Local Reference of Lights using ISY and Alexa

[matapan]

I think there's supposed to be a way to say simple references to turn on lights in a room that has an Echo in it without using the long name and unique name we all give to different lights in the house. I did read the wiki article on Amazon Echo integration, which suggests setting up each Echo with different accounts to do this. Isn't there a less complicated way of doing this with groups?

If what I'm asking isn't clear, let me provide an example:

If there is an Insteon dimmer switch called "Master Bedroom Light", I'd like to be able to say: "Alexa, turn on the lights" in the Master Bedroom, but also be able to say the same thing when I'm in the garage to turn on the lights there, without having to say "Alexa, garage lights on"

I have a Alexa group called "Master Bedroom" and another called "Garage", in which "Master Bedroom Light" is in the group "Master Bedroom" and "Garage Lights" is in the group "Garage". There is an Echo in each of these rooms.

[oberkc]

As near as I can tell from my various echo devices...I have several, with each assigned to a room, along with lighting devices assigned to a room....when I say "Alexa, lights on", any "light" in the same room as the responding echo will turn on.

[nadler]

This is pretty straight forward and you're half way there. Edit your master bedroom group. You'll get a drop down list with all your lights (for example). Under that list is another list with all your echo devices. Check the echo device in the master bedroom and save. That's it. When you're in the bedroom say Alexa lights on our something similar.  That's it. Do the same for the garage. Note:

each echo can only be attached to one group in this manner.

[matapan]

Thanks to all who replied. There is a reference in the wiki page about the need to create separate accounts for each Echo device. Can anyone explain the rationale behind this?

[Geddy]

@matapan never seen that. Can you post the link you reference?

I’ve got several Echo devices and just use one account. Never had a problem.  

[oberkc]

I don't know how long ago that the wiki reference was made.  At one point, I don't think Alexa had room-sensitive commands...this is relatively recent.  Before then, I assume that one could put a single Alexa , along with related devices, under separate accounts for each room.  

Alexa has evolved since then, and this workaround is no longer necessary.

 

[matapan]

12 minutes ago, Geddy said:

@matapan never seen that. Can you post the link you reference?

I’ve got several Echo devices and just use one account. Never had a problem.  

Here is the reference:

https://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY_Portal_Amazon_Echo_Integration_V3

Under the heading "Instructions for using Multiple Echos Smart Home":

To support multiple Echos with different Smart Home devices, you need multiple ISY Portal sub-accounts with each their own user profile.

1. Have your Echos tied to different amazon accounts
2. In ISY Portal, configure a sub-account and user profile per echo:

<etc> <etc> <etc>

 

Is this no longer relevant, as oberkc suggests?

 

[lilyoyo1]

10 hours ago, matapan said:

Here is the reference:

https://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY_Portal_Amazon_Echo_Integration_V3

Under the heading "Instructions for using Multiple Echos Smart Home":

To support multiple Echos with different Smart Home devices, you need multiple ISY Portal sub-accounts with each their own user profile.

1. Have your Echos tied to different amazon accounts
2. In ISY Portal, configure a sub-account and user profile per echo:

<etc> <etc> <etc>

 

Is this no longer relevant, as oberkc suggests?

 

It's no longer relevant. 

[Geddy]

11 hours ago, matapan said:

Is this no longer relevant, as oberkc suggests?

As @lilyoyo1 says it seems to be old information that is no longer relevant. V3 was released in late 2017 (I believe). This area is probably left over from V2, prior to Echo devices having groups (as @oberkc points out). Further up in the "Migrating to V3" section there's mention of groups so they've been around since V3 came out.

What's strange though is that I never set mine up with different accounts. So either didn't care about how different echo were controlling devices or just didn't need to have that option. It is nice to have the room groupings. 

Nice job reading all the way down on the wiki.