EvoControl - custom Alexa skill for Evohome

[bruce_miranda]

You better buy new glasses or that magnifying screen that we saw in the early days of TV, to make a screen appear larger. The Show 5 isn't great for accessibility with this app, but hopefully Phil will get it to be. He has been great with new features etc.

[bruce_miranda]

Not OFF but I have an Alexa routine to set away mode (12degC) for 3 hours:

You cannot even turn the Heating Off from Alexa! It's a bit mad actually. Hence why my suggestion to Phil to create his own OFF state I.e. all Zones go to 5C but the System Mode is left untouched. This way, his app still retains complete control.

[bruce_miranda]

But how would that be an improvement over "Set all zones to X deg for 3 hours"? This also allows local overrides and even allows choosing a different X from time to time if desired.

Just an easier command to remember. And it's more natural to say "Turn off heating for 5 hours" especially with the cost of gas in 2023.

[jweaver]

Bingo... I got at 7" for free, for (believe it or not) test driving a Vauxhall in some random deal.. When i got there, they had "sold" the demo car, so I never go to drive it. So I just got the voucher for a free Show... I have never really used its.. Its next to my bad and looks nice but I don't (didn't) really have a use for it.. so I was going to off load it and was delighted to find that it had a new use.

7" is the perfect size (ohh errr)... The Evohome screen is much too small.. But anything bigger than 7" would be a bit OTT for a heating system.. So I think 5 or 7 inch is a good size.....

[G4RHL]

You better buy new glasses or that magnifying screen that we saw in the early days of TV, to make a screen appear larger. The Show 5 isn't great for accessibility with this app, but hopefully Phil will get it to be. He has been great with new features etc.

I remember those magnifiers. In the early days a friend’s father proudly bought a tiny black and white TV and put a massive magnifier in front. Most of us did not have a TV, nor central heating!

[jweaver]

Bingo... I got at 7" for free, for (believe it or not) test driving a Vauxhall in some random deal.. When i got there, they had "sold" the demo car, so I never go to drive it. So I just got the voucher for a free Show... I have never really used its.. Its next to my bad and looks nice but I don't (didn't) really have a use for it.. so I was going to off load it and was delighted to find that it had a new use.

7" is the perfect size (ohh errr)... The Evohome screen is much too small.. But anything bigger than 7" would be a bit OTT for a heating system.. So I think 5 or 7 inch is a good size.....

Hang on.. I may just be the stupidest person in the world.. Something didn't sound right when I talked about my Echo Show and how I got it for free.. So I went to check.. Its not an Echo at all.. Its a GOOGLE HOME HUB!! And thats why I wanted to get rid of it, as I have gone fully Alexa... Not Google.

So now I am going to have to buy a Show... B*gger!

[bruce_miranda]

If you have a choice. Buy the bigger screen. 5 is a sweet spot for normal uses but 7 upwards, if you really need to interact with the screen.

[jweaver]

[philchillbill]

[bruce_miranda]

I'm willing to bet a beer, that HomeKit support will not happen.

[philchillbill]

[jweaver]

The gen 1 will be just fine. Its camera is a lot simpler and not as good for videoconferencing but for EvoControl that’s not needed anyway.

Perfect. Thanks.. I don't need another Alexa really, so all I need is a "Portal" for Evocontrol, so a Gen1 is much cheaper....

[philchillbill]

https://mediaserver.smartskills.tech/. Unlike a tablet, the Echo Show has depth and therefore enough of a 'cabinet' to produce decent sound.

[bruce_miranda]

What about people like me who already have an iPad installed in the kitchen wall for all this? I have no idea why this skill cannot run on say an Amazon tablet with the Alexa app loaded.
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[philchillbill]

What about people like me who already have an iPad installed in the kitchen wall for all this? I have no idea why this skill cannot run on say an Amazon tablet with the Alexa app loaded.
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