Grid Connect tips, tricks and help

[CSParnell]

Hi all,

I thought it may he good to have a feed where we could share any tips and tricks to do with any of the Grid Connect Range being Arlec, Deta, Verve, Orion.

I am learning from trial and error and really just accident so sharing with others and sharing back we may be able to create some good learning information for us all.

Please post below starting with what the trick is as the title then how to do so as the body of information.

Carl 

[EricL]

Hello @stevesmith2107 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about smart solar fairy lights.

I'm sorry but the store does not currently stock smart solar fairy lights or an Arlec RF transmitter. However, I can suggest a way to protect your Arlec Smart 800 LED Bud Lights With Grid Connect. To protect the transformer and plug of the extension cord, I suggest using Arlec IP44 Outdoor Safety Box. I own one of these and often use it whenever I use my pressure washer. I know that my cable is safe, and the connections will not get wet even if accidentally drenched.

To protect the electrical cable itself you can cover it with Builders Edge 1000mm Cable Protector. The cable protectors can be locked together, and you can use duct tape to keep the cable in the channel. As long as the cable protector is facing right side up it will protect the cable.

Let me call on our experienced member @CSParnell for their recommendation.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[CSParnell]

@stevesmith2107 @EricL 

I have not been into Bunnings this year with the new Xmas light range though I do remember some being Grig Connect in previous years but they may have been hardwired. I think the issue with solar Grid Connect lights will be they won't have the ability to maintain their connection for 2 reasons 1. People will put them to far away from wifi range and 2. They constant draining of power in the system could loose the settings even if a small PCB battery was installed.

That being said nothing a 1.2ah 12v battery, 10-20w solar panel, 20w solar regulator and 12v smart outdoor fairy lights could fix if you wanted to go DIY all placed in an IP rated enclosure.

As for a RF/Wifi push button... Search Tuya push button, you will find many options and Tuya works on Grid Connect platform and vice versa, Tuya is the parent device manufacturer. Just look out between wifi, ZigBee, Bluetooth for Wifi all you need is your router, for ZigBee and Bluetooth you need a separate hub. There is also Z Wave that needs a hub.

Hope that helps

[GreenHouse]

Hi @stevesmith2107

Is this the sort of Grid Connect remote control you are after?

If so, please refer to Page 12 of this Forum: "4 Gang Smart Switch Review".
I've been using one of these with Grid Connect daily for almost 1 year now.  Easy to use/program and very reliable!

NOTE:  The only catch is that it requires a ZigBee hub, but that works seamlessly with Grid Connect for all your Grid Connect Scenes & Automations.
Each button has ‘single click’, ‘double click’ and ‘long press’ modes to facilitate control of up to 12 devices.

(I looks like an 'Infrared remote' but it isn't.)

[CSParnell]

@GreenHouse yep that's the type I was thinking of or these are good too for ZigBee the 3 position touch ones. No not the skull haha 

[w0mbat]

Help with Grid Connect Camera

Hi all,

This is a last ditch attempt to sort out why I cannot get an Orion Grid Connect Camera to pair.

I have numerous Grid Connect devices. I have never had any issue getting any of them to pair.

That is until I bought an Orion SC002HA Pan and Tilt security Camera. I follow the instructions exactly and it refuses to pair. Gets up to scanning the QR code and then it times out and never completes the pairing process. I must have tried 20 times. Eventually I decided the camera must be faulty and returned it to Bunnings and got a replacement. Unfortunately the replacement behaved exactly the same. I then contacted Arlec support and they sent me yet another camera. But it does exactly the same thing!!! 

I can see that the camera is being given an address by the router.

I have had a lot of experience with Grid Connect devices and have never had a problem before and I have now run out of ideas.

The only unusual thing about my situation is we have NBN satellite internet. But why would this be a problem when dozens of other smart devices pair with no issue?

Has anyone out there had a similar experience?

Thanks in advance,

Ian

[MitchellMc]

Hi @w0mbat,

Sorry to hear about the ongoing trouble you're having with the Orion Grid Connect Camera. That must be incredibly frustrating.

Have you been back in touch with Arlec support since receiving the replacement unit and experiencing the same issue? It sounds like they sent you the new unit assuming the original might have been faulty, but now that you’re seeing the same behaviour, it seems to rule out a defective unit and instead points towards something related to the Wi-Fi or internet connection.

If you haven’t already, it might be worth reaching out to them again to let them know the issue persists despite the replacement. Now that it’s clear the camera itself isn’t at fault, they may have further troubleshooting steps specific to your setup or NBN satellite connection. 

Mitchell

[CSParnell]

@w0mbat @MitchellMc @ I would place my bets on you have either 5G or a 5G/2.4G service WiFi that you are using to try to connect to and giving the only thing the has changed is the internet service the modem probably changed but the SSID got brought across so that you didn't have to connect your other devices????? Maybe????

Given so that can you create a mobile hotspot on your mobile that is 2.4G only? The setting is usually available in the hotspot area. Set your SSID and Password. 

Grab another phone or mobile device with Grid Connect or Smart Life and connect to the Hot Spot, the. Jump into Grid Connect or Smart Life and put the camera into pair mode and try to add it. See if that works. If that is a success then you know it is a 2.4G/5G issue. 

Unpair the device and delete the data then tun off the Hotspot.

Next if 5G is causing the issue you have 2 options if you home wifi is running at 2 bands then turn off 5G temporary so 2.4G is just active. Put the camera into pair mode and pair again. With your mobile device.

If successful then you can turn back on your 5G band.

If you want uninterrupted 2.4G then create a Guest network of 2.4G only and pair all your smart devices to that band, make sure your main band is still dual 2.4G/5G this allows you to control your devices on the main band even though they are on the Guest Band but any time you want to add a device make sure your mobile device is connected to the guest band.

This is how my house is set up with minimal issues.

Let me know.

[w0mbat]

@CSParnell,

Thanks for writing that long suggestion but I am afraid you have misinterpreted something I wrote.

I do not have a new internet service. I have been on the service I am on (NBN Skymuster satellite) for years.

My point was that being on satellite internet is the only slightly unusual thing about my setup.

I am well aware of the 2.4GHz vs 5 GHz network issue. I have been using Grid Connect devices for several years. I have never had a pairing issue with any of the other at least 20 Grid Connect devices I am using.

That is my whole point! I have never had an issue with any GC device before. It is only the Orion SC002HA camera that has given me an issue.

Michell,

I took your suggestion and contacted Arlec support again. I have always found Arlec support to be quite good in the past. However, this time I am getting the unfortunate "We will ignore everything you have told us and give you the standard basic response we give everyone" type of "support".

What has happened to Arlec support?

Ian

[MitchellMc]

Hi again Ian (@w0mbat) 

It’s clear that you’ve gone above and beyond to troubleshoot the issue, especially given your experience with other Grid Connect devices.

If Arlec can’t offer a resolution, I’d be more than happy to assist in organising a return or exchange for a different model. Perhaps another camera might better suit your needs and avoid this compatibility issue altogether.

Mitchell

[CSParnell]

@w0mbat no problemo sometimes it's hard to interpret over threads, last thought camera firmware update?