BruceEicher
Well Known Member
RV Hangar Automation by Wireless WiFi
03-11-18 Update. The Wemo worked for a season or so, but after a firmware update (I suspect) it stopped playing well with the Verizon Hotspot.
So I purchased an iHome switch and a multi monitor for motion, temperature, sound, light and humidity. A push notification tells me what’s going on in the hangar. It and the switch is working well with the Verizon box.
Old news;
I just purchased and ran three days of testing of my new Verizon Hotspot device Wi-Fi linked to a WeMo ac plug switch, all with positive results.
The first use of this set up will be auto “while I sleep” and manual remote switching of my oil sump pre-heater.
Equipment cost was $100, $50 each for the Verizon Hotspot Wi-Fi and WeMo AC Plug Remote. Nothing else is needed. Then additional plugs are $50 retail.
The hotspot device price requires a contract.
Adding the device to my shared data Verizon plan is $10 a month. That’s a lot more per year than the switchbox device, pay as you go. But I dropped my IPad cell data plan when I bought a new 6+ phone, so now I am back to the same cost, and can use the Wi-Fi in the hangar making the IPad good for flight planning and such.
Verizon 4G LTE signal is very good in my hangar. I have yet to see a dropped connection with either device. Data use for plug control and feedback is near null. Switch reaction time is a second or two.
Set up of the two units took me about ten minutes. Unplugging and moving the units did not cause loss of settings or memory.
The plug is controlled by a good, easy to use smartphone app.
Additional features besides on and off are; duration timed auto off (so you don’t leave the heater on if you scrub the flight) scheduled on and off (so you don't have to wake up early to warm your engine for a morning flight, and it’s quite easy to set!) plus, data return to your phone of duration on and off history and kilowatts used. See screen snapshot. You get to name each device and add a photo for each too.
And then; you can purchase more plugs, hardwired wall switches, LED light bulbs, thermostats, plus security items like cameras, motion detectors, fire alarms, contact switches…
A weather proof camera would make a good sky condition/runway visibility monitor with the right view out the hangar.
I believe about 12 to 18 units can be combined into a single system.
And it is all portable. I leave the Wi-Fi plugged into hangar power, but you can run it off the included battery for hours in your car, cabin or motorhome for any Wi-Fi receiving device.
03-11-18 Update. The Wemo worked for a season or so, but after a firmware update (I suspect) it stopped playing well with the Verizon Hotspot.
So I purchased an iHome switch and a multi monitor for motion, temperature, sound, light and humidity. A push notification tells me what’s going on in the hangar. It and the switch is working well with the Verizon box.
Old news;
I just purchased and ran three days of testing of my new Verizon Hotspot device Wi-Fi linked to a WeMo ac plug switch, all with positive results.
The first use of this set up will be auto “while I sleep” and manual remote switching of my oil sump pre-heater.
Equipment cost was $100, $50 each for the Verizon Hotspot Wi-Fi and WeMo AC Plug Remote. Nothing else is needed. Then additional plugs are $50 retail.
The hotspot device price requires a contract.
Adding the device to my shared data Verizon plan is $10 a month. That’s a lot more per year than the switchbox device, pay as you go. But I dropped my IPad cell data plan when I bought a new 6+ phone, so now I am back to the same cost, and can use the Wi-Fi in the hangar making the IPad good for flight planning and such.
Verizon 4G LTE signal is very good in my hangar. I have yet to see a dropped connection with either device. Data use for plug control and feedback is near null. Switch reaction time is a second or two.
Set up of the two units took me about ten minutes. Unplugging and moving the units did not cause loss of settings or memory.
The plug is controlled by a good, easy to use smartphone app.
Additional features besides on and off are; duration timed auto off (so you don’t leave the heater on if you scrub the flight) scheduled on and off (so you don't have to wake up early to warm your engine for a morning flight, and it’s quite easy to set!) plus, data return to your phone of duration on and off history and kilowatts used. See screen snapshot. You get to name each device and add a photo for each too.
And then; you can purchase more plugs, hardwired wall switches, LED light bulbs, thermostats, plus security items like cameras, motion detectors, fire alarms, contact switches…
A weather proof camera would make a good sky condition/runway visibility monitor with the right view out the hangar.
I believe about 12 to 18 units can be combined into a single system.
And it is all portable. I leave the Wi-Fi plugged into hangar power, but you can run it off the included battery for hours in your car, cabin or motorhome for any Wi-Fi receiving device.
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