SmartSense Multi use for an outside gate

How did you get the magnet to work thru the box?

It took some fiddling, but the sensor picks it up. I had to shave the inside of the waterproof box down with a dremel. Also, I used some super thin double sided tape between the sensor and the box. I haven’t had a single false-positive yet.

Awesome. So you had to make the box thinner where the sensor is, right?
I may be doing something similar for our side gate.

Love how this community comes together and helps each other. I’e been on the net since AOL was a startup and have never found a community like this! Ya’all rock!

Ok so back to on-topic

Or stronger magnet :smile:

Here’s what I did for everyones viewing pleasure.

Took the outside casing off of the sensor. Layed a large piece of saran wrap over it a d then put the cover back on. Cut off the excess saran wrap and it’s been holding up ever since. Last week we got 2.5 inches of rain and it was dry as a bone on the inside.

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Sweet! Thanks, that will work too :smile:

I agree about the community too. It’s nice when people are all willing to share and help each other out.

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That’s where I was headed next :slight_smile:

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Great idea – can you tell me what you mean by “cable it to an everspring door sensor”?

I like the idea of using the w/p sensor on the physical gate, and then connecting to Z-wave somehow. Not sure about power supply to the w/p sensor.

Why has no one developed a truly w/p contact sensor??

Thanks

[quote=“CHallMD, post:16, topic:13335, full:true”]
Great idea – can you tell me what you mean by “cable it to an everspring door sensor”? [/quote]

Lots of people use one of the contact sensors that has dry contacts available inside and wire another device to it. The first device measures whatever you want measured, the second has the network antenna. Used for everything from doorbells to pressure mats. Here’s one example:

As for your other question:

Why has no one developed a truly w/p contact sensor??

Weatherproofed contact sensors certainly exist–both the garage door sensors originally mentioned and the pressure mats are intended for exposure to many weather conditions. Many of them don’t need power, by the way. Either they’re pressure sensors like the mat (step on it, close the circuit) or they use magnets. All they do is physically close a circuit. The powered part of the device is sheltered elsewhere, that’s the point.

As for why there aren’t many battery operated transmitting antennas, that comes down to physics. Most batteries don’t work well below freezing and most low power transmitters are useless in rain.

There are some commercial zigbee sensors used in oil fields and agricultural installations, but they cost way more than most home owners would pay.

But for residential use, you usually run wire to the sensing part of the device and keep the powered transmitter out of the elements if you live anyplace with extreme weather.

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Thanks – I spent some time sorting this out, and I now follow what you were suggesting. The Everspring SM103 accepts an external lead, but the newer Everspring Door/Window sensor (automatically swapped in by Amazon when you try to order SM103) looks as if it does not. Had to buy an older version on EBay. Going to play around with this set-up once I get the necessary equipment.

I assume there are other Z-wave contact sensors out there that accept external leads (cabling in, as you say). May have to look for another if the Everspring ceases being available.

Thanks for heading me in the right direction. This is much better than rigging up some contraption that physically moves/displaces the magnet from the contact device on a cable inside a waterproof housing - yikes!!

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I see you have this sorted out but just wanted to add that a regular old heavy duty ziplock freezer bag or trash bag with some shipping tape should waterproof it. Just stick the sensor in the corner of the bag, cut of a generous amount of bag and wrap it nicely and tape it. Maybe a little bit sloppy but it’s a clear or solid black bag so it shouldn’t look too bad. I personally tried something with pvc pipes but gave up on the project all together.

I like what you did though, nice and polished. I’ll probably do the same for my mailbox.

Just a reminder: never put a battery operated device into an airtight container, including a Ziploc bag, unless both the device and the battery are intended for that operation. Batteries can outgas.

Thats a great solution ! I would take it a step further and drill through the back of the box to create 2 holes. Then use self tapping screws through those holes and into the metal gate uprights.

Reasoning is that the 3 M tape will degrade over time and the box will eventually fall off.

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I need to do this project as I too have a dog. Which open/close sensor is this @slagle?

FWIW, I’ve had a regular ST Multi outside for over a year on a gate. I went the saran wrap route, added a layer of electrical tape to attach the multi to the fence, and it has been fine so far. And it was under about 2 feet of snow for most of February.

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Thanks. I just ordered one on Amazon. I live in NY and am concerned with temperatures but you’ve convinced me to try it. This will also tell me when my landscapes come :slight_smile:

NY winters can be rough, but this last winter was pretty bad here in the mid-Atlantic and mine survived. I’m more concerned that cold will deplete the battery. (Although I’ve had a Multi inside my fridge for at least 2 years at about 40 degrees and it’s only just now at 13% life.

The Ecolink open/close detectors are cheaper, if you don’t want to risk the more expensive ST multi. The Ecolinks don’t provide all the data (like acceleration and orientation, IIRC) but it seems like you don’t need those features in this application.

Yep, our multi should do the trick too. Of course putting something like this outside always has risk. But, I have had mine outside for 2 years now.

How do you guys affix it to pvc fence? Outdoor rated double sided tape?

Duct tape. (I don’t leave home without it.) Although this is a metal chain link fence. It isn’t the prettiest solution, but both the fence and tape are black, so it somewhat blends in.

I was lucky. I was able to remove the cap of my vinyl fence post and put the battery part of the sensor inside the post and the magnet part on the outside of the gate. Works great through the vinyl and it’s protected from the elements.

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