I’m new to this forum and to the HA concept in general, but I hope to be able to use HA in my project.
I’d like to create a security system for my house (like a smart burglar alarm), and currently I am thinking of using Sonoff RF bridge and their DW1 and PIR2 RF sensors.
My system should have 1 or 2 door sensors (DW1), 5 motion detection sensors (PIR2) and a siren (haven’t decided on it yet, can be either autonomous or wired). And there should be something that puts all this stuff together, apart from the RF bridge (I presume it’s one of the Raspberry Pi) because I don’t want to be tied to the cloud and their app.
I don’t have any special requirements at the moment, just need a security system that my family and myself can use on a daily basis.
First of all, I would like to ask if it all sounds realistic and if it is a good choice of hardware (I vaguely know about Xiaomy sensors and hub).
Also, I need to decide on a central component of my system both in terms of hardware and software.
I spent some time reading some of HA forums, but still have no clear understanding of how to get my project going.
Any help is really appreciated.
p.s I am interested in installing some smart switches in my house as well, but it’s a future project that will most likely require a separate central component(s) etc as far as I understand.
I’ll reply as nobody more knowledgeable than me has.
I’ve done similar, although it’s bigger than that, as it is doing some home security AND running switches and lights.
I use a Raspberry Pi to run HA and HASSIO, with an MQTT broker installed.
I use (as of yesterday) a Sonoff 433Mhz RF Bridge to detect triggers from a Sonoff DW1 door sensor, and also my old wireless door bell (I use ESPurna firmware currently which can learn many RF codes).
So, get a RPi and load HA/HASSIO image via SD card, add MQTT broker, get the Sonoff RF Bridge and flash ESPurna or TASMOTA to it. Use the MQTT broker in HA to talk to the bridge to see sensor activity…
Hope that helps a bit.
Martin
Thanks for you reply. I believe that’s exactly why forums like this exist - to connect like-minded people. And I’m really grateful that you took your time and answered my questions.
Could you tell me if it is possible to monitor sensors’ battery level in your setup? As they are all battery-powered, it becomes crucial to keep them powered at all times.
Do you have a siren in your setup? And are you able to get alerts while away from home?
What Raspberry Pi config do you have and what lights/switches do you use?
I’m hoping to have some smart switches as well, and it’s great to know that all that can be done using one Pi, very exciting!
Thanks for the link to a cheap RF security kit.
Unfortunately, it’s Chinese New Year up there and it generally takes plenty of time to arrive to the UK anyway. I’m hoping to save a bit shopping at Bangood or Gearbest, but haven’t got time to do so.
Hi your welcome but remember I’m only new at HA and related stuff myself.
Regarding battery low warning from RF sensors.
The Sonoff DW1 I bought does say in the instructions that it has a 60 minute status and a low battery message function, although in the instruction notes it calls the item a CD100S senor so I wonder about accuracy of the information (a fake item badged as Sonoff ??).
I have seen no evidence that it does send a status message code hourly, but I have not been looking hard either.
The EV1527 RF chip datasheet says nothing of it !
I have a siren, in fact I have a existing professional home security system that has been in the house for 15 years or more. My quest is to get HA to monitor that panel and report to my phone and/or PC. I think that won’t be too hard actually, if I add a 4ch 433Mhz TX module to my alarm panel. At least 4 statuses, maybe 8 even.
Hence my interest in the RF Bridge…
I use a Raspberry Pi B and connect to it via ethernet. I did use WiFi from it, but as it’s situated next to my router why use RF…
I started this learning journey with just the Pi and two Sonoff S20 power socket switches. I think that’s a good simple but useful way to start. The first automation was my inside and outside Xmas lights
I use PushBullet to receive HA messages to my phone, and it work very well. Been quite happy that it was relatively easy.
I have the very same CD100S in boxes marked as SONOFF DW1.
The instruction’s Chinglish is terrible and is riddled with utter mistakes like “insert 2 AAA alkaline 12 V batteries”. So I would not believe all that they write in it, including sending battery status every 60 mins. And it need to be supported/decoded on the other end anyway, isn’t it?
I see that you have an integration task on your hands, when I’m up to building the whole alarm system from scratch. Just received PIR sensors, DW1s and an RF bridge from China and flashed it with Espurna (which was a two day affair). Time to set up my Raspberry Pi 3 B.
I’m looking at this project as a good project to start with.
Currently having fun setting up HA and MQTT broker…
Well, it’s up and running but still unfinished.
I moved away from RF Bridge to RFLink, but yet to add OpenMQTT for PIRs/detectors.
Added some try-state door opening detectors, but they are a bit trickier to configure…
Main siren is wired to RPi and there an additional one controlled by SONOFF Basic…
Good fun all in all
Hello…in my case also I have done similar, as it is doing some home security AND running switches and lights.
I use a Raspberry Pi to run HA and HASSIO, with an MQTT broker installed.I use a Sonoff 433Mhz RF Bridge to detect triggers from a Sonoff DW1 door sensor, and also my old wireless door bell .
Well, when I started I didn’t know that DW1s don’t send “close” state (or did think it’s not important). Now I think it is.
Also, the RF Bridge turned out to to be a bit unstable flashed with Espurna, and currently it’s laying on a shelf as a spare RF module because I use more flexible/powerful Arduino Mega+RFLink.
I mostly rely on PIR2 sensors, but apparently there is more reliable (and possibly cheaper) solution with microwave sensors attached to some basic Arduino board.
