Any luck w/Open-Close 'cheaper' sensors?

Devices & Integrations
1

Has anyone had luck integrating any of the ‘cheaper’ Z-wave open-close offerings (priced in the $30-$40 range) as opposed to the brand-name or heavy-hitter options? I’m thinking of candidates like Ecolink, Linear or Enerwave? btw I did happen to have a Schlage O/C and it paired up like a champ to my ST hub! Infact I’m pleased to find the Schlage has internal contacts so I can pull a dummy magnetic switch all the way out to my chicken coop and wire-up a monitor on their coop door! All the Zwave O/Cs are rated for indoor use only.

2

The Ecolink door/window sensors work well.

3

I have a few PEQ - 3-Series Contact Sensor from Best Buy $34.99 that seem to work great.

I even have one mounted inside my doorbell to sense a ring.

doorbell.jpg2448×3264 1.48 MB

4

I’m using the Monoprice Z-wave Door/Window sensors, they are $24.88 and under if you get more and they have been working great for me.

I have 4 I use indoors all the time.

Morgan

1 Like
5

Same here, I have 6 of the monoprice door/window sensors, working fine for the last 4 months.

6

at $25 you can’t beat the MonoPrice ones, only down side is they don’t report battery.

7

Wow - Monoprice sounds like the way to go - where do you find them at such a killer price?

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http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=122&cp_id=12212&cs_id=1221201&p_id=10795&seq=1&format=2

9

Thanks! I did experiment with the Ecolink O/C - it looks almost identical to the Schlage and is about $8 cheaper! Still not as cheap as the Monoprice (I’ve ordered some of them too). I configured the Ecolink - it was recognized quick. The only downside I have (and I think it’s localized) is that the APP does not update the status from the device all the time. I have hooked it up to my theater screen to measure if the screen is up or down, and when it reaches the bottom - the sensor is supposed to close. It doesn’t change it’s status until I poll it, but I have seen the status change properly on the IDE so I know it’s getting set right. I wonder if it might just be an artifact/defect of the APP.

10

I have picked up a pair of Monoprice O/C’s - I kinda like them! For anyone interested in the nitty-gritty of this O/C compared to others on the market - I’ll provide my assessment of the PROS and CONS:

PROS:

  • Cheap! Love that - esp if you have many doors/windows you want monitored
  • It has an external lead post! (very very good - this lets you run a wire to an outdoor or secondary mag-switch for whatever application you want; I plan to pull one to my shed door!)
  • It’s a proven performer - others on the forum have gotten it up-n-running so it’s a minimal-risk solution.

CONS:

  • Only comes in white (most other O/Cs you buy will include a brown and white housing for the switch and trigger - meant to skin-change for whatever application you’re doing)
  • It does not come with a slide-off mount - to change the battery you have to get a little screwdriver and take out a lock-screw, then pop the cover to change the battery. Most of the other models have a pushbutton release.
  • The plate has ‘thin-sections’ for mounting holes as opposed to actual holes - but they do give you screws if you plan to mount it that way vs two-sided tape.

Skinny - would I buy again? Oh yeah! :o)

1 Like
11

Love these devices. Another con is no true battery reporting. Mine all says 100% after months of use. As for the mounting and removal. I don’t even put the screw back in. But this may not work for all situations. I plan to pick up 2 more of these one for doorbell notification and one for sale level notification.