Sensorist

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mhn
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Sensorist

Post by mhn »

Hi.

I have been allowed to play with a sensorist set. http://sensorist.com/
The kit is extremely easy to set up. There is an A5 page with 7 points in the package, and that's actually what it takes before it's all set up. The guide is also available at http://sensorist.com/setup
The system is a master with temperature/humidity sensors. To each sensor you can add a probe, so you get an additional temperature measurement point.
The system is cloud based. Not exactly what I prefer, but I can see how that makes it extremely easy to handle.

There is also an API under development. That makes it possible to connect the system to HomeSeer or the like. A couple of us at zwaves.dk made a quick and dirty way to get data into Homeseer 2. The scripts can be found at http://www.zwaves.dk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1637 (Danish). I think we have a chance to influence it if there is anything we know much better than them. :-)

There is no local display, so you're relying on a browser or iOS device to read a device. With the push of a button on a sensor you can get an email or notification on IOS with the current reading.
You can set up alerts, so you get mail or notification when they are exceeded.

There's App for IOS. The latest version requires iOS 7. Android app is coming.
The system is 868 MHz but not Z-Wave. There doesn't seem to be any problems in my 868MHz hell. I have quite a few 868 MHz systems running. All with the master within a few meters.
There is actually not much to write. It was easy to set up and it seems to just work.
I now measure temperature and humidity in a room and by my wine. There is also a bottle of water between the wines that has a probe installed, so I have the temperature of a fluid between the wines.
If you want an easy system to log the temperature and humidity, it is a good choice.

Regards
Morten
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Re: Sensorist

Post by Bwired »

Again mandatory cloud..right?
Digit
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Re: Sensorist

Post by Digit »

Hi Morten,

Please don't take this personal, cause my comment is not aimed at you, but at the product.
Sensorist is bad. OK, maybe it's easy to install.

I read that Sensorist is also a wise choice for a greenhouse.
Wow, we're planning on building one within 2 months from now, so lets have a look!

A "[small] Garden Pack" (because the other Garden Pack is large) costs EUR 120 ex VAT.
What is being monitored? Temperature and humidity, as far as I can deduce from the website.
So why not choose a simple Oregon Scientific sensor for that?

It gets even worse:
Sensorist web site wrote:With a Sensorist garden solution, you can ensure optimal conditions ...
...by manually opening/closing a skylight or reducing sunlight!!!
That part of the story just isn't covered - the automation part. That's why this product is no good.
It notifies you that the conditions in your greenhouse are bad, but you're not able to do anything about it.
You (or the greenhouse in this case, or wine bottle) are a sitting duck, so to speak.
Sensorist web site wrote:Unlike traditional thermometers, the Sensorist solution offers data visualizations, trends, full history and custom alarms/notifications which you can receive by email or phone notification.
Bla bla bla... I don't need some website to inform me that mercury thermometers don't work very well with "the IoT". I know that, and since that version of the thermometer, other solutions have emerged that do. The Stone Age has been a long time ago. Nowadays, there are numerous ways to measure, visualize and/or notify things.

So what is new, refreshing, something I've always wanted, but what wasn't invented yet?
Nothing, nothing at all. "We" are already doing this for a decade or so, we don't need Sensorist for that.

And that's the same old News... just another niche product, with a pricing I just cannot understand.

Sorry, Morten...
mhn
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Re: Sensorist

Post by mhn »

Hi

@Bwired.
Yes and i didn't like it. When I asked, I got something like "We are working on local access".
I will try to persuade a Sensorist developer to answer here.

@Digit.
I agree. Sensorist doesn't add anything a Home Automation nerd can't do. But I think it look good, if you don't have a Home Automation setup.
You don't need to close your windows manually, there is an API, and I have data from Sensorist in Homeseer 2.
If I didn't have a house full of Oregon and Onewire, I might have bouhgt these. :-) They seem to just work that's not bad.
Nothing to be sorry about. I'm just telling about a product, I was allowed to play with. :-) I always do that, when i know something new.
Bwired
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Re: Sensorist

Post by Bwired »

Agree simple Oregon (or other brand) temp/hum sensor is much better, these devices have a display also. Together with for example the RFXcom (http://www.rfxcom.com) reciever you can can even do much more things. But agree Sensorist is again a solution for temp and humidity, but for now not to be used by us nerds i think :) but more sensors will follow i guess....
Digit
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Re: Sensorist

Post by Digit »

Hi Morten,

I just reread the posts and my "bad" statement is a bit over the top, now that I read it in a "normal" state of mind.
I was in a very bad mood when I wrote it last night, I just had to blow off some steam :evil: and Sensorist was the easiest 'victim' at that time.
So now you know why the post is as it is...
mhn
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Re: Sensorist

Post by mhn »

:-)
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Re: Sensorist

Post by sj3fk3 »

Digit wrote: I just reread the posts and my "bad" statement is a bit over the top, now that I read it in a "normal" state of mind.
I'm not so sure about that.. I think companies that do not really innovate, but instead copy stuff that's already out there and just put it in white (Apple like) plastic cases are bad. They are bad for consumers and bad for innovation. They should instead try to be bold and take stuff a step further.. Otherwise it's just wasting (good) money that could be used for a) hunger in the world or b) more nice and shiny real stuff :)
Kind Regards,
Greg.
mhn
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Re: Sensorist

Post by mhn »

Hi Greg.

I think this is a step further. Just not in our direction. :-)

They made it very easy to use.

Regards
Morten
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Re: Sensorist

Post by CyberDuck »

Hi,

As I'm one of the Sensorist developers I will spare you about pro and cons about cloudbased services, but ..
We created a homeseer plugin so people can get data from Sensorist sensors into HomeSeer 3 if they would want to.
It can be found here :
http://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?p=1104666

Regards,
Nicolai
mhn
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Re: Sensorist

Post by mhn »

Sensorist made an API for their cloud service https://api.sensorist.com/
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Re: Sensorist

Post by jeroen_ »

mhn wrote:Sensorist made an API for their cloud service https://api.sensorist.com/
While that is a good step, the data should not have to leave one's local network in the first place; unless one opt-in to that of course...
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