HC3 Range extenders

[Glennwatling 1]

Hello all. 

 

Short version:

What Z-wave range extenders work well with a Home Center 3, in Australia, and ideally hard wired in? any reviews?

 

Long version:

This is my first post so be gentle

 

I'm in the process of building a house and trying to plan my home automation system now to incorporate any needs into the build. Conduits etc.

My block is over 1 hectare large, and although I don't need coverage throughout the entire block, I do need it to reach the front gate and the shed. How do i ensure the mesh network reaches outside the house? 

 

Google research has mixed results and nothing conclusive on the range of Z-wave through bricks. From the closest part of the house to the front gate is approximately 26 meters. Will a device like a light switch or power point that is hard wired in (at that side of the house) be a repeater strong enough to reach through the brick to the the front gate?

 

Is Z- Wave strong enough to penetrate a double brick wall from that point to the front gate? Or do I need a range extender?

 

Still very new to the home automation scene. I bought my home center 3 a year ago but it has been sitting in a box waiting for my house to be built. My intent here is to ensure that I have the right foundations for the rest of the build. IE PowerPoints/conduits  in the right places etc.

 

Thanks in advance 

 

[awlieser 19]

I suggest using no range extenders, but mains powered z-wave devices, e.g. the Fibaro wall plug.

[Martin_N 154]

Hello.

any permanently powered Z-wave device also serves as a Z-wave repeater.

Be careful with the Wallplug, it is functional, but due to various problems I would only count on it as an emergency solution.

Personally, I think that unless you have a reinforced concrete house, if you have a lighting switching module under the door switch, there will be sufficient overlap to the gate.

Since you didn't describe that the gate is supposed to be hundreds of meters in front of your ranch, I assume that you have a regular family house with a gate within 10-20m?

However, it would also be worth looking at gate/garage door drives from Nice. After all, Fibaro belongs to this family.

then you will look for a suitable location for the HC3 so that the range of these signals and not Z-wave is ensured.

@Glennwatling

and one more thing... welcome to the forum

[Sankotronic 2,370]

Hi @Glennwatling and welcome!

 

I tried long time ago one of Aeotec extenders and was not working as expected. At the end I used Fibaro wall plug in the basement and attic for some DW sensors and this works flawlessly for years. BTW - I used these wall plugs also to turn on extra lighting over there which was one more useful function besides extending z-wave network.  

 

[Glennwatling 1]

@Martin_N @Sankotronic thank you both for your information and welcomes and apologies for my late reply. 

 

From the closest tip of the house to the gate will be approximately 35m. but i think you have both confirmed what I already suspected 👍😊

 

I am trying to get a Nice gate motor and "should" be able to get a Robus 500 which will help. But there is not a lot of dealer in Western Australia at the moment. 

 

 

Cheers 👍