Great video Mark. Just installed my second one today to tilt my horizontal lounge blinds. I was very impressed by the first one on my mancave roller blind. The integration with my deConz stick works great (just add as a light and it detects it as a cover). I've added them to my sunrise and sunset automations. Currently about £47 and being black friday I stocked up on some more Aqara sensors.

I’m currently having issues with this using a conbee II and ZHA. I can lower the motor and stop motors but can not open the motor on home assistant. Any suggestions to why this would be?

TOP MAN and top review of the controller! I just love your work (all reviews and tutorials). I am using rf device to control my verticals atm, it is synched with Sonoff RF bridge and HA Node Red automations but it is a bit patchy due to no state recording. I managed to get it work for 95% of the time, but you defo convinced me to move over to this Aqara controller! Keep up the good work.

Hello, i have a Big blind ( 2.5 per 4 Meyer high) would this be able to control it ?

I have 3 of these. Two work well but the third keeps dropping off, if you press a button on the device it wakes up fine and reconnects to Home Assistant. You can stop the blind at any point by pressing the button again

These are great. Have three working on a schedule in HA. Only issue is the string joiner can cause a little slippage and I can run with the cover on.

@sabrefrenzy4159

2 жыл бұрын

Also just got some aqara light switches.. again good equipment with native HA control

I have another string that controls de angle of the slats (vertical blind slat). Is it able to control that too? Do i need two in that case for one blind? One that sets the angle of the slats and one that opens and closes the blind?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

For this particular one it's designed for just one chain/string so you would need two separate ones. I've only seen one model (some kind of Tuya based motor) that allowed two chains/cords to be attached and independently controlled.

lol.. i was waiting for the home assistant thrusts.. it's legendary !! lol great video mark.. as always..

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

I had to do it 🤣

Absolutely right about the adjustment on the zemismart, that template makes no allowance for the distance of the cord from the wall to the cog the micro adjustment is very useful. Think I’ll pick one of these up though as need a couple more and who wants just one standard throughout the house 😂

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

This one actually fits onto the Zemismart wall plate funnily enough :P

Hello Mark, if you have a Conbee II / DeConz set up, are you saying that to get the Roller Shade Driver to operate with H.A. you have to use the M2 Smart Hub. If that is the case, is there a mechanism to find out when the Driver will be compatible with the Conbee II / DEConz in the same way as the Water sensor, the Door and Window sensor, etc. (Mine are working sweetly, by the way)

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

The best place to check would just be Google or checking the deConz repo pull requests and issues on GitHub to be honest. I stopped following it as I have been doing testing with ZHA and Zigbee2Mqtt for a comparison video in the future.

Hi All, I just bought this roller shade driver but I found it really slow ! Do you know any similar product which will be at least 2x faster (rotation speed) ?

Could I automate the roller shades directly with Homeassistant without the hub (I use sonoff USB dongle and Zigbee2MQTT)?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can yes :)

How well does it handle heaven wide blinds?

Managed to get one of these when they first came out but then found it was not (yet) compatable with Deconz (I'm running Deconz with a Combee II) . I have over 50 Zigbee devices so don't want the hassle of changing to ZHA.. Perhaps a silly question but can you run deconz and ZHA concurrently with the same Zigbee co-ordinator?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can’t have both at the same time unfortunately. The other option would be to set it up via the HomeKit controller. I imagine DeConz will get an update for it soon enough though. For some testing I recently switched from DeConz to ZHA (also with Conbee II) and it’s deffo a few hours work. ZHA seems to get devices quicker and also offers extra functionality with some devices.

@MAMDAVEM

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech Am I right in thinking you need an Aqara hub to use it with Homekit?

I came here b/c of a recommendation from Reed at Smart Home Solver. I subscribed b/c of the Paul Hibbert cameo. 😆

Hey Matt! If you don't use their hub, how do you set the stop positions?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

The driver remembers the positions. You can set them on the driver and then it knows 😎. A bit like the Zemismart one and others. You can also add it straight into HomeKit which I didn’t mention.

@JonnyBergdahl

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech Oh, so it can be setup all by itself? That is neat. Most stuff I have need a stupid app to be setup.

@BeardedTinker

2 жыл бұрын

@@JonnyBergdahl even some of my apps need app for setup 😁

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

I have apps that have an app for their app

@JonnyBergdahl

2 жыл бұрын

@@dpn1604 Yeah, I have been looking for that for several years. I haven't found anything.

Another great video. I really want to get these for my new house. I only have HA but have seen a lot of people have had their up arrows in HA greyed out. I saw in your video it was the same. Have you had an issues with HA and the E1 motor?

@MarkWattTech

Жыл бұрын

In my video it was due to them being so new. Since then they are now supported and are working well :)

Curious if anyone has this in Homekit? How does the Aqara "know" the blind is fully closed or open? It detects no movement in the cord and stops?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Heya. It basically works on a "time" based state. You set your open and close position and it then just uses that time and spins that amount of time (if that makes sense). So if it takes 3 seconds to close after the 3 seconds it will assume its closed. Hope that makes sense :)

Thanks for the review Mark! You mentioned that you need an Aqara Zigbee 3.0 Hub, and I think you showed the Aqara Smart Home Zentrale M2, which is around 60 euros in Amazon. I've found another option, the Aqara Hub E1, which costs around 30 euros. Would the latter be enough for the purpose of controlling several Aqara Roller Drivers with Alexa?

Do I need to get the Aqara hub to use the automation function or I can do it on the App?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can independently set the limits on the device without the hub. The instruction manual that comes with it explains it in detail :)

Hey Mark, can you tilt the horizontal blinds with this driver?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can yes. I do that in my Zemismart blind video (similar design and function).

Great video Matt, as always! Liked to comparison with alternative driver.

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Special Easter egg in this one for you Mr Tinky. Did you spot it? 😂 ( 9:44 )

@BeardedTinker

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech missed it completely - even with time stamp had to rewatch it few times🤣 Thanks!!!!

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

@@BeardedTinker 🤣🤙🏻

Hi. Great video. I have Philips hue hub at home. Any chance it will work together? Thanks

@MarkWattTech

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I don’t think the Hue hub allows any devices other than Hue or “friends of Hue” branded devices to be paired to it.

@MrSimonjan78

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech Ok. Thank you

At 06:44, I noticed your "up" button on HA is greyed out. I'm having the same issue. Was it temporary for you?

@MarkWattTech

Жыл бұрын

Heya. This was a long while back. Adding this via Zigbee2Mqtt using a Sonoff Dongle has no issues for me anymore.

I am looking to get a few of these motors. however im using DeConz.. does anyone know if there is a work around?

I tried to find this in the US as I've bought some other Aqara products and was impressed but I can't find it anywhere. Is this not distributed to the USA? I'll be in the UK in August (my house there is currently an AirBNB rental) ... also wondering if global supply chain issues or anything else is delaying shipments there.

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

I think this one is global but there has been stock issues. When it launched it was impossible to get a hold of.

One thing not mentioned is how you can use it with a metal bead chain that has a connector in the middle to join the two ends. The blind has a sealed cog wheel which the connector cannot pass through. The smart blind device has a cog that the connector also cannot pass through. The length of the chain between both cogs is not enough to fully open and close the blinds and it's already at the lowest part of the window recess. How do you solve that?

Nice video. I wish that somebody does the same but for the venetian blinds (the ones with 3 cords)

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

I'm actually looking into some Venetian blind solutions at the minute. I will be sure to share something if it ticks all the boxes :)

@Andy074

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech That will be really interesting.

What about using this for tilt only rather than using the string using the chain only ... How much would this increase baterry ? I never open my blinds fully as you did just do them 90/45/0 .. Also do you have any automations in HA for the aqara ?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can attatch them to the tilt string (if its a string) it's what I actually did (see the zemismart video). I just attatched it to the open one for a viual effect for the video. I wouldn't usually open them all the way :) The battery on these things last for ages! Using it for tilt would deffinetly give you more tilts than open/closes. They are very simple to charge via USB power banks or solar panels though. In HA I just had an automation that opened and closed the blinds at set times in the morning and in the evening.

@TheRealAnthony_real

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech just bought 2 aqara at an £45 quid offer .. they work great .. now I'm going to start working on some nice automations such as when my son tells Alexa to open Netflix .. to close the blinds as there's light reflecting into the screen . Also many other ! Worth all the money ! Thanks

Hi. One of the reasons I didn't get this was because my blinds are using a non-beaded cable. But, I saw that your are using this E1 on a non-beaded cable too! Does it work well? Mine blinds cable is just a 4mm nylon-ish string. Looks like the same as yours.

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

It does work with both but I think it’s primarily designed with beads in mind. I haven’t had any issues and you get a few different cogs to try. Also if your a 3D printer user/owner I’ve seen a few people create some custom cogs for set blinds. Hope that helps :)

@ClementChio

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech Thank you!!

hi! lovely video, only a question, is there the possibility to still use the shades manually? thanks a lot!

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Heya. You could still pull the cord but you would also then have to pull it round the blind gears. You could use the physical buttons on the blind too.

@borjabarrero9314

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech yes of course, usong the buttons would be the best but just in case someone who is not awate of them or so… or also if it ran out of battery. Its a bit of a pitty having that small battery, it runs at 7V but eventhough🤷🏻‍♂️. They coild have used some 18650 in series.

Hi Mark, Do you know what the weight limit is? I've just installed new blinds and they are really heavy and long (2.9 meters). I really want to automate them but i am not sure if driver can handle them. If not i am going to try to diy it based on ESP home :) Thank you for your video! Marc

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Marc. Unfortunately I don’t sorry. I couldn’t find anything specified on the Aqara site or in the manual.

@jasonwebber2674

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech is there a way to test this? I was thinking the same thing. Possible test method - using a luggage scale hook scale to measure the tension needed to pull a string blind then seeing if the aqara can handle it. increase the tension bit by bit (somehow).

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

@@jasonwebber2674 UPDATE- just spoken with Aqara. They recommended using the driver with blinds under 3KG. Hope that helps :)

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Update - Aqara recommend using the driver with blinds under the weight of 3KG. Hope that helps :)

I never used Home Assistant and I don't want to buy a Hub, can you use the product without a physical hub?

@mikelward

Ай бұрын

Amazon Review says it's now Matter compatible. Maybe you already have a Matter hub?

@hiphopmansharingan

Ай бұрын

Nope I don't :/ can I install Home Assistant on a virtual machine and use it to configure the Smart Blind?

I have a similar product by Livolo, but I watched this anyway because I'm enjoying your channel so much :) great explanations and editing. keep it up!

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you! Plenty more to come :)

Hey Mark, can you buy the E1 without having to get the hub? I’d rather just use it via Google Home or Apple HomeKit

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

You can pair them directly to a Zigbee coordinator. All the positioning settings etc can be done on the unit without the Aqara hub.

Nice one, Mark. I'm implementing this as we speak. Although it is slightly off topic, have you done anything on Energy Management? I'd be interested in your views.

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Hey David. I have soo much energy stuff planned but it’s all shelved till I move! After the big move though, expect plenty of diy energy monitors, out of the box solutions and more!

@davidheron1505

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech Thank you, Mark. I look forward to it. Take care with the move.

I just wanted to applaud the use of the Paul Hibbert Hoooooooooooome assistant thrust! Nice video, too :)

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Had to be done 🤣. Thank you!

Is it just me or did it just disappear from the usual marketplaces? Not available on Amazon or AliExpress.

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

I think they have been super popular and selling out fast!

P.S. I tried to "buy you a coffee" I can't see the woods for the trees. It is my first time. How do you do it?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks really appreciate it. If you head over to www.buymeacoffee.com/markwatttech You should see a panel on the right that says membership by default. Just to the right of that you will see a support option which will allow the caffeine to flow :P

@davidheron1505

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Mark. I'll have a look in the office tomorrow.

TWO or THREE EM tape?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

It’s 3. I had a bit of a forgetful moment 🤣

I can't now hear 'Home Assistant' and not think of Paul Hibbert... HOME ASSISTANT!!!!!

What is "2m tape" ?

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Its a brand for double sided sticky tape :) Essentially a strong sticky pad to allow you to stick the plate to the wall.

@robert.wigley

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech I think you meant 3M tape? 🤔😁

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

@@robert.wigley i deffo did! Did I say 2M in the video? 🤣. I was err… testing you 😂

I would like to do automated blinds but.... the price of them for what they do... I just can't justify it!

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

These will deffo be on some kind of promo at some point :)

kø'øns

2M tape? It's 3M lol

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

Haha Ooopsy :P Crazy how many things you say wrong when filming haha. +10 points for noticing though ;)

@IJm3

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech I heard it the first time and was confused, then you kept saying it haha! Greet vid though. Glad these are in the UK now, they seem quite well priced too

@MarkWattTech

2 жыл бұрын

@@IJm3 haha I must have convinced myself 🤣. I think they are well priced and work really well 👌🏻

@IJm3

2 жыл бұрын

@@MarkWattTech definitely on my list I think.

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