Wil I be able to use a Z-Wave controller

The FCC limits the radiated power in this band (908.42MHz) to 1mW (Europe allows 25mW @ 868.42MHz, Canada tends to follow the FCC). What the FCC tries to do is allow increased power at higher frequencies (it's much lower at the

310MHz used by X-10) to compensate for the fact that higher frequencies don't travel as far and thus give approximately equal range across the ~200kHz-1GHz Part 15 spectrum. So 20-30' is what you can reasonably expect from any Part 15 transmitter in these frequency bands and anyone who claims significantly more is full of it. For example, Lutron RA says their nodes need to be within 27' of each other.

I'll stick with my recommended 20-25' for reliability.

There are simple and legal things you can do on the receiving end to increase range but there's no indication that Zensys, Zigbee, etc. do any of these things as most quote very similar receiver sensitivity.

That makes perfect sense to me. Bass will, of course, argue the point because it's "you" and I happen to agree. Next thing he'll tell us is that's illegal to hook up a 110VAC smoke alarm to a home security system. ;-)

As more products appear from various manufacturers like ACT, Leviton and such, online stores will make them available to DIYers. We have been adding various lines, one manufacturer at a time. Presumably all the other onlinbe home automation vendors are doing the same.

Part 15 - FCC: Sec. 15.247 Omni-Directional Antennas (b) The maximum peak output power of the intentional radiator shall not exceed the following: (3) For systems using digital modulation in the 902-928 MHz,

2400-2483.5 and 5725-5850 MHz bands: 1 Watt. [Note: The maximum gain of omni-directional antennas at this 1 Watt, is inferred to be 6 dBi from the paragraphs below, or 36 dBm maximum. 1 Watt is 30 dBm, plus the 6 dB gain, results in about 4 Watts Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)]

Note the part where it says "1 Watt". That's a tad gereater than Dave's 1mW. Perhaps I'm reading the wrong paragrapgh in the FCC rules. FCC regs aren't my usual fare. However, FCC "Type Accepted" (obsolete) security alarm transmitters operating at ~300 mHz range have radiated 100mW for years. I understood that the 100mW setting was lower than what is allowed to conserve battery power.

I guess the engineers at Intermatic know far less than Dave Houston. After all, what do they know. They only design and build this stuff, whereas Dave... um... well, Dave... uh... talks about it without ever having seen it.

They know the limits of their hardware. That has no bearing on what another manufacturer may do.

That's your story and you're sticking to it? According to the FAQ on the ZWaveAlliance website (particpants include most of the manufacturers developing and marketing Z-Wave products:

Q. What is the range of a Z-Wave device?

A. The range of a Z-Wave signal is strongly influenced by the environment; for example the number of walls that the signal has to move through. Typical ranges achieved by Z-Wave customers are 30 meters (90 feet) indoor and over 100 meters (300 feet) outdoors in the open air.

This gentleman has repeatedly denigrated Z-Wave without benefit of knowledge or understanding of the products, the technology or the implementation. It is unfortunate for the CHA community that he does this as it misleads and misdirects those who might benefit from an honest exchange of ideas and information.

I make no effort to hide my bias here. I'm an online vendor and my company sells Z-Wave products. That is not all we sell though. We also offer competing technologies and frankly, Z-Wave is a miniscule portion of our sales. Mr. Houston tries to market devices which use another technology. I don't know how much of his disinformation is motivated by the desire to sell and how much comes from personal animus (there's a lengthy history but it's not germain to this discussion). What I do know is that the gentleman routinely posts erroneous and, at times, deliberately misleading statements about products he doesn't sell.

Well, just in case...

The Z-Wave devices are fixed frequency, so Section 15.209 is applicable.

As you can see from p84 of, it supports what I've posted.

Someone deliberately trying to mislead people might cite...

Secti (a) Operation under the provisions of this Section is limited to frequency hopping and digitally modulated intentional radiators that comply with the following provisions:

A single Levition Vizia remote can control every Z-wave module in the house. Depending on the confuguration and grouping, it might take a few button pushes to get there. (It uses soft menus). Since there has to be one to setup the system, there is always at least one handheld controller for the user.

It is , but my comment was meant to say was that a well thought out new installation allows for much less wire to be run, its also simpler wiring, and lower cost. On an mid to upper scale new house, there is almost a much wire for 3 and 4 way switches as for the single switch. This benefit is not unique to Z-wave, Insteon and even X-10 are about the same. If users work with their electrician ahead of time, they should see a substantive savings.

Appreciate the kind words. Wish I had the means to do some of the quantified testing that people are interested in.

What I do

Whereas you "routinely post erroneous and, at times, deliberately misleading statements about products" you *do* sell.

You claimed that the limit is 1mW. That is of course untrue.

Someone honest enough to admit he's not 100% certain would say, "Perhaps I'm reading the wrong paragraph in the FCC rules. FCC regs aren't my usual fare."

Kindly show us where it says 900 mHz non-frequency hopping intentional transmitters are limited to 1 mW.

Also, one hopes you can explain how it is that manufacturers designing and building Z-Wave modules state that their devices work at distances up to 100 meters in free air and 30 meters indoors yet you claim they won't go 30 feet in a building. How can every one of these manufacturers be totally wrong and you (without ever having tried a single Z-Wave device) know better?

How is it that various manufacturers state they have systems fully controlling homes in excess of 7,000 sf and yet you (without ever having tried a single Z-Wave device) insist the technology is so flawed it can't handle your tiny apartment?

Will you answer or simply avoid the questions as usual, preferring to respond to verbal effluent from Frank Olson?

Understood - but, in my case I have a crutch in one hand and usually one of those self-standing canes in the other so carrying a remote from room to room isn't practical. I suspect that even the young and agile won't want to do that.

You claimed to have programmed a Napco Alpha keypad with the words "Attention Burglar! Go ahead, make my day!" which is impossible to do.

Kindly show us where it states that adding a smoke alarm or heat detector to a home security system will turn it into a listed fire alarm system.

Actually in many earlier "arguments" with Dave, you also referenced 30 feet as the "hop" distance, not 30 meters. If, it is in fact 30 meters (as you now state), then I don't see where the problem is, although I have a blue-tooth headset and USB adapter that's rated for "10 meters" and I'm lucky if I can get five.

You believe manufacturers?? Heh!

I'm sorta hoping he doesn't respond to you directly. It's way more fun this way.

Apparently you missed the comment that you do not need the remote to operate the Z-Wave hardware. It is needed during configuration. After that it's a convenience item *if* you want to use it. The Z-Wave controller takes care of the routine operation.

As you (and the fishy Floridian) know, I keep Bass in my killfile so I only see bits and pieces of his crap when it's quoted by others. But I do try to take advantage of those to offer him opportunities to demonstrate what a blithering idiot he is when it comes to understanding the stuff he sells. He always takes the bait. ;)

Hopefully, anyone here considering buying from such a buffoon will take note.

I get a kick out of the fact that he's offering his own "tech support" on product he's probably never seen let alone installed or worked on.

Oh, I'm sure they all do... :-)

Mr. Houston resorts to personal effrontery rather than deal with facts. He's wrong much of the time and, as pertains to Z-Wave, virtually all of the time. It's unfortunate that he either can't or won't engage in respectful debate. He prefers to post disinformation and, when challenged on that, to post the sort of rudeness above.

No. Mr. Houston prefers not to debate with you at all. You often resort to "personal effrontery rather than deal with facts." You're "wrong much of the time and, as pertains to Z-Wave, Napco, Ademco, DSC, Paradox, virtually all of the time. It's unfortunate that you either can't or won't engage in respectful debate. You prefer to post disinformation and, when challenged on that, to post" lies, innuendo, and lewdness.