I have 2 entrance in my house and I wish to receive notification when someone rings the bell.
My ideal solution is Doorbird with ethernet cable, but it’s expensive and lots of work to do for laying the cable, but in the future will do it.
In the meantime I wish to put something more simple with just the ring (ideally plus two way audio) and receive notifications on my phone.
Suggestions?
I hooked up a raspberry pi to my doorbell some while ago (depends on your bell of course). What is does is it changes the alternating current to direct current using diodes and decouples the bell circuit from the pi using a photocoupler. You then can measure your pin and attach it to HA. I waited for a few edges, as light switches did some glitches to the bell back then (old house), but with a bit of testing I found the right threshold.
Here is the circuit that I used
Besides the Pi, I spend less than 10€ and soldering was easy and quick. Took me half a day.
great solution, I guess the smallest pi would do (like pi zero?). How you did with giving power to the pi? And finally you connect your pi to your WiFi ?
All my questions are related to the fact that the existing doorbell (the reciever inside the house) does not have 220V (I guess its 12V) not so much space, and of course no ethernet cable there
I installed the dashio addon https://github.com/danimtb/dasshio and bought some Amazon dash buttons when they were on sale for a dollar each. I bought the generic Amazon battery buttons because the label is white and easily relabelled and with the $5 discount for first purchase of batteries using the button, well… I always need batteries.
funny I was just writing the same thing
my doorbell is outside on the street, I am not sure a Dash button will work well under the rain, plus WiFi coverage would be a problem (I may try to extend the range though, for this or other solution)
Even thinking a solution like the below, but always had a hard time in getting a good 433MHz receiver system. The bad of this solution is also that then I would have two buttons outside (the existing plus this one, and would need to instruct people on which to press … or dismount my analogue system).
But is cheap …
Understood. Just FYI, I repurposed another button for my partner to carry in her pocket when she’s gardening or something that flashes the office light and has Alexa tell me she is wanting my attention for something. I tested it out on the homestead and outside it has a reliable range of 140 feet.
Great minds…
Pi Zero W is a good choice, as it already has inbuilt wifi also an ESP8266 is possible to use. I just plugged it into the socket next to the doorbell (which is obviously inside my appartment). But a Pi needs 5V/2A, so may be you can hook it up there
Right, ESP8266 is great solution and way cheaper then the pi (and smaller).
With this solution, I have 1 big problem to solve: how to send/transform the signal of the ring to the input of the ESP
I will ask in some electronics forum where is more on topic.
Nevertheless I try also here: I just checked the instruction of my receiving doorbel which has two pins for an additional buzzer (one pin for the “signal” and one pin for the “negative”), may I connect it to the PI and/or ESP8266 without the need of diodes/resistors/capacitors and all that jazz for which I understand nothing? 
I’m doing this with a relay & a fibaro z-wave doorsensor (which has a binary sensor input, could also work with a dedicated binary zwave sensor Universal Binary Sensor FGBS-001). So all ‘analog’ stuff/doorbell still works, it just also switches the relay and the relay switches the binary sensor. All easy to build in in your existing bell housing without a change in wiring. I have automation setup to send notifications/Google home/picture etc.
Example project here: (it’s in Dutch but you can use Google translate) https://www.robbshop.nl/domotica/projecten/z-wave-deurbel#
that’s another great idea: I could use also a Xiaomi door sensor (see below). PArdon my ignorance, but when the external doorbell is pressed, in the internal unit you think should have two pins and receive a relay-like signal (close on press or open on press)?
The above would solve the size problem (the xiaomi are very small, even smaller then the fibaro) and the power supply (they are battery operated and last easily a year)
Nifty! I don’t have anything from Xiaomi and don’t want to add another hub (I think this is Zigbee?) but sounds like a good alternative.
That’s the Xiaomi door sensor opened, if you short circuit the little fuse at the bottom it triggers the sensor
I connected a relay to my doorbell.
Checked the doorbell with a DVM, and it puts out something like 15-16 VAC. There is a transformer in my garage that generates this voltage.
So the relay is connected to the doorbell so it sees a voltage when you push the button, and this closes the contacts. The contacts are connected to an ESP, and causes an input on the ESP to change state, and send a MQTT switch message to HA.
So you would need to measure the voltage to your doorbell, find a relay that changes state at that voltage, and then figure out how to wire the relay up to your doorbell. My doorbell wires are available in my garage, so this was pretty straightforward.
With this scheme, pretty much all you need is a relay, some wire, and an ESP with a power source for the ESP.
Randy
I use a Xiaomi door sensor - I have a traditional wired doorbell pusher outside, then I just disconnected the doorbell ringer in the house, and soldered the wires onto the Xiaomi door sensor.
This way, when the bell pusher is pressed outside, it completes the door sensor circuit and triggers my HA automations.
mmhh so if that’s my case I would probably fry my Xiaomi … ? Sorry pretty newb about electronics here
Ohh interesting, but why you disconnected the ringer, because you would have problem for the Xiaomi sensor? I rather keep the ring, since its good to have.
Other question, you have the Xiaomi first version or the Aqara version, in case is the second would you mind sharing where to solder the 2 pins?
EDIT: nevermind, its the same as fdirst version: desolder the reed switch and solder 2 wires)
