Alexa Announce Feature - Text to Speach via Alexa now a possability?

Feature Requests
388

I put this in my configuration.yaml

switch:
  - platform: command_line
    switches:
      last_echo_used:
        command_on: "/home/homeassistant/.homeassistant/alexa_remote_control.sh -lastalexa"
        command_off: ""

I have this in my sensor.yaml

  - platform: command_line
    name: Last Used Echo
    command: "/home/homeassistant/.homeassistant/alexa_remote_control.sh -lastalexa"
    entity_id: switch.last_echo_used

And i have this in automations where I want it to be updated

  - service: homeassistant.update_entity
    data:
      entity_id: sensor.last_used_echo
389

Ok thanks… for what u are using that sensor? Only to know which echo was last used?

390

I use that sensor for an automation I have. Basically I have some routines set up, like

“Alexa, are my doors locked”

That kicks kicks off an automation, and speaks an output to the echo where the question was asked

  - service_template: "notify.{{ states('sensor.last_used_echo') }}"
    data_template:
      message: >-
391

Do you happen to know if using @lonebaggie

device: ALL works for setting volume with the cmd line?

392

Has anyone used this with an amazon fire tablet in Show mode dock?

393

if you mean that the fire tablet is connected to power and alexa live on that, yeah i tried and it works.

1 Like
394

I bought the fire tablet and the show mode dock. Hoping to have the same experience as I currently have with my dots.

395

dont put them anywhere near where a dot can hear you.
when a dot hears your voice (even from far far away) the alexa on the firetab shuts down and wont respond.

396

You mean it won’t respond until it’s restarted?? Or just acts the same was as when there are two dots near each other as in the closest one responds.

Also do you mean the Alexa app is open or that the table is in “Show Mode”. It bought the docking station as well. It seems as if when you dock the tablet it acts as a Show

397

if you dock it, it the same as when you charge it.
only in charging mode alexa functions like an echo.

but i got an echo in the next room. if i try to speak to the firetab the echo hears that i call alexa and responds even when i am directly for the firetab. that causes that the firetab doesnt respond. but the echo on the next room doesnt respond either, because it hears alexa but is to far away to hear my command.
the result is that i did buy a new echo on sale and did put that in the room and shut down the alexa on the firetab.

didnt really matter to me because i bougth the tab for 35 euro and the echo for 25. and i wanted a dashboard and alexa in that room anyway. but it would have been nice if the tab would have worked as alexa.

1 Like
398

Do these fire tabs draw alot of watts? Does it respond immediately if the screen is off? I thinking about getting these but I don’t want to walk up, press a button, then press a button for lights or something. 2 clicks kind of defeats the purpose, could just get a scene controller at that point for single clicks.

399

My understanding is that if you have the dock it will act as an echo show. It will respond without requiring any touching. I’m hoping to be able to use it like that anyway.

1 Like
400

I’ll let you be the guinea pig if you already bought it! :wink:

1 Like
401

Absolutely. The price right now let me get both the 10” and the dock for $150. Hoping to get Alexa as well as some HA ui sort of stuff

402

like i said on the dock is just charging. it will function the same way when you place it anywhere else and connect a charger.

@petro if you want to use the alexa function the screen is on.
but i got them with fully kiosk and they activate my screensaver (black) after a time i have set. with motion detection the screen gets activated.
only disadvantage from that is that in dark places the motion is hardly detected.

i cant tell you about the wattage. do you know how much watt your mobile uses?
with thinhs like mobiles and tablets thats about the least to think of i think.

i bought several 7 inch for 35 euro each by the way.

in general about the alexa experience: its about the same as when you install alexa on a tablet (there is an app for that also) it works, but not really wel compared to the dedicated devices.

403

If I were to buy them, I’d turn off the alexa feature like you said. I really only want these things as a display for HA. I’m sort of waiting on tying user access to lovelace views before I pull the trigger on purchasing any of these. I purely want them to only show the actions needed for the room they are in. Example, I don’t want the kids room to have access to the master room controls. But I do want the master room to be able to access everything. Things like that.

404

Do you have the dock. I read a pretty long post saying it was not quite the same. The dock instantly puts the tablet in “show mode” different from running the Alexa app on a charger.

The posts I was reading had a guy trying to get the “show mode” trying various chargers and was unable to do so

405

i have read several posts that the firetabs are not real good for lovelace.
at least not the cheaper ones.

@ptdalen i dont have the dock, but you are talking about the video options from alexa.
on a charger alexa is instantly there and accessable with voice only.

but its obvious that 1 microphone inside the device is way worse then 4 or 7 :wink:

i hope your experience is better then mine. i need a bit to much wallpanels(over 20) to be spending 150 on 1 :wink:

1 Like
406

maybe polymer doesn’t play well with the browser on fire tablets. Chromebook might be better?

407

My goal is mostly to be able to still use it for unsolicited TTS, some screen savers, kitchen timers, news etc. but also use it as a tablet occasionally. I don’t have any android devices, so hoping that maybe I can do a few apps as well that might help to add to my HA. Maybe side load a few apps.