Has anyone used this device called “GE 45600 Z-Wave Basic Handheld Remote”. Seems to be a z-wave device which can act as 18 button switches. Looks interesting if it work with ST. Available for $14.
Link to Amazon
Link to user manual
Has anyone used this device called “GE 45600 Z-Wave Basic Handheld Remote”. Seems to be a z-wave device which can act as 18 button switches. Looks interesting if it work with ST. Available for $14.
Link to Amazon
Link to user manual
I think I have one of these but it’s in a box to use as a backup (secondary controller), in the event that something goes sideways and I can’t control my devices with ST.
Does it mean that I cannot pair this to ST hub, and use as a switch to control devices, or change mode etc?
[quote=“Boruguru, post:35, topic:9729, full:true”]
Has anyone used this device called “GE 45600 Z-Wave Basic Handheld Remote”. Seems to be a z-wave device which can act as 18 button switches.[/quote]
There is much discussion of these in the forums.
The reasons they’re not listed in this FAQ topic is that, unlike most of the devices here, they cannot be used as a “button controller” in SmartThings terminology, meaning ST will not be notified when a button is pressed and they can only be used with zwave devices, not Zigbee or to change a mode or run a routine, even indirectly.
Also, because of the way SmartThings implements certain Z wave commands, they cannot be used for scene control unless you have initialized them with a different zwave controller.
Basically, they can only be used to toggle some Z wave devices on and off. (Some of the GE models, but not all, also have an additional limitation that the device IDs must be 32 or less.)
Some community members do use them for that purpose, so you will find some forum discussion about them. But they’re not a general-purpose button controller like the Aeon minimote or the Securifi key fob.
I wonder if a humidity sensor would trigger if you blow on it? You wouldn’t have to touch anything. Although if you lived in a humid climate it could false trigger.
(Osram: US and EU. Nortek: US only.) Two new battery operated Devices with a very similar form factor now have community created device handlers. They can be used as either a wall switch or a tabletop remote.
This is a smart switch cover. It’s a battery-operated device, which means it will not act as a repeater. The idea is that it fits over the top of an existing switch. You leave the existing switch always powered on, so that there is power to the smart bulbs. But the cover has its own buttons that you can use to send a wireless signal either to the bulbs or in some cases to the hub to instruct the bulbs to turn on and off.
If the device allows you to send a signal to the hub, it may be possible to use it as what SmartThings calls a “button controller” like the Aeon minimote, which would mean you could then use the buttons to control devices of a different protocol then the switch cover itself, or maybe two arm/disarm smart home monitor, etc.
And again because these devices are battery operated, They can also be used on the nightstand or to create a virtual three-way or again to arm/disarm smart home monitor without having to cover an existing switch.
Two of these have recently come on the market.
The first is the Osram/Sylvania Lightify smart switch. This is a zigbee device. A new community-created device handler has just been released for it (March 2016). (Updated to note that as of May 2017 there is now an official device handler for this device, and it will work straight out of the box with SmartThings. )
The second is the Nortek Z wave smart switch cover which is being sold under several brand names, including domitech and go control. It is brand-new, but a community member already has a button controller device handler for it which is reportedly working well.
These both solve the problem of household members turning off smart bulbs at the switch.
The Osram should be available in both the US and EU. The Nortek is only available in the US.
GE 45600 Comments:
This has been fixed on the latest V2 Firmware update by @duncan.
Not true, I have all my devices above 32 from multiple testing, I think you are confusing this unit with the wall-mount version (45631).
Thanks, I have made the corrections to my post above.
(US and EU) This one is interesting. It’s battery-powered, but looks nice on the wall. Sells for around $50. It’s smaller than you’ll think when you first see the pictures, so I’m including @erocm1231 's photo of it next to a minimote. He’s created a device handler for it.
This is a Z wave plus device, brand-new in 2016, so it should have a significantly longer range then most of the other devices in this thread.
You can buy it at zwave products. There’s one bad review of it on Amazon, but it’s from somebody who didn’t know how to exclude the device so they never actually got it connected at all.
Remotec ZRC 90
Remotec ZRC-90 Scene Master - Button Device Supporting 24 Unique Button Commands This is a very small button device that has a contemporary look and is wall mountable. With the included mounting bracket you can pull it off of the wall and use it like a remote. [image] Button Commands: Buttons on this device support 3 modes. Pressed, held, and double pressed. When using the device in SmartApps such as Rule Machine, you would use the functionality of button 1 - 8 like normal. Configure triggers on Button 1 pushed, and Button 1 held, etc. But then you can also configure buttons 9 - 16 in Rule Machine as follows: Physical Button Double Pressed & Resulting Button Number 1 = 9 2 = 10 3 = 11 4 = 12 5 = 13 6 = 14 7 = 15 8 = 16 Preferences: [image] Multiple “held” events on botton…
There is just room for a tiny text label on each button if you want one:
US frequency:
Remotec Z-Wave Scene Master Controller (ZRC-90) is a Gen5, Z-Wave Plus remote control capable of controlling 16 separate scenes / automations / routines via your Z-Wave your hub.
Price: USD 36.00
Also available on the EU frequency from Vesternet:
Master your home, Master your life The Z-Wave Remotec Scene Master is a Z-Wave controller which can trigger actions and predefined scenes in a Z-Wave control center. The device has 8 single buttons and a status LED. Easily Mounted The Scene Master...
Price: USD 58.00
Update September 2016: it appears this device is been discontinued. You may still find it at some resellers or move into a house that has one so I will leave this post here, but I don’t think you’ll be able to find one new.
(US only?) I just realized we’ve never covered the Enerwave SC7 in this topic because originally I had thought we were only talking about battery-operated devices. But there are a couple of other devices mentioned in the thread that have to be wired into mains power. So depending on how you define “button” the SC7, which is quite popular in the community, might work for a particular use case.
This is sort of an unusual device in that it has to be wired into regular power, and usually replaces a regular light switch, but does not itself control the load on that circuit. But of course that also makes it more like a “remote” than a typical wall switch.
See post #4 for custom Device Type and SmartApp for this device. While I’m still working out a few bugs with my Enerwave Dual Load ZWN-RSM2 I’m hoping someone can get me started with getting the ZWN-SC7 to control devices on/off state. Specifically, I’m hoping to control 3 of the ZWN-RSM2 modules with this device and will be adding even more in the future. In short my rooms almost all have ceiling fans/light combo’s but only one hot wire. So I’m putting the ZWN-RSM2 in the fan canopy and using the ST App and ZWN-SC7 to control them. ST doesn’t support secondary controllers from what I understand, but from the little digging I’ve done. My guess would be that with a custom device type and maybe app, I should be able to accomplish that. ST does recognize and install the device, so I guess…
It fits well in the space of a single gang box and is sold by most zwave retailers for around $45.
One community member said that Enerwave was displaying an SC8 at their booth at CES 2017, and that it looks basically the same except there are two buttons at the bottom instead of one big one. I’m assuming it will also be zwave plus. But it hasn’t gone through certification yet.
I was at CES this past week and Enerwave was showing off the replacement for the SC7… the SC8. I believe they said it will be out in 6-8 weeks. It has a the same look, but they replaced the big button with two. A positive move for me.
(UK Only) there are several battery operated wall-mounted zwave “scene controllers” which will work with a device handler that @AdamV created. Each of the four corners is a pressable button, so you can get multiple functions from the same device. Brands include popp, Devolo, and Z wave.me,
current device handler: 1.7.4, updated: 28/03/2017 current smartapp: 1.6, updated: 25/01/2016 What you can do with this This allows you to correctly set up Z-Wave.me, Popp, & Devolo Wall controllers and Key Fobs. The Device type alone will mean that they work as you (& ST!) would expect and plays nice with other apps, and if dimming is important to you this accompanying app will allow you to have dim events performed whilst rocker switches are held down. Other actions (like double clicks and click-holds) can be used with the Smartapp as well as CoRE. Some info on the Wall Controllers These wall controllers are very cool. You can buy the inside part, cover plate, and rocker switches separately, so you have a hell of a lot of flexibility in terms of how they end up looking. For example,…
They typically retail for between £40 and £50, but shop around.
Z-Wave is an advanced wireless home automation technology that enables you to create a smart home environment where your electrical products, lighting, heating and blinds can work together as a single system. As Z-Wave is a modular system you can...
They are available in different colors and styles.
Only available on the EU Z wave frequency.
And another community member has designed a frame for these to fit over an existing UK style light switch.
Hello everyone! Here in the UK we don’t normally have a neutral wire in the wall boxes behind light switches so that rules out replacing light switches with “smart” switches directly without extra costs. However, you can get battery powered switches, but if you’re like me you don’t want to have two sets of switches and have someone accidentally turn the lights off at the wall using the original switch… This way you can put a z-wave relay up in the ceiling connected to live, Earth and neutral and then toggle the lights on and off w from the battery switch or your phone via ST app. So I’ve designed a cover (the central item in the render below) that fits over the manual light switch, is held in place with magnets and provides a mount for a z-wave battery operated switch: [image] The g…
We should also note that Aeon labs, which makes the aeotec brand, makes most of their devices in almost all zwave frequencies, including the US and EU.
That includes the minimote, the Aeotec key fob, The aeotec panic button, and hopefully the new wall controllers once they are released.
Add a little smartness to your things. Add a little smartness to your things. Add a little smartness to your things.SmartThings.
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SmartThings.
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As mentioned up thread, all three of these work well with SmartThings in either the US or the UK. Obviously, this is a good thing, but it does mean that if you buy from an international seller, you need to make sure you get the frequency that matches your hub.
(US and U.K.) Logitech has just released a new button, which basically acts as a one button remote. It’s quite large, about the size of a drinks coaster, and will retail for about $40. It comes with its own Bluetooth bridge which is a little wallwart that plugs into any outlet
The modern smart home may be a whiz-bang palace of connected gadgets and smartphone control, but there are times when you really just want to press a button and switch on the lights. Logitech Pop p…
At $39 each, this is an expensive option, but it will be very useful for some people. You do need to buy the $99 starter kit ( The bridge and two buttons) to get the Bluetooth bridge for your first purchase.
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Starter-One-Touch-Control-Devices/dp/B01JO8TIH4
And in the U.K.:
£89.48
The flic button, which is very similar and already has harmony integration, is much smaller and also has its own IFTTT channel. It now regularly sells for 4 for $99 on the manufacturer site. But it requires a phone or tablet to be nearby.
Because the Logitech pop has its own Bluetooth bridge, you don’t have to worry about the phone being nearby. The large size also makes it much more suitable for use by young children, as it would definitely pass the choke tube test.
The battery is replaceable and is supposed to last about two years. Like the Flic button each Pop button can have a single press, double press, or long hold.
It has official integrations with IFTTT, the harmony hub, SmartThings, the Phillips hue bridge, WeMo, and a few other systems. Set up for these is easy, but obscure. There are instructions on the Logitech site, but none in the box. Basically, you just Open the pop app, choose the menu, choose devices, and tap the plus sign and then you will get a list of available integrations.
http://support.logitech.com/en_us/product/pop-home-switch
The SmartThings integration works just like echo or IFTTT – – you can select specific devices that you want to authorize to be available to the pop app. Then when you set the controls for an individual pop button, you can select from those devices. You can also combine SmartThings devices with other devices from other systems that you have authorized to pop. You can even have a single button press trigger both an IFTTT recipe and turn on some devices. That’s a very nice feature. Again, the instructions are obscure but the process is actually pretty easy.
http://support.logitech.com/en_us/article/Working-with-SmartThings?product=a0q31000009vuqLAAQ
SmartThings doesn’t know that the pop button exists, but when you use a pop button to turn on a SmartThings-controlled device, the SmartThings mobile app does update that device status at the same time that it is sending the command.
The press required for the single press is quite light. My service dog was able to learn it in three or four tries, much faster than the Flic which took several days of training. When we put it on the wall I was also able to work it easily with my knee.
It’s clearly a cloud to cloud integration for most things, and there is a noticeable lag for the SmartThings controlled devices versus the Phillips hue bridge controlled devices. At my house that lag was 2 to 3 seconds. But it was less than the lag I typically get for IFTTT. It may vary differently at someone else’s house.
The biggest advantage it has relative to the Flic is that it has its own connection through its bridge to your Wi-Fi so you don’t need to have a phone nearby. The size will just depend on the use case. For some use cases people will want the larger button, for some they will want the smaller. The tactile feel for both is very similar, solid rubbery button with a soft click.
This picture shows the SmartThings motion sensor, the Logitech pop button, and the flic button.
(UK) NodOn NIU Le Bouton
This is a small Bluetooth button similar to the Flic in the US, but a little bigger. Single press, double press, and hold. It does not connect directly to SmartThings, but it does have its own IFTTT channel, again just like the Flic. Comes in many different colors. So if you are in the EU and you had been wishing you could buy a flic, these are worth looking at. You can buy them from Amazon France, some of the specialty home automation retailers like Vesternet ( currently £28) , or the manufacturer.
Like the Flic, it needs a nearby Bluetooth device with Internet, either a phone or a tablet, or it can’t work.
Nodon is a brand new consumer home automation brand that specializes in creating self-powered and wireless EnOcean devices
Manufacturer site, in english:
The smart button NIU allows you to interact with your smart home (alarm, thermostat ...) via IFTTT or to use the functions integrated into the app MyNIU
(US) Leviton VRCS4, mains-powered. Typically costs around $125.
This one is tricky to get set up, but appears to work well once it is. There are two different models. One does not control the current, so it acts only as a scene controller and will not work if the Internet is down. The other model has one of its buttons dedicated to controlling the line that it is wired into, but then that means one of the buttons is reserved for that purpose. So read the thread carefully so you know which one will fit your own needs.
I’ve created a device type for the Leviton Vizia VRCS4 Scene Controller. Because of the way the scene commands work, I essentially turned it into a 4 button remote, 3 if there is a built in relay. Setting it up is a bit of work: Note: buttons are numbered 1-4 and dim, with dim at the bottom. To associate, press and hold buttons 1 and 3 on the VRCS4 for 5 seconds, the LEDs will start to flash amber. Hold the SmartThings Hub near to the device tell the SmartThings app to connect a new device. Note: you tell the device to connect before the hub. The hub should find a ZWave Remote. This will eventually be your scene controller. If you have a load connected to the VRCS4 (hardwired): Go back to the SmartThings app dashboard. Press and hold buttons 2 and 4 on the VRCS4 for 5 seconds. The le…
The Fibaro button has finally been released. Unfortunately, multiple community members have reported that it just doesn’t work very well. It’s supposed to have tap, double tap, and long hold but the device is not reporting all of the button presses correctly. So I’m listing it here because people will expect to find it here, but it doesn’t seem to be a reliable option at this time.
See discussion in the following thread:
Hello, Just received my new fibaro button today but i was unable to find any device handler. For it. Anyone using this device already? It looks great and theoretically you can do up to 6 scenes with just one button. Thanks in advance for your help. Regards,
(US and U.K.) Push Microbot and Prota bridge from Naran. “A robot finger.”
This is a strange and expensive little device but it can solve problems that other devices can’t. It’s available on Amazon in both the US and the UK. It’s from a Korean company with very strong engineering credentials.
The “push” is just a very small actuator. You position it to push a single button, say on an existing coffee maker or dishwasher or even a laptop.
You can pair it to a phone with Bluetooth, in which case you can just use it from that phone. This still has value to people like me who have very limited hand function.
But when it really gets interesting is when you add the $89 Prota bridge. Then you can schedule it, operate it remotely, and it has its own IFTTT channel which gives you SmartThings integration.
I don’t expect most people will want this – – it’s just too expensive for the purpose. But there will be some people who have a specific use case where this is a fast, easy, and fairly good-looking solution.
OK, these are now available to pre-order from Amazon with an expected ship date in the next three weeks. And the IFTTT channel is open. You will need the $99 Prota if you want to do anything other than just control the microbot with your phone. The prota is also required if you want to use the IFTTT channel. The $49 push is ordered separately. Or you can get a starter kit with the bridge and three microbots and an adhesive for $249. So if you want just one of these and you want to integrate with anything else, it’s very expensive. If you want several, the cost of the prota gets divided over the number of microbots and it becomes an expensive option but not superexpensive compared to other alternatives for retrofitting button press devices. And it’s easy and looks nice. Most peop…
Was just reading your update re the fibaro button - somewhat disappointed if actual use feedback is not so great/reliable.
I nearly purchased one but realized I made a schoolboy error (was wrong frequency -European standard) thanks to an eBay seller who corrected me. Are these yet to be released in the US?
Let’s hope manufacturer tweaks something to get it corrected as I really think theres a need for this type of simple use device. Fibaro have to live up the their amazing YouTube advert for the button.
I have anoher button type on Kickstarter called Dot that I’m backing - they’re keen to be smart home friendly so we’ll see if that translates to ST friendly.
I have the logi pop too, not massively impressed but it works.
I’m also considering making something as a hack project with an esp8266 microcontroller - loving the ease of that $5 beauty.
I have a question about the Aeon Minimote buttons and not sure this is the correct place to ask. There are 4 buttons under the slider; 3 are labeled (plus, minus, join) but the bottom left is an unlabeled button. What does it do? Can this be programmed?