booch Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Figured I'd post my satisfaction with a recent integration. Have 8 flameless candles on my porch that natively run on IR (which is unreliable given a fireplace, line-of-sight limits, etc.). Thought about Z2IO but didn't want to have wires across the floor (either for power or connectivity). Searched for an RF alternative product but no dice -- so made my own... Already had a Bond Bridge, so bought a few ($11/each) 433mhz receivers on Amazon and built/hid three of them into the candles themselves (soldered to PCB) while running small wires out for nearby control. Totally invisible and finally have these things on scene and discrete control via keypad and phone! At some point I may have to wire a photosensor to establish state, but for now, the 433mhz is so reliable the variable stays true. Pics for clicks, ha: rocky350z, PorterTX, namayumi and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LollerAgent Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Very cool. Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 very cool! you could sell these! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstafford388 Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Africa C4 user Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Really nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff W Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Super cool automation idea, love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 Thanks, all! With the craziness of the past year or so, these little projects have been a great distraction, ha. And this forum is awesome cause it keeps me going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 11 hours ago, msgreenf said: very cool! you could sell these! Thanks, Mitch! Might be less fun if I did it commercially, but happy to reprise for forum members @ parts cost + whiskey, ha msgreenf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Whiskey is always a good thing . I only have 100+ bottles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 3 hours ago, msgreenf said: Whiskey is always a good thing . I only have 100+ bottles “What you need?” Haha. Man — 100+ bottles — I thought I was under-invested but now I know it — well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dueport Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 On 8/18/2021 at 3:40 AM, booch said: Figured I'd post my satisfaction with a recent integration. Have 8 flameless candles on my porch that natively run on IR (which is unreliable given a fireplace, line-of-sight limits, etc.). Thought about Z2IO but didn't want to have wires across the floor (either for power or connectivity). Searched for an RF alternative product but no dice -- so made my own... Already had a Bond Bridge, so bought a few ($11/each) 433mhz receivers on Amazon and built/hid three of them into the candles themselves (soldered to PCB) while running small wires out for nearby control. Totally invisible and finally have these things on scene and discrete control via keypad and phone! At some point I may have to wire a photosensor to establish state, but for now, the 433mhz is so reliable the variable stays true. Pics for clicks, ha: Amazing I have this on my list too but had no idea how to do it given the IR. That’s genius to add the RF module. If you have time to add some pictures on how you wired those in and hid them that would be helpful - I’d like to try this too sometime. Great integration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 The lights are very cool indeed, great project glad the 433 is working, probably because Bond is very strong, none-bond like normal RF buttons with Sonoff RF bridges are hit/miss, I had them removed later as I moved to Zigbee 3.0, I may also do ZB with some IR lights we have in our backyards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 I think this is the chip - https://www.amazon.com/3-7-12V-Wireless-Control-Transmitter-Controller/dp/B08F7FFQ14/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=433mhz+receiver&qid=1630434780&sr=8-6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 Hey, all -- flattered there's interest! As I explained in a PM or two, I'm in the process of redoing them for permanent use, as the current ones were more of a first cut/proof-of-concept and would be annoying to maintain, e.g., separate batteries for receiver and candle. Therefore; probably better to wait for my update and/or follow my plan vs. current... My permanent design, subject to testing it and it working as expected, will be: Candles from Restoration Hardware, OEM is Candle Impressions/Sterno Every size is identical on the inside, so to speak This 433mhz receiver from Amazon This power converter from Amazon Tested on my bench that the receiver needs slightly higher voltages Wire, solder and glue/sealant (for connections) By doing it this way, I can use the candle's original/easily accessible 2x D cell batteries to power both the candle and the receiver. My rough math on power consumption suggests it should go for about a year with standard alkalines (longer with lithium), which IMO is easier than charging or otherwise adding more complexity. Happy to report back/verify the above works and/or do a little writeup when my power converters come. ERDrPC and msgreenf 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazybuppie Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 This is awesome. Please keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 On 8/31/2021 at 6:57 PM, booch said: Hey, all -- flattered there's interest! As I explained in a PM or two, I'm in the process of redoing them for permanent use, as the current ones were more of a first cut/proof-of-concept and would be annoying to maintain, e.g., separate batteries for receiver and candle. Therefore; probably better to wait for my update and/or follow my plan vs. current... My permanent design, subject to testing it and it working as expected, will be: Candles from Restoration Hardware, OEM is Candle Impressions/Sterno Every size is identical on the inside, so to speak This 433mhz receiver from Amazon This power converter from Amazon Tested on my bench that the receiver needs slightly higher voltages Wire, solder and glue/sealant (for connections) By doing it this way, I can use the candle's original/easily accessible 2x D cell batteries to power both the candle and the receiver. My rough math on power consumption suggests it should go for about a year with standard alkalines (longer with lithium), which IMO is easier than charging or otherwise adding more complexity. Happy to report back/verify the above works and/or do a little writeup when my power converters come. Update: Parts came so built the first of the candles using the above, 'permanent' design tonight -- it works! Pics below. Packaging is a little sloppy, but I had a few drinks with friends earlier, ha. All prior functionality of the candle is preserved, including using replaceable D batteries. DIY/guide to come when I build the rest. msgreenf and Dueport 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 On 8/31/2021 at 1:14 PM, Amr said: The lights are very cool indeed, great project glad the 433 is working, probably because Bond is very strong, none-bond like normal RF buttons with Sonoff RF bridges are hit/miss, I had them removed later as I moved to Zigbee 3.0, I may also do ZB with some IR lights we have in our backyards Just noticed this post so wanted to respond. Thanks! And yeah -- Zigbee would be awesome. But I think the power requirements (and maybe size) would prevent the conversion/reuse of the 'stock' candles (NTM probably cost more than $11, ha.) Before settling on this, I'd considered just converting a Z2IO to lithium power and running leads out to the candles. Haven't looked up its consumption but assume thats possible and surprised C4 doesn't make one. On the topic, I have a few wired Z2IOs floating around , so if I had signal problems with the 433mhz, I could connect their native transceiver to one if the Bond was out of range/needed help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dueport Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 On 9/2/2021 at 3:07 AM, booch said: Update: Parts came so built the first of the candles using the above, 'permanent' design tonight -- it works! Pics below. Packaging is a little sloppy, but I had a few drinks with friends earlier, ha. All prior functionality of the candle is preserved, including using replaceable D batteries. DIY/guide to come when I build the rest. Really nicely done! I'll have to investigate doing this with ours. Ours are a different make - they're Luminara from Pottery Barn and I haven't had the guts to open one up yet - but a YT tear down looks like there may be a similar amount of space to fit in that module you used. If I get brave I'll post an update on how this works with that brand. Thanks again for the post - great integration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted September 19, 2021 Author Share Posted September 19, 2021 Sorry for the delayed reply, all. When things get busy with work or personally, C4 is the first to go, ha. So, I'll come right our and say it: I'm embarrassed -- I somehow grossly miscalculated the battery life of my (above) design. I must have misread, dropped a zero, or both, because after putting one of these modified candles on the multimeter, it's drawing enough current to last a little over a month on the 'stock' D batteries vs. a year. After going back and checking, this is consistent with the published specs., so my best guess is I erred on the battery capacity (as I have no experience/frame of reference to 'gut check'). While I'm running these outside right now and think it might be good enough for this season (since I change-out a few other batteries regularly), it totally crushes the use case I mention above. Therefore, I'm guessing most won't be interested, for now. Not sure I'm going to take the project on immediately, but there are a few (more commercially-oriented vendors) that sell low-power/'wake-up' alternatives to the RF receiver I noted above. In theory, with those and the same setup, it would last a year. Apologies again for the letdown. And happy to report back with both how long this flawed design lasts and when/if I experiment with a low-power/'wake up' receiver. msgreenf and RyanE 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 On 9/19/2021 at 11:29 AM, booch said: Sorry for the delayed reply, all. When things get busy with work or personally, C4 is the first to go, ha. So, I'll come right our and say it: I'm embarrassed -- I somehow grossly miscalculated the battery life of my (above) design. I must have misread, dropped a zero, or both, because after putting one of these modified candles on the multimeter, it's drawing enough current to last a little over a month on the 'stock' D batteries vs. a year. After going back and checking, this is consistent with the published specs., so my best guess is I erred on the battery capacity (as I have no experience/frame of reference to 'gut check'). While I'm running these outside right now and think it might be good enough for this season (since I change-out a few other batteries regularly), it totally crushes the use case I mention above. Therefore, I'm guessing most won't be interested, for now. Not sure I'm going to take the project on immediately, but there are a few (more commercially-oriented vendors) that sell low-power/'wake-up' alternatives to the RF receiver I noted above. In theory, with those and the same setup, it would last a year. Apologies again for the letdown. And happy to report back with both how long this flawed design lasts and when/if I experiment with a low-power/'wake up' receiver. Not at all, ur design and idea is super nice, sheds some light already on what need to be done, as for power consumption this needs lower powered boards RF or ZB both would be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Battery life is exactly the reason there's relatively few wireless (as in battery powered) relays out there. Making sure you use NO only relays can help, but they still tend to drain a lot of energy while they're closed (engaged). Still, a month isn't terrible, and all you're doing is a basic battery change. Love the idea and execution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 20 hours ago, Cyknight said: Battery life is exactly the reason there's relatively few wireless (as in battery powered) relays out there. Making sure you use NO only relays can help, but they still tend to drain a lot of energy while they're closed (engaged). Still, a month isn't terrible, and all you're doing is a basic battery change. Love the idea and execution! On 9/24/2021 at 3:13 PM, Amr said: Not at all, ur design and idea is super nice, she’d some light already on what need to be done, as for power consumption this needs lower powered boards RF or ZB both would be fine Thanks for the kind words, guys. I get so bummed when I come up short! I'm not pushing hard on this right now, but I see a bunch of references on Stack Exchange, Arduino, RPi, etc. forums referencing all these cheap sleeping/low power receivers that would seemingly last a year, e.g., https://electronoobs.com/eng_arduino_tut129.php, but I can't seem to find them for sale. If anyone is able to track one down, I'll be the guinea pig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 On 9/29/2021 at 3:21 AM, booch said: Thanks for the kind words, guys. I get so bummed when I come up short! I'm not pushing hard on this right now, but I see a bunch of references on Stack Exchange, Arduino, RPi, etc. forums referencing all these cheap sleeping/low power receivers that would seemingly last a year, e.g., https://electronoobs.com/eng_arduino_tut129.php, but I can't seem to find them for sale. If anyone is able to track one down, I'll be the guinea pig. Did u tried AliExpress? These guys never ran out of stock, it’s their stock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booch Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 Happy Thanksgiving, all. Catching up while smoking my turkey, ha. On 10/2/2021 at 12:56 PM, Amr said: Did u tried AliExpress? These guys never ran out of stock, it’s their stock Had to pause on this project for awhile (work), but I spent a couple hours last night searching for these µA receivers referenced on various forums. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an Ali/cheap one (though admittedly their site is so overwhelming I suck at searching it). If you can find one, I'm down to build/figure it out! I did buy one of these though. At $55 it's probably not economical for the candle project, but I figured I'd play with it to see if there's any possibility of a battery-powered relay for use in my system. I'll let you all know how it works. On the lighter side, I was able to reuse some of the 7mAh receivers for battery-powered Christmas wreath lighting (as there's no problem with a 45-day lifespan in the use case). Nice having them come on and off with Scheduler like the other lights vs. having to remember every day (ha)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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