Hello,
Has anyone had success using the the external contact for the GoControl WADWAZ-1 door/window sensor? I’ve connected a mercury switch and would like to use it as a simple tilt sensor. It seemed to work well when I tested it, but now that it’s on the door, it shows closed and does not change states to open. I read on a Wink thread that the external contact switch when wired to the sensor may show up as a separate device.
Anyone have some experience with this?
Thanks,
Dan
Check your mercury sensor or the wiring to the switch. Maybe remove one wire and check to see if it opened. Also do a z-wave repair just to be sure it’s not a range issue. I have a few of these sensors with external input without issue. It’s the same device on SmartThings when using the external terminals.
Thanks for the reply. I’ve checked the wiring and all is well. What’s a z-wave repair?
I added the sensor to ST first and then modified it with the external mercury switch. Would this have confused ST? Should I remove the device and start over. (I’ve not had the need to do this yet, so I’m not sure how the ‘exclusion’ process works.)
Yep, I’m a nuub but I’m learning quickly. I appreciate any pointers…
Dan
I’m pretty sure you can’t make the device appear as 2 devices, but you could use it as a contact sensor and a different type of sensor by adding another capability, like Shock Sensor, to the device handler.
I wanted this to regularly report in so I could use the Simple Device Viewer SmartAppp to monitor if it’s still online, so I ended up creating a DH specifically for the GoControl Door/Window Sensor.
In the BasicSet Method (line 190), all you’d have to do is check the cmd.event value to see if it’s 3 or FE. If it’s 3 you raise the contact event and if it’s FE you raise the event for the new capability.
So are you able to use it as a contact sensor and also use the external switch or are you just interested in the state of the external switch?
Good question. I was going to use the normal magnetic reed switch on the garage door as an open/close sensor. However, I could not find a way to mount the sensor such that it operated properly. I remembered I had some mercury switches from an old thermostat and added them as a tilt sensor so that when the door is closed, the mercury switch is closed and when it’s open, the switch is open. So, to answer your question, I do not need the reed switch to operate and only need the mercury switch to function via the external connector.
Dan
Since you mentioned about garage door. Sounded like range issue. How far are you mounting this away from the hub and any repeater in between? You can do a z-wave repair and if it’s out of range. You will see a failed message. Here’s how to get to that option. In your SmartThings app. Click on the hamburger icon at the top right corner. Then the gear icon. scroll down and click on hub. Click on utilities. There are a few useful things you can use and Z-wave repair is one of them. You usually do this once you mount the z-wave device at its permanent location.
I like your mercury switch idea. Very creative.
Well, I’ve solved the first part of the puzzle. I took the sensor off and double checked the connections. It worked flawlessly when I would tilt it manually. However, the angle of tilt when mounted on the garage door was not as severe, so the ‘open’ condition caused a bit of ‘sloshing’ of the mercury and must have confused the sensor electronics. I remounted the sensor with about 8 degrees more angle and it now works flawlessly.
Also, the only piece of information I had regarding the external connector was that it should be connected with a normally closed contact per the installation instructions that came with the sensors. I’ve learned that the internal reed switch and the external switch function as an .OR. gate between them. Thus, if either the internal or external switch is open, the sensor reports open. To disable the internal reed switch to be closed all the time required permanently mounting the magnet next to the sensor. This allows the external connector with the attached mercury switch to provide the only open/closed input. I would guess that one of the jumpers on the logic board can be set to disable the internal switch but I could find no documentation to support it. The permanently affixed magnet is not attractive but is a simple solution.
Now, if I could just find a smart app to allow me to get text messages when the door is left open at night, I’ll be done. I read that there is an app called ‘Is My Home Secure’ that provides the functionality but the code has been taken down. I’d like to find an app that sends me a text message if my door is open during the evening or between a set time. I’m ok with the door being open during daylight hours.
Stay posted.
Dan
PS The GoControl bundle of two window sensors and one motion detector allowed me to create two tilt sensors for $50 total. From what I read about the other dedicated garage door tilt sensors, they seem a bit unreliable and fairly expensive. The GoControl package is a pretty good deal.
More…
The good news is that there is an app called Garage Door Monitor. It sends a text if the garage is left open for a user specified period of time. The bad news is that it is tied to a class of garage door sensors and doesn’t support the simple window sensor.
Might need to learn how to program Groovy.
Dan
Ok,
I found the code to ‘Is my home secure?’ at this link.
I’ve loaded it up and it looks like it has what I need. You can specify window/door sensors and check them at a specific time of day or when the states change (home/away). It can send an optional text message if the garage is left open. I’ll need to play with it to see exactly how it works, but looks very promising at this point.
Dan
Good to know you found some of the problems. ST does come with an app called " notify me when" smartapp. Under marketplace, safety and security.
As for the Reed switch. Not sure what I did. Possible I left a tiny magnet inside the sensor beside the Reed switch or jumper the switch itself. I did so many random thing with ST that I could barely remember. It’s at another location so I can’t get to it to have a look.
Thanks, Ray. Yep, when you get going on setting everything up, some of it tends to blur. I looked at ‘Notify Me’ but it requires a change of state for the sensor to trigger. I wanted to be notified at a set time that the door was open. The ‘Is my home secure?’ smart app looks better. I’ll be testing it this evening.
I’m very please with my SmartThings purchase. It’s been easy to install and the functionality out of the box is good. Then, after I learned by hacking at it, you can extend the functionality with the developer community of device handlers and smartapps, it’s very extensible. The hub is very stable. In short, I’ve done everything that I’ve wanted to in terms of home automation and security in two weeks. Now, this weekend I’m installing an external surveillance system that will connect to SmartThings via IFTTT.
Dan
I don’t use this smartapps so I can’t comment much on it but if you want to monitor a sensor at a certain time. You can actually do it with the build in Smart Home Monitor. Just use the custom setting.
When SmartThings is working properly. There is not much can compare to it and so far after the upgrade. It’s working great but it was super before so don’t rely too much on critical stuffs to it just yet. Glad you are enjoying it.
I paired up a new switch today to test and you don’t need to do anything with the internal Reed switch to get the external switch working. Reed switch magnet or external switch will give you a close/open status if one of the magnet or external changes state. Tried with 2 different device handler. You have to either put the cover on or depress the little black button inside in order for this to work.
I was unable to find any documentation for the pins on the Door switch.
I tested the pins to see if the reed switch could be bypassed without mounting the magnet and I was unable to find any jumper solution.
I contacted GoControl and they confirmed that the only way to use only the external switch is to permanently mount the magnet in place.
The device handler below lets you use the external switch without having to mount the magnet because it uses the state of the last one that changed.
It will initially show open, but as soon as you close it using the external switch, it will report closed until the external switch is opened.
