I wonder what his big ZigBee issue was that took him months to solve.
From the vague description it could be that his ZigBee stick was plugged directly into the USB port instead of using a USB extension cable, thus subjecting the ZigBee stick to all sorts of RF interference from the motherboard.
Or maybe the USB pass-through to the home assistant VM was wonky?
Edit: he talks about getting 30$ worth of hardware to fix the issue so it is probably not just a USB extension cable 🤔
An issue a lot of people don’t think about is placement. If you’ve got the fob directly next to a device that’s broadcasting WiFi, you’re gonna have a bad time. Similarly, if it’s surrounded by thick wood or metal, you’re not going to have decent signal.
Homebridge covers a multitude of mistakes. For every non compatible device, you can usually find a Homebridge plug in that’ll make it work. The only exception I’ve run into is with Chamberlain garage door openers because the company is particularly aggressive about funneling you through their app.
I ended up making an awesome esphome rig for my garage door. An esp32 board, a magnetic switch for position detection and a little relay that closes for .5s connected to the wall button wires.
Super simple and it works crazy well. It also cuts out all the proprietary shit the manufacturer would prefer I use.
RatGDO can do this without the need for a magnetic switch. It’s a simple ESP32 board with easy-to-terminate wire terminals. It also lets you control the lights on your opener, see the current status of the door, and even open the door to an exact in-between position (if your door supports it).
You can program your own ESP32 if you like, or buy one from the guy that made it directly for ~$40.
Still - props to you for making your own solution! I know it’s extra satisfying when you can homebrew your own smart home solutions from scratch - just wanted to share another solution for people who don’t have the same skills.
I ordered them through Lowes and they had all sorts of options for connectivity and power, including just old school chains. Looks like they're Bali brand.
I also got Z-wave shades from Bali when Home Depot had a 50% off custom window treatments sale. They've been wonderful, and integrate with Home Assistant very nicely overall. Battery lasts a long time (about 6 months of use, with a daily "round trip" and they're still at about 60%) and status gets reported back. One piece on one shade got machined weirdly so I couldn't use the Z-wave, and they were happy to send a replacement.
Bali is manufactured by a company called Springs Window Fashions. Might be worth looking into them and their other brands too!
Oh, and Home Depot has sample material books you can take home for a night to see what would work best for you.
