European Z-Wave now legal in NZ?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › European Z-Wave now legal in NZ?

neb

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#270643 19-May-2020 23:13

There was a thread on this two years ago which pointed out that US Z-Wave devices can't be used in the US, however the 2019 GURL for SRDs has been updated to AFAICT allow European Z-Wave:

In the band 868 – 870 MHz, the maximum power is −27 dBW (2 mW) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted duty cycle is 1%, except in the band 869.20 – 869.25 MHz, where the maximum power is −20 dBW (10 mW) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted duty cycle is 0.1%.

That happens to match the European Z-Wave, 868 MHz and 1% duty cycle, which would mean that it's possible to use European Z-Wave gear in NZ even if the official frequency allocated for it is the weirdo 921 MHz. I'll email the RSM folks tomorrow to check, just wondering if anyone here knows more about this...

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#2486747 19-May-2020 23:34

Hope so, that would open up a few more possibilities for equip buying/operating

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neb

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#2486758 19-May-2020 23:42

Regs: Hope so, that would open up a few more possibilities for equip buying/operating

Absolutely, it seems like 90% of the gear out there doesn't, and never will, do the official NZ frequencies. Let's see what RSM comes back with.

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#2487221 20-May-2020 15:17

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAASE be true....would love to get my hands on some UK Zwave TRV valves. That sort of thing doesn't exist over here.

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neb

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#2487233 20-May-2020 15:31

It may not be the case, looks like the max. power level in the GURL text is much lower than the one used in Europe, so even if technically it might be OK in practice it probably won't be. Will wait and see what the RSM folks say.

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#2487248 20-May-2020 16:08

davidcole: PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAASE be true....would love to get my hands on some UK Zwave TRV valves. That sort of thing doesn't exist over here.

Would certainly be a game-changer!

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#2487266 20-May-2020 16:37

mclean:

davidcole: PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAASE be true....would love to get my hands on some UK Zwave TRV valves. That sort of thing doesn't exist over here.

Would certainly be a game-changer!

I've asked companies before what it would take for a AU/NZ freqency device. And had been told 100,000 units by one.

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#2487343 20-May-2020 18:43

davidcole: I've asked companies before what it would take for a AU/NZ freqency device. And had been told 100,000 units by one.

Really. The Z-Wave chip can do the AU/NZ frequency out of the box so the hardware should be identical world-wide apart from a simple change in programming the frequency synthesizer. I'm guessing the problem could be certification.

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neb

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#2487410 20-May-2020 21:33

mclean:
Really. The Z-Wave chip can do the AU/NZ frequency out of the box so the hardware should be identical world-wide apart from a simple change in programming the frequency synthesizer. I'm guessing the problem could be certification.

I don't think it's that, you just register as an equipment supplier with RSM to be allowed to use the RCM compliance mark AFAIK. The issue will be that a vendor doesn't want to muck around with that for a couple of dozen or hundred items sold. Which is why Z-Wave practically doesn't exist in NZ, no-one's going to jump through hoops to get the OK for a frequency for which the market consists of NZ, El Salvador, and Peru.

mentor

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#2487494 21-May-2020 07:57

neb: ... no-one's going to jump through hoops to get the OK for a frequency for which the market consists of NZ, El Salvador, and Peru.

That's not entirely true. All these countries share the same Z-Wave frequency (919.8 MHz, 921.4 MHz) Australia being the biggest market.

Australia
Brazil
Chile
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
Vietnam

I have bought quite a lot of Z-Wave gear from Oz over the past few years as it's just cheaper over there.

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#2487535 21-May-2020 09:29

I have some Zwave stuff on NZ frequencies using a Vera Edge Controller.

Would I be able to add any UK Zwave stuff? Need another controller?

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My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

mentor

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#2487585 21-May-2020 10:22

To use a zwave device operating at a specific frequency you'd need a controller supporting that frequency so I'd expect yes - you'll need a new UK controller.

Be prepared to expect someone at the door if/when you operate a non NZ approved radio device.

Have a read here - https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=73&topicid=223277

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#2487599 21-May-2020 10:38

mentor:

To use a zwave device operating at a specific frequency you'd need a controller supporting that frequency so I'd expect yes - you'll need a new UK controller.

Be prepared to expect someone at the door if/when you operate a non NZ approved radio device.

Have a read here - https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=73&topicid=223277

@neb is waiting to hear from RSM to see if there is a technical possibilty of using UK/European Zwave stuff here.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

mentor

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#2488626 21-May-2020 11:24

Fingers / toes crossed we hear the good news that we can. Although you'd still need a different controller. Atleast for me, I use Hubitat and had to specify the AUS/NZ radio when placing the order.

neb

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#2488732 21-May-2020 14:13

mentor:
That's not entirely true. All these countries share the same Z-Wave frequency (919.8 MHz, 921.4 MHz) Australia being the biggest market.

Ah, OK. I'd seen a much shorter list, possibly older or incomplete.

neb

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#2491140 25-May-2020 15:55

Just got a reply from RSM, in their reply they quoted the GURL back at me verbatim which means I now know exactly zero more than I knew before I asked them.

Now trying to figure out how to phrase a second question about whether European Z-Wave is OK in NZ in a manner in which they can't sidestep answering it...