Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Winnipeg Free Press
The Christmas tree lights on an HBN indoor Wi-Fi outlet is controlled by the HBN Smart App, on a weekday and weekend on/off schedule.
The indoor Wi-Fi outlet provides a plug through which an electrical device can be controlled using the HBN Smart App.
Once linked to the local network, the HBN Smart App provides on/off control as well as detailed scheduling at the touch of a finger.
The Wi-Fi extension outlet provides the ease of control using an outlet that is rated for outdoor use.
There are several ways to control your household electronics and lighting these days. Most options, however, involve the replacement of light switches and outlets that connect to a hub and subsequently to your local Wi-Fi — this can easily become a daunting task for the less tech-savvy. While browsing online, I stumbled across a solution that hastens the implementation of control over anything plugged in. And it truly is a game-changer.
Close to this time last year, my driveway had begun to drift with an abundance of snow and wind. And although the windbreak mesh fencing had greatly deterred the speed at which these drifts would develop, it was often difficult to see on windier days just how much drifting occurred at the end of the driveway closest to the highway. As such, an LED spotlight tantamount to lumens equivalent to those used in a stadium was mounted at the far end of the shed, pointed in the direction of my driveway entrance. This spotlight illuminated the are quite well — controlling when to activate the lighting from the house was the challenge.
Fortunately, the Wi-Fi outlets manufactured by HBN upon which I stumbled while researching the prospect on Amazon.ca, were indeed available in a version rated for outdoor use. Hopeful this discovery would solve my spotlight control problem, I patiently awaiting delivery. Once the outlet arrived, it was a very easy process to implement. Once the HBN Smart App was installed on my handheld device, and an account created, the Wi-Fi outlet was then linked to my network through a series of easy-to-follow steps.
The LED spotlight can now be activated using the on/off button within the app, or by creating an on/off schedule based on the hours of the day, and the days of the week. This product truly provides the ultimate control, without any complicated steps to implement. Beyond the spotlight, another useful instance has been adapted; the block heater on my John Deere tractor is now controlled by an HBN outlet on a schedule, to ensure the engine is warm when it’s time to clear the driveway.
Upon further investigation, I noticed HBN also offers indoor outlet plug adapters that also function in much the same manner. In lieu of the bulky plug extension for outdoor use, the streamlined indoor adapters simply plug into one of the two outlets, and create a “through” for the electrical device that plugs into it. Once the process of linking the indoor Wi-Fi adapter to the local network is achieved (in much the same fashion as depicted earlier), each of the Wi-Fi outlets can be controlled using the HBN Smart App. For convenience, the adapters are also fitted with a physical on/off switch on the adapter housing.
Since implementing over a dozen or so of these indoor adapters, most of my lamps and several electronics are now easily controlled from the handheld device. Moreover, very detailed on/off schedules have been created to accommodate most household lighting requirements — this is not only convenient, but eliminates unnecessary power usage. Both the lighted wreath on the front of the house and our Christmas tree are now controlled by the HBN Smart App. The wreath automatically lights up just before dusk and shuts off at dawn. On weekdays, the Christmas tree lights up in the morning for a while, and shuts off after we leave for work. This happens again late in the afternoon before we get home, until after we retire for the night. On weekends, the tree remains lit all day and shuts off at night. We experience the joy of the season without wasting any energy when we aren’t home.
The applications for handheld and scheduled control over anything electrical are truly endless, and can even make household scenarios safer. For instance, forgetting to unplug the kettle or leaving a curling iron on are no longer worrisome situations — when plugged into an HBN Wi-Fi outlet, simply disengage the power remotely using the app! Most importantly, these tiny devices are available at a very reasonable cost — well worth the investment. It might be a tad late now for Christmas gifts, but definitely a great gift-giving idea for the future. Season’s greetings to everyone, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.
RenoBoss.Inc@outlook.com
