Virtually wandering

[revver]

I have macros which fail to trigger because of a constraint saying Outside Area:Home
I want the macro to run only when I am home but sometimes it doesn't.

My investigations reveal that, although the phone hasn't moved (from my desk at home) for ages, it thinks it is somewhere else. I don't know how to find out where it thinks it is, but, more to the point, why does it think it has moved?

On other macros I have added an (OR connected MyWiFISSID) condition which helps but doesn't explain the virtual wandering.

 

[tanutanu]

It depends on GPS accuracy. Sometimes happened even if you don't move due to your environment, indoor/outdoor, wifi capability and mobile radio wave intensity.

 

[FrameXX]

Try making your 'Home' area bigger. Set like 200m or so. That should help with inaccuracies.

 

[revver]

Was set to 70m, now set to 200m. We'll see how that helps.

 

[Dm114]

I have macros which fail to trigger because of a constraint saying Outside Area:Home
I want the macro to run only when I am home but sometimes it doesn't.

My investigations reveal that, although the phone hasn't moved (from my desk at home) for ages, it thinks it is somewhere else. I don't know how to find out where it thinks it is, but, more to the point, why does it think it has moved?

On other macros I have added an (OR connected MyWiFISSID) condition which helps but doesn't explain the virtual wandering.

Your WiFi SSID is the best way for sure!

As tanutanu said, GPS accuracy is not always reliable (as well as geofences).

 

[revver]

Having set geofence to 200m, macro still fails to fire because of Outside Area:Home.
I'll have to go through my macros and change most of them to WiFi SSID tests.
However, I normally use leaving home to turn WiFi off so the phone won't be able to use that to figure out I'm back. Guess I'll have to use geofence and turn WiFi on and hopefully it will be stable until I go out again.

Thanks guys for your help.

 

[Dm114]

Having set geofence to 200m, macro still fails to fire because of Outside Area:Home.
I'll have to go through my macros and change most of them to WiFi SSID tests.
However, I normally use leaving home to turn WiFi off so the phone won't be able to use that to figure out I'm back. Guess I'll have to use geofence and turn WiFi on and hopefully it will be stable until I go out again.

Thanks guys for your help.

If you use BT connection in your car, you could trigger a macro when your BT device is disconnected to enable your WiFi connection again for a while in order to to let it connect automatically to your home WiFi or any other wifi you use to connect to.

It's the way I do and it works fine...

 

[revver]

I do use BT. With connect I turn WiFi off and with disconnect I remember where I parked but I am not using it to enable WiFi. I didn't consider that because in the vast majority of cases I am elsewhere when I stop.
However, your statement "enable for a while" intrigues me. How do you achieve that? How long works for you? If you connect to home WiFi, how do you avoid the disconnection after the timeout?

 

[Dm114]

I do use BT. With connect I turn WiFi off and with disconnect I remember where I parked but I am not using it to enable WiFi. I didn't consider that because in the vast majority of cases I am elsewhere when I stop.
However, your statement "enable for a while" intrigues me. How do you achieve that? How long works for you? If you connect to home WiFi, how do you avoid the disconnection after the timeout?

When your car BT device disconnects, activate Wifi. Then use a 'Wait' action for, let's say, 1 minute (or more) to allow any known Wifi to connect. If no WiFi connected after this delay, deactivate WiFi.

 

[revver]

Thanks, I've done that - added Wait then IF after all other business completed.
We'll see how that performs. I'll monitor max time it takes WiFi to connect and modify Wait accordingly.
I presume having MD waiting around unnecessarily isn't a good thing.

 

[Dm114]

Thanks, I've done that - added Wait then IF after all other business completed.
We'll see how that performs. I'll monitor max time it takes WiFi to connect and modify Wait accordingly.
I presume having MD waiting around unnecessarily isn't a good thing.

When in a wait state, your macro is paused, like in an idle state. I has no effect on the battery consumption nor on processor activity. It's not like a waiting loop running again and again untill something happens.