Automators 38: Simon Leeb and Pushcut

[magicbrian]

I tried to explain this from a high-level in the Pushcut area.

[sliemeobn]

thanks @magicbrian for writing this up! (link below)

Pushcut and Insteon

I’m starting a conversation around using Pushcut with Insteon (insteon.com). I’ve started playing and testing. For my Insteon devices, I am using (links for reference purposes): ISY994i/IR PRO The ISY Portal (this allows the use of IFTTT/Webhooks and Google/Alexa integration) (The subscription is roughly $12/year) http://homeautomationguru.com/isy-portal-first-look/ Along with IFTTT where needed. The downside is that each action requires you to create one or more webhooks manually. This …

[Zimbu]

@Martin_Packer

iBeacon and eBeacon don’t let you copy the UUID etc. So it’s a lot of typing - and I’m not accurate at that, particularly on iOS.

I know this is an old thread, but just to add a couple suggestions/points:

1. There are some iBeacons available that allow the TX to be set as low as -40. That should make the scannable range around 1-2 meters.
   -If you want it even shorter, you can try putting the beacon underneath a thick piece of furniture like a table.
   -You can also try changing the orientation of the beacon. Different beacons behave differently because their internal antennas are designed differently, so you need to figure out how orientation effects your particular beacon.
   -For testing, use an app like nRF Connect or LightBlue (these are the two “pro” apps) that will display the RSSI strength figure “live”, so as you move the beacon around, you should see the RSSI getting stronger (closer to zero) and weaker (more negative). Then you can fiddle around with the furniture/orientation ideas to see what changes weaken the RSSI, i.e. make the signal weaker/shorter.

2. Re typing the UUID: Yes, definitely not fun if you can’t copy the UUID. One idea: if you are able to configure your beacon and change the UUID, just make the UUID all letter A’s (or 1’s or whatever). So even if you have to type it, it’s not so painful. Just need to keep count of the digits.

3. Another quick reminder: Some apps want the UUID with dashes, and some apps want it without the dashes. So if you have some problems inputting a UUID, try adding or removing the dashes.
   -Pushcut wants the UUID with dashes. One little quirk of Pushcut is that you can enter the optional major/minor, but it displays it as a number with a comma, e.g. “2,500” instead of “2500”. So be sure you enter a major/minor as a number with no comma even though it displays with a comma after you save it.