Review: EZVIZ DB1C

[itm]

Try to pair the camera again with the EZViz app or remove the camera from the app and then add it again.

Did you test the Sage sensor for function with 12V?

To confirm what I've done (and have just done again):
1. Delete the DB1C device from the Ezviz app
2. Press the reset button on the DB1C
3. Add the DB1C to the app (scanned the QR code)
4. Selected Electronic chime from the options
5. Pressed the doorbell.
6. Got the incoming call, but no video stream
7. Tried to access the video stream from the Ezviz app, and got the "Operation failed" error.
8. Tried to access the video stream from the Ezviz app again, and got "Device offline" - the DB1C has now powered itself off.

I haven't done the 12V test with the Sage sensor yet - do I need the current sensor NC/NO switch for that, or do I simply connect the + and - terminals of the transformer to the Green and White connectors on the Sage sensor? If the latter, what would I look for to indicate success - e.g. should it trigger my "First Button Pressed" automation when I connect the transformer?

 

[pete_c]

... the DB1C has now powered itself off.

Might be that the DB1C is drawing less power with the Sage sensor connected to the circuit. Remove the Sage Sensor and try testing the EZViz DB again.

Was everything (EZViz App) working well up until you tried to implement the Sage sensor?

... simply connect the + and - terminals of the transformer to the Green and White connectors on the Sage sensor? If the latter, what would I look for to indicate success - e.g. should it trigger my "First Button Pressed" automation when I connect the transformer?

The Sage sensor could have a dead short. Guessing you are using an AC to DC transformer eh?

Test the Sage sensor from a different voltage source with 12V. A 9VDC battery might trigger it.

Yes. Just create the connection for a second or two ...enough to trip the Sage sensor for validation of function of the Sage doorbell sensor.

Can you validate if the Tasmota Sage Sensor is a contact sensor or a voltage sensor? Guessed earlier that it was a voltage sensor. I could not when looking at the specs.

Today doing something similar with a 433Mhz PIR talking to a Tasmota 433Mhz hub running an MQTT event to trigger a Tasmota ESP01 relay plugged in to one zone on the alarm panel.

 

[itm]

It's an AC/DC transformer - as per the photo.
I've connected the power supply directly to the green and white connectors on the Sage Sensor for a few seconds and nothing got triggered in Home Assistant. I then tried another transformer (this time 9V) but again nothing was triggered.
I'm guessing that the Sage sensor is a voltage sensor but I really don't know.

 

[pete_c]

Maybe the Sage Sensor battery is depleted. Guessing it is sending out zigbee and MQTT maybe?

If the sensor trips with voltage you should have seen it with HA.

I just recently had a ZWave PIR battery get depleted after about 8 months or so. The supposition was that the battery would last more than a year. I went to using Lithium long life batteries in it.

Take the Sage sensor battery out and check it with a voltage meter to make sure the battery is good.

Guessing your Zigbee transceiver is working fine with other Zigbee devices.

You mentioned you have Tasmota firmware on the Sage Sensor. You can check your MQTT network using MQTT explorer.

Here have gone to using mostly MQTT with HA lately.

 

[itm]

One step forward, one step back. I tried removing and re-pairing the Sage sensor with the hub, and the hub could no longer find it, suggesting that the Sage was dead. So I tried the reset button on the Sage sensor circuit board...no luck. Then I removed the battery and tested it, as you suggested, and it was fine. I then replaced the battery, the red LED in the Sage sensor started flashing, and I was able to re-pair it. I connected a 9V transformer to it and finally got my HA automation triggered. Finally back in business, I thought, but......

I then connected everything back up as per my diagram above, followed the same steps to set up the DB1C in the app again (with an electronic chime), but got exactly the same result - pressing the doorbell gives no Zigbee alert, an incoming call but no video stream, and the DB1C powered off again. Oh and the Sage sensor "died" again - I deleted it from my ZHA config and was unable to re-pair it. So the whole process seems to be killing both the DB1C and the Sage Sensor.

Back to square one.
???

 

[pete_c]

Now take the same voltmeter and check your transformer. Personally 1 amp is a tad light for the video doorbell, chime, et al. A 2 AMP 12VDC regulated transformer would work better for you.

 

[itm]

Now take the same voltmeter and check your transformer. Personally 1 amp is a tad light for the video doorbell, chime, et al. A 2 AMP 12VDC regulated transformer would work better for you.

What should I be checking the transformer for? To check that it's delivering 12V? As I'm not actually using a chime what sort of voltage/current should I require?

Any guesses as to what is causing both the DB1C and the Sage sensor to shut down when I press the doorbell, but only when I have the DB1C configured for an electronic chime?

 

[pete_c]

What should I be checking the transformer for? To check that it's delivering 12V?

Yes.

As I'm not actually using a chime what sort of voltage/current should I require?

It'll just be the draw of the video doorbell. The Hikvision video doorbell with PIR draws about 1/2 of one amp. Without the PIR guessing it would be lower with your video doorbell.

Any guesses as to what is causing both the DB1C and the Sage sensor to shut down when I press the doorbell, but only when I have the DB1C configured for an electronic chime?

Could be a bad transformer or "power pack"? Not sure what happens to the camera when it is configured for an electronic chime versus a regular doorbell chime and a 12VDC transformer is used.

Specs for the EZViz DB1C indicate power supply 12-24 VAC. Most older doorbell chimes here in the US utilize an AC power supply.

Check the voltage out leaving everything connected. I am curious what you will see.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Remember that when the button is pushed a momentary short is produced across the doorbell terminals. The power kit is sort of a load resistor, of sorts, and is designed to keep power flowing to the doorbell. I have no idea what the load of a Sage device is but it really shouldn't be very high at all, probably in the low milliamp range. It is possible that your power supply sags enough to make the doorbell go offline. Monitor the voltage when the button is pressed.

 

[pete_c]

BTW here occasionally if I keep tinkering I reach maximum of connections to my Hikvision Video DB and I cannot connect to it with VLC. I am currently using Zoneminder, Blue Iris, Home Assistant, Homeseer and my Leviton OmniPro 2 panel to connect to the Video doorbell. I get a message that I cannot connect to my video stream locally. I do not utilize the cloud app here.

A couple of months ago when using the ONVIF to MQTT add on it would lock up the camera, reset it to AP mode but not delete my settings.

Guessing you are using your smart phone (s) to connect to the EZViz app. Maybe you have some lingering connections when you have reconfigured it. Maybe check with the EZViz Windows app to see if you have ghosted links in the EZViz cloud.

 

[itm]

What should I be checking the transformer for? To check that it's delivering 12V?

Yes.

As I'm not actually using a chime what sort of voltage/current should I require?

It'll just be the draw of the video doorbell. The Hikvision video doorbell with PIR draws about 1/2 of one amp. Without the PIR guessing it would be lower with your video doorbell.

Any guesses as to what is causing both the DB1C and the Sage sensor to shut down when I press the doorbell, but only when I have the DB1C configured for an electronic chime?

Could be a bad transformer or "power pack"? Not sure what happens to the camera when it is configured for an electronic chime versus a regular doorbell chime and a 12VDC transformer is used.

Specs for the EZViz DB1C indicate power supply 12-24 VAC. Most older doorbell chimes here in the US utilize an AC power supply.

Check the voltage out leaving everything connected. I am curious what you will see.

I've changed to a 12V 2.5A power supply. I can now get video from an incoming call, but the Sage switch doesn't trigger. I measure 12.5V from the transformer when everything is connected.

 

[pete_c]

@itm

Did your Video Doorbell / chime work before using the Sage sensor and the 12VDC transformer?

Depending on where you are at have a few automation peers living in London that may be able to help you.

One automation peer lives at :

24 Rosemoor Drive
Brierley Hill
West Midlands

A few years ago worked in London for a couple of weeks. (Wales too for a week or so). Worked across the street from Paddington station and would walk to work mostly exploring the old neighborhoods there. None of my engineering peers there were versed much in electronics. This was for a natural gas project in Wales for the UK.

 

[pete_c]

I've changed to a 12V 2.5A power supply. I can now get video from an incoming call, but the Sage switch doesn't trigger. I measure 12.5V from the transformer when everything is connected.

Good news @itm That means that the 1 amp transformer was not enough for your video doorbell or that your sage sensor is drawing too much power. Does the electronic chime work with AC voltage or just DC voltage?

I had to disconnect my doorbell sensor (for alarm) which was an Elk-930 board when I switched over from the Ring Doorbell to the Hikvision doorbell.

The doorbell button / alarm panel connections et al were a bit over engineered here in my home.



So replaced the doorbell sensor (which was an in line current sensor) with a very sensitive current sensor that looks like this:

Note this was done such that the doorbell button was a zone on the alarm panel (Leviton Omni Pro 2).

Note this current sensor is an AC current sensor. Not sure if it will work with DC voltage.



It is on Amazon cheap here at less than $20 USD.

You would connect this switch to a wireless either Zigbee or ZWave or 433Mhz device for your HA automation. IE: an ESP01 with Tasmota works well with this.

The ESP01 upgraded with tasmota is tiny and cheap and talks MQTT today and used for the analog connection to the alarm panel (testing).

 

[pete_c]

Here is a picture of the wiring, current sensor, transformer et al...posted here on the forum.

From here there is a 4 wire 20 gauge solid core cable to the doorbell chime in a main floor hallway and to the doorbell button next to the front door.

Typically here in the US this type of cable is used to control the thermostat and runs from the thermostat to the furnace. Except that it is 6-8 wire solid core.

The debounce circuit is to prevent folks from a continuous old style doorbell button press. I do not think this matters with the combo camera / doorbell button. So you would not need a debounce circuit. Note have used this set up now for around 25 years except for the new current sensor.

Guessing all of your electronics / power are in the same place as your chime.

Today is the bird clean up day....the bird is a 50 year old Amazon Blue crown parrot from Brazil that I plucked from a nest when she was the size of my thumb. Kika is jealous of the wife and the wife doesn't like that I pay more attention to Kika than her sometimes....

 

[itm]

Did your Video Doorbell / chime work before using the Sage sensor and the 12VDC transformer?
Yes it worked fine before the Sage sensor, using the Ezviz wireless chime and the original Netgear 12V 1A transformer. I should also have mentioned that the RTSP stream is connected up to Blue Iris, and that also works fine with the 12V 1A transformer.

That means that the 1 amp transformer was not enough for your video doorbell or that your sage sensor is drawing too much power. Does the electronic chime work with AC voltage or just DC voltage?
I don't actually have an electronic chime installed. I just set the DB1C to tell it that there is an electronic chime so that it triggers the Sage Sensor.

Guessing all of your electronics / power are in the same place as your chime.
The power and electronics are on the other side of a wall from the doorbell/front door (on the wall of the garage).

Thanks for uploading details of your setup Pete. It looks alot more complex than I was hoping to achieve with my setup! (I'm pretty green when it comes to setting up this sort of thing).

It seems that the introduction of "wireless chime" mode, and/or the Sage sensor to the DB1C causes problems for the original 12V 1A transformer (i.e. inability to stream video). When I select Wireless Chime mode on the DB1C after a reset I've tried a chime duration of both 2 secs and 5 secs. Does that sound about right to trigger the Sage sensor?

I'd be curious to know whether the DB1C's power kit is doing what it is supposed to do (although I'm not sure exactly what that is!). I've just bought a Byron 776 mechanical chime, which is on the compatibility list for the DB1C. It has an internal 8V transformer. I think I will connect that up and see if the DB1C can get a tune out of it.

 

[pete_c]

Be better maybe if you went to an AC to AC transformer. Not sure how the power kit works with DC Voltage.

It seems that the introduction of "wireless chime" mode, and/or the Sage sensor to the DB1C causes problems for the original 12V 1A transformer (i.e. inability to stream video). When I select Wireless Chime mode on the DB1C after a reset I've tried a chime duration of both 2 secs and 5 secs. Does that sound about right to trigger the Sage sensor?

I originally had mine configured for a mechanical chime and one did it did get reset where I had to reconfigure it. The Hikvision doorbell camera used more power than the Ring doorbell so I upped the AC transformer here.

I would keep it simple there by you. Remove the sage sensor and up the transformer and maybe go to an AC transformer and using a current sensor plus a wireless contact switch (Tasmota modded ZWave, Zigbee or just an ESP01 connected to the current sensor). Much simpler and easy to manage circuit....

New AC transformer would power ==>

1 - video doorbell
2 - mechanical chime (there also are electric chimes that have batteries or work from the AC voltage).
3 - current sensor on one of the two AC low voltage leads

Current 12VDC transformer would power ==> (you have so you might as well use it)
1 - Tasmota ESP01 connected to current sensor ==> talking MQTT to HA.

In the garage here have an old Sonoff basic module with 2 door contact sensors on it, temperature sensor and button to open and close garage. All MQTT.
Very easy to wire one of these up...you use the free GPIO ports on it for the contact sensors and temperature sensor.

This is for wireless testing and it is as fast as wired to alarm panel stuff...IE: have two contact sensors and garage door button wired to the alarm panel via a very long cable from the garage to the other side of the house at the alarm panel.

Here utilize Ruckus AP's for my wireless stuff...(Amazon devices, tablets tasmota devices et al) I do have the house wired for Gb....(every room including bathrooms) ...I prefer to utilized my wired Gb connections over wireless for laptops. I do also have a DIY'd TOR wireless AP configured which works well when I want to use it. Like to tinker a bunch here.

 

[itm]

Remove the sage sensor and up the transformer and maybe go to an AC transformer and using a current sensor plus a wireless contact switch (Tasmota modded ZWave, Zigbee or just an ESP01 connected to the current sensor).
What's the rationale behind a switch to an AC transformer - would that work better with a current sensor? Also, what sort of wireless contact switch do you mean - something like a Zigbee door/window sensor with a magnetic contact breaker? How would that connect to the current sensor?

New AC transformer would power ==>
1 - video doorbell
2 - mechanical chime (there also are electric chimes that have batteries or work from the AC voltage).
3 - current sensor on one of the two AC low voltage leads
The mechanical chime that I have (Byron 776) has an in-built 8V transformer so wouldn't need a separate power source.

Current 12VDC transformer would power ==> (you have so you might as well use it)
1 - Tasmota ESP01 connected to current sensor ==> talking MQTT to HA.
I would have no idea what to do with an ESP01 :0(
Would the current sensor + wireless contact switch be a simpler solution for someone like me?

Edit: the puzzling thing is that I can trigger the Sage sensor if I connect a 12V DC transformer directly to it. I just can't work out why the full setup with the doorbell won't do the same.

 

[sebastiantombs]

I'm just trying to understand your logic. The DB1C, and all the others as well, are designed to work with an AC powered system, a doorbell without a built-in transformer so that enough power can be applied to supply the proper power level to the DB1C. The power module in the doorbell end is a resistive bypass to keep the DB1C powered and avoid having the hum of a doorbell from partial power passing through it while the DB1Cis working, all the time in other words.

You seem to be going about the whole thing the "long way" when simply using a proper doorbell transformer and chime combination would probably solve the whole thing.

 

[itm]

I'm just trying to understand your logic. The DB1C, and all the others as well, are designed to work with an AC powered system, a doorbell without a built-in transformer so that enough power can be applied to supply the proper power level to the DB1C. The power module in the doorbell end is a resistive bypass to keep the DB1C powered and avoid having the hum of a doorbell from partial power passing through it while the DB1Cis working, all the time in other words.

You seem to be going about the whole thing the "long way" when simply using a proper doorbell transformer and chime combination would probably solve the whole thing.

OK yes I think my mistake may have been thinking that, having successfully used a "standard" UK DC transformer that I happened to have lying around, it was an acceptable solution. Maybe the Ezviz power kit (which I hadn't used up to now) will only work if an AC power source is used?

Would something like this do the job?

Doorbell Transformer, 24V/500mA Doorbell Power Supply Transformer Cable Compatible with Ring Video Doorbell, 8M (315") Cable (White) : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Doorbell Transformer, 24V/500mA Doorbell Power Supply Transformer Cable Compatible with Ring Video Doorbell, 8M (315") Cable (White) : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[sebastiantombs]

That transformer is only 12 watts. I'd say 20 watts, or greater, is needed. I'm running with a 30 watt if that helps.

24V 40VA Thermostat and Doorbell Transformer, Power Supply Compatible with Nest, Ecobee, Sensi and Honeywell Thermostat, Nest Hello Doorbell and All Versions of Ring Doorbell (Style 1) - - Amazon.com

24V 40VA Thermostat and Doorbell Transformer, Power Supply Compatible with Nest, Ecobee, Sensi and Honeywell Thermostat, Nest Hello Doorbell and All Versions of Ring Doorbell (Style 1) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

I found one for less, but this is the same basic one I'm using.