Making a Z-Wave repeater with an extra UZB Stick and RPi?

I ended up with an extra UZB Z-Wave Stick (Controller) and was wondering if it was possible to plug that into a Raspberry Pi (not running hass … that’s running elsewhere), add it as a Z-Wave node, and have it run as a simple repeater/range-extender using python-openzwave? Maybe even a binary switch?

Have you considered a real zwave binary switch? When they are not battery operated, they also act as repeaters.

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Yes, of course, but I don’t have an extra z-wave binary switch laying around … just the controller stick, and I’d like to use it for something if I can, but there seems to be a conspicuous lack of DIY info on z-wave.

I have read that it is possible to include a secondary controller in the network of the primary controller. The secondary controller does not “include” any slaves, it is included in the network itself.

I’ve never tried it though.

Because the patent holder doesn’t allow you to build DIY devices.

Short version, either buy a real Z-Wave device, or connect them via MQTT Statestream/Eventstream.

For less than the cost of a Pi and z stick I picked up this.

Quick install and works great.

Because the patent holder doesn’t allow you to build DIY devices.

I was afraid you were going to say something like that, and you might very well be correct, but since I’m using a z-wave stick that already has a license paid to Sigma Designs I should be in the clear here?

From a simple perspective, yes.

All you need to do is develop the required software to drive it as a sensor/switch, rather than a controller. Simpler is probably to provide patches to OpenZWave to provide full support for Secondary Controllers.

Not that any of this is really simple, unless you’re an experienced developer.

Aye, if open zwave doesn’t support secondary controllers, I think it’s game over for this idea.