Cheap Z-Wave / Zigbee doorbell sensor

TechBill

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I been looking for doorbell sensor to tie in my doorbell chime so I can set up a light flashing when doorbell button is pressed. During my search, I discovered a cheap way to set one up if you use Zigbee in your home automation so I wanted to share it on here.

The sensor is a SAGE Zigbee doorbell sensor / Hughes Sage doorbell sensor which is no longer manufactured but there are many available left on Ebay between 5 to 14 dollars per sensor that uses zigbee and connects to your doorbell chime. Read more about it at SAGE Zigbee Doorbell Sensor Impressions & SmartThings Device Handler - DarwinsDen.com

I ordered one but my home setup is a Z-Wave so I am going to have to swap out my transmitter over to a Z-Wave / Zigbee combo transmitter for this and see if Home Assistance will be able to detect it so I don't know yet if it will work or not.

One other sensor I read up which folks using are a window or door Z-Wave contact sensor which have a reed switch that are sensitive enough to make a contact when the magnet field that make a chime sound is generated next to it. Read more about it at Integrate "old fashioned" doorbell into HA with Xiaomi

If Sage sensor didn't work out for me, I am going to try the reed switch sensor.
 

David L

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I been looking for doorbell sensor to tie in my doorbell chime so I can set up a light flashing when doorbell button is pressed. During my search, I discovered a cheap way to set one up if you use Zigbee in your home automation so I wanted to share it on here.

The sensor is a SAGE Zigbee doorbell sensor / Hughes Sage doorbell sensor which is no longer manufactured but there are many available left on Ebay between 5 to 14 dollars per sensor that uses zigbee and connects to your doorbell chime. Read more about it at SAGE Zigbee Doorbell Sensor Impressions & SmartThings Device Handler - DarwinsDen.com

I ordered one but my home setup is a Z-Wave so I am going to have to swap out my transmitter over to a Z-Wave / Zigbee combo transmitter for this and see if Home Assistance will be able to detect it so I don't know yet if it will work or not.

One other sensor I read up which folks using are a window or door Z-Wave contact sensor which have a reed switch that are sensitive enough to make a contact when the magnet field that make a chime sound is generated next to it. Read more about it at Integrate "old fashioned" doorbell into HA with Xiaomi

If Sage sensor didn't work out for me, I am going to try the reed switch sensor.
Wonder if this will work with SmartThings...
 

TechBill

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Wonder if this will work with SmartThings...
Yes, there is a driver handler for SmartThing hub.

Device driver for SmartThing -

And someone recently wrote a driver handler for Home Assistance hub however it was pasted in the HA chat room so I am not sure if it available on git.

Edited : added link to Smartthing device driver
 

David L

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Yes, there is a driver handler for SmartThing hub.

And someone recently wrote a driver handler for Home Assistance hub however it was pasted in the HA chat room so I am not sure if it available on git.
I just got further in the DarwinsDen article and saw the SmartThings write up, probably about the time you replied to my premature question. I think I will order one or two of these sensors myself. Thanks.
 

TechBill

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I just got further in the DarwinsDen article and saw the SmartThings write up, probably about the time you replied to my premature question. I think I will order one or two of these sensors myself. Thanks.
Those sensor are so cheap on Ebay .. I am planning on getting 1 or 2 more for a different experiment that have nothing to do with doorbell. :)
 

David L

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Those sensor are so cheap on Ebay .. I am planning on getting 1 or 2 more for a different experiment that have nothing to do with doorbell. :)
So another premature/stupid question; Do you think they could be used on other things like a Garage Door, Sprinkler System, etc.? I am the type that don't like the idea of a hackable WiFi Garage Door system.
 
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I would be interested in garage door options as well. So far, leaning towards a simple reed switch. But more options, the better. Granted I have a DSC alarm system with Enviso and Blue Irs
 

TechBill

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So another premature/stupid question; Do you think they could be used on other things like a Garage Door, Sprinkler System, etc.? I am the type that don't like the idea of a hackable WiFi Garage Door system.
I would be interested in garage door options as well. So far, leaning towards a simple reed switch. But more options, the better. Granted I have a DSC alarm system with Enviso and Blue Irs
To operate the garage door? It would be best to get a kit that is made for garage door operation because it comes with a tilt sensor which is used to determine if your garage door is open or shut.

Fot sprinkler system, you probably need a relay switch something like this FortrezZ so your sprinkler system still can be operated by the system itself or by your hub

I would recommend asking this question in Home automation category here or google for a forum that covers your hub to ask more about it. There will be folks that have already a system in place which could share their experiences with you
 

David L

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To operate the garage door? It would be best to get a kit that is made for garage door operation because it comes with a tilt sensor which is used to determine if your garage door is open or shut.

Fot sprinkler system, you probably need a relay switch something like this FortrezZ so your sprinkler system still can be operated by the system itself or by your hub

I would recommend asking this question in Home automation category here or google for a forum that covers your hub to ask more about it. There will be folks that have already a system in place which could share their experiences with you
Will do, thanks. I was just thinking like a Doorbell Button press, it would notify us if our garage door opened/closed, but the tilt sensor makes more sense, will have to look into one, hopefully there is one for ZigBee/Z-Wave.
 

David L

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I would be interested in garage door options as well. So far, leaning towards a simple reed switch. But more options, the better. Granted I have a DSC alarm system with Enviso and Blue Irs
Have you looked at Konnected?

Sorry, I know this is off topic.
 

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David L

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TechBill

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Have you looked at Konnected?

Sorry, I know this is off topic.

Yes, I have looked at this. It seems to be designed to replaced existing wired alarm system. I am thinking about going with Ring Alarm for two reasons, it's wireless stand alone alarm system and I can use its sensor for other automation purposes when not armed.
 

TechBill

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Sorry I meant specifically with the SAGE addon?

Same as above to connect it to chime but you will need to use the Power Kit to connect with Sage Sensor

Green - Front doorbell
Yellow - Rear doorbell
White - Common

Connect
powerkit white wire with sage white wire
powerkit black wire with sage green wire

There is a discussion about it over at


and

 

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Thanks heaps!!

Just want to confirm before I plunge and buy one.... will this allow me when someone presses the chime to alert my alexa speaker devices in the home to play a sound i.e. ding dong?
 

TechBill

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Thanks heaps!!

Just want to confirm before I plunge and buy one.... will this allow me when someone presses the chime to alert my alexa speaker devices in the home to play a sound i.e. ding dong?

Yes ... the other poster I quoted in previous poster @alexdelprete have his set up this way if I remember correctly. However I am not sure if he is using a hub in between or how it is connected to alexa speaker. He would be best suited to answer this question for you.
 

David L

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Yes, I have looked at this. It seems to be designed to replaced existing wired alarm system. I am thinking about going with Ring Alarm for two reasons, it's wireless stand alone alarm system and I can use its sensor for other automation purposes when not armed.
They have a module where you use your existing alarm, it just makes it Smart.

Konnected Alarm Panel INTERFACE Module

I beta tested the version 1 of this module, it worked great, you just jumper from the module to your existing alarm panel, I use SmartThings to manage it.
With Konnected, through SmartThings, my wife and I can leave our house and our Alarm arms itself automatically, also disarms when we return.
 
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