(DIY) How to improve HC3 Zwave coverage

[cag014 628]

I had an issue with some Z-wave devices that insists to be disconnected from HC3. Have tried to relocate HC3 (as much as possible w/o irritating my wife) without success, always had some disconnected devices.

But during the relocation have noticed that in some specific spot all devices have been connected. The problem to achieve full coverage, requires accuracy of ONE millimeter!

Have tried to understand, why? I have my own SMS system connected to HC3 and when a specific corner of HC3 has touched the antenna (accidently) I have a good coverage.

So....

I took a piece of metal and actually stuck it under HC3 like antenna (see below), now I have an excellent coverage. It's sound like a joke, but it's not a joke at all.

After that have found an image of HC3 board, and YES, the Z-wave antenna is actually located on that corner of the box.

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I am very curios if it helps to others... please let me know if it works for you too.

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by cag014

[Fabir 65]

@cag014Hi, thank you for this input.

 

About your DIY zwave antenna. With antennas, everything is about shape and length. On your foto, I can't see exactly how it looks like?  Can you share the dimensons of your DIY antenna?

 

I'm also using the Aeotec zwave repeaters. Before with HC2/HCL and now with HC3/HC3L. In my case, they always show up as configuered in the controller. But I've never been impressed, on how they are helping with the zwave range.  Some devices  are useing the zwave repeater, some don't.

My aeotec sirene 6, is placed the furthest away from hc3, but still is refusing to use the aeotec repaeter as zwave hub. Ironically both are aeotec devices. 

 

Then I've bought the Fibaro Walli controller for other use and found, this is also the best zwave repeater I've used so far. Some zwave devices are using it as a zwave hub, even though hc3, is closer to them, than the Walli Controller.   

[cag014 628]

25 minutes ago, Fabir said:

@cag014Hi, thank you for this input.

 

About your DIY zwave antenna. With antennas, everything is about shape and length. On your foto, I can't see exactly how it looks like?  Can you share the dimensons of your DIY antenna?

 

I'm also using the Aeotec zwave repeaters. Before with HC2/HCL and now with HC3/HC3L. In my case, they always show up as configuered in the controller. But I've never been impressed, on how they are helping with the zwave range.  Some devices  are useing the zwave repeater, some don't.

My aeotec sirene 6, is placed the furthest away from hc3, but still is refusing to use the aeotec repaeter as zwave hub. Ironically both are aeotec devices. 

 

Then I've bought the Fibaro Walli controller for other use and found, this is also the best zwave repeater I've used so far. Some zwave devices are using it as a zwave hub, even though hc3, is closer to them, than the Walli Controller.   

The antenna that you see on the photo belongs to SMS device. This antenna accedently helped to find out that Fibaro on-board antenna needs improvements.

 

I just use a piece of metal and it works, as I said I will try to find antenna (1/4 lambda for 800Mhz) to replace this. Meanwhile it works great and honestly I don't want to replace it...😀

Here the actual photo that works now

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Always unconfigured (HC2, HC3, HCL3 and Yubii). It strange that you have it configured.

By the way the parent of Aeotec repeater is configured but the child is not. The child is the repeater, correct?

Edited July 2, 2023 by cag014

[Fabir 65]

@cag014 For me SMS means short-message-service used for handy to handy communication. What is a SMS device in your use case?

 

Below a configured aeotec repeater

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[cag014 628]

Just now, Fabir said:

@cag014 For me SMS means short-message-service used for handy to handy communication. What is a SMS device in your use case?

 

Below a configured aeotec repeater

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Is it parent or child?

 

[Fabir 65]

@cag014 Yes the child is the zwave repeater. But this also looks OK. See below.

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[cag014 628]

1 minute ago, Fabir said:

@cag014 For me SMS means short-message-service used for handy to handy communication. What is a SMS device in your use case?

 

I am using USR GPRS and Ethernet to serial card to communicate with HC2 (Net.FTcpSocket) to send AT commands. 

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In the near future will try to implement that on HC3.

The idea is not only to send SMS but also to receive SMS and to control the devices.

For example, I can send SMS "open the door", "open the gate", and many others that you can create.

here is the antenna that you saw on the photo.

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[Fabir 65]

@cag014

Wow that's a great SMS solution.

 

About the aeotec repeaters:

My hc3 and hc3l are running on ZW2. The aeotec repeaters are included without security.

[cag014 628]

@Fabir

In any case, please try the

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       repeater.

If it won't work or you will be unsatisfied, I'll pay you back.👍

In addition, as you saw it has temperature and humidity sensors, also work fine.

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by cag014

[cag014 628]

@Fabir

Have tried another configuration right now, and looks like it works better.

Just put some piece of metal on the left-back corner of HC3

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[Fabir 65]

@cag014Tanks, Il give the neo coolcam repeater a try. I'm also going to test, the DIY zwave antenna. 😄

[Fyase 5]

On 7/3/2023 at 1:42 AM, Fabir said:

@cag014

Wow that's a great SMS solution.

 

About the aeotec repeaters:

My hc3 and hc3l are running on ZW2. The aeotec repeaters are included without security.

 

I have an aeotec repeater and as cag014 reported I got It unconfigured...

 

I have It included with security, I'll try to add it again without security. This could be the Key...

 

Thanks for sharing

Edited July 4, 2023 by Fyase

[tinman 1,025]

On 7/1/2023 at 1:43 AM, cag014 said:

I took a piece of metal and actually stuck it under HC3 like antenna (see below), now I have an excellent coverage. It's sound like a joke, but it's not a joke at all.

After that have found an image of HC3 board, and YES, the Z-wave antenna is actually located on that corner of the box.

 

hehe no, this is not z-wave antenna, the one in the up corner is

 

 

On 7/1/2023 at 1:43 AM, cag014 said:

There is a good logic behind that. Since HC3 has internal on-board printed antennas,

 

nope, it is excelent antenna, not PCB thing, i checked the datasheets years ago

 

On 7/1/2023 at 1:43 AM, cag014 said:

any piece of metal could work as extender.

 

 

nope, it would not, what you did is actually kind of ground plane, which does change antenna diversity - so the coverage is better in one specific direction, which is in your case "winner"

 

 

[tinman 1,025]

1 hour ago, Fyase said:

 

I have an aeotec repeater and as cag014 reported I got It unconfigured...

 

I have It included with security, I'll try to add it again without security. This could be the Key...

 

Thanks for sharing

 

aeotec repeater is actually not that good (+6dBm), the antenna is cheap one. Heatit Heatit ZM Single Relay 16A has better antenna (when stright), and afaik sends bit better. The best z-wave repeater is actually Fibaro Walli Controller (only if power supply powered), it does send with +13dBm

[cag014 628]

On 7/3/2023 at 2:42 AM, Fabir said:

@cag014

Wow that's a great SMS solution.

 

The SMS using as a backup to control major devices and to receive useful data (like alarm) when Internet is down. 

Another advantage that you receive notification actually online (few seconds delay). If Alarm breached or such... 

Of course, the controller and SMS are connected to UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) in case someone will decide to disconnect the power and to rob your home😀 Since alarm based on motion and door sensor powered by batteries you will get notified.

[cag014 628]

2 hours ago, tinman said:

 

hehe no, this is not z-wave antenna, the one in the up corner is

 

 

 

nope, it is excelent antenna, not PCB thing, i checked the datasheets years ago

 

 

nope, it would not, what you did is actually kind of ground plane, which does change antenna diversity - so the coverage is better in one specific direction, which is in your case "winner"

 

 

Not exactly, based on spectrum reading I have only one side that the TX is lower... the back of the unit but in any case, this direction blocked by wall.

But, yes in general you're correct it creates more like directional antenna. Something like that : (not an actual measurement)

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[Fabir 65]

@tinman That's what I have stated above, the walli controller is the best zwave repeater. In my case, some zwave devices are taking the route over the walli controller, altough hc3, is closer to them. HC3 has +14dBm

Edited July 5, 2023 by Fabir

[Fyase 5]

On 7/5/2023 at 12:27 PM, Fabir said:

@tinman That's what I have stated above, the walli controller is the best zwave repeater. In my case, some zwave devices are taking the route over the walli controller, altough hc3, is closer to them. HC3 has +14dBm

 

Fabir where did you see that some devices was connected to the repeater instead on the HC3?

[Fabir 65]

@FyaseI'm installer therefore I have the installer App. The App shows the route for each zwave device. (AFIK only ZW2) I don't understand why hc3/hc3l can't show this information to every user in the controller GUI.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Fabir

[Fyase 5]

12 hours ago, Fabir said:

@FyaseI'm installer therefore I have the installer App. The App shows the route for each zwave device. (AFIK only ZW2) I don't understand why hc3/hc3l can't show this information to every user in the controller GUI.

 

For this I Guess we have to wait for a @cag014 QuickApp

[cag014 628]

On 7/8/2023 at 11:47 AM, Fyase said:

 

For this I Guess we have to wait for a @cag014 QuickApp

By the way on latest release in Diagnostic you have Z-wave statistics for every device.  How frequently its communicates and if there are any failures. Looks like they took the idea from Z-wave monitor 😁. Hopefully in the future they will add Zigbe and Nice also.

Below you can see my biggest consumer... Aeotec  3 clamps energy meter.  569 communication frames per hour (I believe this is an average)

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