Hello,
I’m new to the community and I’m comming from an eedomus box. I installed Homey, added some Zipato Window Contacts and some Spirit Heating Regulators.
It takes some time to get a feeling for the interface and to understand the logic. I still do not understand why some contact positions are available in a flow, but disappear in the AND card.
The main problem for me is the Z-Wave signal capture. I can not reach a contact that is at 3 meters in the same room without anything between the Homey and the contact. Some times it works, sometimes not. At 30 cm of distance it works every time.
I’ve read the topics about Z-Wave is low energy, low range and so on, but I do not agree. My eedomus box may not be half as sexy, but I can reach every Z-Wave device in my house without any repeater. The farest ist upstairs at about 15 meters with a ceiling and 2 walls in the direct line. It works like a charm.
Is my Homey defect or is this short Z-Wave range a known problem. In any case I will probably send it back.
Why not add one fibaro smart plug z-wave router near Homey. It’s been tested (by users, not salespersons) to reach 15 meters with one brick wall in between.
Or search for the ‘antenna mod’ (which I would not do myself tbh)
Thank you for your replies. I ordered 2 Aeotec Z-Wave Range Extenders Gen. 7 and I will give it a try. But I’m not sure that this is the only problem. My storage space is already 1/3 full and I still have much equipment to add and many flows to create.
I shouldn’t use range extenders, just routers with large range (like the example I gave) to expand your mesh network.
Range extenders can cause devices which are in range of the mesh AND the range of the range extender to be commanded twice (a.f.a.i.k.). That is not a problem with most devices, but some “get confused”.
But it can also work out just fine @ your place
I finally got the range extenders (Aeotec Range Extender 7). I registered one with Homey and WOW. All my sensors became accessible, many ones in the ground level and one upstairs. Then I installed the second one upstairs. At the beginning no route through the extender upstairs but everything working fine. Checked routes after a day. Strange thing, the Spirit upstairs (many other Z-Wave devices are still handled by my eedomus system and will be migrated one after the other) is routed directly through the extender in the ground level, while the Spirit near the entry door in the ground level is routed through my extender uptairs, from there to the extender in the ground level and then to the Homey.
Anyway, the Z-Wave range is now excellent. I await still 2 other extenders that I ordered but that were on backorder. I will try to install one in my basement to extend the range and to be able to install new sensors there (actually no sensors there).
BUT, wait… for an extender I pay 44€. Let’s say, it’s worth about 15 € in production, maybe less. Why is Athom not able to have a good range from the beginning on, at leat with the PRO model ? - with the eedomus I didn’t need any extender.
