Looking at these Zemismart Tuya Zigbee Electric Curtain Robot Rechargeable Motor For Roman Rod I Type U Type Tracks Alexa Google Home Control (looks like tuya so not just zemismart making them) as an alternative to a switchbot.
Was wondering whether anyone has used them or even the BLE version as there seem to be no reviews of them out yet. If you have, can you comment on your experience, in particular speed and noise.(I understand the older version has this annoying motor whine when running.)
I just bought a pair of these from AliExpress, have a pair coming (rod, with solar panel each), ZigBee version. Probably will get them in this week I hope. Will be using them via ZHA, hopefully. Blakadder says they should work fine with ZHA, so I’ll see.
I tried them with Z2M which works fine so no reason why ZHA shouldn’t.
So just paired them up, not too much of a pain. Had to use the included 2.4GHz remote to set the open/close boundaries, but then could just use HA just fine.
Since I have center open curtains, I needed 2 motors, and I flipped one around so one of them would go the correct way to open. I suppose I could flip it around, and code HA to ‘close’ that one when I actually meant open, but meh, I’m too lazy now. Plus it Just Works™ correctly in the correct direction.
I got the package with solar panels to keep the batteries topped off, turns out there was a 2nd tracking # for them, so we’ll see when they arrive.
You can set the direction via the remote.
The manual makes it sound like it’s just the remote direction, not changing the motor logic.
No it does change the direction (well mine does anyway)
Regarding changing/flipping the direction for covers in ZHA (i.e. InvertedCover) for ZHA inegration you can see/follow developers work in progress → https://github.com/home-assistant/core/pull/76982 …it looks like they would like some users as testers now to test that code before it is merged?
I’m afraid I don’t use ZHA. Been using Z2M well before I set up my HA system so I kept with that.
@rockets @Hedda @Drizzt321 You guys still happy w/ these? I got the switchbot what seemed like deal for 1 and tried to just close from one side. But kept getting stuck on the telescoping rod part near the middle and couldnt get up from the open → close side. I know switchbot included all this plastic hosery and some thin metal film contraption to help easier guide the bot but was wary of messing those things in case opted to return (which I did.) I still would really like to wake up to natural light. Have a zigbee poe hub coming and was going to shoot for z2m but haven’t setup yet. But still a little risk averse to a modestly larger ali purchase /return?
This model?
Generally works ok for me although I have a single piece rod. The main gripe is that it tends to slip as my timber rod is a bit too smooth. So I have a recalibrate the end points every now and then.
@vulcanjedi so I have, like you, a telescoping rod, so I actually ended up using 2 of them on each rod. I had to use the included remote to change the settings to reverse the direction on one of them, so that when HA tells it to open or close, it goes in the correct direction.
I do find that the particular curtains I have, the kind with the big metal grommets, that over longer distance it starts to bind on the rod. This makes the robot slow down and slip a little, so it ends up not quite closing fully. So I’ve had to sew in a few threads so that as it opens, it keeps the folds somewhat so that it keeps sliding over the rod smoothly.
Also, the small solar panels that are optional and output a small bit of 5v that you can stick to the window are basically useless, it still drains the batteries opening/closing them every day. So I had to run a wire and small wall-wart and rig it up that way to keep them charged.