Hello, we have an old doorbell, like really old. We like how it looks, and don't want to change it. We also don't want a camera in front or anything like that.
We are exploring ways on how to make our existing doorbell smart.
Here's the functionality that we are looking for.
Normal function - someone hits the doorbell, doorbell chimes as normal, hubitat logs the keypress
Evening Function - someone hits the doorbell, no chime, lights flash, hubitat logs the keypress
Nighttime function - someone hit the doorbell, no chime, hubitat logs the keypress
I was thinking of just putting a really in between the button and the bell, but upon further reading, I'm not sure that will work.
Search the forum for "Sage doorbell". This was a device that interfaced with the 16-24VAC of an old doorbell. It does work .. mostly. When I bought mine off eBay, they were less than $5 so you might want to try it. I got tired of it dropping off the mesh, and that it doesn't report battery is part of the issue.
Ultimately, I decided a doorbell camera would be more reliable, I used Wyze (gen 1) but replaced it with the Blink doorbell. Either would create a cloud dependency for integration, but with Blink, you can still use your old chimes and that of course would work locally.
The Nexia Doorbell Sensor works well to detect doorbell presses from a traditional mechanical chime but does not interrupt the chime mechanism. I've had for at least five years, started on ST, availability looks limited, saw listing on ebay for $25.
The driver has been ported to HE (link below). I use to trigger playing a digital doorbell sound in remote areas of our house when we are home.
If you are using a traditional doorbell with a 16 - 24 VAC transformer, you can accomplish what you are trying to do with a Zooz Zen 17 device (Zooz Zen 17)...you can also buy on Amazon:
2 dry contact / 12-24 V inputs
2 NO or NC relays
You connect the doorbell button in series with one of the 12-24 V inputs, and connect your doorbell chime to one of the NO relays.
When you push the doorbell button, you will see a change in voltage across the input to the device. You then to the Hubitat programming to either close the NO relay to make a ding dong (or not) and do whatever light thingy you want to do.
I have not tried this myself, but it should work...good luck!
For zigbee, the MHCozy1 might work, too. DC 7-32V, accepts power through either a micro-usb or standard terminals. Power is not passed through to the relay circuit.
I also wanted to keep my existing doorbells (buttons and chime) at both the front and back door. I basically wanted to do what you have listed in your original post and a little bit more. I use the Zooz Zen 16 (It has now been updated to thee Zooz Zen 17).
Depending on time of day and alarm status, some of the things that my HE does when a doorbell is rung include:
Porch Lights On
Wall Tablet goes to Camera View for the respective door
Loud Aggressive Dog starts barking through Stereo System
Messages get sent to phones
I already have 24/7 security cameras at both doors, so getting a video doorbell did not make any sense to me. I currently don't have the chime not go off, but I don't see why you could not implement it. I believe it is all in the features of the Zooz.
The zooz can be powered off your doorbell transformer, and if you are also connecting two doorbells and a chime, you will need to understand some wiring basics.
Note with the Zooz you keep your existing doorbell buttons and chime, you do all the connections with your doorbell wiring. There is no need to change anything at the doorbells or chime, but you do need to access the wiring.
Hey, so the doorbell itself (in and out) of the Zooz Zen 16 is not powered right? You are drawing power from the Zen 16 (which happens to be powered by your DB transformer?
Do I have that right?
I do have access to everything. It just so happens that the zoos sits right near my doorbell wiring, so I figure a little snip and extension should do the trick.
So Yes, I just have the doorbell transformer power the zooz, The zooz then has 3 dry contacts and 3 relays, just hook your doorbells up to the dry contacts, (that is all a doorbell is, when you don't have power going through it) and power the chime from the relay.
As well, if you search here in this forum, you will see:
using a Ecolink Zwave contact sensor (as doorbell)
using a Lutron Pico as doorbell (Must have an existing lutron setup)
I have a Amcrest Video Doorbell (AD410).
If I can figure out the api, there might be a way I could use the doorbell press action to turn on the chimes sound in my siren. [IF ANYONE READING THIS KNOWS HOW TO DO THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.]
Sure he can, per his description, once he powers his zen16 from his doorbell transformer, he can just use his (unpowered) wires from his doorbells as dry contacts. Power the Chime from one of the zooz relays.
