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433 range testing

mrandersonmranderson Member
edited October 2016 in Questions & Help
Hi @Reinier ;
I've now methodically tested my 433 remote on Homey VS 433 doorbell receiver to see if there were any differences in reception. 

Homey and doorbell placed right next to each other, and then used skype on a phone to check when signal was not received.

No.11 on this map is my home, and I've drawn the internal walls (wood), and a few points of interest.

A: Homey and doorbell placed on a shelf here. Both responds to remote nicely when standing right next to them.

B: Still inside, by the end of the couch.
Doorbell OK
Homey already struggles with reception (10-20% success on button presses, though I did not spam the remote button). 

C: Front door
Doorbell OK
Homey no reception

D : Out in the street
Doorbell works great until this point
Homey no reception

I'm no expert, but I guess the doorbell listens on a smaller spectrum than Homey (less noise), but when I'm struggling with remote presses  3-4 meters away from Homey, thats's not a good consumer experience. I remember a video where Emile demonstrated an impressive 433 range in their office, so I'm wondering if I can expect Homey to be on par with my doorbell in the future? (At least to work with the doorbell button by the front door)



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Comments

  • Same issue here, i also have a poor 433 range, i'm on firmware 0.10.1

    The Video was very impressive, but results in real live are totally different.

    @ Athom, is this a known issue? 

  • mrandersonmranderson Member
    edited October 2016
    Yes, also on 0.10.1, forgot to mention that. There is also a lot of foliage obstructing the A-D line, so doorbell range is probably even better than the picture suggests.
  • No response here so far, @Gerjan, so I put it on github.

    https://github.com/athombv/homey/issues/951
  • Hi 

    I did a small test to ,  red is homey and yellow is where the range ends 12-14m

    concrete walls and did use a battery wall switch to tell homey to start milight.




  • Same issue here, inside the house 3-4 metes away from Homey there is No response from the kaku switch.
    Very poor distances not even close compared with the video where they test the 433 range
  • Pakacom said:
    Same issue here, inside the house 3-4 metes away from Homey there is No response from the kaku switch.
    Very poor distances not even close compared with the video where they test the 433 range
    I have the same issue, both with battery and non battery devices from kaku.
  • Same. Battery device from kaku that I have stops working from 4ish meters away as well
  • @Emile Can someone from @Athom ; please comment if our ~4m 433 range issue is a problem that you plan to address some day, or is it "tough luck"?
    My github is still untouched - not even a tag, so I'm just curious on what to expect.
  • I guess that Athom can not really do a prediction on how well your range will be because every home is different. Different walls, materials, placement of homey etc. In our home for instance I do have perfect range even when it has to go through 2 concrete walls. But on the other side of the home when I put a plastic box in front of the Kaku device it won't react anymore (and as far as I know plastics don't have a big interference with radio waves..).

    The youtube video's show just a single setup on where the range could be great but it all depends on the environment.
  • phil_sphil_s Member
    edited October 2016
    my range to a kaku switch is only 1 meter! i took homey to a place where no other device like hifi, tv or something else is situated. but the switch only reacts if i am in an area of really just 1 meter! 

    i think kaku and 433 would be no solution in my home automation.
  • phbphb Member
    Range Kaku is here about  6-7 meters 
  • I get about 60 metres with LightwaveRF.
  • @mranderson You should add the type of doorbell to your bugreport. There's like five different kinds iirc. Also, you should add whether it's bettery-powered or not (Guessing it is)
  • Kaku range is very good over here. Have KaKu devices all over the area, from the attic to the barn outside. Have HR+++ glass all over. First floor (Begane grond in dutch) it's even burglar proof. Must say that i never paired a device near Homey, always from where it's hanging/standing.
  • I also get great range with LightwaveRF. 2 storey apartment and it reaches everywhere.
  • I guess that Athom can not really do a prediction on how well your range will be because every home is different. Different walls, materials, placement of homey etc. In our home for instance I do have perfect range even when it has to go through 2 concrete walls. But on the other side of the home when I put a plastic box in front of the Kaku device it won't react anymore (and as far as I know plastics don't have a big interference with radio waves..).

    The youtube video's show just a single setup on where the range could be great but it all depends on the environment.
    OK, you are going for the "tough luck" alternative.
    And you may be correct, but all I'm asking for is an official statement (not you :smile: ) so I can plan accordingly. 
  • I don't expect @Emile to read every thread on this forum, let alone respond to every mention ;) If you want some progress on the bug, please provide the information I asked for...
  • TheoDeKoningTheoDeKoning Member
    edited October 2016
    Pakacom said:
    Same issue here, inside the house 3-4 metes away from Homey there is No response from the kaku switch.
    Very poor distances not even close compared with the video where they test the 433 range
    The video shows only the transmition capacity.  The receiving site is not tested that way.
    That seems to be a big problem.
  • I guess that Athom can not really do a prediction on how well your range will be because every home is different. Different walls, materials, placement of homey etc. In our home for instance I do have perfect range even when it has to go through 2 concrete walls. But on the other side of the home when I put a plastic box in front of the Kaku device it won't react anymore (and as far as I know plastics don't have a big interference with radio waves..).

    The youtube video's show just a single setup on where the range could be great but it all depends on the environment.
    Such a big difference is not normal. This must be a bug or malfuntion in Homey. or a bad batch of 433 chips? (KAKU remote control is 100 % working from same location or bigger distance regards to Homey)

    somebody same results with KAKU Remote control? regards to Homey?
  • No response here so far, @Gerjan, so I put it on github.

    https://github.com/athombv/homey/issues/951
    Thanks!
  • Form the moment I see a difference with the night sensor. For now I have there a control device also direct paired to.

    Because to overcome interference of the sending from night sensor against the sending from Homey is there a 3 sec delay. Now I waiting for clouded weather and see of Homey can follow the night sensor even good.     

  • Haven't tested kaku, but my fibaro motion sensor can't be read 4 meters away (2 brick walls between homey and fiboro).
  • I've got some KaKu in my house working with Homey verry nicely. The max distance is 8 meters away but there is a concrete floor and some concrete walls between them. They still work verry good.
  • I have 5 TS32/20 thermometers, 11 KaKu contacts and 15 KaKu switches.
    When I received the Homey all the KaKu's en thermometers worked fine.

    After the some update's (do not know which update) just 1 TS32, two contacts and 2 switches work distance 3 meters, the rest do nothing anymore.
    If I place them closer to the homey they works fine again. So there is something changed.

    But it's still beta :-)

  • Ok, that lets me hope that it will be better in the near future. 
  • I don't expect @Emile to read every thread on this forum, let alone respond to every mention ;) If you want some progress on the bug, please provide the information I asked for...
    No, not every mention. But I think you agree with me that my 3-4 meters range in clear view, in the suburbs (relatively far from neighbours), neighbours have no babies (no babycalls), my microwave is even turned off - is of a greater magnitude than "respond to every mention".

    And I was not demanding a athom statement that "your range will be 10 meters minimumin the future!", as some here misread me to believe. And when I only got silence from my first post and github, I really want some heads up if they have some tweaking planned for the 433 receiving range (acknowledging the problem) - or if they're satisified with listening range as it is.   Anyways, added my remote/ wall switches info to the github now, looking forward to the progress :wink: 

  • TheoDeKoningTheoDeKoning Member
    edited October 2016
    Second night-sensor test started. It is on the 1st floor witch is from concrete.
    Homey is 70cm below the ceiling and 5 meter cross to under that sensor that's switching two lanterns in the garden for a long time now.
    My globe is the test lamp in the living room. Now waiting for the darkness to come.  B)
     
  • The second night-sensor test is working well.
    This moment to my surprise the test lamp went on again. Looking outside the window I saw that is was right.
    The two lanterns in the garden where on too. There are very dark clouds that are coming and going.

    A nice test opportunity this way.  
  • TheoDeKoningTheoDeKoning Member
    edited October 2016
    This evening again strange things with sending to Homey.
    Normal it is that you can see on the device page if a wall-switch has used.  If you remote paired that way.
    Now there was only one that was doing that but it was 50 cm from Homey.
    The second nearest, on 2 meter distant, has a well/not reaction on Homey.

    When I remove a device and again remote pair it was it very difficult to do. Distant to Homey: 3 meter.
    Pairing was sometimes accepted but no switching possible. After a lots of trying I had luck.

    This way you can't use a remote paired device as a trigger in a flow.  :'(  

    Edit
    This morning, 08:00, it is a little better. The 2 meter range is OK and the 3 meter a well/not reaction.
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