If automating my miniblinds didn't work it was going to be curtains for the whole project.

I recently refitted my workspace, adding some sci fi window trim and LED's. https://imgur.com/gallery/QOoigPd
Having to manually open the blinds was throwing shade on all the effort I put into the frames, so I wanted to retrofit my existing mini blinds with home automation.

However; when I looked into home automaton for blinds I shuttered at the costs. I was going to be paying $300 ish per blind motor on top of the custom blind costs. Those costs were a panefull, so I went looking online for a DIY solution. I figured there had to be a way to retrofit my existing blinds. I found this Wi-Fi enabled wand motor on a Kickstarter, but it had closed. After a bit more digging I found their website and ordered one.

The first one I installed worked so well I ordered a few more and it motivated me to do a time-lapse install for my Imgur album collection. The box came nicely packaged with the wand, four name brand batteries, three head types and three mounting arms.

The Idea is to replace the original wand that would be used to crank open the blinds. I transferred the connector from the old wand to the new Sunsa Wand, secured the mounting arm, and added batteries. Then the app took over and I needed to configure the open/close parameters. Even with the Stop Motion it was just over an hour to install from start to finish.

Not included in the directions was this step. I have old, original owner, blinds from 2001 and the center blind is large. I noted the wand moved and swayed while the motor was doing it's thing. I used one of the extra mounts provided and secured the bottom of the wand to the side of the window frame. If I had a 3D printer, I'd make a clip for it instead of the white Gaffer tape.

The only Con I noted; I want the Sunsawand app to have the ability to create scenes that can be used by Google/Alexa. The app provides a schedule routine, which is great, but scenes would be really useful in resetting them, through voice command, to the open settings I prefer.

Over all I am very happy with the Sunsa wands. They open when I want them to, close when I need them to, stay connected to the Wi-Fi without a headache, and the battery life seems to last a while.


Now when I "set Condition Red", the blinds close, all the LED's in the house switch to red, the speakers throughout the house ring out "Red Alert", and I hear my family groan audibly in appreciation of my awesomeness.