"Bedtime Lights" Off.... or would it be: Bedtime, lights off. It doesn't matter. As long as I say "Alexa" first... she hears it as: turn off all the lights in the room named Bedtime.
This is the first User-designed Working Macro... that also involves using a Amazon DOT with Alexa voice control. I am also mixing Home Automation device flavors. I am using a WiFi enabled Cree LED light Bulb in my table lamp (beside my easy-chair) It connects to Amazons servers and Alexa indirectly via a WINK hub. And the Macro controls a softstart X10 lamp module connected to a small lamp with two 15 watt incandescent bulbs. The X10 is controlled via Alexa through the homeseer network and a hometroller device, connect to a CM15A.
For years I used that lamp in a macro to light-my-path at bedtime. When I somehow came across softstart modules... that improved the macro I used with it's soft dimming-to-out. When I added Alexa control over my table lamp.... voice commanding one light and then using the remote to trigger the bedtime macro... seemed more like a hassle than "automation".
This is the fix:
First (1.) get X10 running with Alexa. Tuicemen has a great emulator program that can accomplish this using your CM15A, and practically ANY windows PC. I am using racerfern's old HomeSeer Troller (device) to get my X10 to talk to Alexa (thanks racerfern).
2. Create a macro using your CM15A. The macro is simple: create a trigger (I used a phantom appliance module) it triggers on OFF the macro turns the lamp (softstart) module ON. Then the macro delays for 3 minutes. Then turns the same lamp (softstart) module OFF. That's it... it's not complicated.
3. Setup lights to be recognized by Alexa when discovery is run. I am not sure of all the processes used with the various ways to get X10 controlled by Alexa or google. With HomeSeer I simply entered the devices using the on-line form accessed via my laptop using the chrome browser (it's all cloud based). Then, of course run discovery. Just tell Alexa to do that.
4. Then in your Alexa app (mine is on my iPhone)... configure a room.
Tap the little icon (top left) beside home.
Then in the list that appears... tap smarthome.
In your "groups" list... create a new room (I called mine "Bedtime Lights".
Then I opened the room and selected/checked my table lamp and the macro trigger phantom
....remember the trigger is OFF (to turn the light ON, delay, and then turn OFF).
Telling Alexa to turn the bedtime lights OFF... instructs Amazon to turn OFF every light/device in the room named bedtime.
5. Now at bedtime... I can simply turn the TV off (I still use a manually held remote for that) while I say: Alexa, bedtime, lights OFF. Which turns off my table lamp (although several lights could be placed in the bedtime room). And turns my small lamp ON (by triggering the macro) for 3 minutes, while I shuffle to bed.