For the discussion of smart homes, home automation and the like. Because of the instance it will tend to have a more UK flavour but everyone is welcome.
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I am using IKEA blinds. They have their disadvantages, but they’re zigbee and work well enough. I cut them to fit, which was a simple job but requires attention to detail and tools which I didn’t have; nevertheless they look good from across the room.
Stateside, I’ve heard good things about Lutron but they’re pricy.
Thanks for the suggestions..
I've been using Somfy battery RTS blinds with an RFXcom. They've been rock solid, and since adding the solar panels haven't had to charge them in years. They just work.
Only Potential gripe is, the way I have them set up I don't get position or status updates in home assistant as the communication isn't bidirectional. That means I don't know how much charge the batteries have (unless they go low and flash, which hasn't happened for years), and if I lower them manually with a Somfy button, that isn't shown in HA. Don't mind that too much though.
I got the blinds on eBay but new, about £100 per motor and £40 for the solar kit iirc. Add to a blind with a compatible tube from a local company.
Thanks for the suggestion. How do you integrate it with HA?
Also, i can't find blinds on their website, just the motor. Does Somfy just sell the motor and the blinds themself are BYO?
Yes, they only do the motors - bring your own blinds. They're a standard blind tube size so easy to find anywhere that sells blinds
I use the RFXtrx integration which can be a bit of a pain to set up, but is rock solid once it's working
You need a specific RFXcom device to work with the RTS protocol, all in the docs but can check what I've got and share some pointers if you want
Also - I used to use the IKEA ones which were also pretty good so an easier solution if that's what you're after. They're ZigBee so easy to integrate and battery operated so no complications. My only complaints were that they only come in set sizes, are battery only with no option for solar panels so you need to remember to charge them (about once every 9 months ISH iirc), and are quite loud.
Great info! Thanks.