Would you buy this to convert your manual blinds into Automatic blinds?

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  cimrak on 16/08/2017 - 19:14

  +1

  Probably not for that cost. I'd prefer cheaper with automation via alexa/ifttt etc rather than having the smarts built-in but stand-alone.

  I'd also consider looking on kickstarter, as I've seen ~4-5 motorised controllers for blinds being pushed on there over the last year. Couldnt tell you if any made it over the line tho.

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  DemocracyManifest on 16/08/2017 - 19:49

  +1

  It's one more thing to go wrong, but if accessibility is an issue go for it

  • 

    IMadeYouReadThis on 17/08/2017 - 08:13

    +1

    but if accessibility is an issue go for it

    That's a good point, I guess I only need one now (instead of 3) :D

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  JIMB0 on 16/08/2017 - 20:43

  +2

  It would be good for scaring the cat sitting on the window sill.

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  IMadeYouReadThis on 17/08/2017 - 08:12

  I'd also consider looking on kickstarter

  Thanks, last time I looked at KS, the device was more expensive than this MOVE and I hate to wait month if not years to get my hands on the product (Pebble was a classic example).

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  Pungentia on 20/08/2017 - 16:30

  +1

  I purchased something similar yesterday - a pack of 2 Soma Smart Shades from Wazombi.

  See https://www.indiegogo.com/products/soma-smart-shades-automat…

  Not sure how long they will take to arrive, but looking to try them in our kids rooms, setting them to open and close at specific times (Soma doesn't yet offer light/temperature controlling). They can also work with Alexa and Apple Homekit if you purchase a single additional Soma Connect (raspberry pi).

  Anyway - cheap(ish) entry to the automated blinds market with reasonably unobtrusive controllers :)

  I'll try and remember to come back and post what I think of them down teh track

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    IMadeYouReadThis on 20/08/2017 - 17:33

    Thanks mate, but this one seems even more expensive than MOVE! Do let us know the feedback of this and in the meantime I just need to convince my wife that we need this… :)

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    IMadeYouReadThis on 30/08/2017 - 14:03

    I'll try and remember to come back and post what I think of them down teh track

    Have you got them yet? I am very keen to try them if they work well for you!

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  Pungentia on 30/08/2017 - 14:41

  I received them on Friday - super quick postage considering they were coming from Estonia I believe.

  I unpacked the packages (well packaged, nicely boxed etc) and set solar panels to charge for the day in my office building.

  We played around with them at home that night - firstly finding that the single day of solar charging angled slightly out of a westward facing office window wasn't sufficient to really do much in the way of charging. USB charger quickly topped it up.

  We are yet to install the units but have played around with them a bit so far. The units themselves are nice, sleek and smaller than other ones I could find in my research. Set up was fairly easy, product seems well made.

  When researching the reviews I found suggested they were slow (yeah, well, less slow than me walking around to the kids rooms to open their blinds because they are lazy!). The controllers are even slower than I anticipated - probably taking about 2 minutes to fully open one of our roman blinds.

  Our biggest issue is figuring out where to fit the controller box, as despite it being fairly small and sleek compared to similar products it is still quite visible. We're hoping we might be able to rig it somehow so that the controller box sits inside the window frame, mostly out of sight - at least for the high narrow window we plan to use it on.

  All in all, it's kind of cool, but waiting until the weekend to tweak more and properly install :)

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    IMadeYouReadThis on 30/08/2017 - 15:20

    Hey! Thanks for the detailed response…it sounds very interesting! Yeah I agree, 2 mins is not a lot when you consider how convenient it is. BTW, is your blind too big/heavy? Mine is 2.5m wide (on the sliding door) and I am worried that it might be bit heavy for the controller.

    Due to accessibility, I really need to get one installed. I can order Soma unit but if it doesn’t work, shipping it back will cost me dearly! Ouch..

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      Pungentia on 05/09/2017 - 07:32

      I think they say they are limited (motor torque?) to blinds under 2m wide/high from recollection.. I've read similar things about the speed of some of the other competitors too..

      Let me know what you end up doing :)