Grid Connect, Tips, Tricks and Help - Please post and share

[CSParnell]

Hi all,

I thought it may he good to have a feed where we could share any tips and tricks to do with any of the Grid Connect Range being Arlec, Deta, Verve, Orion.

I am learning from trial and error and really just accident so sharing with others and sharing back we may be able to create some good learning information for us all.

Please post below starting with what the trick is as the title then how to do so as the body of information.

Carl 

[RJsPlace]

Thanks Mitchell,

I did that yesterday and I think I left them scratching their heads, but I did email them again this morning with the results I posted here. Hopefully, this will enlighten them. If it is that the camera is not sending out a pairing signal after a restart, it may very well be a faulty camera.

Otherwise, it is a great camera with the right features.

I will post back here what Arlec reply with.

Cheers.

[GreenHouse]

Good suggestion to contact Arlec directly.

Generally, I have found they respond quickly and can be very helpful.

[CSParnell]

@GreenHouse just a suggestion, your wifi is not a combined 2.4 /5Ghz under the same SSID is it?

If so it may be having issues connecting due to it trying to connect to the 5Ghz which it's not compatible with. If that is the case you may need to seperate the 2.4Ghz into a separate SSID or onto a guest network where it's 2 4 only. 

Just a thought.

[RJsPlace]

@CSParnell @EricL @MitchellMc @GreenHouse 

Hi everyone,

Arlec tested the same camera at their premises and found that it reconnects as it should. They suspect mine may have been damaged from a power surge. Arlec have given me the option to replace or refund it in store at Bunnings. My preference is to replace it as I like all of its features and capabilities. I will reinstall the replacement sometime this week and provide further feedback.

Thank you to everyone for your prompt and courteous assistance. Likewise with Arlec's customer and tech services.

Cheers

[Jason]

Great, thanks for letting us know @RJsPlace.

Feel free to post anytime you need a hand.

Jason

[CSParnell]

@RJsPlace awesome stuff thanks for the update 

[RJsPlace]

@CSParnell @Jason @GreenHouse @MitchellMc @EricL 

Hi everyone,

I replaced the camera but this time installed an SD card.

Arlec also suggested that if I had shared the camera with another person (through the share setting) that may affect pairing to WiFi. I hadn't shared it in that way but installed the Grid Connect App on my partner's phone and used the same log in. Whether that is the same as sharing, I am not sure. 

I uninstalled the app from that phone, removed the camera device from my app and reinstalled it and everything is working fine, including recording events. As it happens, the internet dropped out mid-morning, and once again, the app shows the device offline, and would not reconnect. 

What is interesting is that after I reset the camera again, I was able to playback recorded events that it continued to record while offline.

I have advised Arlec this morning of what has happened and awaiting a response to keep you posted.

Cheers  

[GreenHouse]

Hey Google. Activate (‘Scene Name’)

Not sure if this is generally known but . . .

Rather than using the Grid Connect App on your phone to activate any of your Scenes, you can (if you have a Google Mini and Google Home setup etc) use the Voice Command:

    Hey Google. Activate (‘Scene Name’)

In my case for example . . .

     Hey Google. Activate Away

(Where ‘Away’ is the name of a Grid Connect Scene I created to turn everything OFF and activate a night light etc when I walk out the front door.) Obviously, you can use the ‘Name’ of any one of your Grid Connect Scenes.

(I don’t know how or where I found out about this facility, but unless I’m away from home, I never use my phone to activate Scenes - I only use voice commands.)

[CSParnell]

Yep @GreenHouse and you can set up a chain of events this way too. 

It is also a good way to automate different brand devices together. 

Don't expect miracles from Google Automations like you will see from Home Assistant but it's a nice easy way to achieve things.

Samsung Smart Things and IFTT is another method too.

[CSParnell]

@RJsPlace what model camera is it?