review Zooz Z-Wave Power Strips Ver. 1 and 2 and ISY

[Dr. Q]

I bought a Zooz strip over a year ago and tried to link it, no luck, so I set it aside, thinking I needed to wait for updated v5 sw from UDI ( I was running whatever was out in June of last year). Well, I was reading about the new version of this strip, with power usage tracking on each outlet, and saw something in the reviews pertaining to the original device coming with incorrect linking instructions. So I pulled out the strip and tried it again (I'm running 5.0.14 now). Bingo! It works! So I got online with https://www.thesmartesthouse.com and ordered the latest version during their Black Friday sale.

This is the info from the original version;

And this is from the new one;

This is how they stack up in the device tree;

On ZW 50 (the original), the first two nodes are somewhat redundant, in that they both have access to an all on/off function, which is missing on nodes 2-5;

 

ZW 51, the newer version, is much more interesting. Nodes 1-5 each have present and cumulative wattage readings, while the main node shows the total for all 5 outlets, as well as all on/off control. Power Management 1 appears to be a ghost node. Nodes 6 and 7 are pretty cool; the original version had two USB convenience ports for charging, the new version has current sensing on these ports that will toggle the nodes on and off, so that you could program a notification of some sort when your device(s) have finished charging. Version 2 also has keyholes in the back for mounting, lacking in v1, which is no longer available. Good riddance, the second version is much improved, and I was very happy to see ISY include them with no problem at all (press outlet 1 button 3 times fast). We're getting closer to truly having a Universal Device!

Chuck

 

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm using the old Z-wave board in my ISY. I have the new one and am trying to build up the courage to install it this week, so I'll report back on any changes I notice. Also, the documentation of parameter options is extensive, and each outlet has it's own dedicated timer that can be accessed this way, up to 65,535 minutes, or 45 and a half days. Impressed?