Smartthings Home Monitor & Meross Garage Door Status

I have a Meross Garage Door controller connected to Smartthings. The open and close control of the door works very well with the status, open/close, providing feedback via Smartthings almost instantaneously.
Very recently I’ve decide to setup Smartthings Home Monitoring and always thought that I could use the Meross Garage Door status as an external monitoring point. Unfortunately as I’ve found when looking to select statuses for monitoring via Home Monitoring, the Meross door status was not available to select.
Does anyone have any work arounds using the existing status or is it the case that I’ll need to provide an additional sensor to cover this entry from a Home Monitoring perspective.
Thanks in advance.

Depends on your tolerance for stuff that needs custom configuration, and that mau need to have a second solution in a year.

Sonlets start with whats needed for STHM to 'see a device in your context… Your device needs to be exposed as a contact sensor to SmartThings (i suspect the meross isnt and why it won’t show up as selectable.

You could in theory, create a new synthetic/virtual contact sensor in the IDE, then use something like WebCoRE to sync the status of your meross opener to that virtual contact sensor. (i actually use a similar approach to consolodate two contact sensors in my office’s french doors into one ‘office door’)

I do however have to ask why you want it in this use. Someone breaking in would likely break the door - not cause the garage door opener to open the door. Also having your GDO on STHM will cause it to alarm if you’re on arm stay or arm away and you come home and open the garage. I don’t know about you - even wuth Android Auto front and center in my car i cant disarm the system that fast. Nor would i try.

Id suggest a proper sensor as it avoids all the custom stuff and catches a break in case that works around the GDO. But i would NOT tie it to STHM as an intrusion sensor except maybe in an arm stay nighttime scenario.

Thanks for the reply. You’ve raised some very good points in your post.
For the disarm scenario I had considered a delay of sorts on entry (I’ve seen an option to do this in STHM) with NFC tags at the main entry points to assist with an easier disarm. Failing that, I guess I could also use the ST app itself to perform the disarm (possibly a scene with a widget on the phone home screen). For peace of mind I’ll be using an arm stay as you’ve suggested (this is a good idea, thanks) to arm the perimeter status points that can be picked up.
The door sensor for the Garage Door Controller consists of a reed switch at the base of the GD. This was the point I was hoping to pick up for monitoring. Given the door’s metal construction, if it was damaged in a robbery scenario, I think that it would break the reed switch contacts as it would likely move considerably.
I may have a play with IDE and Webcore as suggested to sync a virtual contact. Would a simulated Contact sensor show up in STHM? I see you said that you’ve done this, just confirming however the type of device selected to do this. I must admit the “proper sensor” suggestion would be the best way to go (possibly a movement sensor). I am an advocate of the “keep it simple, stupid” (KISS) principle when there’s a heavier reliance on an automation to function correctly.
Aside STHM what other options are available for home monitoring that integrate with ST.
Nothing implemented as yet as just toying with ideas, hence the post.

1 Like

Yes the contact sensor will show up. It exposes the proper capability to ST.

Now about the delay, customization etc. To donany of that youll need to do custom work. Most of this (if i were tondo it) i would do in WebCoRE. (the builtin automation creator cant ‘set’ a device that was really designed to be read only (you cant ‘set’ a door sensor you have to close it, the system doesnt know the synthetic one isnt real) whereas webco can overcome that. You also have the option in your code that does that to build in a delay. Heck ho nuts you could gabe itnorder a pizza, turn on a disco ball, whatever.

But heres the rub(s) Every step of custom you add makes one more link that can go wrong. AND groovy based smartapps (including webcore) are scheduled ti be retired at some unknown future date (we’re all guessing late this year/early next)

Next issue (and for me the biggest)

STHM does not run locally. Which basically means I can paralyze your security system by cutting your internet. That wasnt acceptable to me. I also had a pre-wired purpose built DSC security system and all of the pre installed sensors. My personal solution is to make sure thats setup and running as designed, then I added an Pi running something called AlarmServer to tether it to SmartThings. (ive configured mine to link to STHM) Worst case i lose Internet, the libk ti ST is severed BUT i can still manage my security system because it doesn’t care that the ikink is down. Wheb ST cones back - so does the security link.

You’re saying but didn’t you just waive me off custom? Yes - I did. One delay sensor isnt worth the trouble to me for a system that can be disabled or i cant cobtrol by killing internet. BUT doing custom to make it MORE robust and less dependent on the cloud yes. Every single time.

2 Likes

Thanks again for the invaluable information. :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes

As an alternative, you can see this app which can setup monitoring rules and can monitor the Meross garage door sensor.
Some folks replace the STHM monitoring plugin with this app and if you have a keypad you can even arm/disarm it using a keypad. You can also use other ways to arm/disarm the system (e.g. hub modes or switches, presence sensors) etc.

2 Likes

While you decide whether to do something more robust, as recommended @nathancu and @RBoy you can also do something simpler that does not depend of the IDE or webcore. It works well for me.
Since SHM and your meross sensor already depend of the cloud, you can do an automation that with the condition of SHM activated (away or home) and the garage sensor open, then execute the same actions that you have for the other sensors in SHM, activate sirens, cameras, lights, messages …
You must do another automation for when you deactivate SHM, the sirens, lights go off …
If you are going to use the garage sensor for SHM activated away and activated at home, you have to do an automation for each one, you cannot select both in the same as the location.

1 Like