I recently purchased the Heiman HS1DS-Z Z-Wave door sensor, and I wanted to share my experience and some tips for anyone considering this device. Overall, I’m really impressed with the value and functionality!
I bought these sensors from eBay and Amazon for under $10 GBP each, which is a fantastic price point. After receiving them, I paired one with my Vera Edge UI7 system using the generic Z-Wave device option. The process was straightforward—simply sliding off the battery cover and pressing the tamper switch three times. It paired without any issues, and I was up and running in minutes!
One thing I noticed is that the sensor creates two devices in Vera: a parent device and a child device. The parent device has On/Off buttons and a battery status indicator, while the child device functions as the actual door sensor with Arm/Bypass controls. At first, I was a bit confused by this setup, but I realized it’s just how the sensor communicates with the system. The child device is the one that appears in the Vera Dashboard, which is perfect for monitoring.
Here are a few tips for anyone else using these sensors:
- Check the seller carefully: Ensure you’re buying the Z-Wave version, as there’s also a Zigbee version available.
- Ignore the user manual: The manual mentions using a pinhole to activate the sensor, but I found that the tamper switch method worked much better.
- Battery life: The sensor uses a small battery, and I’ve been impressed with how long it lasts. The battery status on the parent device is a handy feature.
I’m really happy with this purchase and would definitely recommend it to others looking for an affordable and reliable Z-Wave door sensor. If you have any questions or tips, feel free to share them below! 