Wifi Radio Thermostat Client + Hub/Server
Wifi Radio Thermostat on Google Play.
If you have a radio (wifi) enabled thermostat CT-30 (aka 3M50) or CT-50, available from home depot or online) you can control it while in your home using this simple app. Use your phone as a portable thermostat control!
In contrast to the manufacturer's cloud management, this app has instant access and response. No more shivering/sweating, waiting and wondering - you can make and see the change instantly. Keep an android phone or tablet by your bed as an alarm clock and handy thermostat.
The cloud based app provided by the manufacturer is fine, but this app adds a few advantages. First, it's instant, no waiting for the cloud service to notice and change your system. Second, it has a widget so you can see what's going on at a glance. Finally, it's local - there's no security risk to your network (IoT devices like the CT-30 can serve as bridges to break into your home network and monitor traffic).
This app uses the internal URL (IP) and the manufacturer's API of the thermostat. It is for use within your home only. Don't expose your thermostat URL outside of your home network! The thermostat does not provide security to protect it's URL or data, and this app cannot add security on it's own. If you need to change the temperature settings while away from home, use their cloud service or the CT-30 Thermostat Server (see below).
Exposing the raw RadioThermostat URL outside of your firewall is asking for someone to use it to change the temperature in your home! More seriously, they could use the temperature or schedule setting to determine when your home or office are unoccupied.
Multiple thermostats are supported, define them in the app and select at the top of the app screen. Each thermostat widget you create will be assigned the next thermostat address.
Getting started
Use settings in the app to set the internal IP of your thermostat if it's not found automatically
Long press on the phone screen to install the widget.
Touch the widget to launch the thermostat (or launch as any ordinary app)
In the app, touch the time to sync the thermostat time with your phone (the thermostat clock does drift).
I hope the rest of the app is obvious and easy to use.
Using as a hub/server
You can run the thermostat app as your own dedicated server/service to replace the cloud service that RadioThermostat no longer supports:
Select a phone/tablet that you will leave connected to your network and running at all times.
Enable hub/server support in the preferences
Select a Google Drive account for logging. A log file using the thermostat name will be created in drive.
Add a Wifi Thermostat widget to your android device home page to start the server.
A summary job runs daily to clean up the log entries and provide data that can be graphed, for example: Usage Graph (click on the "Chart" tab). Add a new sheet to the log chart and create a graph of your choosing.
Check settings / device maintenance / battery manager, settings / app manager ./ special access / Optimize battery use. Confirm the app is set to unmonitored for battery savings and there are no settings on your phone to shut down long running apps or the phone itself.
Remote Access
Use a VPN or SSH server hosted on your network. You'll need a server running for this option. Some routers support a VPN service, this is the easiest way to get going. Connect to the server and use the app as normal.
Use AutomationOnDrive withGoogle home (see below). This provides local and remote access via voice control through Google Assistant / Google Home (e.g. "make home warmer" or "set home to 70"). AutomationOnDrive also enables logging of your thermostat use for tracking energy savings (contact me for advice on constructing queries to analyse your data).
Use with AutomationManager (see below) to integrate the thermostat into your home automation. AutomationManager can run on the same phone/tablet along with your thermostat hub/server and provides integration with other smart devices in your environment as well as with AutomationOnDrive (for Google Home voice support and usage logging) and remote access for control from your phone.
Google Home
When running the app as a hub/server you can enable support via google home / google assistant to control the thermostat mode and target temperature. To use with google you need to install AutomationOnDrive to the same phone/tablet you are using for the thermostat hub/server. Make sure AutomationOnDrive is exempt from your phone battery savers as you have done with the thermostat. Use the menu to open the AutomationOnDrive menu, select "Google Home". You need to purchase a subscription (to offset the small costs of keeping the service active in the google cloud), then select/enable the thermost from the available device list. Finally, open Google Home and link the AutomationManager service to your google account.
Using with AutomationManager
When you install and run the Wifi Radio Thermostat on your android device where you are also running AutomationManager you will see the following new devices (prefixed with the thermostat name):
Current (analog & on/off sensor) - the current thermostat temperature, on if thermostat is in operating mode (heat/cool/auto vs off).
Target (analog & on/off sensor) - the target temperature, on if the heating or cooling system is running. Use the "Temperature" menu item to change the target.
Hold (on/off switch) - on if hold is active
Fan (on/off sensor)
Circulate (on/off switch) - off for fan auto, or on
Override (on/off sensor) - if the scheduled temperature has been temporarily overridden
Cooling (on/off switch) - on if the thermostat is in cool mode
Heating (on/off switch) - on if the thermostat is in heat mode
{location name} (analog) - outside temperature as reported by your weather service
Setting Cooling and Heating on together puts the system into AUTO mode (CT80 only). Setting Cooling and Heating both off turns the system off.
In AutomationRemote you will have access to these same devices. Drop a "Remote" AutomationManager widget on your home screen, select the remote server and then choose the thermostat "Target" device. Now when you touch that widget it’ll bring up a mini app that lets you control the thermostat remotely – target temperature, hold/follow schedule, fan on/auto.
These devices can be used in the AutomationManager/WemoManager UI and AutomationManager/WemoServer rule engine. Or remotely with WemoRemote or any web browser (WemoOnDrive).
Final note - As an alternative to AutomationManager, SSH passthru can be used to securely access your thermostat from outside your local network. If you wish to do so and have an SSH server on your network you can use the instructions provided here (see the site index). Do NOT expose the CT-30's http address outside of a protected firewall!
