I agree that the price is a hurdle. I origanally "discovered" the glee of Pico's via StaplesConnect in 2014, which had the radio built in. The total cost of StaplesConnect hub was similar to HE... therefore the "cost" is less in the technology and more in the packaging.. Injected molded shell, UL approval, etc.
The sad truth is, there's plenty of USB Sticks with the same hardware (CC1101) available... it's the ClearConnect license that's the hurdle, I believe.
Obviously Staples via their Zonoff partner, acquired the License and it didn't double to cost of their hub. But that was 2014 and maybe Lutron doesn't license anymore.
I'll vote a +1 for the SmartThings button, for $14.99 amazon prime, its hard to beat, and it seems nicely reliable now that they've fixed the firmware recently, so you may need to flash it with a ST hub if it comes with the old version.
I have a very simple setup.
I use a Xiaomi button and rule machine.
It's on the bedside table.
Button pressed, turn off lights set in the rule.
In my case, all lights.
Works for me.
They stop responding to button presses after a random amount of time. They basically drop off the network and don't wake up and send the command when pressed. Popping the top off it to disconnect the battery and putting it back on to reboot it always got it working. Firmware update fixed it right up. Theres a couple of amazon reviews that mention it, and over on the ST community too.
They do single press, double-tap and held mode. It periodically reports battery and temperature. They are small and quite smart looking, but thats a matter of opinion I guess.
If you want a "standard" device, the Samsung Button is not a bad choice. Some people have reported problems with duplicate events after it's been dormant for a while, but Samsung also claims to have fixed that with recent firmware updates (though if you have an old one, you'll unfortunately need a SmartThings hub to update it). The only thing cheaper is probably Xiaomi, which aren't standard and can be a bit flaky unless they're close to the hub or (close to and paired through, it seems) a known-compatible repeater.
I might also recommend this thread, which details the capabilities of every button device natively compatible with Hubitat. You're likely to see some you've never heard of and might be worth checking out: Hubitat Elevation supported button controller capabilities matrix
You'll find the hub bundled with a Pico and a dimmer. Many on Ebay, but be sure to save yourself some hassle by verifying PRO2
Several people have gotten the wrong one and made calls into Lutron asking for the software update. Lutron has superior Customer Service and while they've said no to allowing the update, they did indeed swap out the PRO for a PRO2.
Not to derail what this thread was for, but my logs are really cluttered up with power reports when the TV is on. Watt usage on the plasma is all over the place, I have it set to report on 15 watt changes and I seemed to need that to capture OFF event when Tv goes from sleep to truly off. Any one have any ideas for that? Everything works fine, it’s jusg so many reports..
I got a couple of NodOn remotes (NodOn Soft Remote and NodOn Octan Remote) for my master and guest bedrooms. They’re a bit pricey but not nearly as much as a hub. It was a royal pain getting them to pair with my Hubitat, but once I got past that they have been working very nicely so far. I keep the Soft Remote on my own bedstand and will be mounting the Octan where the light switch currently is so it’s easy to find.
