In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Who has a “smart home”
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,923 ✭✭✭✭
My kids constantly act like they can’t hear me when they are upstairs, you know “come do the dishes/take the trash out…etc”
On top of that, I have a 5 bedroom 5 bath house. With 3 boys thats alot of lights and AC.
I just bought all the “Alexa smart home” stuff on sale for black Friday.
Anyone else have a “smart house”?
Ill report back in a few months if it is better.
Comments
What happened to the 7 layers of security you previously reported of??
They don’t turn off the upstairs bathroom lights or bump the AC when noone is up stairs.
Oh oh oh, so you can control lights, thermostats, ect. also. Sorry, I had in my head strictly like anti break in.
Nope, mine is dumb, but I have no upstairs and no boys. The cats don't care about lights.
Just in case you aren't aware of some of the security pitfalls;
The 10 Biggest Security Risks in Today's Smart Home - Bob Vila
Bob
I cannot even manage a smart phone! 😧
My house is manually operated
A generational thing to a great extent.
I can control my sprinkler system, washer, dryer, front door, garage door, and god knows what else from my phone were I to enable them.
Mayhaps I am a Neanderthal, but I do not see the need to start a rinse cycle when vacationing in the Bahamas.
Brad Steele
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ We remember what our grocery bills were with boys in the home.
Sky is the limit when adding smart home tech.
My wife works at an electric co-op where she gets to try out new gadgets. Some are cool some are not. As mentioned before, who needs to start the washer?
Have the best router and Wi-Fi coverage throughout the home as you can get.
Kids really got good at using the Echo/Dot, yes it can work like an intercom to get them boys' attention. It does a lot of functions, like alarm clock, Calander reminders, etc. Can sync with cellphones
Now you can get electric receptacles with wi-fi capabilities to control lighting and other plugged-in devises.
I swapped out several just to get the USB ports that were built in and hallways got LED night lights. Cleaned up counters of transformers.
One cool thing is the wi-fi light bulbs, do not need to be an electrician to use.
Before the light bulb tech got where it is I went with the old non wi-fi light switches that were programable for time of no motion. 10 minutes of still and lights went off. Was kind of clunky cause kids regularly sat on bed to do homework on ipad or laptop not moving enough to keep lights on. Worked great for bathrooms, I think I gave 15 minuets there. They survived.
The T-stat. We tried several, the Nest was absolute junk at the time. ended up with the Ecobee, was a very easy t-stat.
The Nest cameras have been easy to use and reliable.
Good luck on the smart home, it's interesting stuff for sure. Like another hobby.
We are building a new home and trying to figure out how much CAT wire will be needed and how far to go with tech is a mind bender.
GTR
My wife doesn't listen to me, why would Alexa?
That gets you an invisible promote. Hey Alexa.. what is for supper?
There is nothing smart around here and will stay that way.
A "smart home"....???......according to my better half....you bet!!!
You see, my wife would claim that the collective I.Q. of our house goes up at least 50%......when I leave for the gym, grocery store, gun shop, hunting/fishing..........the mail box......
I would debate the claim with her.......but....a lost cause keeps coming to mind. 🤐
It's all good until your house decides to take over. Or the government (ala China) decides to take over your house.
My wife's got a 2016 Ford Explorer that has a lot of 'think for itself' features. It's a good car, except when it starts thinkin' for itself! I cuss it up one side and down the other then. There's no way in hell I'm gonna put that stuff in my house. Once it heard how I talked to the AI in charge it'd lock me out!
I read somewhere electric companies were giving folks a discount for having a "Smart Thermostat" on their home. Then because usage was high and the fear of blackouts, the electric companies were turning down / off people's heat and AC.
No thanks I'll keep my dumb home.
"They don’t turn off the upstairs bathroom lights or bump the AC when noone is up stairs."
^^^This is a parental training issue rather than a NEED for additional widgetry.
Go down to the local Home Depot and buy a bundle of bamboo garden plant supports. When you've worn out/broken all that bundle, get another. At some point you'll have a stronger arm and the 'boys' will have matured significantly.
Many of my lamps are plugged into alexa devices. It's handy for when my hands are full and I need a light turned on. When the grandkids stay its convenient to not have to go into their room to turn off the light. It keeps them from waking up.
i have bulbs I will be installing on the deck. If I come home after dark I can tell her to turn the light on for me.
Do you beat your wife as well?
And what about when I leave a light on. Who gets to hit me?
"Do you beat your wife as well?"
If it wasn't a 'lose your guns' offense then yes, I would.
"And what about when I leave a light on. Who gets to hit me?"
I just smack myself.
I have a wireless intercom I used for just that situation. Saved a lot of stomping on the floor.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Uh...
Mine too...but quite uncooperative at times !
I laughed out loud at that one He Dog.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Way back when, my very first house was a SMART house. It knew exactly when I would get any kind of a financial windfall. 😫
When I had five kids in my Alaska home I solved the "issue" of lights being left on. I warned them twice then removed the bulb for a month. It was no big deal in the summer, in the winter it drove them nuts.