In another thread deep in the bowels of this site, I mentioned that I would order a GE Door Hinge Pin Open / Close Sensor and try it out. Well, it arrived today.
Installation was not as easy as an external magnetic sensor that just sticks on the door, but it was easier than the Aeon recessed door sensor. This sensor required no drilling, but you do have to play with it a bit. First, you have to decide if you have a left or right swing door and adjust for that. This is accomplished by unscrewing the top and removing the white cap. Under the lever there is a gear that you may or may not have to turn upside down. The gear is marked “left” and “right” so it’s easy to know which way it goes in.
Next, you can adjust how much the door should be open to trigger the sensor by moving the lever on the gear. Also easy to do, but you may want to do a little trial and error. You can pretty much dial this in before you install it if you give it a little thought.
One you have the gear and lever all set, screw the plastic top cap back on and you’re ready to pair it. Pull the little plastic sheet out from the battery. There is a small button and green LED. You just put ST into include mode and press the button. You may want to do this near your hub, before you install the sensor on the door.
Finally, you hang it onto the door. You have to pull the hinge pin out, of course, to do that:
Now, when I open that door the lights in the garage go on.
First impression, I don’t care for it. It seems to work but I find it ugly with no aesthetic advantage over an ordinary magnet based sensor. I may send it back, but I’ll give it a few days.
Pros:
Somewhat easy to install
Seems reasonably sturdy and well designed
Simple design should be reliable
Works without any dependence on magnets, if you care about that
Cons:
It’s big and ugly
Costs about the same as the Aeon recessed sensor
Harder to install and more expensive than a simple magnet based open/close sensor
One last note… I was motivated to try this because I find my Aeon sensor to be unreliable. I would think this should work reliably but still, ugly!