App and Echo Recommendations

[DaveBH]

I have just ordered a 994i; I have a smallish system, no more than a dozen Insteon lights, but my increasing frustration with the shortcomings of the Insteon Hub and its reliability have gotten me to the point where I figured it was time to migrate to ISY. 

 

I am not a novice in the entire integration field, it is my line of work. I mainly do full systems and integrate with Lutron QS or RadioRa2, but my own home is Insteon as it's a small apartment, and I wanted a less expensive solution since I don't own the property. That said, ease of setup is not a concern or a factor in my decisions, I'm sure I can get there. I have a lot of experience in the field in general - I just don't have any experience with the ISY.

 

That said, I am looking to use my PC, my Android phone and tablet, and an Amazon Echo with the new ISY994i. But I am seeing several choices here and want some recommendations.

 

App: Mobilinc Pro or Agave? I see lots of reports of Mobilinc being unreliable, but most are pretty old. Are there any pros and cons I need to know about, or is it pretty much just apples and oranges?

 

Echo integration: There are several ISY skills available in the Echo. Three of them appear to be direct Universal devices, but two look obsolete, so I'm assuming the ISY for Smarthome v3 is the way to go. But I also see sever Mobilinc skills. Which skill is better - the ISY one or Mobilinc? Does the Mobilinc skill require you use that app (I'm presuming it does, but one never knows). Again, any gotchas with either solution, or things I need to know first?

[asbril]

I have just ordered a 994i; I have a smallish system, no more than a dozen Insteon lights, but my increasing frustration with the shortcomings of the Insteon Hub and its reliability have gotten me to the point where I figured it was time to migrate to ISY. 

 

I am not a novice in the entire integration field, it is my line of work. I mainly do full systems and integrate with Lutron QS or RadioRa2, but my own home is Insteon as it's a small apartment, and I wanted a less expensive solution since I don't own the property. That said, ease of setup is not a concern or a factor in my decisions, I'm sure I can get there. I have a lot of experience in the field in general - I just don't have any experience with the ISY.

 

That said, I am looking to use my PC, my Android phone and tablet, and an Amazon Echo with the new ISY994i. But I am seeing several choices here and want some recommendations.

 

App: Mobilinc Pro or Agave? I see lots of reports of Mobilinc being unreliable, but most are pretty old. Are there any pros and cons I need to know about, or is it pretty much just apples and oranges?

 

Echo integration: There are several ISY skills available in the Echo. Three of them appear to be direct Universal devices, but two look obsolete, so I'm assuming the ISY for Smarthome v3 is the way to go. But I also see sever Mobilinc skills. Which skill is better - the ISY one or Mobilinc? Does the Mobilinc skill require you use that app (I'm presuming it does, but one never knows). Again, any gotchas with either solution, or things I need to know first?

Others, far more qualified than I am, will post their comments. 

Generally from what I have read in this forum,  Agava works best with Android and Mobilinc works best with IOS.

I use Mobilinc with IOS, linked to ISY Portal. Though I have an Alexa Wand, I mostly use Google Home and generally the integration works well.

[DaveBH]

Others, far more qualified than I am, will post their comments. 

Generally from what I have read in this forum,  Agava works best with Android and Mobilinc works best with IOS.

I use Mobilinc with IOS, linked to ISY Portal. Though I have an Alexa Wand, I mostly use Google Home and generally the integration works well.

Well, I have both Android and iOS - wonder if Agave and Mobilinc will play well together connecting to the same ISY. My iPhone is least important to me though, I don't intend to have it long

[stusviews]

You can use MobiLinc with the ISY, but you cannot use both the MobiLinc portal and the ISY portal concurrently, It's one portal or the other. ISY v3 is the latest Echo skill and the one you should be using.

[MWareman]

I have the ISY Portal, an iPad with Mobilinc Pro (connecting to the ISY Portal) and Android (I used to use Mobilinc there - it works fine against ISY Portal but gave up on it due to lack of plugins) using Agave...

[Mecheng70]

Here is my $.02

 

If you have an Android phone then consider the Google home. Why? They you can use your "ok Google" feature on your phone for voice control.

 

If you have an Amazon fire tablet, then you get voice control on that with the Alexa.

 

I have both. Why? Why not.

 

Just found out that the Google home doesn't dim lights like the Alexa can. Not a deal breaker. We have Alexa in our main living room (echo dot), game room (echo dot) and office (Alexa).

 

My 72 yo parents have an Alexa and we can drop in on them using Alexa. Google just didn't support it when we were looking. Also, I can ping my wife on Alexa drop in in the office or game room when she isn't answering (or can find her phone).

 

Google home just came out with the ability to create shortcuts. When we say "ok Google, good night", it runs the secure house program (locks doors and turns lights off).

 

Would I stick to just one? Nope. There are little things with each that I like. For instance the echo dot in the living room is plugged into a stereo jack amp for the speakers on the first floor. That way we can listen to music over the sound system. Google home does not have a jack.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[MWareman]

Google Home can dim now. Benoit fixed the bug that was preventing this earlier today.

 

Happy New Year!

[Jimbo.Automates]

Google Home doesn't have a jack to plug into another audio system, you would use a Google Chromecast Audio for that which has analog and digital out.

 

Google Home does have the broadcast feature, but wish it had the drop in function of Alexa.

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[DaveBH]

I appreciate the input, but I am completely uninterested in Google Home. One voice device is sufficient. The reason I picked Amazon in the first place is because it integrates with far, far more devices and systems, and I am an Integrator by trade. 

[stusviews]

One voice device is sufficient..

 

Maybe for you. We have a dozen Echo devices and probably will add more. Lifting a finger to tap a switch or button is nearly passé around here

[asbril]

Maybe for you. We have a dozen Echo devices and probably will add more. Lifting a finger to tap a switch or button is nearly passé around here

I have a Google Home in every corner of the house but can't get the wife to use them

[stusviews]

It took a while for my wife to use her voice--for automation. Start by finding something that makes her life easier. My wife reads a lot, so I got a new really effective reading lamp and set that up to turn on vocally. By now, voice control of all the lights are in her realm. Also the motorized driveway gate for deliveries.

 

OTOH, she absolutely won't use her voice to turn on the TV nor any of the window coverings. The latter is interesting to me as we got the window coverings through her place of employment.

[paulbates]

Maybe for you. We have a dozen Echo devices and probably will add more. Lifting a finger to tap a switch or button is nearly passé around here

 

It's been mostly a fad here except for a few specific things:  ISY functions, Harmony and playing Jeopardy.  Like you, my wife took to ISY functions that were set up to help her.  It's mostly voice activation of helpful things already set up via keypad keys and the ISY... A "good night" routine, turning on/off the attic fan/dampers and basic lighting in our kitchen/family room.

 

Alexa isn't really good at off-the-cuff questions, that was part of the "faddiness", too many "hmmm, I don't know the answer" . I'm guessing google is much better a that. 

 

Paul

[stusviews]

Alexa isn't really good at off-the-cuff questions, that was part of the "faddiness", too many "hmmm, I don't know the answer" . I'm guessing google is much better a that.

 

My one and only reason for getting the Echo to begin with was/is home automation. That's still my main objective although I do use some of the built-in extras. MY wife, OTOH, considers the extras as the raison principale, most especially the weather

[DaveBH]

Maybe for you. We have a dozen Echo devices and probably will add more. Lifting a finger to tap a switch or button is nearly passé around here

I phrased that badly. One voice device *platform* is enough. I have three echos, in all the areas I spend my time. I would consider a Google Home redundant, as I mainly only use the Echos for turning things on and off. Music, information, not so much (just a little though).

[stusviews]

I agree. My sound system is extraordinary and I like to take my time reading instead of being read to.

[MWareman]

Google Home doesn't have a jack to plug into another audio system, you would use a Google Chromecast Audio for that which has analog and digital out.

 

Google Home does have the broadcast feature, but wish it had the drop in function of Alexa.

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

You can ‘pair’ a Google Home with a second ‘cast’ device. When you do this, if you ask Home to play something it plays automatically on the associated cast device.

 

I have my Family room Home paired to my Visio SmartCast TV - when we ask Home to play something it automatically plays on the TV which is hooked up to my Sonos Playbar... it’s pretty seamless. There really is no need for a jack.

[ScottAvery]

If Amazon continues on their path you will no longer have a need for a mobile app.  ISY Portal will provide connectivity and the Alexa App will have all the control widgets.   They were implemented with v3 but they don't work right yet.

[MWareman]

If Amazon continues on their path you will no longer have a need for a mobile app. ISY Portal will provide connectivity and the Alexa App will have all the control widgets. They were implemented with v3 but they don't work right yet.

This.

 

Even if you don’t have any Echo hardware. The Echo app will work nicely to control your devices... eventually...

[rlcrook]

My two cents worth..

 

I've been using Mobilinc on my android phone for about 3 years now, well before I had my echos. It's worked great for me. Because it's worked great, I haven't tried Agave.

 

I did briefly use the mobilinc skill with my echos. While it worked, it was clunky having to say "Alexa, tell moby link to turn on bedroom lights" The ISY skill (which needs the ISY portal enabled to work) on the other hand allows me to simply say "Alexa, turn on the bedroom lights". I'm currently using the V3 skill.

 

The Alexa app will allow you to control the devices you have linked to the ISY skill, so Mobilinc is not truly needed if you have the ISY portal enabled. I've found however I don't have to do as many swipes with Mobilinc to get what I want to control as I do with the Alexa app, so I still use Moblinc on my phone.