"Switched back to manual dimmers and honestly haven't missed the automation at all."
I get where you're coming from—automation can feel intrusive if it's not dialed in just right. But I've found that with careful calibration and quality sensors, automated dimming can actually enhance comfort and convenience. For instance, setting gradual transitions rather than abrupt changes makes a huge difference. It takes some patience upfront, but once fine-tuned, it blends seamlessly into daily routines. Maybe worth another shot someday...
I totally get the appeal of manual dimmers—sometimes simplicity just feels better. But honestly, after tweaking my automation setup, I can't imagine going back. The gradual fade-in for mornings alone has been a game changer for me. Still, I agree it can be tricky to get right...
"It takes some patience upfront, but once fine-tuned, it blends seamlessly into daily routines."
Curious though, did you ditch all automation or just lighting? I've been debating automating blinds next, but not sure if it's worth the hassle.
I get the appeal of automating blinds, but honestly, after trying it myself, I'm not fully convinced it's worth the hassle. Lighting automation is subtle and blends naturally into routines, but blinds...well, they're a bit more finicky. I found myself constantly tweaking schedules because sunlight changes seasonally, and sometimes I just wanted to manually adjust for privacy reasons.
"It takes some patience upfront, but once fine-tuned, it blends seamlessly into daily routines."
True for lights maybe, but blinds might be one area where simplicity still wins out for me.
I totally get where you're coming from. Blinds automation can absolutely feel more trouble than it's worth, especially when you're constantly tweaking it seasonally. I've noticed the same thing—sun angles change, daylight hours shift, and suddenly your perfectly tuned schedule feels off again.
One thing that helped me was setting up broader "zones" rather than precise timings. Like, instead of exact times, I set a rough morning, afternoon, and evening position. It wasn't perfect, but it reduced the number of times I had to fiddle with settings. Still, there were always those days when manual adjustments just felt easier—especially when privacy came into play.
Honestly, automation doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. If lighting works seamlessly for you but blinds don't, that's completely valid. Maybe down the road you'll find a setup that clicks better for blinds, or maybe manual control is just your sweet spot. Nothing wrong with simplicity if it's working well for you.
I tried the zone thing too, but honestly, I still ended up adjusting them manually half the time. Funny how automation sometimes makes things more complicated. Wonder if anyone's had luck syncing blinds with weather apps or something...?
