I’ve just got the gate across my driveway opening on a Mimo Dry Contact Relay in addition to the garage door (on the same type of relay), I’ve got an Aeon Wallmote indoors that when I press it to leave, both the gate and the garage door trigger - Happy days!
Now, upon return, what can I put in the car to activate the same rule? Please don’t say the original garage remotes, I need more things to happen than just open the gates (e.g disable garden security beam). If I put a Hue Smart Button (Zigbee) is it going to quickly connect so that I don’t find myself waiting 30 seconds in the driveway?
How long is a piece of string? Depends on range, AP strength, whether the esp has an antenna and a million other factors. Although perhaps a good guide is when your phone connects when you get home.
I believe if it fails to connect the first time it tries to reconnect every two seconds in the beginning then it drops to more seldom.
Perhaps you could use some RF device?
Most RF plug sockets come with a remote, then just add a receiver on HA using ESP-home or if there is something similar off the shelf.
That way there is no “reconnection” that needs to be done, its only range that matters.
Keep in mind that you need to place the receiver close enough that you can operate it from the gate, if that is an issue.
Or you will need to place the receiver outside.
Simply use a ShellyButton. It’s Wifi based, and it is, what makes it ideal for this use case, always in a deep sleep and only activates on button pushes.
You link the button to your wifi. After that you can set up four different types of button pushes (one click, two clicks, three clicks, long click = push and hold), that can trigger anything in HA, eg. an automation. You can select the time, that the button stays connected, after that it goes into deep sleep (good, because the battery doesn’t need to be drained while searching for a Wifi that’s not in range) and activates after a push.
According to Shelly less than two seconds (as stated on the link I provided). My personal experience shows that to be mostly true. My longest response time was not more than three or four seconds.
Another advantage is, you get a visual feedback, if the connection and everything else worked (the small circle on the button lights up in different colors).
I am using it for the opposite. I have an alarm on my garage door, if it is open too long, it sends an alert. To disable this alert, eg. while cleaning up the garage, I use the Shelly Button1. It works like a charme and the battery is still over 95% after five or six months.
It’s Wifi based, and it is, what makes it ideal for this use case, always in a deep sleep and only activates on button pushes.