What is the typical range for the Z-Wave radio (USB stick) for the Hubitat? I am doing a bakeoff between Hubitat and my existing Smarthings and Abode systems. I was hoping to replace the SmartThings gateway with the Hubitat. However, so far the range of the Hubitat is simply unacceptable, and I hope I am missing something, as I like the idea of Hubitat's non-reliance on the cloud. However with the range of the Hubitat I've seen so far this is simply not possible. For those that want the details: I am new to both home automation and Z-Wave. What I have done is purchased an off-brand, Z-Wave unsupported door contact sensor (intentionally). I have then paired it, one at a time with each gateway, (excluding it from the previous gateway), with the gateway installed in the same location in my house. I then walked around the house opening and closing the sensor watching on my cell phone to see if the hub records the open/close change. To say the range of the Hubitat is underwealming is an understatement. I lose signal after only 30-40 feet, By comparison, with the SmartThings hub I can install in any room and the sensor works, about double the range, and with Abode, I can even use the sensors in the front and back yards, triple the range of the Hubitat. For the curious, both SmartThings and Hubitat could use this off-brand sensor, using a generic open/closed swith driver. However, Abode simply pairs it as an "unrecognized device" and only the tamper switch will cause an event. So I do give Hubitat kudos for at least trying to work with an off-brand device. However, what good is that if I can only install the sensor in teh same room as the hub?
Well, pretty much no one has only battery powered devices, so often the range from hub is completely meaningless.
Remember that every plugin/hardwired zwave device acts as a repeater.
So unless you have 100% battery devices only, you will likely (true in EVERY install I've ever done) have enough zwave mesh repeating that it doesn't really matter.
If you do have battery powered devices only, then I guess range from hub would matter quite a bit.
That's a good point Jason, thanks. For now, I only have battery powered sensors. However, I do plan to add more devices in my next "toy run"
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