BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
This isn't a popular item for the DIY types here, but FYI, Amazon has the Ring basic alarm kit on sale for $50 off.
Ring Alarm from Amazon $50 off
- Thread starter BraveSirRobbin
- Start date
pete_c
Guru
I purchased a Ring Alarm system for house #2. Price was right and it works fine as the hub has a backup SIM card in it which is included in the service.
I paid $100 for 12 months of service. Initially used the XFinity home set up.
I installed the hub in one hallway high up using a POE connection to power the device. I also am powering the keypads.
Using a Ring to MQTT plugin which allows viewing and managing the alarm via MQTT and Homeseer and Home Assistant.
I never enabled the battery monitoring assuming the batteries would work for 2-3 years.
Looking at the app the battery status are all red.
Looking at the MQTT message see this..like this much better than the icons I see on the Android web app.
{"batteryLevel":60,"batteryStatus":"ok",
"commStatus":"ok",
"firmwareStatus":"up-to-date",
"lastCommTime":"2021-05-03T15:34:28Z",
"lastUpdate":"2021-05-03T15:34:28Z",
"linkQuality":"ok","serialNumber":"Gxxx",
"tamperStatus":"ok"}
Only issue which I am addressing today is that the batteries for the 4 contact sensors and PIR (s) are showing red and have to be replaced today or tomorrow.
Wierd as I turned all of the sensors on in the same day in July, 2020. So maybe I purchased old stock generation 2 stuff.
Ring also sells a retrofit alarm kit for 8 contact sensors at $149 (which to me is a bit high).
Except for the POE wire to the hub it took maybe 30 minutes to install the sensors and another 10 minutes to configure the sensors.
Not bad for station monitoring with cellular backup except that everything is wireless.
Looks to be all Z-Wave contact sensors and PIRs and repeater.
Using the above mentioned Ring to MQTT plugin I have configured triggers and events that do TTS to Alexa Show devices. Works well.
Just enabled alarm status and door contact switches over to Alexa.
Doing the same here with the OmniLinkBridge OmniPro 2 panel sensors to TTS triggers (initially all SAPI and now SAPI and Alexa)
I paid $100 for 12 months of service. Initially used the XFinity home set up.
I installed the hub in one hallway high up using a POE connection to power the device. I also am powering the keypads.
Using a Ring to MQTT plugin which allows viewing and managing the alarm via MQTT and Homeseer and Home Assistant.
I never enabled the battery monitoring assuming the batteries would work for 2-3 years.
Looking at the app the battery status are all red.
Looking at the MQTT message see this..like this much better than the icons I see on the Android web app.
{"batteryLevel":60,"batteryStatus":"ok",
"commStatus":"ok",
"firmwareStatus":"up-to-date",
"lastCommTime":"2021-05-03T15:34:28Z",
"lastUpdate":"2021-05-03T15:34:28Z",
"linkQuality":"ok","serialNumber":"Gxxx",
"tamperStatus":"ok"}
Only issue which I am addressing today is that the batteries for the 4 contact sensors and PIR (s) are showing red and have to be replaced today or tomorrow.
Wierd as I turned all of the sensors on in the same day in July, 2020. So maybe I purchased old stock generation 2 stuff.
Ring also sells a retrofit alarm kit for 8 contact sensors at $149 (which to me is a bit high).
Except for the POE wire to the hub it took maybe 30 minutes to install the sensors and another 10 minutes to configure the sensors.
Not bad for station monitoring with cellular backup except that everything is wireless.
Looks to be all Z-Wave contact sensors and PIRs and repeater.
Using the above mentioned Ring to MQTT plugin I have configured triggers and events that do TTS to Alexa Show devices. Works well.
Just enabled alarm status and door contact switches over to Alexa.
Doing the same here with the OmniLinkBridge OmniPro 2 panel sensors to TTS triggers (initially all SAPI and now SAPI and Alexa)
pete_c
Guru
Noticed today May 09, 2021 that the PIR sensor with less than a week of new batteries is showing 85%.
Called Ring alarm technical support regarding the battery issue. I also posted on the Ring forum regarding said issue.
The CS was pleasant.
I told the technician that the alarm works fine and that I am not impressed with a less than one year lifespan on the contact sensors and PIR sensor.
I told her the web sites states that the batteries on the sensors should last 3 years or less depending on use.
She said that the PIR sensor was being utilized too much. I ordered the new Lithium AA batteries for the PIR sensor this morning.
Having changed the batteries with less than one years use I would give the Ring Alarm system sold by Amazon (and now owned by Amazon) a thumbs down.
:nono:
Called Ring alarm technical support regarding the battery issue. I also posted on the Ring forum regarding said issue.
The CS was pleasant.
I told the technician that the alarm works fine and that I am not impressed with a less than one year lifespan on the contact sensors and PIR sensor.
I told her the web sites states that the batteries on the sensors should last 3 years or less depending on use.
She said that the PIR sensor was being utilized too much. I ordered the new Lithium AA batteries for the PIR sensor this morning.
Having changed the batteries with less than one years use I would give the Ring Alarm system sold by Amazon (and now owned by Amazon) a thumbs down.
:nono:
LOL. I have GE motion sensors on my alarm, they use two AA batteries and they have been going 7+ years. They are in all different rooms with lots of motion. They "lock out" for 2 minutes when activated. Be careful of those lithium AA batteries. Voltage can be pretty high, so make sure the sensors can use them. Can be 1.8V when new.pete_c said:
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
I would verify the battery voltage indicators with a volt meter. The analog to digital converter/measurements on the sensor can't be all that accurate for as small and cheap as they are.
pete_c
Guru
Thank you Morgan.
I do not see voltage indicators via Ring Web site or MQTT. Just percentage of battery life.
Here is what the PIR shows today.
{"batteryLevel":85,"batteryStatus":"ok","commStatus":"ok","firmwareStatus":"up-to-date","lastCommTime":"2021-05-11T08:34:21Z","lastUpdate":"2021-05-11T08:34:21Z","linkQuality":"ok","serialNumber":"GXXX","tamperStatus":"ok"}
It hasn't changed in a week now...maybe that is the norm. Will find out when I change the batteries over to the Lithium style AA batteries.
I don't know why I am obsessing about this anyways...
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1443]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1444]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1445]
I do not see voltage indicators via Ring Web site or MQTT. Just percentage of battery life.
Here is what the PIR shows today.
{"batteryLevel":85,"batteryStatus":"ok","commStatus":"ok","firmwareStatus":"up-to-date","lastCommTime":"2021-05-11T08:34:21Z","lastUpdate":"2021-05-11T08:34:21Z","linkQuality":"ok","serialNumber":"GXXX","tamperStatus":"ok"}
It hasn't changed in a week now...maybe that is the norm. Will find out when I change the batteries over to the Lithium style AA batteries.
I don't know why I am obsessing about this anyways...
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1443]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1444]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1445]
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
So two AA batteries should be a total of 1.5 x 2 = 3 volts (I'm assuming they are in series when placed in the motion detector). 85% of 3 volts is 0.85 * 3 = 2.55 volts. Take the two batteries and 'stack' them on top of each other -BAT1+ -BAT2+ then measure the DC voltage between the two outer plus/minus spots and see if that is around 2.55 volts.pete_c said:
