Review of Powerful Hiking DDS238-2 Zigbee Relay with Energy Monitoring for DIN Rail: Home Assistant Integration 2022. In this review, we’ll take a look at a device that many smart home enthusiasts have been waiting for. It is a powerful relay with energy monitoring function, installed in an electrical cabinet on a din rail. It would seem what is so exclusive about this gadget? There are many similar devices on the market. But the fact is that the hero of the review has a Zigbee interface, and this is still a rarity, the overwhelming majority of analogues work via wi-fi. Moreover, many people know exactly the wi-fi version of the hero of the review, on the network you can easily find instructions for disassembling and flashing it.
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Parameters
- Model: Hiking DDS238-2
- Interface: Zigbee
- Operating voltage range: 90 – 250 V
- Maximum current: 65 A
- Transmitted values: voltage, current, power, power consumption
- LCD screen: 7 digits, real-time measurement of the parameters of the power supply network
- Accuracy class: first
- Pulse output: 1600 pulses per kWh
- Installation: 35mm DIN rail
- Dimensions: 36 x 100 x 65 mm
- Temperature range: -25 +70 С
Supply
The device arrived in a small cardboard box decorated with the manufacturer’s logos. There was no data on what exactly is in it, or any parameters.
Understanding comes only after opening the lid, when the content becomes visible. There is no additional protection here, but due to the normal outer packaging – everything came safe and sound.
In addition to the gadget, there was also an instruction in the box, although it turned out to be from the wi-fi version, but as far as the electrical part is concerned, these models should be identical.
The instruction is in English, there is a lot of useful information here – parameters, connection diagram, description and decryption of data on the device screen.
Design
Since the device is intended for installation in an electrical cabinet, this affects its design. On the front there is a small 7-digit LCD screen, which displays the current network parameters in real time. Under it is a control button and three LEDs
There is a factory seal on the side – the device is completely fresh, made on April 9, 2021. At the back there is a mount on a standard 35 mm DIN rail. The relay will be held with a plastic clip – something like a spring is made here.
On the other side there is a connection diagram, remember to observe the phase-zero connection. The input phase is into connector number one, the outgoing phase is from connector two. Similarly, the incoming zero in the third, and outgoing from the fourth. Connectors 5 and 6 – pulse output.
Screw connectors – made thoroughly, as befits a device designed for such a current – up to 65 A. Power in this case can reach over 15 kW.
Pulse output. To be honest, I have no idea where to use it, maybe to connect some kind of external meter.
The connectors are located so that the neutral and phase contacts are on different sides of the relay. The entrance is near the exit.
Disassembly
Although I do not practice the obligatory disassembly of all gadgets that come to my test, I had to check a relay designed for such a current. Yes, and everything is understood very simply – just unscrew the two screws.
After that, carefully remove the top cover, this is how the inner world of the review hero looks like. Here you can see that the bottom board is held in place with a pair of latches.
And to remove it – just bend them slightly. Thin wires go to the logic and measuring parts, since there are no large loads here.
The top board with the screen and the logical part is attached using such a comb. Here you can see a part of the Zigbee module, from under which the memory chip looks out.
But the main power element is a powerful 80 Ampere relay FC808. Taken with a good margin – after all, the maximum declared current is 65 Amperes.
Here the Zigbee module ZS3L is used – a large line of its own communication modules is produced for Tuya devices, this device is no exception.
And here you can see traces of poorly washed off flux, and only on this side of this particular board. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the build quality.
Tuya Smart
To go into pairing mode – you need to hold the button until the word INIT appears on the screen (see the video version of the review)
The logical part, traditionally, I start with the native control application – for the hero of the review, this is Tuya Smart. A Zigbee gateway is required to connect, I am using the Ethernet version from Moes. We launch its plug-in, choose to add a new device and press the button – the LED is already blinking.
After that, you need to wait a little until the device, which is displayed here as an outlet, appears on the detection screen. After that, it remains to set the name and location – the relay will be added to the system.
The relay plug-in is also exactly the same as for any power-monitoring socket. Most of the window is occupied by the on / off button, at the bottom there are a number of additional options. Timer – allows you to turn on or off the device at a specified time and day of the week, both one-time and periodically.
There is a countdown function – to turn off the relay after a specified time interval and an energy monitoring window, in which both current readings – current, voltage and power, and information about the consumed energy for the period are displayed.
Like outlets, there are options to control the indicator and state after power is restored. But for a given relay, they do not work – there is always the same state – restoration of the previous state. Child lock – does not allow you to turn on or off this relay from the button, although this option does not always work, apparently this is also not provided in the standard firmware.
By analogy with sockets and conventional relays, the hero of the review can also be transferred to third-party systems such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa. But for me personally, the need to turn off such a relay with a voice command is rather doubtful.
Automation
The device can participate in automations. Including as a trigger and a condition – in this part you can track how the status of the relay itself – on or off.
So in terms of the parameters of the energy monitor – more, less or equal in current, voltage or power. But it should be borne in mind that although energy monitoring is carried out in real time, data about it is transmitted by the device every 30 seconds.
As for the actions, everything is simpler here, there are only three options – on, off, or switch the state to the opposite.
Here are the options for automations with the participation of this relay – shutdown when the power drops below the specified value, for example, for use in conjunction with chargers for electric vehicles. Low voltage warning – there is a notification in the actions. Or shutdown when the specified current threshold is exceeded, in the example – 20 Amperes. But remember about transferring data every 30 seconds.
Relay operation
This section is much clearer in the video version of the review – link to test timecode
The relay is powerful and its response sound is loud. For manual switching – you need to press the relay button three times. The response speed of the Tuya Smart application is high, everything here is almost in real time. When the child_lock mode is activated, the relay does not respond to the button
Screens
Data is displayed on the device screen without delay, in real time. And here there are twice as many parameters as transmitted over Zigbee. Switching – by pressing the button for a couple of seconds. This is the consumed power in kilowatt hours, with an accuracy of 1 decimal place. Next screen – This value is called positive energy consumption in kWh, here only integer values.
With a minus sign – reverse energy consumption, also in kWh and integer values, apparently for use in cases where there is a source of electricity in the network – for example, a solar battery.
With the letter I – load current, in amperes. Precision – two decimal places.
The next screen is the voltage in the network, in volts, here the accuracy is up to tenths, then there is the fourth parameter that is transmitted via Zigbee – the current load power in watts, with an accuracy of tenths.
After it is the power factor, the power factor is the ratio of the active power absorbed by the load to the total one. Ideally should be equal to one. And the last – the eighth indicator displayed on the screen – is the frequency in the network, in Hertz. The standard for our networks is 50 Hertz.
Testing
To test the readings – I have assembled such a stand. I will compare the readings with the household energy monitor, which I have already repeatedly tested at various loads. I will take the data exactly what the energy monitor transmits via Zigbee, let me remind you that the update occurs once every 30 seconds.
From left to right – no load, on the energy monitor 0.2 W – apparently the consumption of the relay itself, which is turned on after it.
Light load of 11 watts. Taking into account the rounding off in the readings of both devices, everything is accurate here.
Even more – 70 watts. There are small discrepancies in tenths of a watt, but in fact they can be considered approximately equal.
We go further – I raise the load more than 10 times, up to 850 watts. Here is the same tendency – the discrepancies are minimal, one might say at the rounding level.
Strictly speaking, even at the two remaining test loads of 1740 and 1840 watts – there is essentially no difference in the readings. Of course, with prolonged use in comparison with an electric meter, some difference will most likely accumulate, but it will be scanty.
SLS gateway
Despite the fact that the hero of the review was published quite recently, it is already supported in the SLS gateway, for the prompt addition, I want to convey my gratitude to the developer of its firmware – Grigory. To work with the relay, firmware is required no earlier than April 28, 2021
We put the relay into pairing mode, and on the gateway we turn on the join mode – and within about a minute the device goes through an interview and connects to the system.
Everything here is correct, including the picture of the relay – which appears in the general list of the gateway’s child devices.
Here is the complete information received by the gateway. Just in case, I’ll say it – the relay is a router for other network participants.
After a while, such a Bermuda triangle was drawn on the network map, with the participation of the hero of the review.
Let me remind you that the data in SLS will be displayed immediately after it is first received from the device. In addition to relay control – and the standard indicators of the last response and signal quality, there are data on voltage, current and load power and consumed energy.
The same data is forwarded to Home Assistant in the form of seven entities – six sensors and one switch. Let me remind you once again – the data is sent by the device every 30 seconds.
Zigbee2mqtt
But in zigbee2mqtt – so far not everything is so good. As of the date of this writing – end of April 2021, the relay is not supported by the integration.
But its appearance is only a matter of time, since standard Tuya Smart protocols are used here. Temporarily but quickly, the issue can be resolved by writing an external converter
But frankly, I didn’t have enough time for this, purely physically. But the fact that this is possible is proved by the support of relay operation in the SLS gateway. This is how the endpoint structure of the device looks like. Let me remind you that in addition to relay control, it transmits 4 indicators – voltage, current, power and energy consumption.
Conclusion
More recently, such an energy monitor could only be dreamed of. Only very inexpensive DIY solutions were available or from well-known brands like Legrand. Compared to them, the cost of the review hero is very moderate, especially taking into account the possibility of connecting loads with a power of about 15 kW. I did not see any discrepancies in the readings with the household energy monitor either. I want to emphasize that this is a relay and an energy monitor, the device does not function as a circuit breaker.
That’s all, I hope the review was interesting to you – if so, please like it. If you still have questions, ask them in the comments. Goodbye, see you soon.
