How Are Using Hubitat Elevation?

[Bigstevep]

Since there are so many things that you can do with the Hubitat Elevation plugin and a Hubitat Hub I thought I'd start a Topic to find out how everyone is using the Hubitat Elevation plugin to get additional ideas on what is possible. For me I am either using or have tested the following and the plugin is creating Homeseer devices for:

Hubitat Hub

1. Zigbee Devices including switches and motion sensors
2. Zwave Devices including switches and motion sensors (tested but using Homeseer for this)
3. Hubitat Integrations Including Rachio, TP-Link (tested but using Homeseer for this)
4. Hubitat Presence Sensor
5. Virtual Devices and Routines using Rule Machine

HubConnect with a Smartthings Hub for the following: (I have a Hubitat Hub Client and Smartthings Hub Client and use them similar to a Homeseer ZNet Zwave Network for Zigbee)

1. Zigbee Devices including switches and motion sensors
2. Ring
3. Smartthings Presence Sensor
4. Virtual Devices and Routines using Webcore

So there are tons of more possibilities with device drivers and Integrations in Hubitat that can be used with the Hubitat Elevation plugin in Homeseer. What is everyone doing?

[simplextech]

I've updated the documentation with links and information about HubConnect for those interested.

[pcburcham]

So there are tons of more possibilities with device drivers and Integrations in Hubitat that can be used with the Hubitat Elevation plugin in Homeseer. What is everyone doing?

Just got mine set up and still combing through it, but I plan on adding Zigbee strips and bulbs to my setup for indoor and outdoor use. I had a couple Zigbee motion sensors to test and they connected without a hitch. I had them sending alerts through Pushover and to the Hubitat app in my tests.

I already have the Echo Speaks app installed and working. I couldn't resist getting it going. I'm using it for broadcasting severe weather alerts to all the Echos in the house in conjunction with the NOAA Weather Alerts App. If I'm being honest, I'm also using it to mess with the family. It's way too much fun not to. I need to quit though, before everyone stops listening to them.

My next steps are to get some light strips ordered for kitchen cabinets and buy this plugin to tie everything up with HomeSeer.

I'm also waiting for the TankUtility propane tank monitor to come back in stock. It's a WiFi utility that connects to a R3D-ready gauge and let's you monitor the tank level. I have my tankless water heaters on propane. It's a salty dog at $199, but I'll spend it to avoid a $75 charge for a pressure check if you let the tank run out and also lose hot water. That can happen more than once in a lifetime, so I figure it's worth it in the long run. Hubitat has an integration for it.

I'm psyched about it. There's a lot to like about the Hubitat and it seems to have a pretty good head of steam right now. I also really like that it is independent of the cloud like HS. That's a huge plus for me.

[grahamk]

I often consider switching to hubitat instead of upgrading to HS4 ( which i have already purchased). But swinging 2 znets with hundreds of devices is way too heavy of a lift.

I wonder if anyone has written any code to make the transition easier, or even better, hacked znet so that hubitat can just get it's zwave info from those devices.

[Bigstevep]

If you find a way let me know. I wouldn't switch from HS to HT but I would like to send some device status info from HS to HT.

[upstatemike]

Curious for those testing Z-Wave through Hubitat what the pros and cons of using Hubitat Hub Mesh v.s. several Z-Nets might be. Mostly concerned if there would be a disadvantage managing direct associations or any limits to accessing device features or device status when they are connected through the Hubitat plugin instead of the Homeseer Z-Wave plugin?

[upstatemike]

Follow up question - If you run a HS3 instance and a HS4 instance on different hardware and they both are running Hubitat plugins could both HS instances communicate with the same Hubitat or mesh of Hubitats?

[Bigstevep]

Curious for those testing Z-Wave through Hubitat what the pros and cons of using Hubitat Hub Mesh v.s. several Z-Nets might be. Mostly concerned if there would be a disadvantage managing direct associations or any limits to accessing device features or device status when they are connected through the Hubitat plugin instead of the Homeseer Z-Wave plugin?

The HS Zwave plugin is much more user friendly once the devices are associated (HT is getting better) where you can test connectivity, optimize etc. I only have a few Zwave devices on HT that HS doesn't like (connectivity, building child devices, etc.). They work in HS but with limitations. The GUI in HS is much more friendly than HT (looking at devices, building events, etc.) but as I said before HT is getting better with their rule machine. Now I think the point you are getting at is the hub mesh functions work great with HT hubs, they even work great if you want to mesh in a Smart Things hub (Most ST devices end up in HT anyway as a lot of the HT developers came from ST). You can use those devices and use the HT maker to expose them to the HS excellent mcsHubitat plugin. Transmission rate from one of the HT meshed hubs is very fast locally, very good even remotely (I'll explain later in a reply to your next post). Now there are still some device associations that don't come over in the maker file to the mcsHubitat plugin but I can tell you the ones that were missing I just contacted Michael McSharry the mcsHubitat developer (fantastic support) and he added them. So you should be fine there. So in total I use HS for almost everything but HT for Zigbee, trouble devices, etc. no issues.

[Bigstevep]

Follow up question - If you run a HS3 instance and a HS4 instance on different hardware and they both are running Hubitat plugins could both HS instances communicate with the same Hubitat ot mesh of Hubitats?

I have never tried that but since maker file you use is a HTT connection it shouldn't be any issue locally. I have a remote connection to another HT hub in a different location (not on my local network) I just do port forwarding on my router and on the remote PC browser (very fast) I use that port forward to control the hub. I haven't tried to import the devices via the maker but I would guess that it could be done using Hub Connect in HT but I haven't tried it.

[Michael McSharry]

When I do my testing I have one Hubitat Elevation that interfaces with both HS3 and HS4 at the same time. I cannot speak to the mesh.

[upstatemike]

When I do my testing I have one Hubitat Elevation that interfaces with both HS3 and HS4 at the same time. I cannot speak to the mesh.

Cool. I bet if it works for one it will work for the mesh,

[fresnoboy]

Wim's jowihue drivers work very well, so I am not planning on using the hubitat for that. But Hubitat now has Nest support, and since I have a Hello doorbell and Hub maxs, and may add Nest thermostats (the WAF on those is high), it's a great use case. I wish HS would just bite the bullet and get support integrated.

Plus the harmony driver on hubitat seems to support the home control keys on my harmony remotes, so that's a draw too. They also have support for controlling the Shark IQ vacuum, which is a great vacuum, with a dock that empties the dust bin, and good wifi support, but has no driver in HS.

[silverton38]

I often consider switching to hubitat instead of upgrading to HS4 ( which i have already purchased). But swinging 2 znets with hundreds of devices is way too heavy of a lift.

I wonder if anyone has written any code to make the transition easier, or even better, hacked znet so that hubitat can just get it's zwave info from those devices.

I suggest you do the heavy lifting if this is your plan. Hubitat is great but Homeseer hub has different advantages. Both in sync work great, if something does not work on one than it will work on the other. Programming is also so much easier in Homeseer .

[cowinger]

I use a hubitat hub for all my remotes. I have 3 different kinds of zigbee brands all included into the hubitat hub and then through MakerAPI I can use them in HS to control events. Response time is as quick as letting go of a button! All of my Hue bulbs are on the hue bridge so they can be updated through the bridge. Response time from the Hubitat remotes to the hue bridge bulbs again are just as quick.

[keepersg]

Using Hubitat for Nest thermostat support through Racine's NextManager app for Hubitat. Took awhile to follow the directions for setting this up but it now works well and I am now able to control the thermostats from HS4.