A new device in the UK called the Defender Plug-in TV Simulator has just arrived for me here in Spain, from the UK. The device emits an ever-changing series of lights to imitate a real television.
The consumer site for this product is called Redline Security and no I’m not on commision nor do I know anything about the company – but it seems like a nice idea so here it is – The simulator is manufactured by solonsecurity.co.uk and both sites feature this device.
The unit plugs into a handy mains socket (UK mains – I’m testing it here in Spain in a UK extension. A simple device with 12 LEDs running with varying intensity. The company suggests you can use it on holiday too. Total consumption 12w – and it has a 4-position switch as well as dust till dawn sensor. I’d tell you more but then you’d not need to check their ad above 🙂 which has no link back to me. Like a lot of modern tech plug-in-the-wall devices, the unit is so wide as to take up space in the next available socket:-) I do wish sockets would move into the 21st century.
I’m guessing used behind a curtain would make sense. I’ll leave it to the reader to check pricing and decide if this is worth the price.
Hi Pete,
I have a selection of these I built using neopixel rings and an example from Andreas Spiess “with the Swiss accent”.
They use a Wemos D1 mini and can be put anywhere with WiFi such as an empty house or premises and sequenced using BigTimer and MQTT and a cloud broker. I even have one (I must get back) from a deceased relative’s vacant home that uses a LDR and some random shifts to come on around dusk for variable times.
Herr Spiess’s code includes a big data array and code that plays “plausible” sequences of colours, transitions and times to emulate TV. I point them at the cieling in a corner and they actually do look pretty real.
Perfectly happy to share if you want to do something on a bad weather day?
Garry
Depends what you mean by bad weather.. never thoughnt I’d complain about the wewather here in sap but it peaked 42c here today – too hot to venture out of the door…
All sounds interesting. Still not had my sample in the post.. takes longer to get stuff from the UK than it does from China sometimes…
Whatever this gadget is I should have it within the week.
I made something similar a few years back with a chinese neopixel style WS2812B array and then diffused the light output with some plastic/polystyrene type cardboard box padding/wrapping. Drive it from an ESP8266 and you can link it up to your home automation system and BigTimer etc.
What I do now when away is just use an IR blaster (Broadlink RM Mini etc) but with a python script to run it locally rather than using Chinese servers/internet and then switch a real TV on without the sound. LCD TVs are pretty low power these days and nothing emulates a TV better than…a TV!
My IoT setup knows when no one is at home from wireless LAN connections and it knows when sunset/sunrise is and knows how to tell the Broadlink to switch tv/hifi/projector on and off. Sorted.
I like it. Didn’t think of checking lack of wireless lan connections.. my TV being large still uses significant electricity however.
I have a similar one. Works good. It’s on a smart plug with home assistant for timings and and geo location so it know if in or out of home.
Bought a similar one from Lidl years ago. A bit like some plug-in Christmas decorations, it runs 8hrs on and 16 off so switch it on in the evening.