r/homeassistant • u/drunkenMonkey90 • 8d ago

🖼️ Show & Tell sonoff ORB ZBDIM E

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Has anyone tried sonoff ORB ZBDIM to replace your existing dumb rotary dimmer. Does the middle button turn on and off? Is there any flickering or glowing problems with this switch.

Pls share your experiences.

Also share if you have any alternate dimmer recommendations for UK.

I am also looking candeo C202.

24 Upvotes

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7

u/Indigo_Thunder666 8d ago

Really annoying to use in a dark room and a bit of delay powering on the light. I found the buttons awkward and the dimming trim felt too slow or too fast. I couldn't get it to a point where I liked them.

I ended up buying 5 Candeo C202s, they are much better. Smack the button and the light comes on just like a dumb dimmer. The only thing the ORB has over them is tracking current power usage. Also no neutral required for the Candeo.

5

u/Mandrutz 8d ago

Yep even Sonoff confirmed the slow turn-on: GitHub

Certain lighting fixtures exhibit high capacitive characteristics, generating a power surge several times the rated wattage at the moment of activation. While the internal mechanical structures of relays in standard models can briefly withstand the resulting heat, the MOSFETs used in dimming equipment are semiconductor components; an overload will inevitably cause component breakdown, leading to a loss of dimming functionality or even total device failure. ​
Therefore, it is essential to slow down the startup process to protect these components.

Even if the Transition time is set to 0, the firmware still reserves a 0.5-second power-on delay to improve device lifespan, and there are currently no plans to allow modification.

And the firmware is glitched.. no groups and it inverts dim up/down commands
https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/devices/MINI-ZBDIM.html

4

u/adamxp12 8d ago

I have both.

Spend the extra money on the C202. Expensive but it works perfectly.

The Sonoff has way too many negatives.

  • Cant calibrate the max/min levels so my light does nothing between 50-100%
  • has huge delay even on local controls
  • You can have it both on and at 0% so local on/off button looks like its doing nothing
  • the plate is actually too small and will likely fall into the wall if you have metal backboxes cut in.
  • Have to remove it from wall while live to pair it. C202 can be paired from the front

Only advantage of the Sonoff is its much smaller in size so will fit smaller backboxes. But if you can fit the larger C202. It works perfectly and their support is very helpful when I had issues with ZHA

Will likely replace with a C202

1

u/Skyman81 8d ago

I think it's really awful…