Wireless light switch or app control

[OranGutan]

Hi all,

New to the forums and the world of electronics. Have been reading through some basic electronics books to try and become handy at home. I would like to start my first project and want to ideally be able to change a room light switch to being wirelessly controlled, either through a remote or even a mobile app. I'm sure this is possible but all the equipment I've found seems quite confusing.

I don't ideally want to go around changing all the light bulbs in the house, just initially the light switches that are able to be controlled wirelessly. How can I go about this?
Sorry for the nub question but eventually would like to build up my skills enough to install solar panels myself.

Thanks

[piratepaul]

Hi, if you just want one rc light, a remote control door bell could be converted. I read that a couple of threads ago.
I should think you could get kits to link to phone apps etc.

Tar&stuff.

[OranGutan]

Thanks.
I've had a look online and it seems there are companies like LightwaveRF, control4 and X10 that sells these kinds of products which allow for minimum installation and seem relatively expensive. Can you think of any cheaper ways to put something together that may work?

[piratepaul]

Keep reading the books...
Gees some links to the stuff you are taking about...
I am sure there are lots of ways to produce radio waves... Some legal some not, radio ham might be a good search word.
The app to the phone is not my thing, phone software is a completely different thing to electronics and radio.

Basically you need to generate radio waves and receive them at the light circuit....the more switches you have the more frequencies ( or complexity of wave form) you need.
A simple single light would need a single frequency, more lights need more frequencies.
You could encode lots of information on a single frequency but it is not easy.

Gees the links to what you are looking at and I will have a fink.

Tar&stuff.

[magpie]

You can control a socket with whatever is plugged in to it (lamp etc;) from anywhere in the world,or inside the premises,via your wi-fi,with a BELKIN WEMO HOME switch.

[piratepaul]

You seem to be an expert Magpie, the remote bell wuz ur idea on the other thread too.

Tar&stuff.

[OranGutan]

yeah the wemo home switch I saw, but is expensive for me atm.
http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/x10-home ... -switches/
http://lightwaverf.com/

are some of the things i've looked at and they seem to pretty large systems. I just kinda wanna fit something into my wall switch that may pick up a signal from a button pressed somewhere else. Do you guys think retrofitting a doorbell would be a good way to go about it?

[piratepaul]

I should think a doorbell and a relay would work well for just one switch.
I saw a remote doorbell at a cheap/discount store, didn't take much notice but it did catch my attention, I was thinking of making a power inverter using a door bell as an oscillator some years ago, I thought hmmm as soon as I saw it but I could not think of a use for it.
There must be circuits in the buzzer unit which can be used to operate a relay, maybe a transistor circuit is also needed, maybe not.
If you get a cheap door bell and open the buzzer bit, post pics of it and take it from there.

Tar&stuff.

PS. Magpie spotted the remote relay, I feel guilty for nicking it .... ( customs declaration).

[piratepaul]

Magpie spotted the remote bell acccccchhhhhhm

[magpie]

I am keen to see how the idea of a bell could develope,as my electronic knowledge is limited.