Which Z-wave PIR to choose?

[olof]

Since I discovered (and read on this forum) that the Visonic PIR (k9-85) are not exactly ideal for doubling up as lighting control (big disappointment btw),
I've been forced to look into Z-wave based PIR's to add to my walls. Right next to my Visonic PIR's.

I think there are only 4 choices to be had in Europe:
Everspring SP103
ACT Homepro ZIR010
Express Controls EZMotion Triple sensor
Eminent EM6580
[edit: I found a fifth one: Aeon Labs Multi Sensor]

Boy, are they all ugly and clumsy looking!

In any case, could anyone please tell me their experiences with these PIR's?

Which of these performs 'the best'? The best in my case being:
1. longest battery life based on normal household settings
2. stable relationship with Homeseer
3. quickness of detecting movement. I don't have any dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, mice, creepy crawlers or whatever in my house


Thanks for any input!

Cheers,
Olof

[aagesen]

Hi,
Looks like Everspring got a new one that I personally think is the best looking z wave pir.

http://www.smarthus.info/product_info.p ... ts_id=2954. They expect it by the 10th of feb.

[olof]

That new one does look a little better, a apart from the billboard advertisement on the front. Thank you.
However, I can't find any dimensions of the SP814, nor how it battery performs.

Maybe somebody knows?

Olof

[olof]

On this Everspring SP814, I found a picture taken from the side. Hmmm, it's design still 'leaves something to be desired' to put it mildly.
From the picture, it looks like it's not completely white on all sides all the way to the wall, which would make it ....strange.....
(the stand-up holder at the back I assume is from the webshop owner and not part of the product?)

[aagesen]

Agreed. That is a pitty. I just dubble checked the manual, and I can see it there too. (installing batteries)
Once I had the Ez 3 in 1, and I think it was ok, but it's a very large device in depth I think. It's very "out there". These two are still the two I would pick of several evils

[aagesen]

If price doesn't matter, Merten Argus might be an option.

http://www.smarthus.info/product_info.p ... ts_id=2600

[olof]

You can take a look on Merten Argus 220 (Z-Wave, 220V power) sensor:

Thanks for replying.
Yes, that one looks much better. It is, however, 220V power which would mean hacking and breaking in the house walls to get power to the various PIR locations in the house. Not sure the wife would appreciate that after we just finishing our remodeling..

Sigh, it looks like my wishes are unrealistic given what the market can offer at the moment.

[jrkalf]

I have no direct knowledge of PIR devices and there quality, but I've seen MoLiTe (Movement Light Temperature) 3-in-1 pir devices over at http://2ihome.com for a very affordable price (around EUR 30,-) and it's a dutch based company.

Jelle

[hkmod25]

I have no direct knowledge of PIR devices and there quality, but I've seen MoLiTe (Movement Light Temperature) 3-in-1 pir devices over at http://2ihome.com for a very affordable price (around EUR 30,-) and it's a dutch based company.

Jelle

All this products (2ihome WEB site) is OEM from Wintop (China company) : http://www.switchdiy.com/
It will be not a bad idea to ask supplier: "That about Z-Wave products sertification?......."

[olof]

I called the Dutch company (BeNext) to ask about their MoLiTe Sensor and their other z-wave products on 2ihome. Here's what I was told:

- All of their z-wave products will be available from end of March/ April, but first only in packages
- Individual products (including the MoLiTe PIR) will not be sold as a separate unit until summer at the earliest
- All products have official Z-wave certification
- Their website & shop are still work-in-progress

For my own purpose (decent looking Z-wave PIR with maximum battery & stable homeseer performance) I don't have enough info yet on whether this MoLiTe will cut it. But the appearance of a photograph doesn't thrill me....

[airox]

olof,

Sounds nice! If they are able to get a motion/temp/light sensor out for 30 euro's then I'm gonna order a lot of them. The window open/closed sensors will also be on my list. Replacing all KAKU sensors which are still in my house. Finally a complete and reliable setup for little money.

Greets

[jrkalf]

From what I gather from hkmod25's first comment is the weird part of the Z-wave certification.
I think that has to do with the new type of chip these chinese producers use which is completely z-wave compatible, but not based on the original zwave "certified" chip. I recall having had a small discussion with Tane on this. Perhaps he can elaborate more about this.

There are various OEM producers that produce ZWAVE stuff in bulk, like wintop or tekaibin.
Tekaibin being better known as TKBHOME in Europe for their tkb tz66d wall remote:

[Phaeton]

If I look at THE z-wave alliance site, i see wintop mentoren as a partner here: http://www.z-wavealliance.org/modules/i ... .php?id=79

If the pirs cost €30,- i'm going to buy a couple after testing if they are reliable. For me the kaku pirs dont work well.

[olof]

Just an update from the original post of mine on what I have decided to do. Perhaps of interest to others.

After getting all your input (thanks btw!) and thinking about it further, including how our family operates in real life, I've decided not to put Z-wave PIR's next to my existing Visonic PIR's (in most rooms) in order to have better lighting control.

For us the tradeoff between (a) the negative consequences of having the extra Z-wave PIR's versus (b) having 'better' lighting control are not worth it. Allow me to explain:

- Extra boxes (big & ugly at that) next to the Visonic units would visually clutter up our minimalistic walls & ceilings to much. Please note that we have an house with a minimalistic design/interior in which these current available Z-wave lumps do not really fit. And yes, to us esthetics is a factor when buying home automation stuff (that's also why I will be coloring a MCT-320 door sensor to match the dark grey color of our front door..somehow...).

- Uncertainty about how often the batteries would need to be changed. I hear various periods between 2 (!) months and 1 year, depending on desired settings etc.. I don't relish having to change batteries 2-3x /year for 10-15 PIR's. The Visonic units last at least 2 years, sometimes up to 3-4 years.

- The improvement in lighting control (versus only using the Visonic PIR/RfxCom/Homeseer combi) is very nice, but not nice enough in our case to offset the negatives.

The Visonic PIR/Rfxcom/Homeseer combi are excellent in detecting initial movement and turning on the lights without any noticeable delay. Turning lights off based on lack-of-movement is the problem. Various workarounds have been posted before, some of them should work for us in practice. For example, turning off the lights in any case after x minutes, x for us being 45 minutes or so in most rooms. And/or have Homeseer turn off all the lights based on a 'getting to bed routine' at the end of the day. And/or placing a z-wave master kill light-switch right next to our bed. Or simply turn it off by using your hand and the old fashioned light switch....

The exception being 2 rooms where (almost) everybody in the family always forgets to turn off the lights; the children's bathroom and the washing room. In these rooms I will place Z-wave PIR's because the above described trade-off works out differently in these 2 rooms.

Cheers,
Olof