Hey everyone, I’m diving into the world of smart home automation and I’m really excited to share my experiences and learnings with you all. I recently started exploring the use of BLE presence detection in my home setup, and I’m trying to integrate it with the ESP32 devices I already have. This has been a bit of a journey, but I’m determined to figure it out!
I’ve been using ESPresence for BLE presence detection and the HASS Android app, which works well. However, I’d love to repurpose my ESP32 devices for other purposes, like light dimmers, instead of having multiple devices in each room. I came across some recent announcements about HASS and ESPHome support for BLE, but I’m struggling to get BLE presence detection working in ESPHome. If anyone has a simple guide or templates, I’d be super grateful!
I also wanted to share a quick tip I found helpful. If you’re setting up motion sensors and actions based on presence in OpenHAB, the UI in OH3 seems more user-friendly than in OH2. I was able to add Things, create groups, and even build a Semantic Model without too much hassle. However, I’m still figuring out how to replicate some of my OH2 rules, like turning on lights with motion and turning them off after five minutes of inactivity. The UI for Rules in OH3 seems robust, but I’m not entirely sure how to set up the exact conditions I need.
Another thing I wanted to mention is the importance of testing and iterating. I’ve had some minor hiccups with my setup, like delays in notifications from my Amcrest camera, but troubleshooting and adjusting settings have helped me get closer to a seamless experience. It’s all about persistence and learning along the way!
I’m really curious to hear how others have integrated their ESP32 devices and managed BLE presence detection. Have you faced similar challenges? What tips or resources can you share? Let’s keep the conversation going and help each other out!
Cheers, and happy automating! 