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    How to get humidity readings in a big safe

    Does anyone know of a sensor that has a remote probe that works with HomeSeer? I want to monitor temp and most importantly humidity in a large safe in my garage. I don't think the signal will get through the safe (it's a real safe, not a RSC or gun 'safe') so I was thinking of a remote probe or external antenna setup. Googling hasn't yielded anything except the Sonoff TH unit but it appears to be just wifi and not zwave. I'm not fully up on HomeSeer and if I could leverage that with IFTTT or what.

    Anyone run into this and solved it reasonably well?


    #2
    The options are limited depending on the thickness of the walls if any RF signal could make it through. If you can validate that an RF signal will go through the walls then there are different Z-Wave sensors and there are the temp/humidity sensors from Ambient Weather that work.

    Otherwise you may have to have a hole drilled to insert a wired probe.

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      #3
      Can you get a LAN cable in there? If so, that opens up a whole world of solutions.

      --Barry

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        #4
        I would try first with a modded SonOff WiFi device and a local POE connected OpenWRT AP / router. You can stick the POE connected microAP to the safe to see if it works.

        Modded here refers to using MQTT and Tasmota / Espurna firmware. The SonOff would need a battery to run. Not really sure how long the battery would last.

        You might also be able to utilize thin flat coated jeweler copper wire from the outside to the inside of the safe via the door for your humidity sensor.
        - Pete

        Auto mator
        Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
        Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
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        X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

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          #5
          I'm going to be running power into the safe for the dehumidifier so I can run whatever I need at the same time. I'll see if I can test connectivity with a device but I'd be very surprised if I had any signal at all. It's tool rated and weighs more than most cars.

          Thanks for the tips on the tasmota firmware and ambient weather, i'll do some reading on those and see if there's a solution there that suits me.

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            #6
            Originally posted by cward3321 View Post
            I'm going to be running power into the safe for the dehumidifier so I can run whatever I need at the same time. I'll see if I can test connectivity with a device but I'd be very surprised if I had any signal at all. It's tool rated and weighs more than most cars.

            Thanks for the tips on the tasmota firmware and ambient weather, i'll do some reading on those and see if there's a solution there that suits me.
            If you're already running power into the safe then run ethernet at the same time.

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              #7
              Yes with a wire going in to the safe then you can also just install a 3 wire combo temperature / humidity sensor and connect it to an RPi or cheaper still would be a Sonoff with upgraded firmware outside of the safe.

              I am doing temperature and humidity sensors around the house here now with SonOff devices having switched from 1-Wire sensors (well still 1-wire sensors).

              You can also use the built in switch for your humidifier (via a contactor solenoid) controlling this stuff with MQTT / mcsMQTT.

              The modded Sonoff is a little computer.


              Click image for larger version  Name:	combosensor.jpg Views:	1 Size:	21.7 KB ID:	1301927
              - Pete

              Auto mator
              Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
              Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
              HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

              HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
              HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

              X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

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                #8
                If you're running power then running ethernet also opens up the entire world of possibilities of putting anything in the safe whether it be a switch or wifi AP or z-net or anything... all of your options then become wide open.

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                  #9
                  If you are protecting something that is valuable enough to justify a dehumidifier, then by all means run ethernet too so that you can place a hub of some sort inside the safe. A Hubitat hub or a Z-Net plugged into a UPS power supply would be perfect.

                  I would prefer the Hubitat so that I could have Zigbee options for sensors and then use the Hubitat plugin to port that into Homeseer. Zigbee sensors generally have much longer battery life than Z-Wave and there is a wider array of Zigbee sensors available as compared to Z-Wave. You might also want to put some Zigbee vibration and orientation sensors in there that will monitor whether a particular valuable is moved or touched. And a Zigbee occupancy sensor with Zigbee light bulb would nice too.

                  Are you going to route a drain out for the dehumidifier? If not, then this indication light monitor by Homeseer could alert you when the dehumidifier tub needs to be emptied.

                  --Barry


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