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The better method is to just automatically schedule your curtains to open and close at preferred times. There’s also a light-detection mode to trigger automatic opening when it identifies a certain level of illumination, but this feature is still in beta and did not work well for me. Opening up the plastic enclosure was a bit of a challenge, I was afraid of messing up the layout but curiosity got the better of me. There are a total of 6 gears which the DC motor turns, with two plastic spur gears in the middle. They are all oiled up to reduce friction/noise and increase their lifespan. The SwitchBot Curtain 3 is a next generation curtain controller which is advertised as being extremely low noise yet twice as powerful as it’s predecessor, the Curtain 2. It ships with an optional Solar Panel 3, which is supposed to provide “unlimited power” to the curtain bot, whose battery should last up to 8 months on a single charge otherwise. The SwitchBot Curtain 3 is the quietest curtain motor out there, without a doubt. The trademarked QuietDrift mode produces virtually no noise at the expense of battery life and speed. Depending on your windows, you can simply get the solar panel combo and not worry about battery ever again. There are some interesting settings in the app for configuring the SwitchBot Curtain 3. For example, the device can operate in two operation modes producing different noise levels and consuming battery:
SwitchBot also offers Scenes, which let you control your curtains automatically. You can set a manual action – say, setting curtains to a default position, such as part-closed – or you can automate by using a schedule. If you own the SwitchBot Matter Hub 2, you can also add the Curtain 3 in Home Assistant by exposing the device in the app. This adds more connections points and produces more issues than it solves, considering everything is in Beta right now. I suggest you use the method above or wait for official support, which will be coming in one of the next Home Assistant updates. Summary You might get a little overwhelmed when looking at all the things inside the box, but it’s actually really simple to install. If you get the solar panel too, it’s even simpler as you do not need to charge the device with an USB-C cable. The new SwitchBot Curtain 3 is much quieter than the Curtain 2 model, as it has a QuietDrift mode to keep the noise level at only 25 dB. This mode is slower, but it makes for a quiet, less distracting experience.
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SwitchBot claims these will outlive the other components, noting that the rubber roller will need to be replaced after 10 years. This is such a long period to even think about, let alone worry about the curtain roller. Installation I’ve written about SwitchBot products a couple of times in the past, disassembling and thoroughly testing each device they sent me. Build quality is better than most in their respective categories and even though I’m heavily against using cloud-based ecosystems, SwitchBot has one of the best apps and user interfaces when it comes to proprietary Smart Home controllers. Bluetooth connectivity is handled through the BM-8762CMF Bluetooth 5.0 BLE Module [ Datasheet] manufactured by CC&C Technologies in China, which is based on the Realtek RTL8762C [ Datasheet] Bluetooth low-energy SoC. The DC motor and each of the gears are installed in a plastic enclosure which is one of the main reasons the Curtain 3 is so quiet, even in Normal mode. Beside a couple of screws, this piece is sealed shut with some kind of glue, significantly lowering the noise level the motor and gears produce. To house the batteries and a motor powerful enough to move a set of curtains, SwitchBot Curtain is rather large (116 x 65 x 51mm). Its clip slides up and then you squeeze the top to ratchet the motor into place. It’s important that you only clip the SwitchBot Curtain into place to the point it feels secure; squeeze it too hard and it won’t move.
pypi: - git+https://github.com/the-ress/pySwitchbot.git@curtain3 apk: [] Code language: YAML ( yaml ) Before the SwitchBot Curtain 3 can be used, it needs to be added to the app and calibrated. The app guides you through the process step by step, everything is visually explained to you and instructions are easy to follow. Once the device is added, you can slide the curtain in the app to open/close.Provided you have the SwitchBot Curtain installed correctly, and it isn’t too tight, it works brilliantly. There’s a pitched whine to the motors as they power your curtains open or closed, but the system worked flawlessly for me over a period of weeks. My wife and kids were perplexed by my excitement as I gathered them by the window to unveil a mysterious new gadget. With all eyes on the curtains, I tapped a command on my phone. The room was heavy with anticipation. After an agonizing 10-second delay, the left curtain jerked open in spurts. A few seconds later, the right curtain tried to join in but moved less than an inch and made a very unpleasant, high-pitched whine that lasted about 30 seconds. Next find your rest sensor configuration, the section where you created your ‘all devices’ sensor. Add the following new position sensor configuration to it making sure that you change the DEVICE_ID to match again. rest: If you don’t want to use SwitchBot’s kit, then there’s also an IFTTT channel, so you can achieve some of the same functionality using a different source, such as a smart thermostat. You don’t get quite the same level of control, plus you can’t restrict IFTTT rules to run between specific times unless you upgrade to a Pro account. Even then, it’s more fiddly to programme IFTTT Pro than it is to use SwitchBot’s app. However, this may not be that useful. After all, walking into a room, pulling out your phone, opening the app and then closing or opening your curtains is actually more difficult and time-consuming than simply walking over to them and opening/closing them manually.
If you followed by API video exactly then your token and sign entity names should be good. Don’t forget to make sure that the DEVICE_ID value matches the ID of your paired curtains device, which you’ll find in your All Devices entity data. I’m going to be fitting the SwitchBot Curtain 3 to a wooden curtain pole that’s about an inch and a half in diameter. The curtains are the grommet type with hole punched into them for the pole to go through. I was a bit concerned at first that I might need to change the pole because if I pull on the curtains then they don’t move freely and easily along it. They just kind of get jammed. But… SwitchBot have thought of this problem and I’ll discuss their solution in a bit.I have various types of blinds and curtains in my home, the most common being beaded chain roller curtains (controlled with Aqara E1). Now I’m thinking I should switch to drapes and use the SwitchBot Curtain 3 everywhere instead. It’s so quiet!
Ok so you really must get the solar panels that go with them. They are really easy to install – they’ve got a long arm that unfolds so as the panels can sit neatly within the window to get full sunlight. They clip in to the bottom of the SwitchBot Curtain really easily, and they’ve also got a light sensor in so they know if it’s day or night. To make use of that sensor in automations though you will need a hub, and your best option there is the SwitchBot Hub 2. End position magnets SwitchBot Hub 2 App control was slightly less reliable through the Hub Mini, however. Quite a few times, I’d have the app saying that it couldn’t communicate with the SwitchBot Curtain and would have to retry; it would always work at the second attempt, though. Conclusion If you want remote control, you need to install the SwitchBot Hub Mini, which can also act as an IR transmitter if you want to control practically any device, from a TV to air-con. With the Hub installed, your SwitchBot Curtain will automatically communicate with this device (provided it’s within Bluetooth range). That gives you remote control over your curtains, including scheduling.Connectivity was not an issue for me, but It’s important to note I work diligently to eliminate interference between Bluetooth, Zigbee and Wi-Fi. I use Bluetooth proxies with cheap ESP32 boards to create a better connection and integrate Bluetooth devices in Home Assistant. And finally we create a cover entity to bring all of those components together. The cover entity calls the script and passes in the requested position. Because the SwitchBot API is actually expecting a value which is inverse to that used by Home Assistant, we just do a bit of maths to calculate the correct position value. The cover entity gets the current position from the position sensor we created earlier, but filtering out any values above 95 as 100, and below 5 as 0. Restart everything just to make sure it’s all created and you’ll be good to go! You can use your new cover entity on your dashboard, and even share to HomeKit / Alexa so as you can control it that way. cover: It wouldn’t be a true SmartHomeScene review if the device isn’t dismantled, no matter what kind it is. The SwitchBot Curtain Rod 3 ships in a branded box containing the main unit, a pair of hooks, beads chain, some clips, USB-C cable, magnet attachment for positioning and a user manual. These modules are capable of creating a BLE mesh within the SwitchBot ecosystem and are found across their range of smart devices such as the Blind Tilt and Meter Plus.
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