I am in need of a bunch of contact sensors and was looking at a lot of the old Iris ones. After a search here there seems to be mixed experiences with them.
What is the current state of the Iris contact sensors? Also, any recommendations for contact sensors other than iris?
I use the Iris V1 sensors with no problems here. Picked up 8 for under $40 shipped on eBay. There's a bit of a learning curve with getting them paired, but once I was quick enough with the reset and back cover I haven't had any problems since.
I’m using 5 of the Iris V2 contact sensors. The V2 pair easily and the CR2 batteries last forever. I’ve had them for 2 years now and have only replaced the battery in 2 of them.
I’ve got a bunch of the V1 and V2 iris sensors. No issues with either, aside from having to re-pair one of them once.
I prefer Z-Wave sensors, but for the price, the Iris ones can’t be beat.
Personally I would stick with the V2. They are so cheap on eBay at this point, there's no reason to go with the V1 simply because if you ever decide to leave Hubitat, the V2 work with other systems. The V1 will not.
I ordered 1 Lot (qty 10) of these v2 Iris Contact Sensors. Working well so far. You will need to provide your own magnets and possibly batteries. These were made by Centralite, a highly regarded Zigbee device OEM.
I have some and they are very sensitive. If your zigbee network has a hiccup, the v1 are the first to drop.
I bought a lot of 10 x IL06-1 off eBay (Iris v3) for $40. No problem. Fresh batteries, so all is good,except that they don't ship with magnets.
Bought a pack of 10 wired contact sensors & magnets off Amazon - to scavenge the magnets for the Iris':
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LYD3Y6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The only problem is for the sensors to work I had to offset the magnets by about 1/4 - 1/2".
I would think that something like this would work better.
http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Magnets-Rare-Earth-Neodymium/dp/B07S6GJXCZ
Plus, since these are stronger, you wouldn't have to have them tilted on their side, you could just leave them flat. The magnet inside the iris sensor is REALLY small. So, it doesn't take much. But they are finicky on the alignment...but that's true with their own magnets as well.
I’m hearing that they are worth giving a shot. Thanks everyone.
I have many wired alarm contact sensors that use these magnets. They are nice because you can screw them into a surface, super small screw. I use one on my mailbox with an Iris v2 sensor and they work great
https://www.amazon.com/DIYMAG-Neodymium-Countersunk-Magnets-Permanent/dp/B071ZKQ2X5/
I have both Iris v1 and v2 contact sensors and I prefer the v1’s. The v2’s don’t have a separate hardware magnetic switch like the v1’s. So I believe the v1’s are a tiny bit faster but the reason I prefer the v1’s is that I actually drill small holes in the case and solder a wire on to each side of the switch to make super cheap water sensors. I have at least 15 v1’s in use and 5 or 6 of the v2’s without any problems for almost a year that I’ve had Hubitat.
You can also solder other sensors to those like a Photo Light Sensitive Resistor on those v1 contacts. What does the ebay seller do with all of those magnets?
This is what I meant with "offset" - to shift the magnet over a bit so it would align and trigger the sensor repeatedly. Might look a bit fugly, but it works, and at the combined price is not a deal breaker.
Btw - this is my garage door MyQ "open/close" sensor. When the door opens/closes, the hinge part with the sensor (which is not screwed down into the support) will rotate - indicating status.
That's a good solution to creating a makeshift Tilt Sensor. I always had trouble with my Iris sensor's batteries dying in my garage in the cold.
So between these three models which do you recommend?
Iris Model iL06-1
Iris Model 3320-L
Iris Model DWS800
--Christian
I would avoid the 1st gen DWS800, along with all 1st gen Iris stuff. If you don’t already have a bunch of it, no reason to buy non-standards-compliant devices.
I have had good luck with the 3320-L. I’ve never used the iL06-1.
I've had good luck with the iL06-1's, ended up buying 10 extras just to have on hand. Actually have all three, would agree about avoiding the Gen1 due to their lack of standards compliance. Had all of my V1 devices disappear at once, likely due to a V1 button that met its end at the hands of a strong EM field. From a "look-and-feel" perspective, I prefer the iL06-1's over the 3320-L's.
do these come with both parts for the sensors? images only show one side?
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