I find the switchbot matter support is a little fiddly to get workign, possibly because it is in beta still. On my Home Assistant, I setup a SkyConnect with the dedicated Thread firmware, as I prefer a separate radio for Zigbee and Thread, and the Open Thread Border Router seems to work really reliably with the few thread devices I have currently ( mostly Elgato/Eve devices ). I don't have curtains where I am, but I feel the Curtain 3 is one of the best on the market at this current time.
I have enabled Thread and so far use it with Apple HomePod - for testing. Have Yellow and enabled multi-protocol there. Matter is... different story. Wish it was more baked than it currently is - on all of the devices.
I managed to get a bundle of 4 for $200 during black friday.. Quite happy with that given the quality of the product. That said right now on Home assistant (via BT Proxy) All that is exposed is open/close/stop and diagnostics (calibrated or not) that's it.. and we're in December haha. Should I wait some more for some relevant pulls to happen?
@@BeardedTinkerI'm finally seeing the battery level.. Also the bluetooth radio seem very good. It's being picked up by a esppresence lite on my ground floor and relayed to HA. Very pleased with that. I wish my LD2410Cs would be as capable :p For the light sensor is it dependent on the solar panel being attached? 🤔 Anyway I don't really require it
Great indepth review. Info missed by many other. I have a U-Rail curtain track but the channel opening is 19mm. Larger than both Switchbot or Aqara can handle. Still looking for a solution.
i have Curtain 3 visible in HA via switchbot bluetooth. the status updates quickly in HA but the controls do nothing. i assume my bluetooth adapter is compatible, as i get the status updates? any help with getting this working? thank you
Are you using BLE adapter (USB stick)? It's actually not recommended to use sticsk, rather to use ESPHome BLE proxy as it's better in performance. Second thing - make sure you're using active not passive setup - not sure how it is set with USB setup, but this allow active connection, bot just passive pickup of sensor data.
@@BeardedTinker thank you. i have a usb stick yeah. i havent looked into ESPHome yet. is it hard to set up? I have passive scan deselected in bluetooth configuration
@@deaosatori216 I haven't used USB stick for BLE in a long time. Did you try to enable everything? There is actually a limit of how many BLE devices each "proxy" can detect, read state and control. Forgot how many it was. As for ESPHome proxy, you just need compatible device and you flash firmware over the web. It is than autodetected by Home Assistant and that's it - nothing much to do really. Check this link: esphome.io/projects/index.html Select Bluetooth - and middle device in the image is the one I have around 4-5 spread around the home. To get better coverage.
Just ordered 2 sets of Curtain 3's. How do you like them after 7 months and has Home Assistant support gotten any better? Also, I'm not sure if I should get the hub2 or just use Bluetooth. Not sure about the coverage of BT in my house. Do you have any info (maybe a video) about that BT Proxy you mentioned?
BT Proxy is simple ESP32 device (alsmost any as all 32's should include Bluetooth) that than via WiFi (most common) or Ethernet (rarer) translates signal to and from BLE. Support has been improved, they are now fully supported as previous versions of SwitchBot curtain bots. I still have mine via BTProxy - check this link: esphome.io/projects/?type=bluetooth
Is the current position of the curtain exposed to home assistant? And are features like "pull curtain to start motor" started by the bot itself or do they require a switchbot hub? Great video btw :)
The position is exposed to HA. It will know if it's open/closed or partially open. As for pull to close, I'm not sure - would need to test. Thank you!!!
@@Tntdruid Might be worth reaching out to Switchbot Support and letting them know what type of rail you have. It might actually work as the switchbot device, like many curtain motors, just moves the curtain, same as if you were pulling the curtain. If you have curtains with an existing cord to open and close them, then these type of motors won't work, but the blind motors may work with the cords.
Helpful review. But I'm cross with Switchbot because having bought the original Curtain and solar panels I feel like I was a beta tester for a device that wasn't ready to be brought to market. The movers are underpowered and slip on a chrome curtain rod. I can tolerate firmware and software updates, but these hardware changes confirm the failings of the original device. So, for me , Switchbot is not a serious company.
Sorry to hear that. I've not used v. 1 of Curtain or solar panel. Only used v2 and now v3. Haven't had issues with slipping on rod with v2. And V3 is in my opinion pulling on the rail too thigh. You can barely move it by hand. Maybe they are trying to compensate on the issues you had with it. But again, shame that you had those issues.
Switchbot always had prices a bit higher than other Chinese brands (for ex. Tuya or Sonoff). IMHO - the quality of the build is also a bit higher + better packing, materials etc. But hopefully, Meross, Zemismart, Aqara, Tuya or Sonoff will released something similar in more affordable price range.
Great video, keep up the good work. I've always thought the switch bot curtain is on the high side, especially when you can buy a complete rail from China for less. I did finally buy curtain 2 (with Amazon prime day & switch bot discounts) for one set of two with solar panels for curtains where I wanted separate control of each side (did the group helper in HA for when needed, which works like a charm) Only issue I've had on one side (more than the other) goes into a non responsive state and then stops working with the solar cell correct. Plugging a psu in for a couple of seconds seems to resolve the issue and then the solar cell works again, strange thing is the battery is always above 95%. Has anyone else had similar issues??
Haven't seen this issue on forums. Did you try and see if there is firmware update (probably yes, but just checking)? Also, did you try to contact SB support maybe?
@@BeardedTinker fyi, turned out to be an know issue with the specific hardware version on my switch bot 2. Switch bot have exchanged to switch bot 3 FOC no need to return originals. Win win from my perspective, not had any issues with switch bot 3 😀
Thanks a lot for the tutorial and i successfully integrated switch bot curtain in HA.
I find the switchbot matter support is a little fiddly to get workign, possibly because it is in beta still. On my Home Assistant, I setup a SkyConnect with the dedicated Thread firmware, as I prefer a separate radio for Zigbee and Thread, and the Open Thread Border Router seems to work really reliably with the few thread devices I have currently ( mostly Elgato/Eve devices ).
I don't have curtains where I am, but I feel the Curtain 3 is one of the best on the market at this current time.
I have enabled Thread and so far use it with Apple HomePod - for testing. Have Yellow and enabled multi-protocol there. Matter is... different story. Wish it was more baked than it currently is - on all of the devices.
I managed to get a bundle of 4 for $200 during black friday.. Quite happy with that given the quality of the product. That said right now on Home assistant (via BT Proxy) All that is exposed is open/close/stop and diagnostics (calibrated or not) that's it.. and we're in December haha. Should I wait some more for some relevant pulls to happen?
Need to check if something is planned here, but same here + light and battery level
@@BeardedTinkerI'm finally seeing the battery level.. Also the bluetooth radio seem very good. It's being picked up by a esppresence lite on my ground floor and relayed to HA. Very pleased with that. I wish my LD2410Cs would be as capable :p
For the light sensor is it dependent on the solar panel being attached? 🤔 Anyway I don't really require it
You're right - light sensor on this device is embedded (I think) in solar panels. On v2 it was on device.
Great indepth review. Info missed by many other. I have a U-Rail curtain track but the channel opening is 19mm. Larger than both Switchbot or Aqara can handle. Still looking for a solution.
There are so many rail types. Hope you find something that will fit your setup.
i have Curtain 3 visible in HA via switchbot bluetooth. the status updates quickly in HA but the controls do nothing. i assume my bluetooth adapter is compatible, as i get the status updates? any help with getting this working? thank you
Are you using BLE adapter (USB stick)? It's actually not recommended to use sticsk, rather to use ESPHome BLE proxy as it's better in performance.
Second thing - make sure you're using active not passive setup - not sure how it is set with USB setup, but this allow active connection, bot just passive pickup of sensor data.
@@BeardedTinker thank you. i have a usb stick yeah. i havent looked into ESPHome yet. is it hard to set up?
I have passive scan deselected in bluetooth configuration
@@deaosatori216 I haven't used USB stick for BLE in a long time. Did you try to enable everything? There is actually a limit of how many BLE devices each "proxy" can detect, read state and control. Forgot how many it was.
As for ESPHome proxy, you just need compatible device and you flash firmware over the web. It is than autodetected by Home Assistant and that's it - nothing much to do really.
Check this link: esphome.io/projects/index.html
Select Bluetooth - and middle device in the image is the one I have around 4-5 spread around the home. To get better coverage.
Just ordered 2 sets of Curtain 3's. How do you like them after 7 months and has Home Assistant support gotten any better? Also, I'm not sure if I should get the hub2 or just use Bluetooth. Not sure about the coverage of BT in my house. Do you have any info (maybe a video) about that BT Proxy you mentioned?
BT Proxy is simple ESP32 device (alsmost any as all 32's should include Bluetooth) that than via WiFi (most common) or Ethernet (rarer) translates signal to and from BLE.
Support has been improved, they are now fully supported as previous versions of SwitchBot curtain bots. I still have mine via BTProxy - check this link: esphome.io/projects/?type=bluetooth
Is the current position of the curtain exposed to home assistant? And are features like "pull curtain to start motor" started by the bot itself or do they require a switchbot hub?
Great video btw :)
The position is exposed to HA. It will know if it's open/closed or partially open.
As for pull to close, I'm not sure - would need to test. Thank you!!!
Too bad it's won't fit on my curtain rail type.
Is it "I" rail?
@@BeardedTinkerlooks more like a T shape. The part move inside the rail.
@@Tntdruid Might be worth reaching out to Switchbot Support and letting them know what type of rail you have. It might actually work as the switchbot device, like many curtain motors, just moves the curtain, same as if you were pulling the curtain. If you have curtains with an existing cord to open and close them, then these type of motors won't work, but the blind motors may work with the cords.
They do say that if you have I type, you should contact them. Maybe they have different types of head for it, or something similar.
Helpful review. But I'm cross with Switchbot because having bought the original Curtain and solar panels I feel like I was a beta tester for a device that wasn't ready to be brought to market. The movers are underpowered and slip on a chrome curtain rod. I can tolerate firmware and software updates, but these hardware changes confirm the failings of the original device. So, for me , Switchbot is not a serious company.
Sorry to hear that. I've not used v. 1 of Curtain or solar panel. Only used v2 and now v3. Haven't had issues with slipping on rod with v2. And V3 is in my opinion pulling on the rail too thigh. You can barely move it by hand. Maybe they are trying to compensate on the issues you had with it. But again, shame that you had those issues.
I like the product but not at this price. I wish they would just work at bringing the cost down
Switchbot always had prices a bit higher than other Chinese brands (for ex. Tuya or Sonoff). IMHO - the quality of the build is also a bit higher + better packing, materials etc. But hopefully, Meross, Zemismart, Aqara, Tuya or Sonoff will released something similar in more affordable price range.
Great video, keep up the good work.
I've always thought the switch bot curtain is on the high side, especially when you can buy a complete rail from China for less. I did finally buy curtain 2 (with Amazon prime day & switch bot discounts) for one set of two with solar panels for curtains where I wanted separate control of each side (did the group helper in HA for when needed, which works like a charm)
Only issue I've had on one side (more than the other) goes into a non responsive state and then stops working with the solar cell correct. Plugging a psu in for a couple of seconds seems to resolve the issue and then the solar cell works again, strange thing is the battery is always above 95%.
Has anyone else had similar issues??
Haven't seen this issue on forums. Did you try and see if there is firmware update (probably yes, but just checking)? Also, did you try to contact SB support maybe?
@@BeardedTinker fyi, turned out to be an know issue with the specific hardware version on my switch bot 2. Switch bot have exchanged to switch bot 3 FOC no need to return originals. Win win from my perspective, not had any issues with switch bot 3 😀
Agreed.. I got 4x bundle for $200 for black friday.. still high but a lot better than the retail price