MWoods329 Posted August 14, 2015 Posted August 14, 2015 I just upgraded to the latest release of Mobilinc for iOS. The advanced location capabilities seem like a pretty cool concept. Has anyone here tried them out yet? Are there any specific hardware brands that work better than others for proximity functions? I see a wide range of offerings for ibeacon hardware out there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
InsteonNut Posted August 14, 2015 Posted August 14, 2015 Hi MWoods329, As far as hardware is concerned, so long as it's a certified iBeacon, the only difference you might be interested in is the ability to fine tune the power output of the iBeacon to control the range. When using these in your home, having the ability to reduce or increase the power output to fit your use case is important. Other than that some are battery powered and others plug into a 120V socket. The defaults included in the MobiLinc app are all products that were used during the beta test phase, but you can add any iBeacon by selecting the "Custom" option when adding a new iBeacon. Wes
andyf0 Posted August 14, 2015 Posted August 14, 2015 I have used the Estimote beacons. While I think they work great for their intended purpose of putting up ads on your phone when you enter a specific location within a store, for example, I found I could not use them for critical functions. Sometimes they drop in and out which could cause lights to come on and off when you don't expect it. But my requirements were quite strict, I'm sure others will have applications that will work just fine for them. I will add that MobiLinc works well with the overall concept and their implementation is just like the geofencing where they simply update a variable to 0 or 1 for each beacon and let you do with it what you will.
Xathros Posted August 14, 2015 Posted August 14, 2015 There is more to it than just updating variables now. You can also control what devices/scenes/programs are displayed on the Today Screen and/or Apple Watch based on your proximity to a beacon or geofenced location. You can control the flow of notifications based on your location as well. I'm finding that quite useful so far. -Xathros
jnaiser60 Posted August 20, 2015 Posted August 20, 2015 I just recieved a USB radbeacon. Radbeacon software sees it fine. Mobilinc.... NO. Anybody have this working? Jerry
InsteonNut Posted August 20, 2015 Posted August 20, 2015 Hi Jerry, I responded to a support ticket this morning from another user who is having trouble with the Radbeacon. Here is general troubleshooting advice for iBeacons: Three things could be happening: 1. The iBeacon hardware isn't certified as an iBeacon from Apple. 2. The UUID of Major/Minor numbers typed into MobiLinc do not actually match your iBeacon's UUID/Major/Minor 3. Try removing the iOS device from the iBeacon area for more than 60 seconds and then reintroduce it to the iBeacon. The easiest way to do this is to turn off the iBeacon (remove power) for 60 seconds. Then turn the iBeacon back on. Wes
jnaiser60 Posted August 20, 2015 Posted August 20, 2015 Tried it with and without the major /minor... UUID was a copy and paste. Tried resetting the uuid as well. Turned it off and on many times.... Any other ideas would be appreciated or just steer me to a usb ibeacon that works.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
builderb Posted August 21, 2015 Posted August 21, 2015 My GeoHopper beacons work great. This simplifies things for me, but now I need more beacons! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
jwarner964 Posted August 22, 2015 Posted August 22, 2015 Hi All Being newer to HA I have been setting up my house over the last year, Now I'm seeing posts about beacon where can I read about ibeacon and what it can do in HA systems Thanks Jeff
builderb Posted August 24, 2015 Posted August 24, 2015 Think room-based location awareness, with the caveat that you must be carrying a connected device at all times to make it work. For most people, this is a phone, but increasingly it will be a watch. What's it useful for? I have a beacon in my home office that overrides the auto-off of the motion sensor when my phone is on my desk. The beacon power levels are adjustable (at least mine are, not sure about all beacons) so I can dial it back to about a 6' sphere from the beacon. In theory, it is possible to calculate your range from a known beacon, but I have yet to see any software that can accomplish this. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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