I’d like a bluetooth tracking device, similar to Tile or TrackR, which can also communicate via zigbee or zwave to the smartthings hub to be a location sensor. Alternately this ould be a GPS device that is constantly reporting on location, such that it could be a location sensor, and which you could tell to beep or see on a map, if you cna’t find it. that might take too much battery power though, so I think the first ask of a device that communicates two different ways might be more plausible.
Funtionality-wise, what I’m looking for is a small fob on my keys that BOTH helps me find the keys whenever i lose them AND works as a location sensor.
The SmartThings brand arrival sensor already does both of these functions to a limited extent, but not with Bluetooth. It Has a built-in beeper. You can just beep it from the official mobile app or you can set up a rule with core to beep it. No GPS, but it’s good for just finding your keys in the house.
So basically it has two locations and functions: home or away. And then an audible beep to help you find it if you know it’s nearby but you don’t know exactly where. I’m not sure if that’s enough to meet your use case, but many people are not aware that the arrival sensor does have a beeper, so I thought I’d mention it.
My understanding is that it only beeps when at home. So when I lose my keys at work, or in my car etc, it won’t beep. Is that true? that’s my main hangup right now. And yes, I do lose my keys everywhere.
Yes, that’s true. It can only beep when it’s within range of the hub. I think most people with this as a common issue just add a second Bluetooth thing finder to the keychain like Tile or XY.
Got it. that will work for now, but in practicality I probably just won’t get a presence sensor, since my primary need is for the tracker and secondarily it would have been fun to have a presence sensor. My device suggestion though still stands-- I’d love for these two uses to be combined into one device.
