A simple way to get alerts when your doorbell is rung

Here’s my no wiring required version:
I taped a smartsence multi to my ding plate inside my doorbell. The accelerometer inside detects the vibration from the ding plate being struck by the doorbell being rung. No fuss, no muss, no wires :wink:
For notifications there’s [Notify Me When… App with Button functionality][1]
To turn my patio light on there’s [Lights On,On Vibration.groovy][2]

Cover Off:


Cover On:

[1]: https://github.com/twack/smarthings-apps/blob/master/NotifyMeWhen.groovy
[2]: https://github.com/sidjohn1/smartthings/blob/master/Lights%20On%2COn%20Vibration.groovy

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I have this working using a contact and @Dan999 device type. Only thing that still dives me nuts is in the Mobile app, under doors and locks, it says 1 open. Obviously because the contact is open. The device it self shows a doorbell becasue of the device type. Should I not have set this up as a door?

Thanks

Yeah, I would say remove it from the Doors and Locks section. That would bother me too. Its not like you need to check it often, as it will almost always be open unless you happen to be looking while someone is holding the button in. It will still show in Things.

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It looks like the code repository didn’t have the latest code I am running. I updated it so you can try to update your code and see if it fixes your issue. I think the only difference should be to comment out the contact sensor capability.

My doorbell definitely does not show up in Doors and Locks.

@dan999 and @obycode

Thanks for the responses. I removed it from the locks and doors section and all is fine.

Thank you both again.

I live out in the middle of no where and my door bell is rarely rung, but I think this is cool…

My wife just shakes her head, lol

Michael

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I posted in the wrong thread late last night, and figured I’d drop a comment here, too. For folks that are looking to hardwire their sensor from the 16-20VAC of the doorbell check out the Altronix AL624.

They look to fit the bill for the MIMOlite and small enough to fit in small areas. Better yet they’re cheap and easily available to buy stateside

I micro’d my doorbell and have constant 20VAC (no surprise) at the doorbell, which falls into the input range of the AL624 and is switch configurable to output 12VDC @ 1.2A

Hope this helps others!

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I keep going round and round on AC -> DC power conversion, so I just called Fortrezz and confirmed that the Mimolite does indeed use DC power.

@twack and others, you haven’t had any issues running it off your transformer’s AC power?

Has the Nexia Door Bell Sensor DB100Z been mentioned before? Doesn’t seem available yet but seems exactly what is needed for sensing activation of existing low-voltage AC doorbells without any hacker skills or kluges/workarounds required.

The Nexia does look interesting!

It was just certified two weeks ago, it typically takes about 3 months for a certified device to come to market, although it varies.

. . . and proof that I’m not crazy for expecting something that simple to install. Too bad I have to wait a few more months for it, but I’ve been waiting since SmartThings first kickstartered and I’m not expecting to die within the year. (A year or two might be a different story – we’ll see.)

FWIW, I’ve seen other not-so-bad workarounds, but they all seem to have a hitch (usually the requirement of DC power supply either themselves or for a relay delay circuit they’d need to avoid missing buttonpresses like the ELK-930+ELK-960 or issues with too-fast polarity reversal for reed relays to sensors with terminal screws, etc, etc, etc. I just want it to be stupid-simple for what a hundred million or more homes already have.

2 Likes

@craiginpa

Couldn’t agree more. I really am shocked there isn’t a retail available product to do this yet. Doorbells are ubiquitous. For all that people do to detect motion/presence/etc… vendors are really missing the boat here with doorbells.

The only thing that makes me think Nexia swung and missed on their upcoming product is that it uses batteries. Folks have too many of those already in their homes that need replacing, why require them when there’s a power source inches away?

Interesting thought, kars85. That would require including a 16v AC-to-[??]v transformer in their product. Maybe they figured that would add too much cost and size, and maybe they can do the job with batteries for half a year at a time anyway (assuming it’s just on standby until an activation)? Maybe it leaves open an opportunity for a competitor, or maybe you can hack your own transformer into the battery terminals if it is really that important to you? I’m happy enough though, with a stupid-simple solution even if it needs batteries to run the z-wave electronics.

Did you wire that in?

nope, it is just taped inside…it uses the battery still and just picks up the magnet in the doorbell.

I have a door sensor im not using that has wire inputs inside of it. Im having space issues inside my doorbell box so i was wondering since it has wire inputs if i could hard wire the sensor to the doorbell wires inside the box?

Using this idea,I re-purposed one smartthings multisensor that I had (I was using it for Laundy monitor for both my laundry machine and dryer)

I put some insulating tape to stick the multi sensor on the bell mechanism (in the house).Then I closed the cover (fortunately it had enough space)and when I push the doorbell on my main entrance,I see the vibration sensor!it has 1sec delay I believe which is actually nothing.Now I will take the original smartthings multi device type,remove the open/close capability and link it with my new Doorbell monitor!

I’ve got a MimoLite and I’ve got the programming down. Where can I find the wiring needed to connect it to the doorbell? The power adapter it came with says 300v 24awg.

Any home improvement store/hardware store. Generic doorbell wire is what you’ll need.

so this is perfect (almost)
i used the simple door sensor magnet and the Notify Me app and everything works as discussed HOWEVER how can i SMS both my wifes phone as well as mine with the Ding Dong SMS ?
i am only able to add 1 SMS number
help please
thanks

I’ve got a Byron BY601 which is a wireless doorbell and a Fibraro Window/Door sensor.

Im wired up some wires to live and ground in the Fibraro, and am trying to find somewhere in my Chimer to trigger the device.

By wiring these up to the speaker wire, I can trigger the tamper command, but I’m not having much luck with anything else.
In the logs, it throws:

9edea6b2-259e-4b24-a5ca-9ca001fcafad 2:29:19 PM: debug parsed 'zw device: 02, command: 9C02, payload: 02 00 FF 00 00 ’ to [[‘value’:‘tampered’, ‘name’:‘tamper’, ‘descriptionText’:Fibaro Door/Window Sensor has been tampered with, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘displayed’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Fibaro Door/Window Sensor’]]

9edea6b2-259e-4b24-a5ca-9ca001fcafad 2:29:18 PM: debug parsed 'zw device: 02, command: 9C02, payload: 02 00 00 00 00 ’ to [[‘value’:‘secure’, ‘name’:‘tamper’, ‘descriptionText’:Fibaro Door/Window Sensor is secure, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘displayed’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Fibaro Door/Window Sensor’]]

Any ideas anyone? The LED ports aren’t active:

EDIT: Scratch that. I think the tamper command was getting triggered due to the cover not being on. Back to square 1, cant get this working