Turn any lamp into a smart lamp with Bluetooth Smart Controls

In a previous DIY post we walked you through the steps for building your own bottle lamp (see here if you missed the How-to post). If you’re ready to take your lamp to the next level – keep reading! It is so easy to turn ANY lamp into a smart lamp with GE branded Bluetooth Smart Controls. With no wires or bulbs to change, there’s no reason not to do it. Now, if you are worried because when you hear Smart you think of confusing terms like networks and hubs and gateways – don’t worry! This doesn’t require any of that. This is super easy.

 
What is a Bluetooth Plug-In Smart Switch/Dimmer?

You are probably familiar with smart light switches that turn your lights on and off from your phone when you are away. Super cool, but do you actually need to turn your lights on and off when you aren’t anywhere near your house? Probably not. However, you may want to set up custom schedules or turn the lights on before you go into the house after dark. Not a problem – our solution is easier and cost less than other smart switches.

Bluetooth Smart Lighting Controls from GE are a unique ecosystem of easy-to-use smart home products, providing an affordable system to control lighting and small appliances around your home with no Wi-Fi or hub required. For this post, the main focus will be the Bluetooth Plug-in Smart Switch and Dimmer. As the name suggests, these products work over a Bluetooth Smart connection. You probably use traditional Bluetooth every day to talk on your phone hands-free in the car or connect to your wireless speakers. Unlike this traditional Bluetooth you’re familiar with, when you are within 100-feet of your Plug-In Smart Switch or Dimmer you will be able to turn your lights on or off using the app on your phone or tablet. Now, what if you want to ensure that the lights are on before you get home? Well, the Bluetooth Smart Controls have timers built in so you can program your lights according to a schedule that fits your needs. The lights (or other devices) will still come on and off even when your phone is off or you are not in range.

It works like Z-Wave or ZigBee in that it operates on a mesh network. All that really means is that the devices can securely talk to each other and relay messages. For example, if you tell the kitchen light to turn on but you are in the bedroom (more than 100-feet from the kitchen switch) the bedroom switch will tell the hall switch to tell the kitchen switch to turn on. What this also means is the more GE smart devices you use in your home, the greater your range of control! Pretty cool, huh?
 

How to Make Your Lamp Smart

Turning your DIY lamp (or any lamp in your house) into a smart lamp is very easy. Simply pick up a Smart Dimmer or Switch (sold here) and plug it into the outlet nearest your lamp. Then, plug your lamp into the outlet on the smart module. Turn the lamp switch to the “on” position. Once, you’ve done this all you will need to do is download the Avi-on Labs app, click the “+” to claim your device, and you can begin programming it. You can change your settings any time and override them with the on/off switch located in the app.

What Can Your Smart Lamp Do?

Through the Avi-on app, which controls the Bluetooth Smart Switch or Dimmer, you can program your lights to do a bunch of cool things. For example, you can program your lights to come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise. Or you can set it to the random settings, which will turn your lights on and off at different times to create a “lived in” look. This setting helps deter crime when you are away from your house for extended periods, like vacation. You can create custom countdowns to turn your lights off (or even flash) at scheduled times. You can also apply different settings for different days of the week, so go ahead and keep the lights off a little later on Saturday morning, you deserve it.

You can check out this video or visit www.ezBluetooth.com to learn more about the full ecosystem of GE branded Bluetooth Smart Controls.