OK!
I have one blind working great!
Parts list on request.
Can you get UHF with that? 
Out of curiosity, while you're waiting for iBlinds and while you have the unit out of the blinds. Did you try to put it together and include it close to hub, leave it there, and see how it operates? Just to rule out an issue other than coverage? I don't know how it would like not having a hardware stop but it shouldn't hurt to try.
Did the v3 early-ship iBlinds need a firmware update?
Does the HE firmware updater work?
Which firmware version?
Thanks for any advice.
Yes, the first shipments needed an update, I believe 3.02 is the latest and I've read mixed experiences on the updater.
Thank you, Mark.
Would you suggest another method instead or just see if it works?
I put a GE Z-Wave switch/repeater right under my blinds.
That should help with the Z-Wave signal/antenna issue, correct?
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That's the only method I know of right now (my iBlinds haven't been shipped yet so I haven't investigated any further). And yes, there should no issues at all with coverage in your layout.
I've been using my motor with the firmware it shipped with and it's been working, avoided the close/open command altogether and just stuck with set level.
Yes, trying exactly that.
Last night I took the stubborn blinds to our office and put it on a desk four feet from the hub, and joined it w/ease. I have been monitoring its connectivity and it appears to be very happy in that location...has not gone off and clobbered my mesh yet. So I am going to let it ride in that spot for a while and if I get the go ahead on the external antenna I'm going to try to wait a few days (patience required - uh oh!) and see if it stays solid when near the hub before I make any mods.
Also thinking I just might add a Ring range extender directly beneath it (plug under the kitchen sink, the blinds are over the kitchen sink) and see if that helps before I do the antenna. However, I have good repeaters (Z-Wave Plus switches and a Hank plug) in the kitchen already that the blinds have routed through, but haven't seemed to have been able to help the blinds stay connected.
Regarding iBlinds FW versions, according iBlinds support:
- All V3 units to date have shipped w/current official release - 3.01
- Some had different version numbers as they changed their FW versioning, unfortunately. So some may show 3.1 instead of 3.01. However, I have four and all of them came w/3.01.
- FW 3.02 (which I posted above in this thread) - It turned out this is a Beta version (they didn't tell me this at first when they gave it to me to try) and should not be installed unless you like to experiment and don't try to get me or iBlinds to help you out of trouble. They gave me the beta version because of the early problems I reported to them w/my charge adapter button not working via single press to open or close blinds. They had had another report of that problem and thought initially it might be a FW issue, but it really just turned out to being about having to press the button once really fast to get it to work. No more than 1/3 second push.
So my general advice would be don't update from 3.01 unless iBlinds tells you to.
If you do decide to do the update, I did my FW update using PC Controller and UZB stick, w/the blinds connected only to the PC Controller, not w/PC Controller as a secondary controller on Hubitat.
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Cool! It's really nice when these things open/close as planned.
I have both blinds hooked up again (the first two in the kitchen/family room) and had some wonkiness this AM but believe it was due to a mistake by me. I've revised my open automation and will confirm it's working tonight/tomorrow AM.
My "wonky" kitchen blind that keeps wanting to fall off the mesh survived one night in place on the window, hopefully it will be settled now and stay on the mesh w/out having to resort to an external antenna. I have a Ring Range Extender plugged in directly below it under the sink (maybe 6' away) but it's not using that for routing, but has a reasonable route now through a switch very near the hub.
Other two motors will be installed later tonight or tomorrow AM, they are actually in the same room as the hub (office) and have maintained a direct connection to the hub so I don't expect any problems w/those! [Though fingers still crossed.] 
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I've been checking in on this thread for a few days, since I setup my new v3 iBlinds and started testing various drivers. I can relate and confirm the iBlinds devices/drivers seem to yield varying results, especially, if you attempt to change between drivers.
I've had my three v2 (translucent model) iBlinds setup and working nicely since May. Open/close almost flawlessly since install. I used the 'iblinds' community driver...never changed...until recently. No need, because basic operation, including Alexa routines, worked just fine (by far, the most admired automation in my home).
When I got the three new v3 units, I used the same driver for several weeks without fail. Then, I decided to get ambitious and try the 'iBlinds v3' community driver. They didn't respond very well, likely, due to what someone noted higher up in this thread - you should let everything "stabilize" for a few hours. Regardless, I lost connectivity to one of the v3 units & had to exclude and re-include. The others didn't handle the Reverse correctly.
Long story less long... these devices work quite nicely if you install them, settle on a driver and don't touch them! Once you do, buyer beware... they are VERY temporamental! I suspect the metal headrails and antenna placement. But, I'm no expert, by any means.
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Thanks for the info on your V2/V3 experiences. I think your advice is good advice in general for using HA devices...giving them time to settle establish routing is often the best approach.
At this point my experience is that the V3 units will play the best w/the V3 community driver, probably because that driver is aware of/makes use of the V3's additional status communication capabilities and settings. I've had the best results w/the V3 community drivers w/my V3 blinds.
My main issue is simply keeping one of my installed blinds on my mesh, which appears to be a communication/antenna problem. When left in the office near the hub, no issues. When moved to their desired placement in the kitchen (40' and one wall away) has repeatedly fallen off the mesh, even w/nearby dedicated repeaters and Z-Wave Plus switches to route through. Another V3 blind probably 10' to 15' farther away has stayed connected w/out issue, and I have other Z-Wave devices much farther away that stay conneced just fine.
I am hoping that new efficiencies in the Z-Wave communication included in the current hub FW beta (which I am participating in) will help my blinds to stay connected this time.
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Hubitat's built-in driver also appears to (we can't see the code, so I don't really know) use the communication back from the blinds, so I don't think mine is special there. The v2 units are unusual (though not unheard of) in that they don't send any information about their status to the hub unless asked, so the driver does that by setting the level, waiting a bit, then asking what it is. This is not present in the v3 driver because (when configured properly) they send reports back on their own.
A Hubitat driver shouldn't be able to cause any of the problems I've seen mentioned above (though if you see errors when sending a command, that's a different story), so my guess is that those are related to Z-Wave mesh issues that just happened to appear around the same time. I'm not sure what to suggest beyond making sure that your blinds are charged (they recently advised v2 users not to let the level drop below a level higher than the previously advised level; I don't know why but am guessing something happened to someone) and that your network is strong enough with sufficient repeaters. The 700-series v3 units should theoretically be better than the 500-series v2 units here (theoretically longer range and lower power consumption), but my v3 has still acted up a time or two since I installed it. My v2 units do it once in a while, too--not responding to a command but then being fine 5 minutes later, or sometimes after a unit reboot. (Have I mentioned how I'm sure normal people have to reboot their blinds?)
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All three blinds working perfectly when commanded by Alexa and scheduled by the SharpTools rule for several days now. My recommendations:
-
Put a good Z-Wave repeater as close to the blinds as possible. (See above)
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Use the Community Driver v3
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Use SetLevel 1 or 50 or 99 instead of "open" or "close" in automations. (See above)
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Name the blinds and groups using the term "shade" or "shades" for Alexa so there is no confusion between "blinds" and "lights" sounding similar.
I think that's it.
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Excellent post/info, thanks @Hal3.
My two have been doing OK, the troublesome kitchen blind may finally be on the mesh solidly. I put a Ring repeater right below it on the same wall, and when it ignored it for a day I moved it across the room at the same level, still ignoring it. But it's routing through two light swtiches w/strong connections so I think it's going to be OK. I really think that the latest releases (starting w/.153 big improvements in Z-Wave performance for me) are a large part of why the kitchen blinds are staying in the mesh.
I installed the first of three motors in our office today, it's up and working. The next one tomorrow AM, and the last when it arrives (shipping now).
Fingers crossed this all works and I won't be running around apologizing to my family, and reaching up to hit that tiny little button.
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Did you ever hear back from iBlinds in re: external antenna wire?
No, I haven't. It's funny, I've asked them three times at least, and radio silence. They are great on everything else I ask about, prompt and helpful, but it's like any paragraph w/the word "antenna" in it gets wiped from their memory as soon as they read it.
I've kind of given up, now that the obnoxious Kitchen blind appears to have settled in and is staying online as of the recent hub FW releases. I think the re-write of the Z-Wave communication to make it more efficient may have been the little push it needed to behave. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself saying that...
