Vesternet zwave wall controller - any experience?

💬 Lounge
1

I was wondering if anyone has tried the Vesternet zwave remote controllers? They indicate that they're hubitat compatible, but "compatible" is always range. I've been seeking a way to remotely do continuous dimming of lights controlled by zwave switches and modules that mimics the experience of holding the wall dimmer. So far, nothing really recreates that experience.

EDIT:
For other folks, I wrote to Vesternet and was told that these controllers are only available for EU Zwave frequencies and won't work in the U.S.

2

Have you seen Zooz Zen34? ZOOZ ZEN34 REMOTE SWITCH – ZOOZ

You can do some stuff with direct associations for dimming, or you could use the held/released button events to start/stop level changes via the hub.

Otherwise any remote button device that supports the held/released button events should work.

3

Yup but only two paddles. Was looking for more buttons. :slight_smile:

In general though, the issue with hold/release is that many devices don't seem to support start/stop fade commands via their hubitat drivers. But that's an issue of the controlled device - not the remote.

4

I added the start/stop to my Zooz drivers by request from someone else I think so they could use it with a ZEN32.

Do you need it to be battery powered? I know some people have setup a Zoo ZEN32 button controller for dimming. Zooz 700 Series Z-Wave Plus Scene Controller Switch ZEN32 - The Smartest House

I have one of these and it works pretty good, wish it had some sort of tactile difference in the buttons (hard to tell which one you are pressing in the dark) Nodon Z-Wave Plus Soft Remote Scene Controller CRC-3US - The Smartest House

I have thought about replacing it with this one: Nano Mote Quad – Aeotec

5

Yeah, definitely battery powered. I've thought about the nano mote but it's annoyingly expensive. Might have to consider it though.
For the targets, I have some leviton zwave outlet modules, but they don't support either associations or the start/stop fade. Same for Shelly dimmers (the hubitat driver doesn't support start/stop fade).
It's remarkably hard to find either zwave or zigbee outlet modules with dimming for things like lamps. I guess everyone is going smart bulb these days but I prefer to have the option to use regular dimmable leds.
Also hard to find battery-operated remotes with more than a couple buttons. I don't really want one for every lamp. (I've been told that remotes are 1980s and I should just create automations but I'm stubborn about human autonomy).

6

Have you considered a small cheap tablet running a dashboard in kiosk mode? Could have a dock for it that charges it up and then it would also be portable. You could put as many buttons as you want on it.

7

Yes, I'm doing that for main living area (android tablet, fully kiosk), but I was looking for small ones to put on a nightstand, side-table, etc.

Have been trying multiple dashboard solutions on the tablet - hubitat native, hubitat dashboard android app, SharpTools, and Home Assistant. Surprisingly, I'm starting to lean towards home assistant - it seems to be the easiest to configure buttons and tiles. I thought SharpTools was going to be the winner but I've found it less intuitive and flexible than it seemed at first.

8

Feel free to tag me if there's anything you need help with. :grinning:

9

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