Conrad FS20 - who has tested this system?

[richard naninck]

I have had two repeaters installed, but they byte eachother when both in range of the FHZ1300PC. When an FS20 message is received by a module, it shuts its reception for about 200ms to allow a repeater resend a message. Modules that didn't receive the first transmission, will probably receive the second one from the repeater. If you install two repeaters within eachothers range, you will get contention and messages are blocked out so the second repeater needs to be out of range of the FHZ1300PC.

[richard naninck]

I'm thinking this as well. ELV is often cheaper then Conrad on devices as well. Slightly hinting towards who's supplying who

I must say I'm fairly satisfied by how it's working. I'm having some range issues though in a 10y old house. Lots of concrete in my house and probably computer interference, I'm having issues reaching the switches 2 floors down. I have to work out those details.

Anyway, I've posted a bit in the Linux Forums as I've started of with FHEM. (DomotiGa doesn't work with FS20 _yet_).
FHEM takes a bit of practice, but it's fun.

I find that range is killed by so called "gipsbeton blokken". I got 5 dimmers in one room and it really made a difference where they were placed according to eachother. Sometimes two modules next to eachother can interfere and both will be unable to receive. Nothing you can't fix of course by repositioning the units.

I got one lamp with a metal casing having problems while another lamp which is farther away from the 1300PC receives fine. The repeater fixed this problem. Sometimes I see lights respond directly and at other times it takes the 200ms longer because the repeater took care of the message.
Also when talking through my Cell directly next to an S4UB inwall switch, the signal get blocked. It doesn't happen too often though and doesn't bother me. I guess the iPhone blocks the transmission.

My setup btw is HouseBot based using my own vbscript code to control FS20, FHT80b and curtain control units.
I installed about 20 S4UB's inwall switches (Tx), 20 dimmers, 6 switches (Rx), 1 master slave unit, one rainsensor, 10 FHT80b, 13 radiator motors, a doorbell switch + doorbell unit itself, FHZ1300PC, repeater, 3 MS2's (curtain control) and probable more I can't think of right now. Working fine along lots of 433MHz CADDX stuff, RFXCOM, Plugwise units and own built 433MHz Tx and Rx modules and WiFi of course.

[pbrand]

I use the FHT system for my heating with which I am very sattisfied. It's quite reliable as long as you don't fondle too much with it.

If also have some FS20 devices, but I can't say I am overwhelmed with joy on that part. Reception is quite poor even one floor below. I have a lamp switch in the living room and some sound devices in the hall. I already programmed the 'lamp on' event to repeat itself three times every five minutes because half the times, the lamp wouldn't switch on.

Of course I could try buying a repeater, but since ZWave has 'grown' in the time I have played with my system, I'm switching to that system now for any new investments. Opposed to FS20, ZWave is bidirectional and many devices are repeaters in itself. So rangeproblem will be (less) a problem. And I can finally 'see' in my software if a device is 'on' or 'off'.

But still, I must say, my heating system using the FHT80b devices works quite well indeed. And of course FS20 is quite cheap. However, If I had to choose now, one could argue if for example Danfoss Zwave radiator devices are in fact that much more expensive than FS20.....