Training Bay Ventilation Automation

Because the upper half of my Training Bay walls are clad in metal, I was very curious how well the wireless communication of the ZBRN2 Harmony Hub, ZBRT2 transmitter modules and ZBRRH receiver module would work.  The documentation claims impressive range, but real life (and a lot of metal) has a way of complicating things.

From the diagrams below, you can see that both transmitter and receiver have a range of 100 meters in free space but it decreases to 25 meters if you put a device in a metal enclosure.  I chose plastic enclosures.  The ZBRN2 Harmony Hub is in a quality commercial/industrial enclosure while the receiver (annunciator) is in an economy enclosure.

ZBRT2 Transmitter Module to ZBRN2 Harmony Hub

ZBRN2 Harmony Hub to ZBRRH Receiver

Range Test

I decided to test the range of my devices by placing the PLC and Harmony Hub a one side of our main building and placing the receiver and transmitter on a cart that I would move to determine the range.

I chose to start with what I thought would be the most limited signal - the Harmony Hub with no external antenna.  I positioned the receiver and transmitter at the furthest point in the building that still had line-of-sight and activated the transmitter.

At 125 feet, the system operated as it should.     THIS significantly altered my test plan.  I did not have very much building left to work with.

I moved the test cart into an area we call the Test Bay.  The transmitters and receiver are now 155 feet from the Harmony Hub and there is no longer a clear line-of-sight.  I would call the communication path "obstructed".

The system communicated as it should.  Okay... really good.  Unexpectedly good.

Because I was already in the Test Bay, I decided to experiment with how much obstruction the system could handle.  I pushed the cart into the Test Bay (to the left as viewed from the picture above).  At approximately 25 feet in, it experienced intermittent functionality.  That is very good given that I was completely behind a cinder block wall and significant metal obstructions in the signal path.
 

Conclusion

I was not expecting the Harmony ecosystem to be as effective as it proved itself to be.  I was impressed.  I was happy.  But it did leave me with nothing more to experiment with... except the building that I was going to install the system in.

To no one's surprise... the system communicates just as it should throughout the Training Bay.  I think it laughs at the metal cladding that I was so worried about.  I am using the external antenna - because I already built it into the enclosure.  I could remove the external antenna and test the system without it, but based upon how well the system did with all those large generators in the signal path... I would not expect it to impact the system at all.  I give the Harmony Hub Ecosystem a Crocodile Dundee "Better Than Average".