How reliable?

[jlrichar]

I am thinking of getting some rfxcomm receivers, and a transmitter to do environmental monitoring (temp/humidity), motion sensing, and door/window status. I have a ~3000 ft^2 two story house. How reliable is the hardware? Would I need more than one of each receiver to achieve good coverage?


What exactly would I need to purchase for each objective listed above?

Is there a sensor that actually measures light levels?

[rmasonjr]

I am thinking of getting some rfxcomm receivers, and a transmitter to do environmental monitoring (temp/humidity), motion sensing, and door/window status. I have a ~3000 ft^2 two story house. How reliable is the hardware? Would I need more than one of each receiver to achieve good coverage?


What exactly would I need to purchase for each objective listed above?

Is there a sensor that actually measures light levels?

I have a 3100 sq ft single story house and my rfxcom receiver is in my wiring closet and gets very good coverage for Oregon Scientific temperature sensors. I use a WGL800 for motion/DS10a sensors.

Not sure about measuring light levels. The cheap hawkeyes from X10 can detect light on/off, but not levels.

[b_weijenberg]

Light levels can be measured with a RFXSensor (40065/40066/60011) and add a resistor and a BPW85 photo sensor.
see http://www.domoticaforum.eu/viewtopi...t=837&start=15

[Gogs]

Hmm, I purchased a dual receiver direct for a lot of money and have never been able to get it to work.

It came with 2 telescopic aerials, can pick up the internal sensors not the external ones which AC RF can.

As for the OWL, which was the reason for the purchase; it is gobbledygook.

As I never managed to get it to work, although I know lots of users have, I immediately re-instated ACRF.

Any help wold be appreciated.

It Is on a shelf doing nothing.

[b_weijenberg]

Gogs,

I have sent you an email.

Bert

[Gogs]

My last post came out all wrong.

RFX is a great product, just I have a slight priblem of getting it work through 3 feet stone wals. Also ran out of time at the original install, otherthing called,

It came with telescopic arials for both USA and UK receiving. They work great, for intnal, not external.

I am looking your advice as to what the 2 arials I need to purchase, one for 433.92MGZ and one for the American frequency which I cannot remember or Google it. It's 300 something.

[Gogs]

OK, an update. Sorry I appear to have hijacked this thread.

433.92 ground plane aerial arrived from Conrad UK the part number is 190073 (as Bert suggested) and what a difference it has made. I can now receive all my 433 transmitters, so RFX is now running, and the aerial is sitting on top of a shelf - looks quite impressive though. It will be moved to the attic, sometime in the future.

Still have to sort out the US 300 receiver, cannot wait till I do.

So in answer to the original question by jlrichar, the answer is yes, RFX COM will do what you wish. There are light sensors available that measure the strength of the light (Sun). The ones I know of are set to trigger at predetermined levels, so should be able to be interfaced into HS, but the ones I am thinking about are hardwired.

[Moskus]

433.92 ground plane aerial arrived from Conrad Electronic[/URL] (as Bert suggested) and what a difference it has made.

I can't find it. Do you have a link?
(You linked to a shopping cart which did not work).

What is it? An antenna?

[b_weijenberg]

Conrad sells a 433.92MHz ground plane antenna which makes the receiver a bit more sensitive for sensors on a greather distance or (like in the case at Gogs home) are behind very thick walls.

Do a search on the conrad site for ground plane.

In fact all 50ohm 70cm HAM antennas can be used even beam antennas. (don't use this antenna on the RFXCOM transmitter because it is illegal and the range is too large)

[Moskus]

In fact all 50ohm 70cm HAM antennas can be used even beam antennas. (don't use this antenna on the RFXCOM transmitter because it is illegal and the range is too large)

Thanks. I'll order two...

[Gogs]

I can't find it. Do you have a link?
(You linked to a shopping cart which did not work).

What is it? An antenna?

Oops, screwed that one up.

Changed original post, good that you found it anyway.