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    deCONZ x2

    Wim,

    I am going to try adding a second deCONZ using a Conbee USB on my network using a Windows 10 machine (spare laptop). I plan to use the 2nd copy of deCONZ to control approx. 175 Hue E12 RGB bulbs along our main entrance driveway. All the lanterns are within 50' of of each other, but they stretch along several hundred feet. I'm going to put the unlimited Zigbee hops to the test!

    Before I get into this project, any issues you can think of running the second instance of deCONZ? Seems to me it should be no different than running multiple Hue bridges, which I'm already doing.

    --Barry

    #2
    I have ran multiple deConz installs before in a test and it was fine as long as they are independent. Trying to add a controller to another controller network has issues and is documented on their github and it is not recommended.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Simplex Technology View Post
      I have ran multiple deConz installs before in a test and it was fine as long as they are independent. Trying to add a controller to another controller network has issues and is documented on their github and it is not recommended.
      Cool, thanks.

      I'm really finding Zigbee to be far superior to Z-Wave+ in so many different ways: Faster, more reliable, cheaper, easier to commission, etc. I know that goes against conventional wisdom. But then again, when you look at commercial applications that use low power communications it is normally Zigbee. My local utility district has recently switch home meters to wireless remote readers so the meter reader guy can just drive by and get the meter reading. It uses Zigbee.

      --Barry

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        #4
        I am here running with a Conbee as well as a Raspbee. So far all seems to work fine too.
        -- Wim

        Plugins: JowiHue, RFXCOM, Sonos4, Jon00's Perfmon and Network monitor, EasyTrigger, Pushover 3P, rnbWeather, BLBackup, AK SmartDevice, Pushover, PHLocation, Zwave, GCalseer, SDJ-Health, Device History, BLGData

        1210 devices/features ---- 392 events ----- 40 scripts

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by logman View Post
          to control approx. 175 Hue E12 RGB bulbs along our main entrance driveway.
          Isn't there a limit of something like 50 or so bulbs to a hub? Or is that limitation just for the Hue hub? And for 175 bulbs, you must have got one heck of a deal...


          G

          Comment


            #6
            The Hue bridges indeed have an "advertised" limit of 50, although I've pushed them as high as 57 without issues. The Conbee/deCONZ has a limit of 200 devices.

            You're right, those bulbs are not cheap. I've been accumulating them for a while for this project as they have went on sale (Amazon had them $10.00 off last week) and getting all the "refurbs" I could find. The refurbs are actually just open-box returns and are fine.

            Only thing you have to watch with refurbs is some people have been running game on Amazon by buying say 10 color E12s and 10 White Ambience E12s which are half the price. They then take the color bulbs out of the box and replace them with the whites and return them to Amazon for a refund. Of course the return inspectors at Amazon don't know the difference between color and white ambiance bulbs, to them they look the same. So they go back on the shelf as open box at a discount. By then the thieves have sold the color bulbs on Ebay, or they've kept them for themselves after figuring out how to get them for half-price.

            Meanwhile I come along and buy the open-box bulbs at a discount from Amazon and I'd say nearly half the time they turn out to be white ambience inside a color E12 box. So I have to return them to Amazon (at their expense) with yet another note that someone is running a hustle on them and they should tell their inspectors to pay closer attention to Philips products. Of course by this point they probably think it's me. lol


            --Barry

            Comment


              #7
              Barry,

              Just know I am really curius how this all will work out. I do think the plugin can take it as it is threaded where ever needed. But you are taking it to a real test I did never took it yet Keep me posted once you have it added (that's going up to 325+ lights I guess?)
              -- Wim

              Plugins: JowiHue, RFXCOM, Sonos4, Jon00's Perfmon and Network monitor, EasyTrigger, Pushover 3P, rnbWeather, BLBackup, AK SmartDevice, Pushover, PHLocation, Zwave, GCalseer, SDJ-Health, Device History, BLGData

              1210 devices/features ---- 392 events ----- 40 scripts

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by w.vuyk View Post
                Barry,

                Just know I am really curius how this all will work out. I do think the plugin can take it as it is threaded where ever needed. But you are taking it to a real test I did never took it yet Keep me posted once you have it added (that's going up to 325+ lights I guess?)
                Yes, right now I have 193 lights plus 25 sensors on 5 controllers. So this will put me up close to 400 devices under JowiHue management, of which around 370 will be RGB lights. I'll keep you posted how it goes. I'm waiting on Mother Nature to cooperate a little, cold and wet here. I have the driveway lights on three circuits, so I'm going to do this in stages by circuit. Circuit 1 has 28 bulbs, Circuit 2 has 32 bulbs and Circuit 3 has 76 bulbs. There are 40 more bulbs on another circuit in lanterns on columns and in sconces around the parking area. There are some well lights with BR30s buried to ground level that illuminate columns on each side of the drive entrance, but I may just leave those as they are with regular LEDs.

                The farthest lights will be around 750' from the controller, so I'm a little concerned about keeping connectivity. I'm going to group the lights by lantern and by circuit, so they should be addressable by group if not individually. If all goes well I hope to address each lantern (which has 4 bulbs) individually so I can use some animation, but that may not work out.

                --Barry

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