Review: EZVIZ DB1C

[pete_c]

Well now take a Voltmeter to check to make sure that it is 8VAC on the OF terminal.

Disconnect the 12VAC transformer from the Control unit and see the HC450 works the chime and control unit with the 8VAC only transformer.

Yes with any doorbell / chime one of the two wires will always be connected to the transformer. The other wire will be connected to one wire of the doorbell button. The other wire of the doorbell button will be connected to the transformer. Pushing the button will complete the circuit and ring the chime.

From the HC450 manual it shows that the 8VAC transformer is used only to power up the HC450 and the 12VAC is only used to drive the chime (left drawing to right drawing above) and the 12VAC transformer is not at all connected to the HC450.

From the looks of the actual wiring it appears that the installer did not follow the installation manual and just made the control unit work.

So he used the same 8VAC transformer to drive the chime as used for the HC450. So follow the 12VAC wires and test them. It cannot be that both 8VAC and 12VAC wires are connected to the HC450.

Is the 12AC transformer connected at all to the HC450 control unit? It should only be connected to the chime. The actuator wires are just the switch wires which are the same as the doorbell wires. That is what the drawing is all about above.

The drawing from the manual leaves the old chime circuit and power supply in place and the actuator wires (door bell button) only closes the 12VAC circuit power to the chime which is not the same as the 8VAC power to the control unit but rather the original 12VAC power to the chime.

Go baby steps here tracing one wire at a time...installer paired up the catXX wires cuz typically these are thin wires.

I am using the installation manual here ==>

https://gse.gigaset.com/fileadmin/legacy-assets/A31008-M1799-R101-2-7619_30-10-2008_en_GBR_IRL.pdf

There are many high voltage and low voltage electricians out there that make assumptions and do not read manuals.

IE: and many electricians here choose their own color standards for wiring high voltage which really can be detrimental.

One year / Christmas I purchased a little bicycle for my daughter. I did not read the assembly manual and assumed that I did not need it.
The bicycle came totally un assembled. I tried to assemble the little bicycle without the manual. That did not work.

 

[itm]

The installer wouldn't have had much choice - the 12V AC transformer has a proprietary plug connector which would only have fitted the right-hand socket in the HC450 control unit - it's the black cable on the right in the photo of the HC450. So yes, it seems that the HC450 is powered by the 12VAC transformer. The white cable is the one from the Friedland 8V transformer, which must have been purchased with the Friedland chime.
So my concern is, if I wire things up according to my last diagram the chime will have the 8V transformer connected to the 3(T) terminal, and the same terminal would be connected to the 2nd 12VAC transformer (which has just been delivered), albeit via the DB1C's power kit.

 

[pete_c]

So then the HC450 control unit is using the 12VAC transformer and the Friedland chime is using the 8VAC transformer.

I do not think that the 8VAC transformer would work for the DB1C and I do not think that the 12VAC transformer could power up the HC450 and the DB1C.

You could up the Friedland Chime original transformer to a higher voltage / amperage transformer.

Here when I upped the original 8VAC to the current 24VAC chime transformer it made the chime make a "gong" sound rather than a "chime" sound.

At the time I didn't care about the chime "gong" because the DB was driving sound / automation events anyhow.

BUT due to WAF (wife acceptance factor) changed the chime.

So I purchased a new chime that would work with the higher voltage transformer.

Well really if the chime / transformer are isolated from the HC450 it doesn't matter.

So here replaced the old 8VAC Nutone chime with this one from Amazon ==> Newhouse Hardware CHM1 Door Bell Chime, White for $13.71 USD

This chime was the exact size of the old chime and fit nicely there on the wall.

And then I upped the 8VAC original transformer to an 18 or 24 VAC transformer.

Endurance Pro 24V 40VA Thermostat Doorbell Transformer, Power Supply Compatible with Nest, Ecobee, Sensi, Honeywell Thermostat, Nest Hello Doorbell and All Versions of Ring Doorbell for $21.81 USD.

As the Chime / transformer circuit is isolated with the correct installation it shouldn't matter to the HC450. Both the HC450 button and the DB1C button would be active.

Here too the original doorbell chime and transformer were isolated (20 years ago) from the Elk 930-960 circuit boards in the drawing above as these used 12VDC from the alarm panel. I did not want 8VAC or 24VAC power to leak to the Leviton Omn Pro 2 combo alarm panel.

8VAC ==> Doorbell chime / transformer / button ==> ringing the chime
12VDC ==> Doorbell Elk 930-960 circuit boards ==> tripping one zone on the alarm panel. The Elk930 is a passive current sensor. (removed cuz it did not work).

As said before Baby steps first. You have figured out the logic of the original HC450 installer.

 

[itm]

I guess the DB1C power kit is specifically intended for use with existing chimes. Most mechanical chimes here in the UK seem to be powered by 8V transformers. The Byron 776 (which I'd originally bought for use with the DB1C) is on the compatibility list for the DB1C, and has an in-built 8V transformer. When I asked Ezviz support about using the DB1C with the Byron 776 they said "Byron 776 can be wired directly according to the wiring map regardless of integrated transformer." They had also said that "DB1C needs output voltage AC 16V to 24V from transformer to work properly. Therefore, the 8V transformer integrated is not enough to power DB1C".
I asked them to clarify whether the use of both transformers in the same circuit would cause any problems but I got no reply.
Maybe the power kit provides the necessary levels of isolation between the 8V power in the chime and the 12VA power connected to the DB1C?

 

[pete_c]

Note that the standard installation of the HC450 uses its own transformer which in your case is the 12VAC transformer.

The Chime you have is separately powered by an 8VAC transformer. According to the HC450 manual this is isolated power and meant to be that way.

My chime and transformer were both 8VAC. This worked fine with the Ring doorbell. The reason it worked is that the Ring doorbell has its own power supply which is a battery. You do not need to connect power to it. It'll will run like this for 1-2 months. The AC power just charges the battery.

Read the FAQ. Most if not all forum users that went to the Hikvision Doorbell had to up their AC transformer. I did and it created a gong affect on my chime.

Maybe the power kit provides the necessary levels of isolation between the 8V power in the chime and the 12VA power connected to the DB1C?

NO. There is no maybe's. The power kit provides isolation relating to shorting the two power leads of the Hikvision doorbell chime while still sounding the chime on a standard doorbell / chime circuit and power supply. IE: if you short the two power leads on the AC tranformer say with a 22 guage wire; the wire will melt and break the circuit much like a fuse. The power kit prevents this. Personally it is a mickey mouse solution and they should have designed the doorbell camera to work like the Ring doorbell camera.

Read through the threads and the FAQ relating to installation and use of the Hikvision DB. The DB1C is only different that the original one had a hardware PIR. The power draw on the hardware PIR shouldn't be more than 100Mw or a tad less. It is the camera which uses the most power > 500mW or 1 AMP.

As mentioned the solution is to wire up the HC450 as depicted in the installation manual with it's own power supply. Then up the power to the chime. It is isolated. Test the chime with the HC450 and it will probably gong instead of chime. Then afterwards connect the DB1C to the chime using the new power supply and power kit. Note again this is separate power and not related at all to the HC450.

You can test the chime separately by remove the two wires that are connected to the two terminals OF and T3. Then connect a second AC low voltage transformer - 2 wires - to the chime terminals OF and T3. It will ring/chime. The low AC voltage will not shock you. Wear gloves though if you want.

An AC 16V to 24V transformer is typically used for an alarm panel here in the US and over there in the UK. The ones sold here are pluggable to an outlet and I am guessing that any security company / alarm company can provide you with a pluggable 16V to 24V / 240 VAC to 16-24VAC transformer.

Check out

https://cpc.farnell.com/

for AC to AC transformers for alarm panels.

 

[itm]

OK that makes sense - so I should replace the Friedland 8V power supply (it's a D753) with a 16-24VAC power supply.

Annoyingly, I just had a 24VAC power supply delivered from Amazon (advertised as being compatible with Ring etc) but it seems to be DOA. I plugged it into the DB1C (with nothing else in the loop) and the DB1C didn't power up. So I checked it with a multimeter and got no reading.

 

[pete_c]

The Ring doesn't use any transformer to power it up. The Hikvision needs a transformer to power it up.

The DB1C has a battery in it that is charged and only used to retain the memory of the DB1C. If you unplug the DB1C from the power supply you will not get any video.

The Ring has a removable battery that powers up the Ring cameras. If you remove the power from the Ring it will continue to work for a couple of months.

Taking a few breaks here while I work on my automobile. Just installed Brembo brakes and pads on it. I had the control arms and bushings changed and now there is a slight vibration after 85 MPH to about 140 or so MPH which is really bugging me...so under the car right now checking out the new control arm fittings...hot in the garage so I keep taking breaks...Note that I do not typically push the automobile unless it is safe to do so....

 

[itm]

I didn't realise the DB1C had any kind of battery on board.
As a matter of interest, when I connected the new (dead) 24VAC transformer into the loop, with the DB1C, power kit and Sage sensor installed, the Sage sensor was triggering every second. Any idea why that might be?
Also, is there anyone in the UK who can recommend a wall mount or plug-in 24VAC transformer?

 

[pete_c]

How do you know the new 24VAC transformer is dead? Did you power it up and test the low voltage leads with a voltmeter without a load on it.

You could have been shorting it out earlier.

The Sage sensor was triggered cuz it uses voltage to trigger. The voltage was always on with the power kit. The Sage doorbell sensor is a Zigbee device.

I have a Zigbee wireless contact sensor here. You have to remove the cover on it to change the battery. To make it passively work with the Chime you would set it close to the energized magnet inside of your doorbell.

When you ring the doorbell it will energize the magnet inside of the chime and trigger the wireless Zigbee contact switch. Tiny thing it will file nicely inside of your chime.

The tiny contact switches have double stick tape on them. You can put them 1-2" or more from the energized magnet for it to work.

If you already have a working chime connected which I believe you do. Then purchase a Zigbee contact switch and put it inside of your chime and test it.

When I went from the Elk 930 current sensor to the currently utilized passive I put a contact sensor in my chime and it worked fine. Will post a picture as I left it in the chime.

Guessing the Amazon UK site would have tiny Zigbee contact switches. The Ring (ZWave) contact sensor is tiny at about 2" x 1".

Try this:

Using the new 24VAC transformer by itelf and connect one Sage wire to it and touch the second lead to the other wire on the Sage. Note that it will trigger when you touch the second 24VAC wire to the Sage.

This is where you get a current sensor. The current sensor triggers when the voltage goes up. It is passive current sensor and none invasive. Only wires you connect to it are for your switch.

As mentioned above a typical alarm panel uses a 16-24VAC pluggable transformer (AC to AC).

Posted the link to Farnell over there in the UK. They should have pluggable AC to AC alarm panel transformers.

If the new Amazon 24VAC is not working then return it to Amazon. Here in the US we have 30 days with an Amazon prime product. It it is broken you can return it for an exchange or credit postage free/

 

[itm]

I tested the new transformer with a multimeter - connected the leads directly but got zero voltage reading.
It's already packaged up for return so probably not worth hooking it up to the Sage sensor.
Thanks for the recommendation for Farnell - I've bought from them before. This looks about right - does it look suitable?

https://cpc.farnell.com/stontronics/t5868st/inline-psu-24vac-2a-bare-end-level/dp/PW03961

 

[pete_c]

That is interesting that the Sage switch would trigger with no voltage on it. Looking for the manual for it and see this right here on the forum:

Cheap Z-Wave / Zigbee doorbell sensor

I been looking for doorbell sensor to tie in my doorbell chime so I can set up a light flashing when doorbell button is pressed. During my search, I discovered a cheap way to set one up if you use Zigbee in your home automation so I wanted to share it on here. The sensor is a SAGE Zigbee...

ipcamtalk.com

SAGE Zigbee Doorbell Sensor Impressions & SmartThings Device Handler - DarwinsDen.com

Initial review of the SAGE Doorbell Sensor by Hughes + SmarThings Hub Device Handler / driver download for the SmatThings Hub.

darwinsden.com

Hooking doorbell button to HE without doorbell chimes

Its kinda like that but its not really current limiting. Think of the Sage as a voltmeter. It is connected right across the chime input power..........hmmm good you said that... Thinking more about the Sage input. You might have to put a small resistor across the Sage inputs. Would think a...

community.hubitat.com

Wow just watched this video and the Sage sensor is really large and has to be installed outside of the doorbell.




Here is a picture of my doorbell chime. I removed my contact switch. The wireless contact switch is about the same size as the power pack. Just stick it in the vicinity of the energized magnet.

I stuck the power module and contact switch between the plastic there in that little space such that I could fit the cover of the chime back on.

Note that powerpack and contact switch would be inside of the chime and you do not see them with the cover on.





You would be better off using a wireless with battery Zigbee contact sensor.

Yes that Farnell 24VAC 2 AMP transformer you posted would be fine.

 

[itm]

Thanks - I've ordered the CPC Farnell transformer.
I did think about using a wireless contact sensor, but I read (on the Home Assistant forums, I think) that it's not as reliable as the Sage sensor - i.e. it frequently misses doorbell presses. I also wouldn't know where the electromagnet area is in the chime - any ideas from the photo below?

 

[pete_c]

Yes my contact switch was 100% reliable. You can test it by ringing the doorbell and activating the magnet and just hold it in your hand moving it around the chime.

Current using the Ring alarm system in house #2 and the wireless small contact switches and they work 100% of the time with the little magnets.

The garage door magnet is mounted on the metal frame. It is a rare earth magnet.

The magnetism generated by the coil is what moves the plunger to ding the chime and is much stronger than a rare earth magnet.

On your chime it is under the plastic along the line of the plunger so it would be an easy install.

Look along the side with a flashlight and you will see the plunger that strikes the metal chime bar. The tube where the plunger comes out under the plastic is wrapped with wire and generates the magnetism to push the plunger out to strike the metal chime bar. Guessing each side has a plunger. On mine you see two plungers facing up with only one chime bar on the top.

 

[itm]

On your chime it is under the plastic along the line of the plunger so it would be an easy install.
I was trying to work out where that was - do you mean in the area marked in red in this photo?

Interesting that you find the contact sensor so reliable. I will definitely try it - I've ordered a Zigbee door/window sensor from eBay....

 

[pete_c]

Here is a picture of what it probably looks like underneath. Putting the side up or below it should work fine.

 

[danimal86]

I just installed the db1c and I can't seem to get the mechanical chime to work. It's a nutone unit


When I setup the camera using the android app, there was a setting for digital or mechanical chime, I can't find where that setting is in the app, I even tried resetting the camera and nada. The transformer is a 16v 10va.
Anyone know how to get it to work?

 

[pete_c]

Your Nutone looks identical to my old Nutone 8VAC replacement from Amazon. Newhouse Hardware CHM1 Door Bell Chime, White

When you reset the app you should be able to pick mechanical chime. I have read a review on the EZViz site relating to the DB1C that states there is no mechanical chime choice on the Android App menu.

This guy removed the power kit with his DB1C and it works fine for him. It appears that he is using the Friedland battery or transformer powered doorbell chime.

 

[danimal86]

Your Nutone looks identical to my old Nutone 8VAC replacement from Amazon. Newhouse Hardware CHM1 Door Bell Chime, White

When you reset the app you should be able to pick mechanical chime. I have read a review on the EZViz site relating to the DB1C that states there is no mechanical chime choice on the Android App menu.

This guy removed the power kit with his DB1C and it works fine for him. It appears that he is using the Friedland battery or transformer powered doorbell chime.

I just uninstalled and reinstalled the app, camera popped right back up after I signed in, but didn't get any option to select the chime type.
I was hoping that it was similar to Ring doorbells where it had different settings for different chimes....you try different settings until the chime works.

I guess I could unplug the power pack that came with it and see if that works.

 

[sebastiantombs]

You need to reset the camera. Pull the front cover and hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The LED will start flashing red as it reboots with a factory config. You can also install Ezviz Studio and gain more control using that the the Ezviz app offers.

 

[danimal86]

You need to reset the camera. Pull the front cover and hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The LED will start flashing red as it reboots with a factory config. You can also install Ezviz Studio and gain more control using that the the Ezviz app offers.

I did try that, but it didn't give me the chime option like it did before. Maybe it's because the firmware updated?

I'll look into the ezviz studio. Does it have the chime setting?