The battery holders are quite fragile. I've had them break but if you're aware of the issue. You can be gentle I guess
Hasn't happened to me yet, and I'm not super gentle.
It's too bad there hasn't been a replacement.
I don't carry it on a fob, I have it in the car, but it's meant to be a fob.
As a fob, the beeping function would be useful, for me, every so often.
Is your goal to make sure somebody at home or not or to detect only arrival/departure conditions?
In a past I was using BLE Beacons with DIY ESPresence + Home Assistant.
This worked very well and could be used for detecting all presence/arrival conditions.
But unfortunately BLE Beacons are not secure at all. I am using arrival detection for unlocking
and opening the apartment door. The security for this application is very important.
My presence detection is based on multiple Motion Sensors plus RM rules. For the arrival
detection I switched to Active RFID fobs. here is a link to my Active RFID project:
Just arrival/departure.
For my current needs, security is not an issue. I have no plans to use this with any locks or security. My plan is to use presence detection for lights, havc, and other things.
BLE with ESPrensence looks interesting.
I like the Active RFID, but it looks like the fob is pretty big.
Thanks
It is about twice thicker than BLE but this is OK for myself and what is more important, for my wife.
Been using Samsung's built in Modes and Routines app to manage my presence when I connect/disconnect from my home WiFi from my phone. If you don't have a Samsung, you could look at something like MacroDroid to do the same.
The way I have mine setup is:
When I connect to my home WiFi, it use a webhook to turn on my virtual presence switch in my C8 which triggers my outdoor lighting routine. I have another step to display a pop up button on my phone to run another webhoook to a virtual button which runs my unlock door routines.
When I disconnect from my WiFi, I set my virtual presence switch to off and display a pop up on my phone to re-enable presence in case I'm doing something that disconnects me from my WiFi.
I have the same setup mirrored on my wife's phone for her virtual presence switch. On my c8 I have a rule machines rules to auto engage HSM when both phones are away for more than 5 minutes. I had a second rule to lock the door only when just me or the wife leaves but find that I have auto-lock already on the door so it was redundant.
I just noticed this yesterday on my Samsung A53.
With your setup, do you need location enabled?
The key point for OP and myself not to use a phone as a presence sensor.
This is stated right in the post header.
Ok, sorry.
To make up for it, here are a couple of pics of my ST Arrival sensor.
It's definitely smaller than most car fobs nowadays. 
There's some velcro on the back to attach it to the car window (I use a side window, because it gets better reception from the garage), with still good performance out at the driveway gate.
As I said, I get about 5 weeks or so from the CR2032 battery. Zigbee.
I keep an ST sensor with AA battery modification under the seat of my motorcycle. It has endured modest off-road activity and western PA roads (which are worse) without issue.
The one in the glovebox of my wife's car somehow had a battery pop off the contact after 2.5 years. Not sure what kind of stunt driving she must have been doing.
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Long time ago I was thinking about using these ST Arrival sensors. When I finally decide to try them they simply disappeared and became not available to buy them. So, I decided to use BLE Beacons. These toys worked very well but unfortunately the security of BLE Beacons is zero. next step was to use Active RFIDs. This is current working very well implementation. However this conversation inspired me to create one more (I am already using few) DIY Hubduino project which will replaced multiple currently used devices. The devices are:
- Dual Zigbee Relay to control Door Actuator;
- Zigbee Door Sensor;
- Zigbee RGB Controller for controlling LED Door Activity Status Bar;
All the above could be replaced with a single DIY Hubduino Controller. In addition I will add a Reader for the RFID Tags. These are already used for entering into a building and recently added for using elevators. This way my original idea to automate apartment door for 100% hands free operation is effectively broken. So adding RFID Reader, compatible with existing RFID Tag at this time is a very good idea.
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I know you're not looking to use this for security like locks, but what if you did? It occured to me that a lock like the Aqara U100 allows entry by passive RFID tags (two included), Fingerprint, Apple Key, Code, and as a backup, a regular key. If you can get status from any one of those, then a simple Rule Machine rule can combine the unlocked by [person] status followed by motion inside to indicate you're home. Can do similar for you've departed. This could be done with many other door locks too, because Hubitat can know which lock code was entered via status from Lock Code Manager.
Another possibility is the SwitchBot contact sensor. I have several of these, and although I don't use them for presence, they are designed to do just that. They have a built-in motion sensor and can sense motion detected, then door opened, then closed=you're gone. Conversely, door opened, then motion=you're home. There's a community integration for their hub, and they also have Matter support for their hub which is in development for HE.
Microchip all family members.
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Related to this piece, though not geared at Presence per se, my app Contained Motion does something similar with Contact and Motion -- given a space where all exits have contact sensors, if motion has ever been active inside it, someone must still be present until an entry/exit opens.
One could do that for the entire house pretty easily, though it's geared for individual rooms.
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This is exactly how my presence detection rm rule works. The trigger is apartment door is closed. Then rule checks multiple motion sensors for inactive state with 15min timeout whichever happens first. If all ms inactive then nobody at home. Otherwise somebody still in apartment.
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Very interesting solution. For my immediate needs this could work.
Long term I'd prefer a solution that is more definitive as to who is home and not.
Here you go. Get them while they're hot.
These ones just arrived today, in original packaging (albeit the packaging isn't in great shape), for $15 each at the link above. Previously, I've paid up to $40 for ones that came refurbished in an unmarked envelope.
Thanks. I think will order one for our vehicle.
Two that got away.
