Use for Older C5

Probably not the best place to ask this, but here goes. I have an old C5. Can it be used for other things? Is there a page that describes what it is and what can be done with it? I really don't want to just throw it out. I have a C7 that I am using now.

Thanks

I would just treat it as a second hub, similar to your C7. The C5 is far from obsolete. The C5 still gets regular hub updates, almost any device you can pair to a C7 and also be paired to a C5, and the vast, vast majority of apps (both official hubitat apps and user apps) can be installed on both the C7 and the C5 (I actually don't know of any that will only work with the C7, but I imagine there may be some).

I currently run a C5 with well over a hundred devices, around 50 RM rules and many other apps and it works just fine. The hub is such a small cost of one's overall smart home system, that if I thought I would be gaining something by upgrading to the C7 I would. I subscribe to HubProtect, and if my C5 goes down, I imagine the folks at HE will replace it with a C7 or by the time it happens, most likely a C8/C9?

4 Likes

The C-5 has the same zigbee radio as the C-7. And the same processor, network interface, etc. etc. I use mine for many zigbee devices, and running lots of apps, cloud integrations etc.

3 Likes

Tony Fleisher’s (@tony.fleisher’s) excellent Z-Wave Mesh Tool. It alone is worth upgrading to a C-7.

1 Like

The C5 is far from outdated, it shares a lot with the C7. It is mostly the Z-wave radio that is different.

My suggestion is to use this C5 for problematic devices/apps.

  • LAN based integrations. There are some community integrations that seem to just hammer the hub. Offloading it to a second lightly loaded hub seems to mostly solve this.
  • Problematic Zigbee devices like the older Aqara/Xiaomi can be on their own network.
  • Problematic Z-wave devices that insist on pairing as S0 work good on a C5 because you can pair without security.

You then simply share these back to the C7 via Hubmesh.

4 Likes

I second this recommendation. It is exactly what I’ve done. :blush:

1 Like

Ideas:

  1. Find a local school that never gets this kinda stuff for students to play with/learn from/program etc. I know Arduino is where it's at for this kinda stuff but who knows....some enterprising teacher might have his/her students automate all sorts of stuff in & around the classroom.

  2. Find some family friend that would never bother to buy something like this but could be encouraged to have their kid(s) get something going with it even if only with a handful of sensors.

  3. Find some local old folks home and make a project out of helping them automate some things that would make residents and/or aides lives a lot easier. This is a gray area for safety when it comes to lights, doors, etc. But maybe something less risky as automated wildlife feeders that keep the residents entertained but are a hassle to keep filled during the winter (for example).

  4. There's an opportunity here for Hubitat to take these things back and donate them to Habitat for Humanity. I know I know, there's all sorts of reasons not to...but just think beyond that and think of the family that would never buy this themselves...but could gain multiple benefits from a) a kid getting into this stuff, and b) automation that they'd never of had the money to consider. There might even be HE Ambassadors that take up the Habitat for Humanity charge as volunteer integrators for SIMPLE applications IF and only IF there is someone in the household that has the ability to adopt the management of what's installed..

Trying to think outside the box.

4 Likes

What about the cost of sensors, light switches or other devices?

2 Likes

I imagine if I upgraded to a C7 this app would be very useful, as it is the C7 with the 700 series zwave chip, that (at least initially) gave rise too so many zwave problems. Luckily, I am on a C5 and have had zero mesh related issues with over 50 zwave devices. When I have a robust zwave mesh that just always works, not sure why I would want a tool to analyze it.

1 Like

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.