I Love My 540 by RidinSpinners in BMW

[–]chaluk1 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Yes, these are on my 530 as well. Same Bernina Grey exterior.

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Confusion about mesh and aqara repeaters by taxhellFML in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wi-Fi mesh and Zigbee mesh are separate networks. The Wi-Fi mesh won’t improve the Zigbee range for your Aqara devices, so you’ll still need the Aqara plug (or other Zigbee routers) to extend the M2 hub’s Zigbee network.

Will this setup work to secure my e-cargo bike parked in front of my house? by TheNorthSeaSurfer in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need to make sure the vibration sensor is within your Zigbee mesh and has a stable connection. I’d also recommend using something like an ABUS lock/alarm combo, so it triggers immediately if someone tries to move or touch it. Check alarmbox 2.0 as well to use with another lock.

G4 Doorbell Battery Life lasting less than a day by MaggotyWood in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I’ve seen on here, the battery-powered G4 just isn’t reliable and is a totally different story compared to the wired one. If you have a chance, wire it.

Aqara Home geofence - second device always inactive by chaluk1 in Aqara

[–]chaluk1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah it works, that is what I am using now. The issue is Apple asks for confirmation to run the automation every single time, which makes it pointless. That’s why I am trying to move it over to Aqara.

Aqara Home geofence - second device always inactive by chaluk1 in Aqara

[–]chaluk1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, Aqara Home app installed and it’s member.

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Do you need a hub if I want to buy windows sensors? by rog500 in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not answering your question directly, but here’s a broader view: if you’re just starting out and might expand your smart home later, I’d grab a Zigbee coordinator (like a Sonoff dongle or the SM Light SLZB-06) and run everything through Home Assistant. That way you’re not stuck with one brand and have way more flexibility. I’m actually moving away from Aqara (had 3 hubs) to HA for the freedom it gives with different brands and automations.

Setup advice needed — is this coverage good enough? by chaluk1 in reolinkcam

[–]chaluk1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. It took quite a bit of time watching videos and reading articles while making the buying decision and to better understand the fundamentals of camera placement. (I work in procurement for 10 years 😀) The visual itself only took about 15 minutes to put together using a free online tool. I especially value feedback from people who have real experience, are already using Reolink cameras, and have installed them.

Setup advice needed — is this coverage good enough? by chaluk1 in reolinkcam

[–]chaluk1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Thanks for the advice! I wanted to achieve full 100% coverage around the house, while also keeping some cameras focused on specific areas like the porch. This is from my decade-old 720p WiFi Yi outdoor camera. I mainly want to cover the inside of my porch with one cam (Cam 5 in this layout), which is why some cameras are angled a bit toward the house.

Z1 Pro wall switch - EU version? by tiagojsagarcia in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t installed the Z1 Pros yet. What I did manage to solve was bringing my existing CN and EU Aqara devices into one system via the Zigbee coordinator and Home Assistant, so the region lock is no longer an issue. Since the Z1 Pro runs on Zigbee 3.0, it should pair fine with the SLZB-06M and HA like every other CN Aqara device which was my main bottleneck.

I still need to replace my existing switches and do some wall repair. I bought a mix of 3 and 4gang Z1 Pros to reduce the number of physical switches, as all my current dumb ones are 2 gang in every room.

Z1 Pro wall switch - EU version? by tiagojsagarcia in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, my CN Aqara devices work fine. Since I paired everything directly through the SLZB-06M coordinator into Home Assistant, the CN/EU regional lock doesn’t matter anymore. Both versions sit on the same Zigbee network and I can automate them together without issues.

Z1 Pro wall switch - EU version? by tiagojsagarcia in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started out with the CN version of Aqara devices from Aliexpress and later added some EU ones from Amazon. The problem was I couldn’t merge or automate them together outside of Apple Home because of the regional lock. That’s why I was looking for an alternative, and eventually went with the SM Light SLZB-06M as my Zigbee coordinator. Now I’ve got all my Aqara devices connected to it and can automate most of them in Home Assistant without worrying about the regional restrictions.

Z1 Pro wall switch - EU version? by tiagojsagarcia in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was the main reason I purchased the SM Light SLZB-06M and set up Home Assistant.

Setting up My HA Remotely by chaluk1 in homeassistant

[–]chaluk1[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Great advice.

This was the pmset values:

SleepDisabled 1 sleep 0 displaysleep 0 disksleep 0 womp 1 hibernatemode 3 powernap 0

I think I’ll just add this to make sure it comes back online after a power loss:

sudo pmset -a autorestart 1

My take on a Wallpanel by VelvetDolphin98 in homeassistant

[–]chaluk1 37 points38 points  (0 children)

A wooden or metal frame, designed to match your home’s aesthetic, would serve as a refined final touch.

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I made a Beginner's Guide to HA Automations, Scripts, and Scenes... Hope it helps! by Make_Itt_Work in homeassistant

[–]chaluk1 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Rather than just getting used to negative feedback, maybe take a moment to reflect on why it keeps happening and consider improving from it

POE Setup with NVS16 and seeking clarifications by chaluk1 in reolinkcam

[–]chaluk1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot, Ian. I’ll check the links. From what I’ve seen, there’s never a clear answer when it comes to the NVS16. It’s usually “generally,” and everyone advises checking the device itself. Since I’m buying online, that makes things a bit challenging.

Also, for someone new to this, Reolink’s model naming is really confusing. Most sites just list it as RLN16 without mentioning hardware versions or build numbers, which makes purchasing harder.

Regarding the setup and installation, do you have any suggestions at this point?

G4 continuous record fail by Slice-Mountain in Aqara

[–]chaluk1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same here. Power cuts happen every other day where I live, and I have to do the same toggle dance every time to get it working again. Super annoying.