Yes, Alexa can control disco lights, but not directly. While Alexa doesn’t have a built-in “disco mode,” you can achieve a disco light effect using compatible smart bulbs and third-party apps or services. This article outlines how to use Tasker, the Sharptools plugin, and HueManic to create a disco light experience controlled by a virtual switch and triggered by Alexa.
Setting Up the Disco with Tasker and HueManic
This setup utilizes Tasker, an Android automation app, along with the Sharptools plugin and HueManic, a third-party app for controlling Philips Hue lights. You’ll need to configure Tasker to send specific intents to HueManic to start and stop the disco effect. This guide assumes you already have a virtual switch configured in Sharptools that triggers a Tasker profile.
Starting the Disco
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Send an Intent with Tasker: In your Tasker task for starting the disco, add an action from the “System” category and choose “Send Intent.”
Tasker Send Intent Action -
Configure Intent Extras: Add two “Extra” values within the Send Intent action:
-
Name:
EXTRA_COMMAND -
Value:
COMMAND_PROGRAM -
Name:
EXTRA_PROGRAM -
Value:
DISCO
Tasker Intent Extra Values -
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Set Package/Class and Target: Configure the following:
- Package:
org.huemanic.hueManic - Class:
org.huemanic.hueManic.HueManicService - Target:
Service
Tasker Intent Package and Class - Package:
These steps send a command to HueManic to initiate the “DISCO” program, starting your disco light show. Steps 2-4 in the original author’s Tasker task likely involve starting music or other related actions, which are not covered here.
Stopping the Disco
Create a separate Tasker profile triggered by turning off your virtual switch. The task will be nearly identical to the “Start Disco” task, but with a crucial difference in the intent extra.
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Modify the Intent Extra: Replace the two “Extra” fields from the “Start Disco” intent with a single “Extra” field:
- Name:
EXTRA_COMMAND - Value:
COMMAND_STOP
Tasker Intent Stop Command - Name:
This modified intent tells HueManic to stop the currently running program, ending the disco effect.
Using Other HueManic Effects
This method isn’t limited to just the disco effect. By changing the EXTRA_PROGRAM value in the “Start Disco” task, you can activate other HueManic programs. For instance, to start a fireplace effect, change EXTRA_PROGRAM:DISCO to EXTRA_PROGRAM:FIREPLACE.
Integrating with Alexa
Connect your virtual switch to Alexa through a compatible smart home platform. Once connected, you can use voice commands to turn the virtual switch on and off, indirectly controlling the disco lights via Tasker and HueManic. For example, you could say, “Alexa, turn on Disco Party,” triggering the virtual switch and initiating the disco light sequence. Similarly, saying “Alexa, turn off Disco Party” would stop the effect. This provides a seamless voice-controlled disco experience integrated with your smart home ecosystem.
