Thanks for the good info. I have no problem trying a recommendation someone makes to try to improve things. If a repeater outlet between my lock and hub might help, I'll install one, for example. I'm just wondering if it would since I have a repeater switch right next to the outlet.
I know it can't be blamed for everything, but I do wonder how many of the problems can be attributed to the ST cloud. In general that is the biggest reason I would like to switch to HE, so long as it will do everything I want it do.
There seems to be a lot of mixed opinions on the Zigbee vs. Z-wave debate. Here, it seems Zigbee is the clear recommendation. Over at the ST community, many users, from the reading I've done, seem to prefer Z-wave. One reason is is Wi-Fi interference with Zigbee. That alone seems like a good enough reason to stick with Z-wave (that and I only have one Zigbee bulb, compared to a whole network of Z-wave bulbs and switches). I wonder why many seem to prefer Zigbee here.
I'll have to look into whether there is a way to update my lock's firmware.
Is ebay and other used markets the only way to get a radio module by itself? They don't seem to be sold directly from the manufacturer, from what I can tell.
I thought I'd give an update. Got my C-7 hub about a month ago. I added everything except the lock within the first few days and made sure the system was stable. After about a week I added the lock. All of my user codes were imported and I just had to use the Lock Code Manager app to assign names to them. Adding new codes is MUCH faster than it was in SmartThings. I've had very little problems controlling the lock from HE or with HE updating the status when the lock is operated manually. I would say maybe one out of every 10 or more times the lock is operated manually, the status does not update in HE. Fortunately there's an easy fix for that! Since Refresh is an available action in Rule Machine, I created a virtual button to place on my Dashboard that I can use to refresh the lack status if I think it's not correct. (Like when I'm away from home and I know I locked the door but it shows unlocked. Now I want to unlock it with my phone but I can't do that if it's already unlocked. So I hit the refresh button first and then I can unlock it.) I've also added Refresh as an action in any rule that locks or unlocks the door.)
In short, I know nothing is perfect, but I am very happy with the experience here compared to ST. Since I can refresh the device status on demand, I really have no complaints and I can live with the occasional incorrect status reporting. I suppose I could create a rule that automatically refreshes periodically, but would that affect battery life?
Speaking of battery life, HE has shown 60% battery life the entire time the lock has been included. Batteries were not new when I moved it over from ST, so I believe it could have actually been around 60% at the time, but surely it's dropped a bit in the three weeks or so I've added it. Is this normal? I found that battery reporting was not very accurate in ST, either.
Are you seeing battery update reports in your logs? I don’t have Kwikset - I’ve got two BE469ZP locks and I see battery reports in the logs a few times a day for all my battery powered devices, and the reports do seem accurate. Many devices have a parameter to set how often the device reports battery status. If your lock has that parameter, you might try setting it.
Amazon has the Kwikset Z-Wave and Z-Wave+ modules. Had to purchase one awhile back when I bought a lock and didn't realize it was a model without a radio. Added in the module and no issues.
If I understand correctly, from reading your posts above, your lock is Z-Wave. If so, here’s the tool to do it:
Ask if it’s not clear from reading that thread how to use the tool. Basically, you switch the driver for your device to the tool driver, save device, click configure, set the parameter, change driver back, save device, click configure.
As to which parameter & the value, look on z-wavealliance.org, see this device in products, they are required to have a table of how to configure.
This is more of a Z-Wave note, but since it was spurred by a Zigbee conversion, I thought I'd add to this thread. I recently bought an Amazon lock to convert one of my 910s from Z-Wave to Zigbee. That process was seamless, as documented here, just swap the cards. Special thanks to all who have contributed to this thread, especially the note to grab a used unit from AMZN to harvest the Zigbee card from. ($32 for me!)
Somewhere in the process of moving all of my HE "stuff" from the old device to the new, it dawned on me: The actual Convert hardware makes a great "portable" mothership for the Z-Wave card. Pop a Z-Wave card into the Convert hardware, and you now have an easy method to move the Z-Wave card close to the hub for secure pairing, then pop the card back into the 'real' lock already mounted on the door for use. If I had known about the Convert unit when I originally installed my locks, I would have gladly paid the $32 for the convenience.
Quick question - are the lock codes stored on the Z-Wave/Zigbee module? I'm assuming that if I swap out the Z-Wave module for a Zigbee one, I would need to re-do the codes but wanted to check if that was a fact. Since the Convert (Amazon) version does not have a keypad, I wasn't sure.
I converted three 910s from Z-Wave to Zigbee, and my missed reports/changes went way down. I have a very small bit of trouble with one lock now, it's no doubt a mesh issue and even that is so low that I haven't bothered with a repeater. Just flick the lock back and forth and it catches it. The other two locks have been flawless.
I used this Amazon lock for my Zigbee card donors. As I mentioned above, this makes a nice 'carrier' unit for the old/other card. I would leave my HE unit as-it-was, physically swap the cards in the door unit, add the Zigbee card on-the-door, (ETA: swap rules, dashboards, LCM, etc. over to the new device,) then use the convert shell to remove the old Z-Wave module.
I tried to buy in the mid-to-high $30 range, and only from Amazon Warehouse. Sometimes the price does bounce around a bit. I had to wait on 1 or 2 of my locks to find the 'right' time to buy. (And for some reason the venetian bronze finish was always cheaper for me. Of course, it doesn't matter, but I thought that was interesting. I suppose more of those are being returned.)
I bought the same but I had a hard time trying to get the card out of my old Z-Wave lock, so it's just sitting there for now. Is there any trick to getting the card out from the 910s?
Remove the battery pack, then just pull the card up. There's a bit of a lip on the front/room side of the card, so if you can get your fingernail or perhaps a plastic spudger under it, that would make it easier. Play around with your convert unit. Physically, they're the same in the battery/card area. It's one of those things where after you get it the first time, it just 'clicks.'
ok, I have ordered a lovely Venetian Bronze lock and am looking forward to playing with the Zigbee implementation. It certainly beats paying for 4 new locks, and even if I did this I wouldn't know what to buy to replace them!
I just bought a Kwikset 912 zigbee lever lock to replace a side door entry door knob lock. Was going to get the Yale but I read some reviews where the physical key is very easy to pick. I'm not thrilled with the keypad but like the small footprint. We'll see how the WAF goes..
I really like my Zigbee Kwikset 912... its been installed a 18 months now, gets used a half dozen times a day, has required zero intervention and is still going strong on its original set of batteries (it has been alerting me via beeps/flashing lights since they dropped to 15% last October... now reporting zero for the last two weeks but still working like a champ).
Anyone know if the Kwikset Amazon Key Edition will plug into an existing Kwikset keypad? I only have one 910, that's an easy swap of the boards. However, I have two 98880-004's (Smartcode 888's purchased new in 2020), could I just remove the whole interior control and replace with the Convert? i.e. is there a place to plug in the keypad on these? Any one have any pictures? Thanks!
Anyone notice multiple notifications when you switch from ZWave to Zigbee on the Kwikset locks?
I posted over here as a few folks there have the same issue, but it's a little dated, so maybe I am missing the solution .
