Alexa local stop working!!

[delta010]

After a few hours ago Alexa local on node-red stop working. I am using a 2nd gen echo dot .but node red Alexa home skill working fine

[Samoticha]

same here

[guardiande]

I have the same problem at my mother's place but cannot debug locally. Over here it's still working. Strange. Worked for months without problems.

[fteston]

Same issue here, looks like the new alexa Firmware is blocking Hue Emulation

[alexlinno]

I also upgrade node-red this, could the problem be there?using 0.20.7

[guardiande]

I was partly able to resolve my problems by switching to Alexa Home within Node Red. In one of two installations it works perfectly. The other worked at the beginning but refuses to discover new devices now.

But nevertheless I would suggest switching from Alexa Local to Alexa Home. Be sure to read the documentation and either run the controller on port 80 or redirect traffic to port 80 via iptables.

[fteston]

Guardiande, thank you I have node-red running on Windows , any idea how to set the port 80 on the node-red files ? Thanks

[alexlinno]

Guardiande, using port 80 is that also necessary for echo dot gen 1? tried with and without port 80, cannot get it to work

[godofglow]

Same problem here. Any ideas?

[slopsjon]

Stopped working for me as well. Annoying as I just moved everything to a new server last night.

[freaky-m0]

Same here. Stopped working overnight.

NodeRed 0.20.7 // AlexaLocal 0.3.24 // EchoDot FW 644580520

[MosesHill]

"Most of" my locals do not now ?!?. Sometimes 1 or 2 are working for a very short time, but then I get device malfunctioned for all devices on the alexa app.
No new devices can be found.
it is not the node red update because I still have 0.17.5, but then I have updated alexa local to 0.3.24

[godofglow]

Have someone any other idea or an existing workaroung?
Or is there some other working solution?

[scargill]

All of this sounds feasable- I'm on Node-Red 0.20.8 as of yesterday - until then, all my Alexas were working fine - but then the issue I'm having is Espurna and Sonoff Basic with Alexa - Node-Red doesn't come into it. I do hope Amazon have not screwed up, When companies get too big they tend not to think about others. My Xiaomi Mi Fit just (dliberately or otherwise) blocked 3rd party watchface suppliers but I just went back a version. In the case of Amazon Alexa and the DOT, I'm not aware of any recent updates, or would they just happen automatically?

[fteston]

I'm able to fixed only 1 of my devices on alexa-local plugin, I change the file inside .node-red/alexa-local folder have many files no extension open the file and change the value to port 80 {"key":"4f391f3012608","value":80} this is the only way to make a know device work again, however alexa can't find new devices, I'm still working on find a solution.... if you have other ideas let me know.

[slopsjon]

I don't think it's Node-red. I reinstalled all my node-red on a new server yesterday and it was working just before I went to bed at midnight. When I woke nothing responded and when I looked at the alexa app it had added duplicate devices but prefixed by "Royal Phillips"? Is there a way of checking when alexa last did a firmware update?

[scargill]

It seems to me that it is likely to be Amazon messing about - as everyone has different problems - mine are Espurna-related mainly.

[alexlinno]

Hue-emulation on my Tasmota still works.....just for info

[ReeceJohn]

Handshake for discovery seems to be malfunctioning. The discovery never completes. I also suspect this happened after an echo firmware update.

[rf-ir-learner]

Yep, my Node-RED node-red-contrib-alexa-local modules are in 'Discovery' mode for the last week or so, and Alexa cannot discover anything ... something has definitely gone wrong somewhere ...
AB

[scargill]

It is starting to point strongly to something Amazon has done. I never get anywhere contacting Amazon - I hope someone out thre has better influence and can get this fixed. Node-Red-Contrib-Amazon-Echo works but it just found the same device twice - I had to delete one of them. All of this is new behaviour.... and annoying.

[rf-ir-learner]

Agreed, so it looks like a firmware issue - maybe they automatically update the firmware (I certainly didn't)?

And just for the record this caused me to buy another one because it showed up in my router admin with the word "Kindle" in it, so I thought it was my wife's old Kindle, and not the Echo Dot. So I was thinking that the Wifi section of it had failed. Then I realized I could get the MAC address of the Alexa device by logging into my Amazon Alexa account with a browser, so now I have properly renamed it in my router. It can be difficult to identify these devices when you have over 60 items tied to your router.

[thmeger]

I updated all used components - Alexa, Node-RED, the nodes, node js, the complete pi :-)
No more "lights"/devices are found. They turn from oline to discovery in NR after a few seconds. The Alexa devices page shows nothing found.
Is this something that can be fixed, or is this something Amazon doesn't want anymore?

[slopsjon]

I've switched to using node-red-contrib-alexa-home-skill It's account based and a bit more configuring but a least I have someone to talk to now. Hopefully this will get sorted.

[AndyWo83]

@slopsjon i switched also to the node-red-contrib-alexa-home-skill, but the reaction time is sometimes to long, because it's account based.
When I say "Alexa, turn the TV off" it sometimes takes 5 or more seconds to complete.
With the local it was very fast.
I hope the problem will be solved...

[Jibbonator]

I have the same problem. I solved this using this: https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-amazon-echo. suits for my needs. had to route iptables (Routed port 80 tcp and udp. Manual). but since then it works. And its local!

[nob0dy80]

mine was working till yesterday. i noticed unter alexa.amazon.com under devices that all devices were doubled! There were the correct ones as "color lights" and one with the same name as "Royal Philips Electronics intelligent device"

i never did any search after the first detection so they came automatically.

To bad i deleted all devices ...at least i can use alexa as door stopper till now :-)

[nob0dy80]

@Jibbonator
i guess its working with hue emulation too ? If so, there is hope alexa-local could be fixed ;)

[Jibbonator]

@nob0dy80
I don´t know exactly. My devices are now shown as "Royal Philips Electronics intelligent device".
I just changed my nodes and it works.
Yesterday i had the same with the double Devices.

[nob0dy80]

@Jibbonator
Hue = Philips. So it must be emulating. That makes real hope alexa-local can be fixed.

maybe i should try alexa-home. Website says
"No additional settings are needed if Node-Red is started as Home Assistant add-on"

Using iobroker so i guess i dont need to do anything with iptables.

in case..what iptables settings must be done?

[scargill]

You mean by email? pete@scargill.org

…

On 16 September 2019 20:31:56 David Martin ***@***.***> wrote: @scargill How do I get in contact with you?— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[scargill]

I wrote code to convert hsv to RGB - worked ALMOST 100%. would be better if I knew how to put Amazon echo node into RGB mode.

…

On 16 September 2019 20:31:56 David Martin ***@***.***> wrote: @scargill How do I get in contact with you?— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[3ative]

@scargill
No worries Pete, I had a problem with BigTimer but, I sorted it.

As for the RGB, the 'amazon-echo-device' node already gives the 3 RBG values out. it's "msg.rgb"

[scargill]

It's not the OUT that worries me, it's the IN. I may set the colour in Alexa OR some other way like dashboard and I need the Amazon Echo node to be aware I changed colour externally. Up to now it seems to insist on working in hsv mode even though it has RGB out. If I'm missing something please do tell to save me using a convertor node.

[3ative]

@scargill
Oh, I didn't know Alexa could take an input like that... although, I can't see the use of having her know such data.
As far as I can see she's just a voice input device. Can you ask her the status of a light then?

[scargill]

Alexa can control light colour or temperature via the app but if you also need non speech control is node red dashboard or Blunk then you need to be able to sync the Alexa node to whatever other control system you are using .Ive manage with hsv input but RGB would be better which means changing mode via the Alexa node input to RGB.

…

On 17 September 2019 14:21:58 David Martin ***@***.***> wrote: @scargill Oh, I didn't know Alexa could take an input like that... although, I can't see the use of having her know such data. As far as I can see she's just a voice input device. Can you ask her the status of a light then?— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[3ative]

I'm still not sure why Alexa would need to know. Either your cpanel's input or Alexa would control the colour... Unless to only way to get Node-Red to update dashboard or Blink is back via Alexa... Or your Alexa is one of the ones with its own display.

[scargill]

The Alexa node needs to know that colour any other system like node red dashboard has set, say an esp based light controller to and vice versa, the other system(s) need to know if you changed the colour using the Alexa node.

[scargill]

One of us is missing something here. There is no Cpanel on my Raspberry pi. I have this working incidentally, I'm just not 100% happy about the RGB to HSV conversion, the NR Amazon Echo app uses 0-65k for H and S and the convertor a vastly different range. One day I may want to set colour using Alexa, another day I might be remote and want to use NR dashboard via VPN. I would be happier if I coul use the NR Amazon Echo node input to use RGB mode. If it can't be changed there is no point did n having that mode indicator on the output.

[thePhilipp]

Maybe that's helpful for you. I did not understand everything your problem is but the feedback to Alexa is, I think, what you are looking for

https://github.com/datech/node-red-contrib-amazon-echo/wiki/Integration-with-Sonoff-Tasmota

[3ative]

@scargill
Cpanel i mentioned = NR Dashboard - I'm assuming there's some sort of status display going on. :)

I think I get it now, in order for Alexa to know what the state of an entity is, and therefore display that in its own App / other integration, 'she' needs some sort of input / status update.

[scargill]

Thanks but oñ/off is easy.. what I've not figured out is how to use input to change the mode NRCAE is using. Ie from hsv to RGB as the latter is easier for me and doesn't require conversion.

[nob0dy80]

switched over now to contrib-amazon-echo

Maybe i'm missing some point of logical thinking, but why is the last value of msg.bri also send when i say to turn the light off ?
This results for me in sending a false to the state (thats fine) and the last value of msg.bri to brightness which results in turning the lights on again ... any tips for me ?

[gordonthree]

@nobody80 I don't have my code in front of me but there is an on/off flag you can test for the state of the light. If it matches the off state, I send an off command to my device and ignore the brightness.

[nob0dy80]

@gordonthree
damn it.. that really helped. Thanks alot. i connected the dimmer directly to the device. that was the error. after connecting it to the "on" output of a switch, it works.

now the last problem is that "turn light on" will turn it on with the last known brightness value. would prefer if a "on"-command always starts with 50% brightness.
only a question of time to fix this too :-D

[gordonthree]

For that you'll have to keep track of your device on/off state separately from Alexa. Either a database or persistent variable depending on how many of these lights you want working this way.

[nob0dy80]

@gordonthree
i guess that will work at best within javascript and keeping track with "on change" at the datapoint, right?

[3ative]

@nob0dy80

If this helps, this is my Node-Red Function node code for controlling my RGB LED strip light.

if (msg.payload === "on")
msg.payload =
{
    "service": "turn_on",
    data:
    {"rgb_color": msg.rgb, "brightness": msg.bri}
};
if (msg.payload === "off") msg.payload = {"service":"turn_off"}
return msg

With it I can turn on/off and set both brightness and colour.

[nob0dy80]

@3ative
on/off and brightness isnt a problem any longer.
But i tried to started with color now.

my problem is, the Philips Hue RGB Strip accepts only HEX for colorchanging ..
Is there a best practice way to convert it ?

maybe you can show me one of your flows for changing colors.

[nob0dy80]

tried with NODE-RED-CONTRIB-COLOR-CONVERT

when connected directly to the device, i get msg.rgb undefined

if i add a function between it with your code shortened to filter only the rgb string out like
msg.payload =
{
data:
{"rgb_color": msg.rgb}
};
return msg

i get "array wrong size" :-/
maybe i just shortened the code wrong

[3ative]

@nob0dy80
Working on it.... gimme a few minutes

[3ative]

@nob0dy80
I put your code in my Function node - It works here.

[3ative]

@nob0dy80
I don't have that "NODE-RED-CONTRIB-COLOR-CONVERT" but, I guess it's changing the msg.rgb to something other than an array of 3. I.E: it's no longer something like - [255,255,255]

[nob0dy80]

@3ative
talked with developer..with my code, it cant work because its msg.payload.data at the end

correct code is
msg.payload = msg.rgb
return msg

working now..
now i have to fix the problem when i turn on the light, it starts with with the color that was last set. e" and not with warm white.

its like dimming. if you turn the light on, it starts with the last dim-status.

but i think i will work on that problem tomorrow..

so using color with contrib-amazon-echo and philips hue bulbs on a zigbee adapter should look like this:

[nob0dy80]

@3ative
yeah it changes the 3 digit array to an hex code which is needed for philips hue on a zigbee adapter

[DarrenSchwartz]

I put my normal pi web pages on port 86 to free up port 80 and in the Amazon node I refer to a high up port.

I considered doing this too, but since LetsEncrypt needs port 80 open, it seems I can't move my web server off port 80. Am I out of options (assuming I don't want to run node red as root)?