DroneMobile Home Assistant Integration

Home Assistant integration for DroneMobile connected vehicles (Firstech/Compustar remote start systems).

⚠️ Disclaimer

This integration uses an unofficial API from DroneMobile that is subject to change without notice. The authors claim no responsibility for any damages to your vehicle resulting from the use of this integration.

Features

Sensors

• 🛣️ Odometer - Current mileage
• 🔋 Battery - Voltage and percentage
• 🌡️ Temperature - Interior and exterior temperatures
• 📍 GPS - Current location coordinates
• 📶 Cellular Signal - Device signal strength (diagnostic)
• 🔋 Backup Battery - Backup battery voltage (diagnostic)
• 📡 Carrier - Cellular carrier name (diagnostic)
• 🔧 Firmware Version - Device firmware version (diagnostic)
• 🖥️ Controller Model - Vehicle controller model (diagnostic)
• 🕐 Last Refresh - Timestamp of last update

Binary Sensors

• 🚗 Engine - Running/Off
• 🔑 Ignition - On/Off
• 🔒 Lock - Locked/Unlocked
• 🚪 Doors - Open/Closed
• 🎒 Trunk - Open/Closed
• 🚗 Hood - Open/Closed
• 🔋 Low Battery - Low battery alert (uses API flag or ≤ 11.8 V threshold)
• 🚨 Panic - Panic alarm active/inactive
• 🚛 Towing - Towing detected
• Diagnostic read-only flags: Valet Mode, Turbo Timer, Drive Lock, Passive Arming, Auto Lock/Arm

Controls

• 🔒 Door Lock - Lock/Unlock doors
• 🎒 Trunk - Open trunk
• 🏁 Remote Start - Start/Stop engine
• 🚨 Panic Alarm - Activate/Deactivate panic
• 🔧 Auxiliary 1 & 2 - Trigger auxiliary functions
• 📍 Locate - Request a fresh GPS fix from the vehicle
• 🔊 Siren - Enable/Disable siren
• ⚡ Shock Sensor - Enable/Disable shock sensor

Device Tracker

• 📍 GPS Tracker - Real-time location tracking

Requirements

• Home Assistant 2023.1 or newer
• DroneMobile subscription and compatible vehicle system
• Account credentials for DroneMobile

Installation

HACS (Recommended)

1. Open HACS in Home Assistant
2. Go to "Integrations"
3. Click the three dots in the top right corner
4. Select "Custom repositories"
5. Add this repository URL: https://github.com/bjhiltbrand/drone_mobile_home_assistant
6. Select category: "Integration"
7. Click "Add"
8. Find "DroneMobile" in the list and click "Install"
9. Restart Home Assistant

Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release from GitHub
2. Copy the custom_components/drone_mobile folder to your Home Assistant custom_components directory
3. Restart Home Assistant

Configuration

Setup via UI

1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services
2. Click Add Integration
3. Search for DroneMobile
4. Enter your credentials:
   • Username - Your DroneMobile email address
   • Password - Your DroneMobile password
   • Units - Imperial (miles/°F) or Metric (km/°C)
   • Update Interval - How often to poll for updates (2-60 minutes)
   • Override Lock State Check - Send lock commands regardless of current state
5. If your DroneMobile account has two-factor authentication (MFA) enabled, you will be prompted to enter a one-time verification code. Depending on your account settings, this will be delivered via SMS or your authenticator app (TOTP).
6. Select your vehicle from the list
7. Click Submit

Multiple Vehicles

To add multiple vehicles:

1. Complete the setup process for your first vehicle
2. Repeat the setup process
3. Select a different vehicle from the list

Each vehicle will be added as a separate integration instance with its own entities.

Usage

Entity Naming

All entities follow the pattern: {domain}.{vehicle_name}_{entity_name}

Example for a vehicle named "My Car":

• sensor.my_car_odometer
• lock.my_car_door_lock
• switch.my_car_remote_start
• binary_sensor.my_car_engine
• device_tracker.my_car_location

Services

Refresh Device Status

Manually poll the vehicle for the latest status. Use sparingly as it consumes cellular data and vehicle battery.

service: drone_mobile.refresh_device_status_{vehicle_name}

Replace {vehicle_name} with your vehicle name (spaces replaced with underscores, lowercase).

Example:

service: drone_mobile.refresh_device_status_my_car

Example Automations

Auto-Start When Cold

automation:
  - alias: "Start car when cold in the morning"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "07:00:00"
    condition:
      - condition: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.my_car_temperature
        below: 40
      - condition: state
        entity_id: switch.my_car_remote_start
        state: 'off'
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.my_car_remote_start
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Car started automatically - it's {{ states('sensor.my_car_temperature') }}°F outside"

Lock Reminder

automation:
  - alias: "Notify if car left unlocked at night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.my_car_lock
        state: 'on'
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "⚠️ Your car is unlocked!"
          data:
            actions:
              - action: "LOCK_CAR"
                title: "Lock Now"
      - wait_for_trigger:
          - platform: event
            event_type: mobile_app_notification_action
            event_data:
              action: "LOCK_CAR"
        timeout: "00:05:00"
      - service: lock.lock
        target:
          entity_id: lock.my_car_door_lock

Low Battery Alert

automation:
  - alias: "Alert on low car battery"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.my_car_low_battery
        to: 'on'
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "⚠️ Car battery is low: {{ states('sensor.my_car_battery') }}V"

Location-Based Actions

automation:
  - alias: "Start car when arriving at work"
    trigger:
      - platform: zone
        entity_id: device_tracker.my_phone
        zone: zone.work
        event: enter
    condition:
      - condition: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.my_car_temperature
        below: 50
      - condition: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.my_car_engine
        state: 'off'
    action:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: switch.my_car_remote_start

Lovelace Cards

Simple Vehicle Status Card

type: entities
title: My Car
entities:
  - entity: binary_sensor.my_car_engine
    name: Engine
  - entity: binary_sensor.my_car_ignition
    name: Ignition
  - entity: lock.my_car_door_lock
    name: Doors
  - entity: sensor.my_car_battery
    name: Battery
  - entity: sensor.my_car_temperature
    name: Temperature
  - entity: sensor.my_car_odometer
    name: Odometer

Control Card

type: glance
title: Car Controls
entities:
  - entity: switch.my_car_remote_start
    name: Start/Stop
  - entity: lock.my_car_door_lock
    name: Lock/Unlock
  - entity: lock.my_car_trunk
    name: Trunk
  - entity: switch.my_car_panic
    name: Panic
  - entity: button.my_car_locate
    name: Locate

Map Card

type: map
entities:
  - device_tracker.my_car_location
default_zoom: 15

Configuration Options

Units

• Imperial - Miles, MPH, °F (default)
• Metric - Kilometers, KPH, °C

Update Interval

• Range: 2-60 minutes
• Default: 5 minutes
• Note: More frequent updates consume more cellular data and vehicle battery

Override Lock State Check

• Disabled (default) - Only send lock/unlock commands if state differs
• Enabled - Always send commands regardless of current state

Troubleshooting

Enable Debug Logging

Add to your configuration.yaml:

logger:
  default: info
  logs:
    custom_components.drone_mobile: debug
    drone_mobile: debug

Common Issues

"Unable to connect"

• Verify your DroneMobile credentials
• Check that your DroneMobile subscription is active
• Ensure you can log in to the DroneMobile app

MFA code not accepted

• Codes are time-sensitive; make sure your device clock is accurate
• Re-enter your credentials to trigger a fresh code to be sent
• Ensure you are reading from the correct SMS thread or authenticator app entry

Entities show "Unavailable"

• Check Home Assistant logs for errors
• Try removing and re-adding the integration
• Verify your internet connection

GPS not showing

• Ensure your vehicle hardware supports GPS
• GPS entities only appear if your system reports location data

Commands not working

• Some commands may not be supported by your vehicle hardware
• Check that your vehicle is within cellular range
• Wait a few moments and try again

Getting Help

1. Check the GitHub Issues
2. Enable debug logging (see above)
3. Review Home Assistant logs: Settings → System → Logs
4. Use Download diagnostics (Settings → Devices & Services → DroneMobile → three-dot menu) to capture a redacted snapshot for bug reports
5. Open a new issue with:
   • Your Home Assistant version
   • Integration version
   • Relevant log entries
   • Description of the problem

Privacy & Security

• Your DroneMobile credentials are stored securely in Home Assistant's encrypted configuration
• Authentication tokens are cached in /config/drone_mobile/ so they persist across Home Assistant Core updates and are included in HA backups — you will not be asked to re-authenticate after every upgrade
• No data is sent to third parties
• All communication is with DroneMobile's official API
• The Download diagnostics feature automatically redacts all sensitive fields (credentials, VIN, location, tokens, IMEI, etc.) before the file is saved

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Credits

• Original integration: @bjhiltbrand
• Python package: drone_mobile

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Disclaimer

This integration is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to DroneMobile, Firstech, or Compustar in any way. Use at your own risk.