Cheap door sensor £15 (Orvibo mini)

When my contact sensors arrive I’ll be using them on my roller garage doors and using a SmartApp I’m writing to combine multiple devices into a single “garage door” device.

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I’ve found that ST motion sensors no use for monitoring windows as I kept on getting false alarms due to shadows and sunlight movements. Have you guys found the orvibos better in this respect?

Yea - our sensors do not have the ability to adjust sensitivity. The Aeon Multisensor 5 has a manual sensitivity dial (note - version 6 does not) to reduce false positives.

I use contact sensors for notifications on things left open when I don’t want them to be. So I get a notification if rain is expected and the guestroom window is open. Also if the closet where we keep the cleaning supplies is open for more than two minutes.

I have a contact sensor on our front gate. When the gate is open a light in the central room comes on, and then goes off again when the light is closed. That means if the light stays on, the person coming through the gate didn’t close it properly, which is useful information.

Some people with teenagers or cleaners put them on the liquor cabinet or the place where they store their prescription medications and receive a notification only if the door is open when the parent is not home.

I find for myself they are most useful when combined with either a measure of delay or in combination with some other factor like the weather. That is, I don’t generally want to be notified every time the door is opened. But there are situations where I want to be notified if a door or window has been left open for a while.

They are also popular as triggers for closet lights, since they are generally less expensive than motion sensors and it makes sense to turn the lights off again immediately when the door is closed.

Are these sensors water proof? Just thinking now I could fit one on my back gate if so, on inside for security through night set an alarm/put light on/get sms etc. If not is there any that are wonder?

They aren’t especially waterproof, but I live in California and we have moderate temperatures and we’re usually more worried about not enough rain than too much. They’re in a slightly sheltered position, and so far seem to be doing fine.

Some people who live in more challenging environments, particular Florida, do various kinds of waterproofing. If you search the forums for “waterproofing” you should find discussions.

I have been trying to setup the Orvibo sensor which I got yesterday. I tried to setup with both standard Open/Closed Sensor and the code from above. No event is being detected even if I open and close the doors. No entry in live logs or when trying to simulate. When I press the button on the sensor, then I am seeing log events.
In my app, its always showing status as OPEN.
Anything I am doing wrong? This is my first device, pl. suggest.

Sounds very much like you’re not using either device types. As that’s the behaviour of something connected as a thing.

Its working now at last !
I removed the sensor from app. Loaded the device type handler through UI. Re paired the sensor and this time ST automatically detected it and assigned the loaded device type.
Thanks. Next step is to consume event to trigger another device.

Thanks for this tips regarding Orvibo. Have bought several of them now and they work wonderful.

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Could you explain how you add them.Thanks

i have found with these after some time 8 weeks or so they will stop reporting it, all i had to do is push the button and then they starting posting again. assume everyone has this issue?

Some people are reporting this but no, not everyone is seeing this. I have not had any since I’ve removed my zigbee bulbs from smartthings.

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My Orvibo door sensors are fine. The motion sensor not so. That stops reporting every few weeks and needs to be restarted.

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It seems to be hit and miss… I have 2 motion sensors… one has never lost its connection in the 5 months I’ve had it, the other seems to stop reporting every couple of weeks and I have to push the button on the front. No idea why there would be a difference…They’re both in the same room (albeit other ends of it).

I personally believe it’s directly related to the route the packets go via the mesh. My experience that removing my 20 osram bulbs from ST had a 100% improvement in stability. Also, adding and removing repeaters also seems to occasionally cause sensors to drop off, however I see the same with official smartthings devices also.

Any updates or instructions how to use these new ovibo sensors i have they are blinking green but invisible to hub .


add the above code and published it for self , searching in mobile with auto detect . it never came up