t get the cheap shitty Wi-Fi ones.
Mine are fully locally controlled with a radio that hooks into my network. No internet needed whatsoever. Just as bright as any other LED lights, if not brighter than most cheap ones.
Plus since I can control the color/temperature I have them set to follow the sun cycle so that during the day they’re brighter and more white, and as it gets later in the day and the sun goes down they become dimmer and more warm. It even adjusts to the changing sunset year round. They are pricy though.
I do agree that sunlight is usually enough during the day for most rooms.
Do you have any recommendations? I bought mine in 2014, and they’re still rocking but there is a bit of buzzing when the switch is turned on, and the app isn’t supported anymore.
Do a Zigbee setup. You’ll need something like Homeassistant which you can setup on a home server or raspberry pi (there’s tons of tutorials). Or buy a pre built little plug and play one. https://www.home-assistant.io/green
You’ll also need a Zigbee radio. Homeassistant sells one https://www.home-assistant.io/connect/zbt-2/, but I use a network attached one like https://a.co/d/0aQpLciK
For bulbs the highest end Zigbee ones would be Phillips Hue (which yes work with this setup - you don’t need their proprietary hub). But they are stupid expensive IMO. There’s a brand called Innr which are half as expensive and just as good. If you want a more budget friendly one ThirdReality makes bulbs which are perfectly good but maybe not quite as bright or good on colors as Innr. I have a mix of both, but try to keep them in separate rooms so you don’t notice the slight color difference.
You’ll also want a Zigbee switch. I rent so I can’t replace the wall switches so I just stuck on these battery buttons by ThirdReality. and covered the switches with 3d printed covers. The batteries last a year or so with a AAA. But there’s also ones that completely replace the wall switch like https://a.co/d/01w5jj63
And now that you’ve got Homeassistant you can do other cool things. It can hook into basically any smart devices. When I press and hold down on the light switch/button in my living room it turns off all the lights/lamps and the TV at the same time. Or the one in my bedroom also controls the fan by the bed. You can get motorized curtains that can help adjust light levels automatically and close when you’re away to insulate. You can hook into motion sensors, weather stations, door sensors, humidity sensors, etc. There’s also Zigbee smart plugs so you can control really anything.
It is a bit pricey to get into but once you have it you own it, and no company can just shut down and leave you SOL.
Wow, thank you so much for the detailed response! I’ll definitely look into this. I appreciate you taking the time to reapond.
Oh I like the sound of those lights. It’s hard to find anything other than the crappy wifi ones, can you share details or a link?
You’ll want Zigbee powered bulbs. Phillips Hue are probably the highest end but stupid expensive. Innr is a brand made by ex-Hue employees that are half the price and just as good. ThirdReality makes ones that are also good but maybe not as bright or as good on colors.
But you’ll also need a Zigbee radio/controller. I think most Amazon Alexa devices can do it, or other smart hubs. But I recommend an open source and local solution that you own, which would be something like HomeAssistant plus a radio. I put more details here; https://thelemmy.club/post/47243166/25883772