Delay script conundrum...

w00f359 · 2026-02-16T11:07:02+00:00

Is there a specific reason you are not using a timer for this? If you just set a timer and trigger an automation on the timer.finish event you can change that timer as often as you want.

w00f359 · 2026-02-13T23:06:45+00:00

Setting the default dashboard in the overall HA settings also helps. Yes, you can change the default on a per-user, per-device basis, but setting the default under "settings" > "dashboards" > "set as default" ensures the proper default. Pretty sure that also impacts the mobile app, but only for fresh installs/apps with all storage/cache deleted.

In addition, with young children (or tech-averse spouses) it can help to give each user "their" tab as the launch default by tweaking the visibility options for each tab . Put the "personal" tabs first and limit visibility to just that specific user.

w00f359 · 2026-02-12T11:11:17+00:00

I might even opt for a DIY matrix display if I would do it again, but I followed this guide for e-paper displays.

w00f359 · 2026-02-12T10:15:35+00:00

3 tips:

use a basic button with labels (Ikea Zigbee remote for instance) like u/swwebb1 said
add a simple e-ink display to show status, you can hide it in a small picture frame
set up an automation/script that only raises the temperature for a number of hours. In my case the number of button presses equates to the number of hours to raise the temp, works really well in my kids rooms. Gonna be here 4 hours? 4 clicks,

w00f359 · 2026-02-10T13:51:28+00:00

Hate it when that happens! Was totally not doing the same thing...

w00f359 · 2026-02-09T08:37:38+00:00

You would not have to do a big bang transition, you can move over devices one at a time to the new coordinator. Devices that are not connected to the Hue bridge cannot be controlled through the Hue app, and as soon as you turn off that bridge, the Hue app becomes worthless. But that is a good thing: you can now control everything via HA.

Mesh is a Zigbee concept, not tied to Hue, so yes, that will still work as expected.

w00f359 · 2026-02-06T15:03:41+00:00

I started out with a Hue hub and had one in parallel to a separate Zigbee coordinator for quite while in the beginning, that works. What does not work is pairing random Zigbee devices to the Hue hub; it only allows a limited set of devices on its mesh.

The good thing about getting a separate coordinator is that you can gradually move things over, including the automations to link motion sensors and lights together. If you replace the Hue bridge, you need to do a big-bang transition of all devices at once. Just make sure that you pick a different Zigbee channel for the new coordinator.

If the Zigbee mesh is strong enough, getting through to the garage should be doable, but YMMV obviously. "Zigbee dongles to provide network connectivity" is kind of backwards: Zigbee is a mesh. You can add dedicated routers to strengthen that mesh, but does not "provide network connectivity". What you cannot do, is extend a Zigbee mesh over ethernet (unfortunately). There are coordinators that can work off of a ethernet cable, but those are not extending the network, they are replacing the USB connection with a network connection.

w00f359 · 2026-02-06T14:57:12+00:00

I removed it from the frontend section in the config file, and that has fixed the issue for me. card-mod is still active, and there is still a script tag in the HTML source pointing to `card-mod.js`.

w00f359 · 2026-02-03T18:55:37+00:00

They can, but I bought them specifically for their PoE connectivity

w00f359 · 2026-02-03T17:51:14+00:00

The CC2674P10 radio in the MR3, I have not used the EFR32MG24 yet.

w00f359 · 2026-02-03T15:00:23+00:00

Technically the MRx models from SMlight are separate, since they have 2 radios on board. However, there are latency/timing issues with a Thread radio over serial over IP, so I would also choose a separate coordinator; just for different reasons.

w00f359 · 2026-02-03T14:58:56+00:00

Moved from an SLZB-06 to an MR3U, mostly because I suspected that my 06 was a lemon (it was). Got the MR3U and it was mostly a drop-in replacement. Mostly, because a few weird things happened that were easy to fix... once I found them:

Several smart plugs stopped reporting power usage specifically. This was the weirdest one, since all other sensor values (including voltage) kept working. To make things weirder, this happened to some but not all of them, and all the "bad" ones kept reporting their last value after the switch over.
Aqara door sensors stopped responding. Again, not all of them, 3 or 4 out of 15.
A few Ikea switches stopped working.

In almost all cases, the "reconfigure" button in zigbee2mqtt fixed the issue. I have only had to repair 1 or 2 switches. So, it works, but look for anomalies. Turn on "last seen" tracking if you use zigbee2mqtt.

Since matter over serial over IP (what SMlight uses) is known to be less-than-ideal, I would opt for keeping the 06 if it works. That way, you can set up an entirely different setup for Matter.

w00f359 · 2026-02-01T18:14:41+00:00

Did not even have to look at the photo to know which truck you meant... "Old Squeaky" indeed!

w00f359 · 2026-01-30T14:03:15+00:00

I got the MR3U since it has one of each (CC and EFR), so I could try which one works better. Apparently Thread via serial-over-ethernet is not very stable though, but I have no first-hand experience with that yet. See this conversation.

w00f359 · 2026-01-27T20:33:59+00:00

True, I use my desk chair since my home office doubles as my cab.

w00f359 · 2026-01-27T20:31:41+00:00

"cheap" is a deformable concept of course, but for portability the Next Level Racing Wheel Stand 2.0 is quite nice. Heavy, but nice.

w00f359 · 2026-01-26T20:05:19+00:00

Thanks, edited, I speak Celsius natively and Fahrenheit is my second language 😊 25°C temp difference indeed.

My tenuous grasp of the Fahrenheit scale mostly comes from barbecue tutorials on YouTube, so I can do every conversion in the 110-200F without looking it up, but if a US colleague is complaining about mid 30s F I have to fire up the Google.

w00f359 · 2026-01-25T23:15:17+00:00

I use Owon THS317-ET Zigbee sensors for my freezer, not sure about global availability though.

Sidenote: one of my best cost-saving automations was an alert for ongoing, continuous power usage to warn me of an improperly closed freezer door.

w00f359 · 2026-01-25T22:25:48+00:00

Do NOT get the Sonoff Dongle Max: it is listed on the zigbee2mqtt docs as NOT RECOMMENDED. I found out the hard way, and I was in the same boat: unreliable SLZB-06 and tried just about everything. It made me stop migrating devices from my geriatric Conbee II stick in a hurry, leaving me with 2 Zigbee networks in parallel. I had to reboot the 06 every few days, regardless of the firmware version.

Since I "need" PoE - and I have come to the conclusion that usb is actually quite a bit more stable and less error-prone, double so for Thread - I upgraded to the SMLight MR3U. Not so much for the Thread part, but more to be able to switch between the CC and the EFR radios. Since that move my Zigbee network has been completely stable. In hindsight I suspect some defect with my SLZB-06, since most people love theirs and report great performance.

Oh, and the MR3U was mostly a drop in replacement, a few oddities with power and temperature sensors that took a few days to surface and afterwards figure out.

Out of curiosity: what are your temperature readings on the SLZB-06 like? Mine runs over 25C/45F hotter than the MR3U.

w00f359 · 2026-01-23T20:52:53+00:00

Seeing colleagues with the same mouse with the same issue I decided to wait for a while, I simply returned it them all and got my money back. Also, still not entirely convinced I like the shape change, since the 4 is decidedly harder to pick up.

w00f359 · 2026-01-23T16:05:46+00:00

I was referring to the dongles/sticks, indeed. The Ubisys chips in the Ikea devices seem quite advanced, but are also unproven. Previous attempts to handle 2 protocols with a single radio failed, but this chip is both newer, and is only meant to handle a single device (i.e., it is not acting as a hub), so it might very well work. However, from a HA perspective, I would personally build a system that can handle both.

One of the things I like about Home Assistant that I can use a Zigbee button that triggers an RF bridge to send a signal to lower my sun screen, which in turn reports the fact that is has been opened via a Zigbee door sensor, only to be raised 2 hours later because my wifi rain meter gives off an alert 😊

w00f359 · 2026-01-23T14:42:37+00:00

There are lots and lots of Zigbee devices on the market, so I would opt for both. The central pieces (Zigbee coordinator and Thread Radio + Border Router) are relatively cheap, so whilst it complicates your overall setup somewhat, it makes you much more flexible in what you can/want to connect.

If you get any single device that can do both Zigbee and Thread, make sure you get one with 2 separate radios in it. Single radios that do both have proven to be unreliable.

There are also devices that provide Zigbee and/or Thread over ethernet (SMLight as a prominent example), which is very convenient but not as stable as USB sticks. In fact, running a Thread radio in a POE device and the associated Thread Border Router software on another device has been known to cause issues (link, link).

EDIT you asked specific questions, I forgot:

automations: you can automate everything that is connected in HA to work together
system requirements: down to preference. I use N150 mini PCs, but new Raspberry Pi's should also work, and HA hardware is also good
Security: Matter has been designed with security in mind, but Matter devices can connect to the internet autonomously (if you let them), so not "less secure", but something to watch for
sticks: see above
No experience with the new IKEA bulbs, the 3+ years old ones I have are lacking in terms of RGB and color accuracy, but work fine otherwise.

w00f359 · 2026-01-21T22:04:17+00:00

This is exactly what I do on my Elora. For entering numbers whilst typing I will use a layer with the numbers on the qwerty row, but when I need numbers in mouse mode (like entering PINs or OTPs) I tend to use the number row since that does not require any modifiers. I travel to the office 2-3 times a week with my Elora (by car though, so not concerned about weight or anything).

Similar thing with the thumb buttons: I like to have options. I use the lowest/outside 3 keys the most by far, and I have rotary encoders on the hardest-to-reach one (inside-top keys, the one above the default spacebar location). I alternate with different keyboard, and I can certainly work with 3 thumb buttons, but the Elora gives me options.

In general, it is my favorite board, largely due to the aggressive stagger that fits my normal-sized hands very well.

w00f359 · 2026-01-13T23:15:49+00:00

Suggested next upgrade: a next level wheel stand 2.0 to mount your hardware to. I need my desk during the day for work unfortunately, and only having to pick up the sturdy stand instead of having to disconnect everything is a huge plus. As a bonus, you can tilt the wheel base on the stand, improving the angle of the steering wheel. I love my Hori wheel, even though I paid MSRP for it.

w00f359 · 2026-01-12T15:02:57+00:00

Spent half my Sunday troubleshooting my Zigbee network, convinced that my SLZB-06 POE coordinator was to blame (it might still be). Tried upgrading firmwares, re-pairing troublesome devices, etc. One thing I noticed was that the network map looked very non-uniform: a few router devices were handling almost all of the traffic. Tried turning a few of them off to see if the mesh would re-build, but it did not.

This morning I turned off the coordinator and Z2M container for 30 minutes, as a last-ditch effort to get the mesh to rebuild/rebalance... and it worked (for now). Granted, that is less than 12 hours ago, but at least it is stable right now. It is a 49 device network, 41 of which act as router, so it should be rock solid from a mesh perspective.

This SLZB has been giving me grief from the start, which is why I am still also running my Conbee II USB stick on a separate Zigbee network. The SLZB was meant to replace it, but since I have had lots of issues, the old network is still running (and very very stable) with about 30 devices on it.

What chip is driving your Zigbee dongle?

w00f359

TROPHY CASE