Owntracks and Ibeacons and Android

Configuration
1

Does anyone have any input on how to tell if Owntracks is using an ibeacon. I don’t see any red/green as described in some of the posts/docs. I’m running on android (Note 8). My phone does see the ibeacon if I look in bluetooth and scan. I used NRF connect to get the UUID, Major and Minor and put them all in Owntracks, but it doesn’t seem to do anything at all with the info.

FWIW: I did build my own using a CCS2541 (HM10) to work with openMQTTgateway and so far the ibeacon seems to be working with openMQTTgateway properly, it just seems that owntracks is ignoring it. I’ve read through several posts on here and dug through Owntracks docs, but so far it just seems to sit there.

Wanted to ask and see if anyone has any input.

Thanks!

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I’m not using OwnTracks, but using the MQTT Room component and a companion scanner running on raspberry pi’s. So far things work well.

3

Thanks for the input - I looked into room assistant etc - like the idea, but I’m looking to use the ibeacon with Owntracks to help ‘anchor’ Owntracks when I’m at home/work/in the car etc.

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Interesting. I’m currently doing something I think similar. Using a Life360 custom component with OwnTracks for enter/leave events and then pairing with iBeacon sensing from my garage as a “backup” for when Life360 is lazy and doesn’t update. The problem with beacons is distance and walls. Still trying to get a beacon that is strong enough to be picked up in the driveway. I’ve also started to use the room presence for replacement of motion sensors inside the house. Still early on with that, but so far so good.

1 Like
5

Great minds think alike!! HAHA! I had thought once I got it working, that I might consider mouting said HM-10(CC2541) beacon outside in a weather proof box to see if I could get more distance etc out of it - worth a shot anyway. I’ll be curious how you get along with your setup! Very cool!

6

I’ll keep you updated. I just got a new iBeacon in the mail today. I haven’t had time to play with it yet. Other than doing a quick setup and throwing it into the car, which is now gone… If things work when the car drives up the beacon should be seen by the sensor in the garage and open the door… we shall see :slight_smile:

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I have several iBeacons and 1 mounted outside for better range. It works well but i’m never sure if it is gps or the beacon that connects 1st.

you could try debugging via these in the ha log file

logger:
  default: warn
  logs:
    homeassistant.components.mqtt: critical
    homeassistant.components.device_tracker.owntracks: critical
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How are you doing this please?

have you tried setting the major and minor to blank? that is how mine works

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@MarkR - thanks for the tip on the major/minor being left blank - I’ve tried both 0 and blank - no difference as I can tell. Are you on Android? If so - can you tell me do you know when a beacon is working? I assume I’d see a time stamp in the regions next to the beacon. FWIW I’m trying just beacon only to see if I can get it to pick up before adding it to a GPS region as an anchor.

I’ve also updated to the 2.x beta today - no difference there either.

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Looks like iBeacons are broken in the new beta! at least for me. Even a GPS entry into the region gives a time stamp. It isn’t that clear to see if they are working to be honest. I know mine was as I turned on debug logging in HA and tested and saw entries in the logs when I arrived etc

PS yes Android 6 and 7

PPS add OwnTracks to don’t use battery optimisation as well

1 Like
11

Thanks @MarkR - appreciate the feedback. I kind of caught that beacons were broken later in the evening reading the ‘talk’ forums for android on Owntracks page. I didn’t have any luck with them in V1 (non-beta version of Owntracks) but then again, didn’t know where to look to see they were working, maybe I’ll go back to that version and try the HA logs like you did and see if I can see anything. We’ll see where it goes - thanks again!