I made a night light for my son and just used V_VARs
I used the fastLED library And this code to decode from 255,255,255 that I was sending from the controller

https://codebender.cc/sketch:90239

Last time it came up http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/1148/need-help-with-turning-a-led-on-off-with-openhab-and-mqtt/4

This came up before.
http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/1085/node-to-node-communication

Basically when the sensor sends the data to the controller you can have it send the same data to the LCD. That would most likely provide a longer battery life than requesting the data from the sensors. Doing it this way only the LCD (and the controller) have to be on all the time.

I have the 16 LED version and 5 of the diffused LEDs. So far I've only ended up using 2 of the diffused LEDs for a sleep light for my 4yr old.

Haven't found any other real uses for them. I've thought of getting some of the strips and doing lighting since then I wouldn't need to replace bulbs/switches but so far I have been unable to get wife approval.

If you are running MQTT there is a gateway that supports that or if you can read serial input you could use the serial gateway.

You would probably want to look at the Serial protocol and the Full API

@kunall There is V_VAR1-5 actually

V_VAR1	24	Custom value
V_VAR2	25	Custom value
V_VAR3	26	Custom value
V_VAR4	27	Custom value
V_VAR5	28	Custom value

Personally I would set up each value you want as a S_CUSTOM if you can't figure out another sensor type that fits.

For smoke you can use S_SMOKE
For Air Quality S_AIR_QUALITY
Not sure what you'd want to use for CO2 through

http://www.mysensors.org/download/serial_api_14

I haven't done this so I could be totally off. But I would think that if you took a stepper motor and mounted a plate with a piece of cardboard able to block enough sun. You could put a photosensor on each side and move towards the side with the most sun till they are reporting an equal value. Basically this idea http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Solar-Tracker/ <- just one I found googling for sun tracking arduino

I think I'm going to try setting this up soon. I've been using the MQTT gateway but this would be simpler I think.

Any advice for switching from MQTT to serial in openhab.

I think I need to update openhab to use the 1.70 version but I don't think that would be too hard.

I've been looking to buy some things and noticed that some of the aliexpress links aren't going to the item they claim to be.

10pcs DS18B20 Dallas Temperature Sensors is pointing to 10PCS x Single Row round hole 1X40 Pin Crystal socket

8 Channel is pointing to Lillianjake 5V 1 2 4 8 12V 16 Channel Relay Module W LED Indicator Light For Arduino [1 Channel Relay(W LED Indicator)]

Those are just the ones that I have noticed. I'm not sure how the links are created/maintained just letting people know.

Could you just remove the switch from the actual circuit.

I believe you can use a "normal" light switch as just a switch for an arduino. So you could make a small node to go in the wall and read the light switch and send the command to toggle and update the controller at the same time. This might introduce a small delay into turning the light on since it would have to go from the light switch node to the gateway/controller and then back to the actual light.

However I believe (haven't tried it yet my nodes are mostly passive right now) that you could send the command to turn the light on from the light switch node directly to the light at the same time that you send the light is on command to the controller.

This is what I'm suggesting https://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/2yxcjc/my_first_project_arduinocontrolled_remote_control/

So instead of the light switch being connected to the house power it is just connected to an arduino/radio.

@phil83 said:

Probably we could open a permanent thread where we can post our experiences with different aliexpress shops regarding nrf24l01+?

I'd be interested to see a list of "good" sellers from aliexpress and not just for the radios. It seems like the store links just point to the cheapest one with free shipping some times. I haven't bought enough stuff to get burnt (7 orders of which 2 have come in and the rest should be in a week or 2) but it is one of the things that keeps me wary.