Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I want to automatically switch on lights if room gets dark (after sunset or on a cloudy day). don't want to trigger based on motion - instead light level. I installed a Philips Hue Motion sensor - which added a light level sensor in Home app - but not able to use that to trigger an automation. any suggestion?
(didn't find a topic for Homekit while submitting it)
ah! finally figured it out - though not exactly the way I wanted.
looks like HomeKit does support light level sensor - but Home app doesn't in iOS 12 (don't know if new iOS 13 will add support for it). so I had to use "Eve for HomeKit" app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eve-for-homekit/id917695792) - it is an extension app on top of Home app. probably other extension apps can do it too - but did not try.
I am using Philips Hue motion sensor. when I added it to HomeKit, HomeKit added 3 sensors - motion, temperature and light level. using that light level sensor, I was able to create automation in Eve app to switch on lights whenever light level will go down to certain limit. and it worked! Home app shows that automation but doesn't able to show the trigger condition.
two issues with this automation -
0) looks like Philips motion sensor updates light level value only when it senses motion. so this automation doesn't light on even if room is dark - it waits for a motion to trigger. so it, kind of, works as long as I move around in room (also doesn't light on if room has enough light).
1) what I observed, it works only when light level crosses over the threshold lux value I set. I set it to 20 lux. it works whenever light level goes down from 21 lux (or higher) to 19 lux (or lower). but it does not trigger if light level is already below 20 lux to start with.
not sure how to overcome these two issues.
ah! finally figured it out - though not exactly the way I wanted.
looks like HomeKit does support light level sensor - but Home app doesn't in iOS 12 (don't know if new iOS 13 will add support for it). so I had to use "Eve for HomeKit" app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eve-for-homekit/id917695792) - it is an extension app on top of Home app. probably other extension apps can do it too - but did not try.
I am using Philips Hue motion sensor. when I added it to HomeKit, HomeKit added 3 sensors - motion, temperature and light level. using that light level sensor, I was able to create automation in Eve app to switch on lights whenever light level will go down to certain limit. and it worked! Home app shows that automation but doesn't able to show the trigger condition.
two issues with this automation -
0) looks like Philips motion sensor updates light level value only when it senses motion. so this automation doesn't light on even if room is dark - it waits for a motion to trigger. so it, kind of, works as long as I move around in room (also doesn't light on if room has enough light).
1) what I observed, it works only when light level crosses over the threshold lux value I set. I set it to 20 lux. it works whenever light level goes down from 21 lux (or higher) to 19 lux (or lower). but it does not trigger if light level is already below 20 lux to start with.
not sure how to overcome these two issues.
it has time automation sunrise and sunset and time of day
if you want a light detection then you likely need to purchase an accessory which offer detection of the light and use that to trigger what needs to be triggered
time based automation works for sunset - but not sure how to handle cloudy gloomy days. additionally during fall and spring (when sunset time changes quite often), time based automation doesn't work quite well.
I admire the inventiveness of the users here but it is clear that Apple and the vendors are pretty amateurish in their approach. The light sensor problem is one example; another is that there is no way to randomize the times at which lights turn on and off; also the programming is mindlessly complicated. Instead of simply being able to set a light to turn on and off at a particular time or a randomized time, you are not offered these choices at the same time but have to set up separate action completely identifying, anew, the device and time and etc. Yet another example of vendors not using their own products or they would not have thee issues.
RadioShack solved this programming problem 30 years ago with their enviable X10 system, even given the limited technology of the time
thanks. do you know of any such sensor that detect light intensity?
Homekit - I want to automatically switch on lights if room gets dark (after sunset or on a cloudy day). how to do it?
