Trouble with ST branded sensors

Devices & Integrations
1

Hi all,

I have been using ST with ST branded devices and 3rd party stuff for years now.

I have a 1st-gen ST multisensor on my garage door that has had one battery change in like, 5 years, and is 100% reliable. I have literally never seen it lost off the network. I have a couple aerotec devices that are also very, very reliable.

And I have about 8 ST branded 2nd gen (maybe right before Samsung bought them) and 3rd gen devices that appear to suck. After adding them new, their batteries don’t seem to last, they fall off and are found again, when I change batteries I have to reset them. And eventually they completely disappear from the network.
I have to pop the battery back in and out and they come to life. And I have a couple that are in “cold weather” (in San Francisco, so we’re talking MAYBE as low as 50 degrees), and seem to suffer more then the others. This is for door sensors and motion sensors specifically.

I’m not kidding, I have aerotec sensors that have been running for years without error or changing batteries, right along side ST devices that won’t go a week without connectivity errors. And today I realize I have TWO 2450 batteries remaining out of a pack of 24 I bought 6 months ago, for <10 devices that aren’t even a year old. WTF?

I’m honestly looking for either confirmation that these things suck, or for a real solution (like different device handler, although I can’t imagine that would help).

I appreciate you trying to help, but if your help is the std “Are you using panasonic batteries?” or “You should just replace the batteries more often or do more resets”, that’s not what I need here.

I have spend several hundred dollars on these sensors, and I think their reliability is beyond crap.

2

well your experience is similar to mine.

The 1st-gen ST-multisensor just works - providing surprising detail on the garage door. I lucked-out and found somebody selling box of 6 on Ebay almost 2 years ago - they turn up very rarely now. ST should bring these back as 4th-gen.

2nd-gen(takes coincell CR2045) is unreliable for whatever reason. 3rd-gen, not sure there is any 3rd-gen, maybe it’s merely Samsung-branded 2nd-gen. I tested 2nd-gen for a 3-4 months, a couple times, and they went stupid at least every month, and the sensor can quit at “66-77%” - so both the test units are permanently marked failed.

“Cold” temps will naturally reduce battery voltage but 50F, I am surprised the difference is noticeable.

I wonder what Aeotec battery device you are using with years-life, but I use NIMH so I get less life from my Aeon Gen4? Motion sensors.

I will take larger sensors that use larger batteries any day, over coincells. Rechargeable usually works and the form factor usually provides longer life and requires less attention.