- Looking for a low-cost solution to automate your blinds?
Today, we're going to review iBlinds,
a Z-Wave-enabled horizontal blind motor.
I'll also be covering some useful troubleshooting tips,
so stay tuned.
(upbeat techno music)
Hi again, John Stone, the DIY Smart Home Guy
on the channel that's all about providing
tips, tricks, and reviews for your affordable smart home.
If you're a home automation nut like me,
you've no doubt been looking for an affordable solution
for controlling your window treatments.
The problem is, most automated blind solutions
are expensive, difficult to install, or require
some good old-fashioned, build-it-yourself tinkering.
In some cases, you can't even get a price
unless you schedule an in-home consultation,
which, of course, requires you to hand over
your email address and phone number.
Lucky for us, there's new players entering this market
all the time, and they promise to make the entire process
less painful and more affordable.
It just so happens that iBlinds is one of those players
and they've recently released a smart, Z-Wave motor
that integrates with smart hubs, like Vera,
SmartThings, and Wink Hub 2.
The folks over at iBlinds were kind enough
to send over this demo unit for me to check out.
So, in this video, we'll look at the installation process,
cover some troubleshooting tricks,
as well as talk about some home automation tips.
Just so you have a proper introduction,
iBlinds is a product of HAB Home Intelligence, LLC,
which is a startup located in Arlington, Texas.
- You are Hammond, of Texas.
- They also have an Indiegogo campaign.
If you're interested in supporting projects like these,
there's a link in the video description below.
And before you accuse me of being on the payroll,
this video is not a paid endorsement
and I received no compensation for making this video.
All products in the description below
are affiliate links and I may receive commissions
if you purchase products from these links.
So products shown in the video were provided
to me for free from the manufacturer.
However, the video should not be considered
an endorsement for any of these products.
HAB Home Intelligence is a company with a vision
that's centered around expanding
the smart home window covering ecosystem.
Basically they feel that if our locks, lights,
and thermostats are smart,
then shouldn't our window coverings be smart also?
Well, um, yeah.
And, as I mentioned, iBlinds is Z-Wave,
which means in can integrate straight into your smart hub.
When you buy the kit, which normally sells for 99 bucks,
you'll get the iBlind motor, the power connector,
a battery, plus the tilt rod adapters and a height adapter.
The kit also includes the basic power package,
which consists of a USB adapter and a USB charging cable.
You can purchase an optional solar panel charger
- Solar Power
(upbeat music)
that'll help you make sure that you won't need to worry
about leaving power cables hanging around your window
or accessing the unit to give it a charge.
- To see more videos like these,
now's a good time to subscribe.
You'll also wanna spank that bell icon
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or if I stream a live broadcast.
The other thing worth noting is that they have units
that operate on different Z-Wave frequencies,
which means you can use them
in countries all over the world.
But you wanna make sure that you tell them
which country you plan to use the motor in,
when you place your order, just to make sure
that you get the right frequency for your country.
Now, one limitation that I see is that they currently
only support two- to two-and-a-half-inch horizontal shades,
which are basically your standard Venetian blinds.
Don't get me wrong, this is a nice place to start.
But I'm looking forward to options
for motorized vertical blinds, as well.
Hint, hint.
Hint, hint.
Looking at the installation from the top down,
you'll see the motor, the charging port, and the battery.
The battery has this on/off switch,
which will be important in a few minutes.
And, if you're wondering how long the battery lasts,
iBlind boasts an impressive six months, on average.
(flames extinguished)
During the installation, you'll be removing the tilt rod
and putting a USB charging port in its place.
I left a link to a nice install video
in the description below.
You can also find a video on the iBlinds website.
So, here's how they work.
When you activate the motor from your smartphone
or Z-Wave remote, the motor turns
this connecting rod to tilt the blinds.
Another drawback that I see is that the unit
isn't able to raise and lower the blinds,
but, according to iBlinds, they're working on it.
And, in my opinion, with the proper amount of automation,
tilt really is all you need.
And, since this connects into your Smart Hub,
you have access to voice commands
if you're using a voice controller.
Computer, set blinds to 50%.
Now, before we take a look at this inside the Vera,
Wink, and SmartThings hubs,
let's cover a few troubleshooting tips just real quick.
First, when you get ready to pair this thing,
make sure that the power has been on
for at least 60 seconds.
Then, when you put your hub into Inclusion mode,
press the Include/Exclude button once.
Don't press this more than once,
or you're gonna run into problems.
If you pressed it three or more times,
I'll let you know how to recover from this in just a minute.
After your hub responds, you're gonna wanna wait,
and I mean wait.
The motor is going to go through an internal setup routine,
which could take a few minutes.
So you're gonna wanna be patient.
You'll know it's finished doing its thing
when it runs through this calibration mode.
During this cycle, the motor will open and close the blinds
as it figures out where the max limits are.
And, that's pretty much it.
You're done.
Now, if you got a little click-happy
and pressed that Include button more than three times,
I've created a set of troubleshooting instructions
that I've left over my website, in the how-to section,
so you'll wanna check that out.
On the control side, let's start with the Wink.
When you pair this in with the Wink,
you'll bring this in as a generic Z-Wave switch.
The downside here is that the Wink Hub 2
only supports full open and full close.
However, iBlinds is working with Wink
to open up the remaining features.
Okay, so let's gets this thing into the SmartThings Hub.
As usual, you're just gonna go
straight into your SmartThings app,
and you're gonna hit that little plus sign.
And then, we're gonna go back to the iBlinds unit there
and we're going to hit the Include button.
Okay, now SmartThings has detected it.
Just a quick rename.
Do the same thing as last time, Lab Blinds.
Done and save.
Okay, now we're gonna wait a couple of minutes,
and we're gonna let that do its autocalibration.
Sometimes if you're waiting a little bit too long
for this to go through its autocalibration mode,
you might want to give it a helping hand
by hitting that On or Off button,
and that's gonna get that thing started.
It's a beautiful thing.
To get full functionality within the SmartThings Hub,
you'll need to install the iBlinds Device Handler.
For those of you that don't already know,
a device handler is a custom piece of software
that allows the manufacturer to expose
additional functionality to the hub.
In the case of SmartThings, this will be the battery level
and the variable tilt settings.
I've left a link to the device handler
and how to install them in the description below.
Now, on the Vera side, it's pretty straightforward.
Full functionality straightaway,
no device handlers, no muss, no fuss.
When you bring in the device, you'll set it up
as a generic Z-Wave device.
It came in smoothly and it has all the features available.
You can see the full up, full down battery indicator
and the percent slider.
Using the Open and Close options
allows you to start the motion and then stop it.
There's also a link to my review of the VeraSecure
in the description below.
And, since this is now paired with my home automation hub,
we can create all sorts of cool scenes.
For example, tilt it to 75% in the morning
to let the light in, but I don't want the direct sunlight.
After noon, when the sun's out of the way,
you can open it up to 50% to let in more light.
And, at night, you can automatically close the blinds
30 minutes after sunset to keep
the neighbors from peeking in,
because that's how your neighbors are, right?
Overall, I think the folks over at iBlinds
hit a home run with this device.
I like the fact that it has the optional solar panel
and that it connects directly to my smart hubs.
And, since you're still here,
I'd like to take a moment to talk about Patreon.
Every little bit helps, and all the support goes directly
into making these videos for viewers like you.
I'm also making my DIY Smart Home Guy shirts
available over at LogoSportswear.
There's a link to my store in the description below.
Over time, I'll be making more options available.
So, keep checking it out.
You might just find something you like.
For more reviews, tips, and DIY videos, visit AZHB.com.
Thanks for watching.
Don't forget to subscribe, and don't forget to click Like.
Over here are a couple of other videos that you might enjoy.
Until next time, cheers.
We're expanding the smart window covering
eco eco eco eco eco.
Two and a half-inch (mumbles).
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