Technology
Get Connected
CELL PHONE SERVICE: Cell service is often weak in the area around the house and much of the resort. Inside the house, service is generally better near the sliding doors in the great room, and it increases as you move on to the deck or closer to the lake. Use of the Wi-Fi Calling feature on your smartphone is highly recommended during your stay. Cell service is generally good at the lodge, in the event you need to be sure of a reliable cellular signal.
WIRELESS INTERNET: There is Wi-Fi available throughout the house, extending into the yard. The network name is “Deklewa House” and the password to connect will be given to you. New fiber optic service on the resort has made the internet connection more stable, but if you experience connectivity issues, try rebooting the black router that sits under the bunk beds (unplug it for 10 seconds).
BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS: There are Bluetooth speakers in the great room, the loft, and the basement, and all three are plenty clear and loud enough to be heard throughout the house, deck, patio, and/or yard. See the Audio & Video Devices section on how to connect to and use these speakers.
SMART LIGHTS: A majority of the lights in the house are “smart lights” connected to an Amazon Echo. These lights still operate manually by using the dimmer switches on the walls, including the ability to detach the dimmers as a remote control. Verbal commands can make them convenient to use, including the ability to set color scenes. Instructions for those verbal commands can be found in the Smart Home and Smart Lights sections.
AMAZON ALEXA: The Amazon Echo is also a voice-activated, interactive device with many uses. There is an audio receiver in the great room, the loft, the den, and the basement bedroom. It can be used to play music, answer some informational questions, and conduct a few interactive games. See the Amazon Alexa page for basic instructions on how to talk to Alexa.
ROKU STREAMING PLAYER: The Roku component on the basement TV allows for streaming of several viewing options, including some standard TV channels. The Roku requires the internet connection to function, and it is operated using a remote control located on the table in the den. NetFlix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video accounts are already activated on the Roku system for your use, as well as some streaming channels accessed through the main menu.
Amazon Alexa
ALEXA DEVICE: The Amazon Echo is a voice-activated, interactive device referred to as “Alexa.” There is an audio receiver for it in the great room, the loft, the den, and the basement bedroom. It can be used to play music, answer some informational questions, and conduct a few interactive games. See the Smart Home and Smart Lights sections for instructions on how Alexa also helps to operate many of the lights and thermostats in the house.
BASIC COMMANDS: All voice commands start with “Alexa” to wake it up. Some sample commands:
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Alexa, turn up the volume. (or “turn down the volume”)
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Alexa, set volume to 5. (on a scale of 1-10)
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Alexa, play music. (auto-connects to a Spotify account and preset playlist)
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Alexa, play Dave Matthews Band. (or whatever band/song/genre of your preference)
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Alexa, stop. (silence whatever is coming from its speakers)
INTERACTIVE FEATURES: Some useful, interactive commands for Alexa:
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Alexa, what time is it?
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Alexa, what is the weather forecast for tomorrow?
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Alexa, where is the nearest Walmart?
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Alexa, what is the score of the Pittsburgh Pirates game?
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Alexa, open Thunderstorm Sounds / Forest Night. (white noise themes)
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Alexa, tell me a joke.
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Alexa, play Jeopardy!
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Alexa, start Song Quiz.
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Alexa, start History Quiz.
SPEAKERS: The puck-shaped Echo Dot on the hallway table in the Great Room can be plugged into the nearby speaker using an aux cable resting behind the device. The Echo tower in the den and the spherical Echo Dot in the loft have speakers powerful enough to work well on their own. These options are convenient for playing Spotify music in the room you are in.
NETWORK: Alexa will not work if the internet connection is out. She will simply say, “Sorry, I’m having trouble right now” with a red LED ring around the top of the device. The smart lights will still work without Alexa, but only by using the remote controls and not through the voice commands.
Smart Home
SMART HOME: A “smart home” system has been integrated throughout the house. As a part of this platform, there are motion sensors in a few places, smart thermostats in most rooms, and leak detectors in the utility room. These are primarily for security purposes for the Deklewas to be alerted of unsuspected activity in the house. But they also allow for some automation features to be used to assist guests. When there is no movement/activity detected in the house for a span of four hours during the daylight hours, the house is set to “Away” mode, which automatically turns off all of the lights. Similarly, when the house is set to Away, driveway, deck and lamp lights are set to turn on when someone pulls in to the driveway. But primarily, the smart home system controls much of the lighting in the house, as outlined below.
SMART BULBS: Most rooms in the house have been equipped with smart lights to allow for more functionality, such as dimming and colorization. These lights can be controlled by guests in two ways: by using the dimmer switches and by using voice commands with Alexa. Some of the Deklewas can also control the lights remotely using a smartphone app. Several of the smart bulbs are color, as well, allowing vibrant “scenes” to be created in each room. The charts in the Smart Lights section provide a layout of the lights in the house, as well as a sample of the voice commands.
DIMMER SWITCHES: Each set of smart light groups have a dimmer switch. Those switches are mounted on a wall panel, but they can be removed from the panel and used as a portable remote control, which is especially useful on the deck and patio. Each switch has a label on its left side to indicate which bulb group it controls, and its home panel is similarly labeled. Pressing the ON button repeatedly cycles through five settings for the bulb group. On the deck, those presets turn on/off various sets of lights within the group, as well.
SECURITY CAMERAS: There are 5 security cameras located around the Deklewa property to remotely monitor the house and detect outside activity when no one is supposed to be at the house. Out of respect for the privacy of our guests, there are no cameras inside the house. The cameras are strategically mounted and positioned, so please do not move or remove any camera if you happen to encounter one. In effect, the cameras have no affect on your stay.
SMART THERMOSTATS: The thermostats in the main rooms and bedrooms are all smart thermostats, allowing them to be set remotely. As such, if you are visiting the house the in colder part of the year, the heat can be turned up prior to your arrival. Similarly, if you forget to turn down a thermostat (with the exception of those in bathrooms), it can still be adjusted after you have left. Otherwise, the wall-mounted thermostats operate just as any standard thermostat.
ROBOT VACUUM: There is a handy robot vacuum based on the dining room side of the kitchen counter. It does an excellent job of sweeping up the basic dust and crumbs that accumulate in the Great Room during your stay. Its remote control sits on the counter above it and can be activated simply by pressing the large play button in the middle. Please close the doors to the stairs and the adjoining rooms while the vacuum is in use, and it is helpful to move the dining room chair closest to it to give the vacuum space to move to and from its base. It will run for about 45 minutes before automatically returning to its base when it needs charged.
Smart Lights
UPPER LEVEL
MAIN LEVEL
LOWER LEVEL
UPPER LIGHT GROUPS
“Loft” = red dots (2) <color>
“Accent” = blue dots (4) <color>
standard (manual) = navy dots
MAIN LIGHT GROUPS
“Great Room” = all indoor groups
“Overhead” = blue dots (3) <color>
“Kitchen ” = orange dots (2) <color>
“Table ” = red dots (4) <color>
“Lamps” = purple dots (2) <white>
“Deck” = green dots (4) <white>
“Driveway” = gold dot (1) <white>
standard (manual) = navy dots
LOWER LIGHT GROUPS
“Basement” = all den-area groups
“Ceiling ” = blue dots (2) <color>
“Bar” = red dots (3) <color>
“Bedroom” = orange dots (2) <white>
“Patio" = green dots (2) <white>
standard (manual) = navy dots
SAMPLE COMMANDS
"Alexa, turn on Great Room lights."
"Alexa, turn off Kitchen lights."
"Alexa, set Ceiling lights to 30 percent."
"Alexa, set Deck lights to 100 percent."
"Alexa, set Loft lights to purple."
"Alexa, set Kitchen 1 to orange."
"Alexa, dim Overhead lights."
"Alexa, brighten Patio lights."
"Alexa, set Basement to <scene>."
PRESET LIGHT SCENES
DIMMER SWITCHES
Each light group has a dimmer switch
A few groups have 2 switches
Switches can be unmounted (remote)
Switches and mounts are labeled
Press "on" to rotate preset settings
Use Alexa for specific/color settings
WHITE
Bright
Dimmed
Nightlight
Relax
Read
Energize
Concentrate
COLOR
Savanna Sunset
Spring Blossom
Arctic Aurora
Tropical Twilight
Golden Pond
Moonlight
Soho
Color Loop
Audio Devices
GREAT ROOM SPEAKER: The speaker for the main level and deck is located in the great room on the small table under the stairwell to the loft, blending in with that table due to its wood-paneled exterior. This speaker is outstanding for playing music, as it is very loud and clear for a smaller-sized speaker. To connect to this speaker via Bluetooth on your mobile device:
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Turn on the speaker via a switch on the back-left side of the device
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Press the small, white button on the back-right side put the speaker in to pairing mode
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Scan for Bluetooth devices on your mobile device and choose “Audioengine-B2”
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There is a volume dial on the back right of the speaker to further mange the volume level beyond the audio controls on your mobile device
BASEMENT SPEAKERS: The Bluetooth receiver downstairs is connected to the surround sound speakers throughout that room. There are also speakers for it hung on the patio under the deck, but those are not currently wired into the receiver. The Roku and DVD/VCR player are already set to use the surround sound speakers through the receiver, which must be turned on with those devices. To connect to this speaker via Bluetooth on your mobile device:
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Turn on the receiver and set it to “Bluetooth” mode using the Sherwood remote
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Scan for Bluetooth devices on your mobile device and choose “RX-4508”
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The remote control can be used to further mange the volume level beyond the audio controls on your mobile device
ALEXA AUDIO: The Alexa devices have a built-in speaker that can be used on its own to play music. If you tell Alexa to “play music,” you will have music! The Echo Dot on the hallway table in the Great Room can be plugged into the nearby speaker using an aux cable resting behind the device. The Echo tower next to the TV in the den can also be plugged in to the basement receiver with a nearby aux cable These options are convenient for playing the Spotify music through the louder and clearer speakers, including the surround sound in the den.
Video Devices
VIDEO INPUT: There are three video devices connected to the television in the den, and each of those devices has its own remote control. All of the remote controls are on the coffee table and labeled accordingly. To change the input component on this television, press “Source” on the TV remote control and choose one of the following by pressing the Source button until highlighted:
HDMI 1 = Roku device
HDMI 2 = Blu-Ray player
TV = DVD/VHS console
ROKU DEVICE: The Roku provides access to premium streaming services and some common television channels, both in live stream and on-demand. The Roku stick is plugged into and powered by the TV and therefore always on when the TV is on, so simply setting the TV input to HDMI 1, as prescribed above, takes you to the Roku home screen. The Roku remote control manages all Roku functions and the TV. The Roku feeds are dependent upon the quality of the internet connection.
ROKU FEEDS: The television channels listed on the Roku main menu have been individually activated through a cable provider account, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. However, the “CBS All Access” option requires a secondary subscription to view most of their content, which is not always active. Additional channels include ssports stations (ESPN, NBCSN, FSN, etc.), common cable channels (TBS, TNT, USA, etc.), and movie channels (Showtime, Lifetime, Hallmark, etc.). Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu are also provided, and you can read more about those services below.
PREMIUM STREAMING SERVICES: Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video each offer a large film and TV library of popular titles to meet nearly anyone’s viewing preferences, as well as a bulk of original content within each service. Each account is already activated and is accessed either through the Roku main menu or via a specific button on the bottom of the Roku remote control. Each service is further navigated using the Roku remote. All premium streaming content is on-demand, so you can watch and pause at your own convenience.
MOVIE PLAYERS: The DVD/VHS and Blu-Ray players provide house guests another option for choosing a particular movie to watch. There is an assortment of movies in the house already (mostly DVD), ranging in genre and appropriate audience. You are certainly able to bring your own movies from home if that suits your desires, and if you own any DVDs you no longer view, you are welcome to donate those to the lake house’s collection.