How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

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Cptnodegard
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by Cptnodegard »

With the Events feature in the new beta something I've waited a long time for is suddenly possible: triggering actions on an Android device using physical remotes connected to a TellStick. This basically means that practically any feature on your phone can now be controlled using TellStick compatible control units. It also means you can set up notifications for tripped sensors etc in ways not currently possible with the TellStick-compatible Android apps (like Remotestick).

Here's how (tested with Nexa gear only):
*Create a new dummy device that your remote/button/switch can control and use the "scan remote" option to connect it to the button you want to use as a trigger. Save, do not connect an actual device.
*Get Tasker and AutoRemote on your Android device and learn what they do and how to use them
*Create a new Event and use the dummy device turning on as the trigger. Make it turn the dummy device back off as well as query a URL. Use the AutoRemote web tool to generate a URL that sends a predefined message and use this URL.
*Set up Tasker to do whatever you want using that AutoRemote message as the trigger.

Example usage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJNZnmXU4I4
M203
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by M203 »

Cptnodegard wrote:With the Events feature in the new beta something I've waited a long time for is suddenly possible: triggering actions on an Android device using physical remotes connected to a TellStick. This basically means that practically any feature on your phone can now be controlled using TellStick compatible control units. It also means you can set up notifications for tripped sensors etc in ways not currently possible with the TellStick-compatible Android apps (like Remotestick).

Here's how (tested with Nexa gear only):
*Create a new dummy device that your remote/button/switch can control and use the "scan remote" option to connect it to the button you want to use as a trigger. Save, do not connect an actual device.
*Get Tasker and AutoRemote on your Android device and learn what they do and how to use them
*Create a new Event and use the dummy device turning on as the trigger. Make it turn the dummy device back off as well as query a URL. Use the AutoRemote web tool to generate a URL that sends a predefined message and use this URL.
*Set up Tasker to do whatever you want using that AutoRemote message as the trigger.

Example usage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJNZnmXU4I4
Great!

I know Tasker and Autoremote. I know how to create the URL. I know events etc in Tellstick Live.

However, how do one create a dummy device in Telldus Live?

Thanks.
M203
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by M203 »

Ok, so set it up except for the dummy device part since I really didnt get that.

At first a just replaced the mail action which I had in my events with a url action, worked at first and then it stopped working. Re-created all the events and now it seems to work for motion sensor, contact sensors, outlets. Really nice, thanks!

BR
Peter
Cptnodegard
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by Cptnodegard »

Dummy device = fake device
In other words you add a device that isn't actually tied to a physical device. For a remote, you could for instance add an on/off device, and then program it to respond to the remote, but not actually program it to control a real world piece of equipment. That way when you have it turn on and off you don't have an actual lamp or something blinking :)
M203
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by M203 »

Cptnodegard wrote:Dummy device = fake device
In other words you add a device that isn't actually tied to a physical device. For a remote, you could for instance add an on/off device, and then program it to respond to the remote, but not actually program it to control a real world piece of equipment. That way when you have it turn on and off you don't have an actual lamp or something blinking :)
Ok! Thanks! Great stuff.
bobbano
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am
Location: Piteå, Sweden

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by bobbano »

I just tried out the functionality and it works great!
I intend to put magnetic switches on my garagedoors.

I can open them using a remotecontrol, and sometimes if I have the remote in my pocket while going from the garage to the house, the button accidentally gets pressed and the door opens. Now I can get a notification/alarm that the door is open. So instead of thinking it's closed and going to bed with the door wide open, I get an alarm and can close it manually with the remote.
Hobern
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by Hobern »

Hi!

Bought my Tellstick Net a month ago and I am very happy so far. Controlling the light is very convenient, but the possibilities with the Events released in Tellstick net Pro is what really makes it interesting. Adding the flexibility that comes with Tasker, a lot of useful applications can be developed.

I have set up an "alarm" using Nexa magnet switches, Events and Tasker. Instead of triggering via Autoremote I send a mail to my Gmail. The message is flagged according to incoming rules, shows up as a notification which triggers events in Tasker - vibration, flash LED, loud sound - to make sure I take note. Works very well.

Next steps is to set up network cameras, possibly with microphone, a siren or speaker system that I can control via Nexa powerplugs. I might also use an old Android device as an "inverted" doorcam (e.g. google idoorcam) to give people that enter the house a chance to identify themselves. Happy for any inventive input I can get from others here, designing functionality of an alarm is not straightforward as there will be a lot of people in my house that actually are there for legal purposes

Connecting fire alarms will be the folowing project, I am currently trying to figure out how people have manipulated them to communicate with Tellstick.
bobbano
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am
Location: Piteå, Sweden

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by bobbano »

Is there any plans on supporting HTTPS in the URL action in Events?
Apparently AutoRemote, which I'm using as a trigger for my garagedoor-alarm, has started using HTTPS.

If I'm entering entering the trigger-URL (http-variant) in a webbrowser, I get automatically redirected to the https-version and the trigger works.
But if I enter the same trigger-URL in the URL-action in Events (http-variant), it won't work. And as I can't change it to HTTPS, I can't really know for sure where it fails.
But my logic concludes that it's in the URL-action...
M203
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Post by M203 »

It is due to Joao now forcing https in autoremote Web URL. Killed everything for me due to events only supporting http. Currently my motion sensors and contact sensors are useless. Please issue a support ticket for https support. I did.
bobbano
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am
Location: Piteå, Sweden

Re:

Post by bobbano »

M203 wrote:It is due to Joao now forcing https in autoremote Web URL. Killed everything for me due to events only supporting http. Currently my motion sensors and contact sensors are useless. Please issue a support ticket for https support. I did.
Done :)
Btw, is it you who commented on the Google+ thread about this?
simonbove
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by simonbove »

Hi..

I'm about to receive my telldus net and I am quite sad about this.. Have you tried with a url shortener as a middleman? For examplehttp://goo.gl ?

Then you have the http address in telldus live which then can be converted to autoremote https on the Google server..

As I said, I don't have the telldus net just yet, so can't test it for myself..

Btw I wrote to support and they said they wouldn't support https anytime soon, so we have to find a solution elsewhere...

Could one of you see if the shortener idea works?
simonbove
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by simonbove »

Just received a email from the developer of autoremote..
Hi Simon. Yes, you can use http again if you wish :)

João
So it looks like the problem has been solved :-)
simonbove
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by simonbove »

i have just received my new tellstick net and i can confirm it is working now. you just need to remove the s in https..
simonbove
Posts: 109
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by simonbove »

now im getting alerts when the mail is coming in my mail box :-D
HSPalm
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:45 am
Contact:

Re: How to: Control Android using remotes and Events

Post by HSPalm »

Just to inform you, Notify My Android has the same features and also supports HTTP, although they recommend HTTPS

EDIT: Also, you don't have to go through Tasker to get notificatoins, it's built in to Notify My Android but NMA also has Tasker integration if you wish.
Remotestick app also has Tasker integration for controlling your devices based on scenes from Tasker, good to know.
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