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BroadLink SP Mini Wi-Fi Smart Home Socket US $9.99 (AU $13.23) @ Banggood

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BroadLink SP Mini Wi-Fi Smart Home Socket US $9.99 (AU $13.23) @ BanggoodAffiliate
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No on 13/04/2016 - 17:29 banggood.com (1019 clicks)
Last edited 13/04/2016 - 21:10 by 1 other user
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Banggood previously did a deal on these and I needed another one so I messaged the rep and they have done the deal again.

I have a bunch of broadlink home automation type stuff in my house and I am a huge fan. You can integrate these with tasker using a 3rd party app or you can set them up to turn on and off with motion using the Broadlink S1.

Let me know if you have any questions about the SP mini or integrating it with tasker / other Broadlink products.

Don't forget to use cashrewards for 4.8% cashback.

Mod WARNING: This item does not carry the required Electrical Safety Certifications for Sale or Supply (and/or installation) in Australia. It may be dangerous to use this device.

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  • PVA on 13/04/2016 - 17:36

    cool idea.
    how safe are they, don't want the house burning down with non-standards equipment plugged into a point.

    • eug on 13/04/2016 - 17:40
      +4

      don't want the house burning down with non-standards equipment plugged into a point.

      Better not stay at any hotels with foreign tourists! :)

      • PVA on 13/04/2016 - 18:00

        good thinking, never even thought of that.

    • No on 13/04/2016 - 17:44
      +1

      They wouldn't be Australian approved but I haven't had any problems with the 5-6 of these I have.

      • PVA on 13/04/2016 - 18:01

        thanks.

    • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2016 - 17:50
      +3

      They're not approved. So if your house burns as a result you're insurance is probably void too.

      Plenty of people will start saing they're risky, your house will burn down (citing the hoverboards, etc). The hoverboard we an issue with a dodgey adaptor usually used in conjunction with a overloaded powerboard. These on the other hand are essentially a passthru power plug. they don't step down voltage (like a power adaptor) they don't rectify (i.e. convert AC -> DC) like a power adaptor. I certainly wouldn't plug a powerboard into them.

      Personally I wouldn't have an issue using one. But then I have no problems using LED lights from aliexpress (I've had 2 duds out of 30+ in 3.5yrs). Apparently they'll burn your house down too.

      • eug on 13/04/2016 - 17:58

        The hoverboard we an issue with a dodgey adaptor usually used in conjunction with a overloaded powerboard.

        I thought it was the poor-quality lithium-ion batteries that the cheap ones used?

        • Clear on 13/04/2016 - 19:31

          A combination of both. My hoverboard with decent Samsung cells is still going strong.

      • PVA on 13/04/2016 - 18:02
        +1

        links to what store on Ali for the led lights, PM if you want please.

        • batrarobin on 13/04/2016 - 19:21
          +1

          From experience, there isn't much difference price wise between LEDs off AliExpress and local Aussie online stores. Recently 11w Samsung leds have been posted which were around 18$…comes with SAA approval (and c tick I think). From AliExpress that might cost you around 2-3$ cheaper but no Aussie approval.

          I personally am using 15w leds off Aliexpress, no issues. I bought them only because at that time I wasn't aware of these cheaper local suppliers.

        • PVA on 13/04/2016 - 19:23

          @batrarobin: thanks.

        • mskeggs on 13/04/2016 - 19:26
          +1

          @PVA:
          Keep an eye on eBay too. I got some Philips from private sellers at half rrp left over from building their house.

      • Shonky on 13/04/2016 - 18:21
        +2

        They do rectify and step down the power to drive their internal electronics albeit lower power so your explanation is somewhat misleading.

        The hover board issue was more to do with the battery packs - possibly the charging circuitry incorrectly charging them.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2016 - 19:51

          You're right, my apologise they do have internal electronics which would require power to be stepped down for their internal (e.g. wifi) circuitry,

          I saw the interview from the MFB about one of the Melbourne house fire and the blame was squarely laid with the adaptor & the use of powerboards in an unattended room (he then went on to strongly condemn the use of powerboards as they allow overloading & overdrawing of current).

          Basically the adaptor allowed the faulty charging circuit to draw more then 10Amps (it should have cut out) this overheated along with the powerboard (which I believe also didn't have a trip circuit).

  • eug on 13/04/2016 - 17:40

    Cheaper than the Mi Plug. Are they pretty much the same?

    • No on 13/04/2016 - 17:44

      Yes, I have the Mi plug as well. I would say the broadlink software is better & it has the third party app which is a huge plus.

  • ashamam on 13/04/2016 - 17:43

    I believe this would classify as a declared article under electrical safety rules (Outlet Device). I see absolutely no information on an Australian Certificate of Approval. It is illegal to supply products without one, to the tune of 82k for individuals and just under a million for corporations.

    Not saying they don't have approval, just that they would be well advised to advertise it.

    • llama on 13/04/2016 - 18:41

      They ARE a declared article and there is absolutely no way in the world that they are compliant, let alone approved or certified.

      The plug is CHINESE, with non-inslated pins (and upside down). The multi-way socket on the front is 100% non-compliant, illegal and bloody dangerous as well.

      No countries allow such things, so they are non - compliant in most places worldwide. You can see that absolutely no considerafion has been made for making them compliant for any country. Since they have deliberately manufactured them to be non - compliant you can be sure that they haven't bothered making them compliant with any other safety standards either.

      These are intended to be left permanently connected and that is an absolute timebomb. No way should people buy and install these!

      • mskeggs on 13/04/2016 - 19:30

        Upside down plug is that way in mainland China from safety considerations.
        These are not compliant, but what do you think is going to happen? A time bomb?
        There was the very unfortunate example of the lady electrocuted by her tablet, but any device you plug in here is expecting 230v.
        Possibly the internal electronics could fry if a cap dries out, but I don't see any time bomb issue.

        • Shonky on 13/04/2016 - 19:41
          +1

          Your last statement shows you really don't understand the electronics part. "Caps drying out" is generally not going to "fry electronics". If anything the power supply will become unreliable.

          The point is that given the manufacturer hasn't followed basic safety type requirements that are externally visible, it's likely they won't have internally. Creepage, clearance and proper isolation from the LV side is probably not done. For this product line to load isolation is probably the main one and not as critical I'll admit. Over time, dirt, moisture etc can compromise the limited isolation they might have and you end up with situations like the electrocuted lady. That wasn't the tablet's fault but rather the lack of isolation in the charger she used which resulted in her tablet/phone becoming live.

          So whilst ticking time bomb might be a little extreme given there are no external USB or other interfaces that need to be isolated they are an unknown quantity.

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 20:13

          These are not compliant, but what do you think is going to happen?

          Some time in the future, a child bumps the plug out (since is won't fit properly in that multi-way socket abortion).

          They plug it back in again and accidentally connect the earth pin into the active.

          Sometime later, the switch turns on. The powered device doesn't work and somebody touches it. What if a child touches it?

          Or, what about your wife leaning over and her necklace chain dropping down between the plug and the power outlet, contacting the uninsulated pins?

          Possibly the internal electronics could fry if a cap dries out

          And possibly the material used for the PCB or capacitor or outer housing is not made from compliant self-extinguishing materials,

          So instead of just going black, it smoulders then ignites. Behind your sofa, with the curtains covering it.

          See, the mandatory standards are mainly about HOW things fail, and flammability (in normal use and abnormal faults) is about 1/2 of the testing for a device like this.

          I work in the industry, and you would be amazed at the way that things get treated. You'd also be amazed how bad they fail when they fail… maybe only 1 in a hundred or 1 in a thousand, but if the device electrocutes someone, or sets off a fire alarm then there are major legal complications for whoever was responsible for it.

          I don't see any time bomb issue

          That's the thing about time bombs like this… nobody cannot see the clock. You have no idea if and when it will be a problem.

        • eug on 13/04/2016 - 20:14

          Lots of speculation here. Does anyone have any experience with this actual device in question?
          Plenty of 100% compliant devices have failed and killed people before.

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 20:24
          +1

          @eug:

          Plenty of 100% compliant devices have failed and killed people before.

          Yes, but the product being compliant and certified removes the legal liability from whoever is responsible.

          In Australia, the responsibility and liability rests with the person who imported it. Trust me, I know a lot about this subject.

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 20:32
          +2

          Here is a sketch I just made from Bangood's product page image: http://i.imgur.com/rZyW8AL.jpg

          It shows just one way that this device could be lethal. An example would be if the switch thingy was used for a metal floor uplight or a tablelamp or a heater or something that was earthed.

          That plug might be incorrectly fitted by a young child (think infant). Would they know which way the plug is supposed to fit?

          The plug might be bumped out when vacuuming, then some time later the person attempts to re-plug it "by feel" due to the socket being hidden behind a couch, or under a piece of furniture.

          This is just ONE example of how an accident could occur. Rare perhaps, but infinitely higher risk compared to being absolutely impossible in a compliant device.

        • eug on 13/04/2016 - 21:00

          @llama:

          In Australia, the responsibility and liability rests with the person who imported it.

          Good, people should be responsible for their own actions.

          Trust me, I know a lot about this subject.

          I don't think that's what people are curious about. What I'm curious about is this item in particular. I don't have infants around and know how to plug in a cable properly, so those scenarios are not relevant to me.

          No one seems to have heard about these plugs catching fire all over China, so if the design itself is safe, I would certainly consider bearing the responsibility of using it myself.

          You say you work in the industry. Has it occurred to you that that might be the reason why you're so worried about it? You see all the bad cases, so you might assume everything is bad - just like how my doctor friend is absolutely against my friends riding motorcycles because she sees a lot of really bad motorcycle accident cases in her hospital.

          Meanwhile, tens of thousands of motorcyclists are riding everywhere everyday. The same rule applies - if they cause an accident, they're responsible for it.

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 21:07

          @eug:

          You say you work in the industry. Has it occurred to you that that might be the reason why you're so worried about it? You see all the bad cases

          I don't work on the compliance side, quite the reverse. I spend huge amounts of time defending our company each time there is a reported incident that relates to our products.

          The last one was plugpacks where a couple of them were returned with cracks after about 4 years in the field, and seemingly being smashed with what appears to be a hammer or other blunt instrument. The claim was about $2 million, and there was no fire, no electrical shock, nothing…. it was "the risk of electrical shock" that caused us to be legally liable.

          The legal costs totalled over 1/4 million and we were not found guilty of any offence or at fault in any way. The product was fully tested, compliant and certified. The filed legal papers used the words "highly vulnerable end users" for the invalid pensioners who had damaged the devices, and that this made the situation significantly more serious.

          One of my comments passed on to their lawyers was to request an explanation as to how a couple of old people who are nearly dead anyway would be "more vulnerable" to death by electrical shock compared to everybody else? LOL

        • eug on 13/04/2016 - 21:19

          @llama: Isn't that the same? A lawyer who deals with criminals every single working day of their life would surely have a more pessimistic view of society compared to e.g. a typical everyday worker. So if all you see every day are incidents about electrical devices, that could affect your perception. There's a defined cognitive bias for that whose name escapes me at the moment.

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 21:28

          @eug:

          It's called "the harsh reality" of the world now days.

          If you have never seen what happens when there is a safety incident, you are oblivious to how serious the affects can be on those involved. The death of a family member or their child, would that be OK even if you did "get off"?

          Consider the "risk" of driving home drunk from the pub. Heaps of people do it every single day, and if they crash then they only have themselves to blame.

          However, if there is an accident and somebody gets hurt or killed, then it's a completely different thing. The drunk driver doesn't even need to be "at fault" in order to be liable.

          Are these WiFi thingies as risky as driving home drunk? I dunno.

        • mskeggs on 13/04/2016 - 21:54
          +1

          @Shonky:
          Fair enough. I'm not a sparky or an electrical engineer, and I have never got a product certified to au standards, so I will defer to your expertise.
          I guess there is a part of me that reacts badly to being warned of the extreme danger of something when the risk is quite small, especially when they conflate various risks rather than addressing them separately.
          It may be this item fails catastrophically, doesn't connect earth properly, or something else, but because it delivers mains voltage, we still have the safety features of the device we plug into it.
          So the risk is more about handling this product (like pins that aren't insulted near the plug, or the possible lack of internal clearances you point out).

          I am cross that a local compliance certificated power adaptor is $20 while the same item from Hong Kong is $8. I recently bought two so I could compare, and they were identical inside and out. The hk one even had the painted pins half-way.
          I get there are risks, but for mine, a lot is driven by llama's comments about legal liability, not actual safety risks.
          As a private user of personally imported electronics I have made some decisions about the risks I will take. I tossed a bunch of crappy usb chargers I had collected over the years after that sad death, and as a result I am more fussy about gear that is stepping down mains voltages. But I have kept multi-fit travel plugs and similar stuff that translates power without changing voltage, figuring the safety is reliable closer to the appliance.
          That said, I would be dubious about a Chinese un-certified power board!

        • eug on 13/04/2016 - 21:58

          @llama: If it's death that we're concerned about, I think devices like this are way down the list, at least to me.

          If you believe statistics, I think there's a much greater chance of getting killed in a car accident or an old person falling down stairs than one of these catching fire and burning a house down and killing people.

          I think things should be put in perspective. There are plenty of crappy electrical devices from overseas that I would never use at home.

          There are also plenty of devices that will not catch fire, but are lacking certain safety features like shutters or insulated pins.

          If you are certain nobody at home will stick a fork into the wall socket or in between the wall socket and the plug, you can make an educated decision to use those devices - just like how people decide to keep kitchen knives at home when a kid could grab it, trip on a rug, and impale themselves on it.

          As to the "harsh reality" of the world nowadays, that also depends on perspective. As I mentioned earlier, if you're an ER doctor, you will probably think driving is extremely dangerous. But if you're a courier driver doing 50,000km a year, driving is nothing to you.

          It's also a bit like reading productreview.com.au - most people seek out a website like that to post on only if they have complaints. If you base all your decisions on that website alone, you'll never buy anything because everything sucks and all companies are terrible.

          What I'm still curious about is whether this product in particular belongs in the "I would never use this at home" category or the "will not catch fire but doesn't have insulated pins" category. Maybe someone should buy one and send it to Dave at eevblog or maybe mike.

        • asa79 on 13/04/2016 - 23:28

          @llama: You shouldn't be letting infants play with powerpoints in the first place. This and many other power devices should be out of their reach

        • llama on 14/04/2016 - 09:07
          +1

          @asa79:

          This and many other power devices should be out of their reach

          AHHHH - So THAT'S why all houses have power points on the wall near to floor level, correct?

          Look around you.

        • llama on 14/04/2016 - 09:39

          @mskeggs:

          I am cross that a local compliance certificated power adaptor is $20 while the same item from Hong Kong is $8.

          Why be cross about the local sseller paying $25,000 to ensure that what they are selling you is safe?

        • mskeggs on 14/04/2016 - 10:38

          @llama:
          Because it is an absurd amount of money which did not make the product safer, just inspected and approved the existing device.
          When certification more than doubles the cost of a device, it is worth asking whether the risks the certification is attempting to ameliorate are substantial.

        • eug on 14/04/2016 - 10:44

          @mskeggs: I wonder the same thing about good-quality devices that have existing approvals, e.g. CE. If it's safe for the whole of Europe, surely it'd be safe for Australia. Unless maybe the device isn't sealed properly and electrons fall out since we're down under.

        • llama on 14/04/2016 - 22:02

          @eug:

          I wonder the same thing about good-quality devices that have existing approvals, e.g. CE.

          The fact that something has a CE mark on it is totally irrelevant on whether it is tested or compliant to the European Standards, or legal to use in those countries.

          It's a printed marking, exactly the same as Australian's RCM is a printed marking. It means nothing. The safety testing and compliance are separate.

          If it's safe for the whole of Europe, surely it'd be safe for Australia

          If it is tested to CE LVD and approved and certified, then the European device is perfectly safe for use in Europe.

          It's not safe or legal to use in Australia because the Australian compliance also requires that the device has a safe and legal Australian PLUG.

          It's very cheap to get a device with genuine CE LVD approvals to be approved for Australia, providing that the parts that make it "Australian" (ie: the AU plug) are compliant.

          Without the mandatory tests, approvals and certification it illegal to sell the device commercially in Australia. So, the only other way of selling it is via the "black market" online. It's as simple as that.

        • eug on 14/04/2016 - 23:04

          @llama:
          Sure, but I think you're still missing the point.

          We are all perfectly aware that devices like this cannot be sold in Australia.

          The point is, simply not having Australian certification doesn't automatically mean it's dangerous for anyone to use. Potentially dangerous to people with toddlers maybe, but if it is to be used in a house of adults who are very certain they aren't going to stick a fork into this socket, it could be just as safe as something you buy from Bunnings.

          It's about taking personal responsibility. That is why I keep asking if anyone has any actual experience with this device in particular - that way I can make an educated decision on whether or not to trust it.

          And as mentioned before, having Australian compliance doesn't guarantee safety anyway.

  • frogduck on 13/04/2016 - 17:47

    Could you provide some ideas of what to use these for?

    • No on 13/04/2016 - 17:53
      +3

      Apart from using these with motion sensors to turn on lights I have my TVs plugged into these. When I want to watch TV I press the button on the device or in the app and I have set them to automatically turn off at 1am and 9am so if I fall asleep / go to work with stuff left on it turns off automatically. You could do other things using the tasker app, i.e have things turn on / off when you come home or use another app called Auto voice to enable turning things on and off via Ok Google.

    • mskeggs on 13/04/2016 - 19:34
      +1

      If you have solar panels and wish to turn stuff on during daylight when you are out to maximise solar on-site usage this would give better control than a timer for some things.

  • jv on 13/04/2016 - 18:50

    Are these legal to use in Australia?

    • mskeggs on 13/04/2016 - 19:32

      They would not be legal to sell locally without compliance certificates. That is different from whether they are legal to plug in.
      As others have pointed out, there are plenty of devices with no local compliance plugged in throughout hotels in AU everyday.

    • Clear on 13/04/2016 - 19:33

      Are you legal? Jules is French and died years ago.

    • llama on 13/04/2016 - 20:53

      They are illegal to offer for sale into Australia.

      They are illegal to sell within Australia.

      They are technically legal to import into Australia.

      They are technically illegal to connect to the power outlet, since they don't comply with the over-arching Safety Standard (referred in legislation).

      The "legality" of these kinds of devices only matters if there is a safety-related incident.

      In the case of any incident (electrocution, fire, or even a RISK of either) then the electrical regulators will require proof that the device is safe. They have the power that goes well above "innocent until proven guilty" - the onus of proof is on the IMPORTER to demonstrate that the product is safe and compliant.

      They don't bother with any of that unless the Fire Department reports it (and that is mandatory) or if a tradesperson sees it (reporting is mandatory) or if somebody is killed (investigation is mandatory) or whatever. Or if somebody (anybody) sees it and reports it in a way that the regulators deem it a significant risk.

      So, yeah, you can import and use them without any problem. But you will be in deep shit if something bad happens to occur. Which is a bit like rubbing salt into a wound, if your own family was affected.

      • eug on 13/04/2016 - 21:01
        +1

        They are technically illegal to connect to the power outlet, since they don't comply with the over-arching Safety Standard (referred in legislation).

        Great, the government can get really rich issuing fines to all those foreign tourists in every hotel in the country. :)

        • llama on 13/04/2016 - 21:14

          If a tourist plugs a non-compliant device into a power outlet in a hotal and is killed, the hotel is not liable.

          If the hotel supplies the exact same (non-compliant) device to a tourist who then gets killed, then the hotel is liable.

          If a tourist plugs a device into a non-compliant power outlet in a hotel and is killed, then the hotel is liable.

          However in the case of the hotel they would pass that liability over to whoever installed it, who would pass that liability over to whoever sold it, who would pass that liability over to whoever imported it, who could not pass that liability onto anybody since our legal system doesn't work that way.

          It's all about **LIABILITY* in the event of a safety-related incident.

          Nobody gives a rat's arse about electrical appliances that operate safely.

  • CacheHunter on 13/04/2016 - 19:24

    @JV, Depends what you want to use them for. I'm sure that it would be OK to use them as a decorative ornament well away from any power points.

  • gerryg on 13/04/2016 - 21:17

    I'm trying to get myself 4 switches but the maximum discount it's giving me is only $3.97AU? Are we limited to buying only one?

    • j33prong on 14/04/2016 - 19:43

      Because shipping is free, you can buy this in four separate transactions and have the discount applied to each.

  • Thatbargainhunter on 13/04/2016 - 23:32
    +2

    People seem to forget that broadlink products have previously been sold OEM in Aldi. So some of there products have certainly achieved a ctick. So while these products might not be compliant, it's a far cry to say they will burn your house down.

    • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 00:10

      So some of there products have certainly achieved a ctick.

      Irrelevant.

      • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 08:55

        Are you sure?

        • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 09:45

          Are you talking to me?

        • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 10:47

          @McFly: Yeah. Ctick isn't some random thing Chinese companies slap on their products to say that they're certified.

        • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 11:02

          @Clear: Again - irrelevant.

        • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 11:03

          @McFly: That means Broadlink has been approved by ACMA to be sold here?

        • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 11:10

          @Clear: This device doesn't have the tick. I don't see what's so hard to understand about that.
          BTW, Broadlink are not Australian so they can't be certified anyway.

        • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 11:19

          @McFly:

          I'm not saying this specific device has the tick. I'm just backing up sam by saying that the Broadlink products previously sold by Aldi have had the ctick, so not all of their products are bad.

        • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 11:36

          @Clear: No, not all of them are. This one is an unknown quantity.

        • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 11:37

          @McFly: Because this one hasn't been sold by Aldi.

        • McFly on 14/04/2016 - 11:38

          @Clear: Do I really need to say irrelevant again?

        • Clear on 14/04/2016 - 11:45

          @McFly: My point is that since a wide range of Broadlink devices have been approved in the past it's likely that this product is not as unsafe as other brands. I'm not saying it's safe, but I'd be putting more hope in it that some of the other brands.

          Edit: Maybe we're better off with the SP2 or SP3?

    • llama on 14/04/2016 - 22:09

      People seem to forget that broadlink products have previously been sold OEM in Aldi.

      The approvals would be in Aldi's name. They might me specially configured, maybe not. Nobody knows, and nobody can check.

      In any case, the approvals and certification are linked to the brand and model, so any and all approvals and certification are totally irrelevant to something that is marked with a different brand and model.

      So some of there products have certainly achieved a ctick

      So what? What's a C-Tick got to do with anything?

      So while these products might not be compliant, it's a far cry to say they will burn your house down.

      C-Tick has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with safety. These require A-Tick and relevant Electrical Safety Compliance… and they don't have either.

      These certifications don't stop the devices from burning your house down. They mean that you are covered by insurance, and you don't have personal liability for any safety related issues that occur.

  • sakinah on 13/04/2016 - 23:55

    Is there an IOS app?

  • grog on 14/04/2016 - 11:41

    If its not 100% approved for australia its very risky

    Your Insurance company will investigate any fires or damage and will refuse claim if it determines that non approved device caused the fire or damage.

    • eug on 14/04/2016 - 11:44

      I wonder what has a greater fire risk. This device, or the far larger number of cheap lithium ion Chinese power banks (or hoverboards) that people have at home?

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