Thanks. I was just looking at the pictures (not reading the descriptions) on Blue Charm website and was expecting something larger. With it being so small, how is the range?
@user8 i believe you are using this gateway. Any idea on range?
@ajardolino3 ...you said you were using the USB powered beacons. I ordered the AB BLE Gateway with the intention to replace my old ST presence sensors in both our cars. I use them to trigger RM rules for presence. But, I checked and all the USB ports in my Honda CRV are unpowered when the engine is off. So I don't see how I can use the USB beacons to sense presence.
Am I missing something? I believe I will just have to use the battery powered beacons instead. This is the one I am considering.
@danabw ...did you use the USB Blue Charm beacons in your car? Do your USB ports have power when the engine is off?
I haven't used the Blue charm for quite a while, but when I did it was powered all the time.
Thats what I thought. I will probably go with the battery powered Blue Charm beacon.
1 Like
That’s true. But you really don’t need to know if the vehicle is always there. You just need to know when it arrives, and the car should always have power when that happens. Automations on departure are tricky with beacons. But if you want to do that, too, a battery powered one may be a better way to go.
1 Like
I understand that automations on departure can be tricky, but presently I am using ST arrival sensors to signal arrival and departure. Upon those events RM turns on and off lights and alarms, but does not open or close the garage door. We do that manually from the car and garage buttons. So if it takes a few minutes to signal departure that is ok, as long as it does eventually signal departure and turn the lights off and the alarm on.
So I believe the battery powered beacon will work for our setup. Also, I don't want to change the current setup too much....not good for the WAF. 
Thanks for your work in developing this app...I look forward to setting it up.
EDIT: on my departure RM rules, to limit nuisance triggers, I limit the departure rule to trigger only within 5 minutes of when we manually close the garage door....so if we lose the signal at any other time the rule will not trigger. This works with the ST arrival sensor and I believe should work with the beacons.
Found this and it looks like what the doctor ordered.
Changed my hub to CH 11 dur to interference and my 3 ST Arrival sensors won't chat anymore on that freq. They are fine on 15 and 20.
I ordererd the AB hub 4.0 but stuck in the choices for Blue Charm.
I'm just putting them back in the cars for the garage door so Im guessing they are all the same and the simplest one is the best?
BCU1 or BC011?
The BC-U1 is USB powered. The BC011 is battery powered. See my posts and @ajardolino3 reply above for the pros and cons. I am using the beacons for arrival and departure so I opted for the battery powered BC011. FWIW I am only using them to arm/disarm the alarm system and turn on/off lights. I am not using them to open and close the garage doors. I am doing that with the built-in car buttons. The beacons work well for what I want them to do.
@ajardolino3's app works like a charm!...(a blue charm 
) Thanks to him for developing this app.
1 Like
Looking to pull the trigger on an AB BLE gateway for using my chipolo's as presance sensors.
A 4.0 or a 4.1? Same price, 4.1 shows LR 600m range.
This thread seems like the best bet.
1 Like
I have Blue Charm ordered. My Chipolo card died; it wouldn't charge anymore so I couldn't test hat. 
1 Like
