Comments for Z-Wave Update at http://www.automatedhome.co.uk , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://www.automatedhome.co.uk Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:44:43 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-665 Recently, Duwi (duewi.de) has started making relatively affordable z-wave devices. The INTERACT line consists of stick-on switches and build in receivers. If there's enough space behind your wall, you could put the receivers in there. Check http://www.home4u-store.com/ for prices. - Pinx Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:12:44 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-628 do not worry it's not just in the UK it is hard to get some good products here in Denmark we also have our problems, especially because we run a completely different type of contacts - Finn Olese Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:24:33 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-627 Thanks for the clarification Mal. Anyone from COCO care to comment on the tech used and the (in)compatibility with HomeEasy units? - Otto-Mate Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:01 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-626 That gear is definitely not Z-Wave. It looks identical to HomeEasy but annoyingly there is now an EU-except-UK variant of the protocol that has an extra bit in the messages. This is incompatible with HomeEasy, and it's likely that CoCo is using this. I can see no justification for that kind of difference - not making UK plugs is one thing, but deliberately varying the protocol so wired-in devices can't be used with UK-specific ones goes right against the spirit of the single market, IMO. Once again we get the shaft. Makes me wonder why we even bother with it all. - Mal Lansell Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:20:21 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-625 @ Mark. I agree totally that is isnt ideal. I was just making the point that you probably could use the modules if you wanted them. @ Neil. Probably purely down to cost. Our switches and sockets are a different style to those in the rest of Europe. They would have to produce two versions of every module and at the moment the UK Home Automation market is still relatively small despite our efforts over the last decade or so to make more people aware of it. - Keith Doxey Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:32:12 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-622 Do we know why it is not available here? - Neil Carmichael Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:39:47 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-623 Keith, there are certainly some modules you could buy from foreign shores and use here. However it's hardly ideal. We need a decent range of UK modules available from UK retailers. Plug in modules are where most people start too, not in-line stuff. - Otto-Mate Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:38:58 +0100 http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/Announcements/Z-Wave-Update.html#comment-621 Given that the whole EU is supposedly harmonised on 230V I see no reason why these modules cant be used in the UK. Obviously there is the physical compatibility issue for the plug in modules but they look to be similar size to X10 modules so I suspect that it should be relatively easy to perform a transplant of innards and "upgrade" an X10 module. I looked at a couple of datasheets and those that state a voltage say Max 230V but our upper limit for 240 still meets the maximum upper limit for harmonised 230v. - Keith Doxey Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:50:52 +0100