Aeotec's new Temperature and Humidity Sensor-"aerQ"

[BobSpen]

I have purchased two of Aeotec's new Temperature&Humidity sensors. Link: https://aeotec.com/z-wave-home-autom...ty-sensor.html

They are quite small and look like a promising addition to the Z-wave ecosystem. BUT, I can not seem to be able to query or set the parameters, firmware level, associations on the on the Z-wave tab of the device(HS3). I was able to "include" in my system(root plus 8 children) and it seems to report fine(according to the default parameters). Has anyone on the Forum tried one of these?

[jquincy]

I am using two of them at two different. locations. I have had no problems. I did have a parameter setting. issue to get the temperature to update every 15 minutes. I emailed support and the responded the next day. They were very helpful.

[BobSpen]

Some observations after testing the unit for several days:

1) IMPORTANT: The unit seems to have a very short wakeup time. When trying to set parameters and such, you should initiate the action in HS(pressing the "Set" button) THEN about 1 second later do a "very quick" tap on the physical device(look for the green light to flash on the device).
.
2) In setting Parameter 1 for temp reports when a change in temp occurs, the fastest it will respond is every 15 minutes.

3) When the device is set to report in changes in Fahrenheit(default for U.S.) the setting of parameter 1(change in temp reporting) it seems the actual calculation in the device is made based as if parameter 1 is Celsius(i.e. if set to 1 it will report every 0.2F).

[TC1]

Not for nothing, but from my experience owning several Aeotec products, they are over priced junk. They always "sound good on paper" but the actual execution of product always leaves something to be desired. Take the 15 minute update cycle, that's poor for anything in terms of real-time control.

For almost one third the price I've deployed several of the Aqara temp/humidity sensors around the house. They are superior in that they are actually smaller, have almost as long battery life (about two years), cost MUCH less, and instantly report temp or humidity as it changes. That last part is essential since I use them for fan control in my bathrooms. They are so good that I can turn on the shower and right before I reach for my z-wave fan switch they've already triggered my high humidity event and turned on the fan. Same goes for automatically turning off the fan once humidity lowers.

Also use one for an exhaust fan in my utility closet when it gets too hot. Will be deploying more inside my fridge and freezer. Since you can usually get them from around $11 - 13 you can deploy them everywhere without breaking the bank.

After years of dealing with flaky and over priced Z-wave sensors I started to experiment with low-cost Zigbee sensors. Everything is superior about them, range, cost, speed, battery life. I'm also deploying the Aqara motion sensors which are *tiny* compared to anything Z-wave.

For just a small investment in a Zigbee controller and plug-in you open yourself up to a whole market of lower cost, superior sensors for your home automation needs.

Just my 2-cents from someone who's wasted a lot of time and money with Aeotec stuff.

FYI: https://www.gearbest.com/access-cont...ml?wid=1433363

[logbuilder]

TC1 What low cost reliable zigbee controller would you suggest to get started? Also, what plugin?

Thanks.

[TC1]

TC1 What low cost reliable zigbee controller would you suggest to get started? Also, what plugin?

Thanks.

I've ranted about this before on the forums (lol), unfortunately the HST zigbee support is poor, so I don't recommend the Nortek combo controller and the free HS4 plugin. Free doesn't do you any good if the device support is very thin with no projected timelines for updates.

Myself along with many others have found great success with the Conbee2 controller (available as both a USB stick and a Raspberry network versions) and the JowiHue plugin (which supports the Conbee2 and the Philips Hue controller/bridge). The combination of the these controllers and plugin opens up a huge amount of Zigbee devices. Even though I have a Hue bridge I don't even use it (except for light bulb firmware updates), I simply put the bulbs along with my other zigbee devices on the Conbee2 controller network, by doing this allows me to build out a strong zigbee mesh, just like my z-wave network.

What's great is that the JowiHue plugin author is very active, along with the company that makes the Conbee2 controller. New device support is constantly being updated and bugs squashed. Here is the known device compatibility list, which is not exhaustive, meaning that even if a device is not listed doesn't mean it won't work. And if something doesn't work one simply has to enter a request on their GitHub page.
https://phoscon.de/en/conbee2/compatible

Hope this helps.

[NetworkGuy]

For almost one third the price I've deployed several of the Aqara temp/humidity sensors around the house.

For just a small investment in a Zigbee controller and plug-in you open yourself up to a whole market of lower cost, superior sensors for your home automation needs.

FYI: https://www.gearbest.com/access-cont...ml?wid=1433363

Thank you for the information! Have you tried the same brand motion sensors? If so, what are your thoughts on those?

[TC1]

Thank you for the information! Have you tried the same brand motion sensors? If so, what are your thoughts on those?
[/QUOTE]

Yep! I just deployed one of these into my kitchen area:
https://www.aqara.com/us/motion_sensor.html

Compared to other Z-wave motion sensors I've tried (Aeotic, Monoproice, others) it is **tiny**! Very easy to position. You can easily "tune it" by using foil tape to cover parts of the lens, I had to narrow the field of view because it was too sensitive. There are no confusing parameters to set, one simply adjusts their motion events to get the response you desire. What's also great is that it reads light levels, so I can automatically ignore turning on the kitchen lights if it's bright outside (and inside the kitchen).

Since these things are so tiny and inexpensive I'm going to deploy them everywhere and create virtual radar arrays to correlate and track movements throughout the house. This should enable the ability to create lighting events that are appropriate based on occupancy and ambient light levels.

[racerfern]

I will vouch for anything Aqara along with zigbee with Raspbee or Conbee. I personally have a raspbee on an RPi3. AFA the Aqara motion sensor mentioned above, I've had one outside for two years including winters in NY with the same battery. It's in the alcove approaching the front door and brightens all the lights as soon as someone walks up toward the door.

I also use an Aqara small push button for the Aeotec doorbell since the Aeotec button has very poor range and is not z-wave. The Aeotec button has to be quite close to the bell especially if it's near the steel front door. The Aqara works flawlessly obviously using HS4 events to trigger the bell.

And yes, the JowiHue plugin is awesome along with excellent support.

Generally I buy most of my Zigbee stuff from aliexpress.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3299...archweb201603_

[TC1]

Generally I buy most of my Zigbee stuff from aliexpress.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3299...archweb201603_

Good point about AliExpress, the bulk pricing on the site can be better at times.

[NetworkGuy]

Thank you both for the endorsements! I did get my Raspbee setup and working, but I have ignored my homeseer for so long, I am tempted to start over. Either way, I appreciate the references and links!

[NetworkGuy]

Never ordered from Gearbest, but want to get a few of the temp/humidity sensors. For Gearbest ordering, anyone recommend using the "Shipping Guarantee"?

[racerfern]

I use aliexpress exclusively and just get it the cheapest way possible. It can take weeks to get. However I never choose to get them shipped from RU, ES or anywhere else. Just get the ones coming from China whether you use gearbest or aliexpress. IMO

[TC1]

Never ordered from Gearbest, but want to get a few of the temp/humidity sensors. For Gearbest ordering, anyone recommend using the "Shipping Guarantee"?

I order from Gearbest all the time, no need for special shipping. As racerfern said, just don't expect Amazon delivery times. They do provide tracking updates, just be patient.

[fresnoboy]

One other nice thing about the Jowihue PI and the Conbee2 is that it's easy to run them on a remote device like a raspberry pi. Deconz runs well on the RPi, so I can remote my Zwave stick (like a ZNET) and the zigbee controller and stick it in the best place for the mesh. I run HS3 on a guest VM on server in the basement, and that's not the best place for sticking these RF based Mesh network hubs! In fact, you can have multiple hubs located in different places and both the Zwave and Jowihue plugin can use multiple controllers.

Pretty nifty and works well when set up.

I don't understand why the HS folks are trying to build their own zigbee functionality. They aren't leveraging deconz or other existing tools, and the experience is not very good. Maybe the could pay Wim to support his excellent plug and make it part of the baseline package. It would be better use of resources than the existing effort.