[Reactor] Bug when sending MQTT boolean payloads

[CatmanV2]

Morning, experts. Hard on learning about the internet check script in MSR tools, I was wondering what suggestions anyone has about a local (i.e. non-internet dependent) notification method.

This was prompted by yesterday's fun and games with my ISP.

I've got the script Cronned and working properly but short of flashing a light on and off, I'm struggling to think of a way of alerting me (ideally to my phone)

I guess I could set up a Discord server at home, but that feels like overkill for a rare occasion. Any other suggestions?

TIA

C

[Crille]

Kids! They will let you know if internet is down

Joke aside I don't know any notification service that runs locally so I'm checking it from the outside (work) by a scheduled script that open/close a socket to my router every minute and send a pushover notification if it fails.

[CatmanV2]

Kids feel a little extreme!

Hmm, that's an idea that might have legs. Would you be prepared to share the script at all?

C

[toggledbits]

I use my Sonos to speak "Internet access has been lost" in Jarvis' voice when Internet access fails. It tells everyone it's restored when it comes back. I also use a Z-Wave socket to power cycle the interface equipment at the 15 minutes down mark.

The only trick to that is that I've pre-TTS'd the speech to audio files, which I serve from Reactor in the config/usermedia directory, and the Sonos just plays the audio file from there so there's no Internet/cloud dependency to get the speech at the time it's needed. I use this mechanism for a number of other notifications as well.

I also have a Zooz siren that can play a dozen or two different sounds, so, for example, I make it chirp like a car alarm whenever a garage door is open. It has a built-in phrase for water leak detection, so I use that as well.

[Crille]

@CatmanV2 My script requires Powershell, Pushover, static WAN IP or dynDNS on your router, remote access to router and preferably a static IP on the remote host running the script (to restrict router remote access to that IP). If that fits you I sure can share it.

[CatmanV2]

Thanks, but no. Linux only. Cheers anyway!

C

[CatmanV2]

@toggledbits Very neat. I'm not sure if similar is possible with Alexa using HA but it gives me something to look at. Might have a look at the Zooz as well

Cheers

C

[CatmanV2]

Well the Sonos thing got me thinking. There's no apparent equivalent of local playing in Alexa, but what I do have is several Volumio devices dotted around. These have a nice little Rest API that I usually use to wake us up in the morning. Quick bit of AI Text to speech and now one of my Volumios will alert if the internet fails.
Which is nice!

C

[tunnus]

@toggledbits using a very similar setup and works nicely!

[toggledbits]

Sonos is an expensive way to make announcements. For those of you (us) using Raspberry Pi's, they can play audio from the 3.5mm audio jack, so I've whipped up a python-scripted MQTT client that plays a media file on request either from local storage or a URL (e.g. your LAN NAS or Reactor's user media endpoint, or anywhere your Internet access will allow). I'll publish that to Github later today for anyone interested.

[CatmanV2]

That sounds very neat.

The biggest 'challenge' I have is that my Volumio Pis are not all connected to an amp or speakers. Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how I might get around that?

C

[toggledbits]

Perhaps https://a.co/d/ixBUa2M ? Can be powered from the 5V and GND pins on the Pi.

[toggledbits]

Or this? https://www.adafruit.com/product/987

[CatmanV2]

Like it. Even if not, pretty sure my preferred POE could drive it.

Just would be so much better if we could alert to a phone. Which I think I can...

C

[CatmanV2]

Had a poke around. There is a service in HA that allows (it claims) Local Push Notifications to devices running the HA Helper App.

This exposes a notify method to MSR and you can hand it JSON. Lo, a notification from the HA app pops up on the phone.

So another option

Thanks for all thoughts

C

[therealdb]

@CatmanV2 back in the old days of no reliable internet at our new house, I had a raspberry connected via Bluetooth to the Alexa in the main room. I just played pre-recorded audio files and it worked very good.
Low tech solutions are the best

Also, some echo devices have the line in. If you have something plugged in, they will play what's sent.

[CatmanV2]

Interesting. I did try that, but Volumio doesn't support it. I guess a Rasbian type would be worth looking at.

I assume the Pi connected, played then disconnected as opposed to 'hogging' the BT?

Cheers

C

[CatmanV2]

And another option! OS X has a 'say' command that does, well, exactly what you'd think.

And it's possible to unmute the output from a command line so ssh to my local macs, run the script and Robert is your father's brother

C

[therealdb]

@CatmanV2 nope, always connected

[CatmanV2]

Interesting, ta. Think I've got an old pi kicking around. OTOH between one Volumio, HA Companion on my phone, and all my Macs talking to me, I think I have enough

C