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Member's Forum How to control a remote using a smart phone
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  • Replies 23 replies
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  • remote monitoring and control
  • Smart Phone
Related

How to control a remote using a smart phone

colporteur
colporteur over 1 year ago

image

I am looking for suggestions from E14 community members on how to control a remote using a smart phone.

I'm confident someone here has attempted this and actually got it working. I want to use that knowledge. I've combed the internet and found a number of solutions. I want to avoid the rabbit warrens of getting them to work. I'm looking to leverage the community knowledge because you have done it.

The project premise is to connect a smart phone to a controller that actions a remote. My starting point is: how to turn the remote on and off using the smart phone. I use smart phone because I want to keep it broad. It might be an Android or an iphone. I have the latter but my wife has the other. The controller technology is open. I am hoping to use an Arduino of some sort but a single board computer is not out of the solution. The remote in this example is an on/off but maybe it can provide feedback.

This project is for personal use and not to develop a commercial product. There is a limited budget. I'm looking for a cost effective solution not necessarily the cheapest solution. My knowledge level in phone communication is limited. In my project more than one person will be connecting. I've never create a phone app and really don't want to go there. What is simple way of accomplishing that with a phone. I'm not a programmer by training. I've have some skills but would never label myself a programmer.

I'm looking to build a simple solution on the workbench and maybe learn some stuff along the way. I'm looking for suggestions that you know works. Either you have done it yourself or have seen it done and know it works. 

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Top Replies

  • michaelkellett
    michaelkellett over 1 year ago +2
    What is the remote device ? There is a world of difference between switching a power relay on and off and taking control of (for example) a remote TV controller. MK
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 1 year ago in reply to colporteur +2
    Hm, that's suddenly increased the complexity greatly, when you mention that many different drivers need access. The complexity will depend on how much security is required. Your need is actually a complete…
  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 1 year ago +2
    colporteur said: I've never create a phone app and really don't want to go there. What is simple way of accomplishing that with a phone. One way to avoid writing a custom app would be to use the device…
  • dougw
    dougw over 1 year ago

    There are lots of phone activated garage door openers on the market.

    If you want to roll your own, there are lots of examples on the net - for example:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvs9Xr-SmIQ&ab_channel=MtGarage

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 1 year ago in reply to shabaz

    I've been standing up to my chest in water slapping it with a fly trying to entice the elusive Salmo salar, atlantic salmon to give me 15 minutes of fishing joy. No luck:( Sorry for being tardy, I'm taking a short vacation from retirement and not keeping up with the posts.

    I followed up with some more research to discover that I may have bitten off more than I can chew in this project. My thought was a simple on/off slider on a phone. This communicated with a relay. The home rolled simple project. Multiple users, security and more requirements as I continue to explore makes this bigger than it seems. 

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 1 year ago in reply to beacon_dave

    Thank BD. Not a solution I considered. Some reading is always cheaper that starting a project to discover it doesn't work.

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 1 year ago in reply to colporteur

    Agree, with the phone control with those requirements, it's not a simple product/project, unfortunately, but a whole solution to develop : (

    image

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  • BigG
    BigG over 1 year ago in reply to colporteur

    If you treat this like fishing you'll have no bother catching the big one. It starts by choosing the right fly (product) and then spending a bit of time attaching it to the hook (putting the hardware together). Then let your technique and experience do the rest when standing chest deep in water... and, as I'm sure you know, this means having multiple flies in the bag... as the first one you choose might not be the best one.

    Just take little steps and take your time.

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 1 year ago in reply to BigG

    I was naive to think there would be a simple solution. I like   dougw video listing. The phone part is what keeps me at bay. I haven't dabbled with them. Having a working solution and not bare metal start is what I was looking for. 

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  • md_steve
    md_steve over 1 year ago in reply to beacon_dave

    Back in the days of Raspberry Pi 2, I used one to detect the wifi router in my wife's car as she approached the house and send me a text so I could help her bring in the groceries. (OK, I was bored that year.) I found that the Pi picked her up five or six houses away, but by the time a text got to my phone she was parked and juggling bags already. Our dog was faster than the network-to-text conversion time. Perhaps I should have built an app that used the phone's wifi to sense her approach. Next time?

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  • me_Cris
    me_Cris over 1 year ago

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003283563308.html

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  • colporteur
    colporteur over 1 year ago in reply to me_Cris

    Hummm I was just placing an Ali order. I will report back on progress.

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  • me_Cris
    me_Cris over 1 year ago in reply to colporteur

    It is quite easy to use, I had a piece.

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