New Model C-7 Hub Coming Soon

Yes, I would like to know this too. It has been my biggest disappointment moving from Smartthings to HE. I like the HE platform, but after the work involved in moving devices, and converting rules from WebCore to RM, I had to accept less security on my locks since ST was rock stable and HE is not.

LJ

I'm waiting for the new HE hub to be available for switching over from Smartthings. So, are there issues with the Schlage locks working with HE? I have a Schlage Connect lock and I sure don't want to have issues with the switchover!

I don't have any locks but another option could be to leave the lock on ST and use HubConnect to connect the HE and ST hubs together. You can then control the lock, (or whatever it is you want to do with it), from HE.
Just something to consider

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The most interesting to me is that the C-7 Hub now has the CE marking, which is the basic requirement to sell it inside EU. I'm guessing this means that we'll finally get to see Hubitat being sold over here?

@cohoman
This might help clear up a few things about getting a good connection between your Schlage Connect lock and Hubitat hub.

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Don't let me discourage you from Hubitat. I like it and it has many advantages. The debate about the schlage locks is in many places here on the community. It is hotly contested with some blaming the locks and some balming the HE. The official response from hubitat is that other platforms have done workarounds on an issue with these locks to get them to be reliable which hubitat doesn't believe is correct. Read the thread for more information:

LJ

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This is not our "official response" at all.

A number of users were having trouble with Schlage locks. We have been unable to replicate these problems in our own testing. We were faced with a dilemma where we had the locks on our list of compatible products, yet a significant number of users had problems. We removed it from the list for this reason.

We have not had the opportunity yet to retest these locks with a C-7 hub.

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This video points to the Aeotec range extenders as the answer to communication problems. This has been claimed by many, and many have said that this fixes the issue. Many others have said it doesn't. I fall into the latter category. I have multiple switches and aeotec range extenders within 10 feet, direct line of sight, of my locks and still have the issues.

LJ

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Fair enough. I commented because, like the previous poster, I was hopeful that the C-7 might help either due to the new z-wave chip, or possibly a better antenna.

I look forward to your test results. i would be happy to beta for you if you like.

LJ

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@bravenel is there any chance of a beta hub pricing? I'd love to test on the new hub I just can't justify the price of a 5th hub..

That doesn't make much sense to me... Hubitat wasn't able to reproduce the issue on the C-4/5 hub (aka the lock worked fine for them on the existing hub)....

So if it works on the C-7 in their lab, then what? You know no more than you did before, because it also worked for them on the C4/5...

The only semi (non-conclusive) test is if a person that has issues gets the new hub and it magically becomes reliable.

Directionally the new radio/increased sensitivity "should" do nothing but help. But whether that yields a meaningful difference is TBD / application dependent.

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It is possible that @mike.maxwell may have acquired additional Schlage locks with older FW versions since the last time such tests were run.

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And heck, we don't even know when we can buy the hub yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. :slight_smile:

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Wow, it is a heated topic! So far, my Schlage Door Lock works well with Smartthings, so I'm hoping the switch to HE won't be too bad. I really like all the other things that HE offers and I don't want to deal with Samsung's recent announcement regarding the change in running SmartApps in the future.

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If your locks work well with SmartThings, odds are high they'll work well with Hubitat. My recollection, from tests performed by @srwhite, is that Schlage FW versions of 7.1 and earlier performed poorly with ST as well.

For the record, I have had zero issues with my 3 Schlage locks. These are older Zwave (non-plus) locks on an older firmware. I do have a decently large Zwave mesh, there are both light switches and repeaters within a few feet of the locks.

I built out the mesh first with my Zwave light switches and repeaters. then added locks. I was even able to pair these locks in place (without having hub close by), which everyone claims is tough to do.

I don't know how to explain how a few like ljp-hubitat have apparently had horrible issues, while others like me have no issues. Worst case, you try the locks on Hubitat, and move them back to Smartthings and use the hub connect app to tie things together.

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As @bravenel wrote in the first post:

What this means in layman's terms is that the new 700-series Z-Wave module can now be software-tuned to the appropriate radio frequencies for every global market. No more per-market models to manufacture/stock, since the C-7 can work anywhere and be configured for compliance in the config screens.....

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I spent 5 mins in photoshop for ya mocking it up...

Screen Shot 2020-07-06 at 1.50.57 PM

This would be my guess of what it might look like.

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The CE marking is a requirement for any electronics (and a lot of other goods) to be sold in EU. The only proper way to get the C-5 until now has been to import it yourself directly from Hubitat.com, wait half an eternity and pay the extra taxes and fees that follows from a private import. Due to the lack of CE marking theoretically the customs could decide to not deliver it at all and if it would burn down your house you'd (also theoretically) may be in trouble with your insurance company.

Weirdly, my C-4 have a CE marking. The C-5 that I bought to keep around as a backup don't. Would not have bought that one if I knew.

Anyway, here's to hoping that this now means that this can be sold from within the EU. Fast deliveries and no hidden fees would make this an attractive product to more people over here.

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I have a C4 too never checked for the CE but I think the C5 was HE 1st purpose built hub so that would make sense.

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