Vacation timer: Problems throwing boolean On/Off payloads

General
1

I want to use the vacation timer. Using the default options:
ON command: payload is string "On", OFF command: payload is string "Off"
everything is working well. Payload is "On" or "Off", depending on vacation timer status.

Due to my devices I want to throw boolean values:
ON command: payload should be true, OFF command should be false
But in this case the node always throws a payload with boolean value true in payload.

If i want to throw strings:
ON Command: payload should be string "true", OFF command payload should be string "false"
i can observe the same wrong behaviour. The node always throws boolen value true in payload.

What's wrong? Does anybody have a tip for me?

2

Hi and welcome to Node-Red.

You may need to given the entire name of the node you are using.

Vacation timer is a bit vague.

3

Oh sorry: Reh entire Name is
node-red-contrib-vacation-timer

4

Can you mark the node and Export it and paste it here so we can see how you have configured it please. Use the </> button above the text window here when pasting it in.

I notice that it has not been updated in three years and has not got a github repository so it is not possible to submit an issue. Personally I would only use such a node if there were no alternative. Searching for vacation on the flows site I see that there is another node that purports to do a similar thing that was updated only a month ago so you could maybe try that one. Alternatively if it does work ok if you set it to output strings you could use a Change node to set it to boolean values.

5

I'm sure there would be a similar node.

I guess the problem is knowing the name.

Try this one.

6

Here's a little flow, which is working well:

[{"id":"397073b5.6ca7f4","type":"change","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"payload = true / Start vacation timer","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"true","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":390,"y":4545,"wires":[["cdd8820e.765be"]]},{"id":"d0c6239a.4f8f08","type":"change","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"payload = false / Stop vacation timer","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"false","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":390,"y":4620,"wires":[["cdd8820e.765be"]]},{"id":"6047809c.73b5e","type":"inject","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":150,"y":4545,"wires":[["397073b5.6ca7f4"]]},{"id":"417a0a11.c11524","type":"inject","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":150,"y":4620,"wires":[["d0c6239a.4f8f08"]]},{"id":"cdd8820e.765be","type":"vacation-timer","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","lat":"48.7","lon":"12.0","turnOffOnDaysOff":true,"midnightSchedule":true,"onTime":"11:45","randMinutes":"10","offTime":"14:00","randOffMinutes":"0","minOnHours":"0","minOnMinutes":"10","maxOnHours":"0","maxOnMinutes":"15","stopTab":"tab-1","onPayloadType":"str","onPayloadVal":"on","onTopicVal":"Ein EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","offPayloadType":"str","offPayloadVal":"off","offTopicVal":"Aus EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","suspended":true,"disableMax":false,"sun":true,"mon":true,"tue":true,"wed":true,"thu":true,"fri":true,"sat":true,"x":760,"y":4575,"wires":[["e6d55e95.c75e9"]]},{"id":"e6d55e95.c75e9","type":"debug","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":1040,"y":4575,"wires":[]}]

Here's the same flow (only boolean output for payload is changed), which does NOT work:

[{"id":"57ea47b5.0df848","type":"change","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"payload = true / Start vacation timer","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"true","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":375,"y":4710,"wires":[["ad4b83d4.9efcd8"]]},{"id":"3a4f1a2a.abc14e","type":"change","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"payload = false / Stop vacation timer","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"false","tot":"bool"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":375,"y":4785,"wires":[["ad4b83d4.9efcd8"]]},{"id":"830a0012.069ab","type":"inject","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":135,"y":4710,"wires":[["57ea47b5.0df848"]]},{"id":"33888719.356e2","type":"inject","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":135,"y":4785,"wires":[["3a4f1a2a.abc14e"]]},{"id":"ad4b83d4.9efcd8","type":"vacation-timer","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","lat":"48.7","lon":"12.0","turnOffOnDaysOff":true,"midnightSchedule":true,"onTime":"11:45","randMinutes":"10","offTime":"14:00","randOffMinutes":"0","minOnHours":"0","minOnMinutes":"10","maxOnHours":"0","maxOnMinutes":"15","stopTab":"tab-1","onPayloadType":"bool","onPayloadVal":"true","onTopicVal":"Ein EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","offPayloadType":"bool","offPayloadVal":"false","offTopicVal":"Aus EG Wohnzimmer Stehleuchte","suspended":true,"disableMax":false,"sun":true,"mon":true,"tue":true,"wed":true,"thu":true,"fri":true,"sat":true,"x":745,"y":4740,"wires":[["5be419a.08294e8"]]},{"id":"5be419a.08294e8","type":"debug","z":"ee54d64.6575c28","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":1025,"y":4740,"wires":[]}]
7

I see you also have different topics for on/off, is the topic coming correctly but not the payload?

8

Yes, the topic is comming correctly!

9

This one is: node-red-contrib-presence-faker

This node does his work with payload (string/boolean) and with topic correctly.
But unfortenately this node only works with absolute times. No dusk/dawn etc. is possible.

For me this is a No Go!

10

In that case you can use a Change node configured like this to do the conversion from on/off to true/false
image

Or even just like this
image

11

@Colin
Yes, I'll do this way.
Thanks very much.

12

I wouldn't treat this as a long term solution. With a node that has not been updated in three years and has such an obvious bug (apparently) it may well be only a matter of time till it stops working. It may not be compatible with a later version of nodejs for example.

13

Have you looked at the one I suggested as the alternative?

14

Yes i did. And i'm using this node node-red-contrib-presence-faker now.
It's a pretty good thing.
Thank you very much for your suggestion !

15

Really you should make my post as the solution, not your reply to it.