Problems with Soil Moisture Sensor

fbane

thehaseebahmed If you check the posts around here there is a post that says how to recalibrate it

thehaseebahmed

fbane I tried looking but couldn’t find anything like that. Even ChatGPT didn’t come up with anything in particular 😅

fbane

thehaseebahmed https://discuss.3reality.com/d/146-soil-moisture-sensor-is-sporadic

olaf008

:-)

cridemichel

hi,
same problem here, I am using latest firmare 0×0000002e and moisture sensor sends reports for a while and then just stops doing that, getting stuck. Anyone has solution other than sending it back?

thank you in advance
Cristiano

ejschwartz

I am having similar issues. I get readings but then the sensor drops off and never comes back.

francis

I just updated the sensor to the latest firmware (after reading this post, I hope I don´t regret it…), but my question is more about the moisture value reported by the sensor. I realised the moisture reported changes with the temperature, which is typically what happens with humidity in the air, but it shouldn´t happen with a capacity sensor, as the moisture of the soil is not affected by the ambient temperature. This makes the sensor almost useless, as the moisture of the soil reported by the sensor changes even when it hasn´t been raining. Is everyone experiencing the same issue?

jwatkins1180

Hello, I just bought 4 of these (and I need 6 more) and they updated to v1.00.46 via OTA. I didn’t run long on v1.00.38, so I can’t comment on that version. However, I have to go out an remove the batteries then put them back in, as they quite send updates entirely! this makes these devices worthless for my use case with watering automations. if I don’t see an acceptable response, I will be returning these junk sensors immediately and will not consider ThirdReality devices in the future!

zhechen

jwatkins1180 Sorry for the inconvenience. May I ask how far your device is from the hub? Please contact us at support@3reality.com for further assistance.

mv4neck

I’m having the same problem. Sensor had most recent firmware, is outside within 5 meters from the hub & other zigbee items (lamps), reports -69 dBm and connected via ZHA. It works perfectly for a day, then suddenly it stops connecting (shows the same steady value from then on before reporting ’disconnected). Then I take it out of the soil, put in inside for a few minutes, it reconnects, reportt RSSI of -65 dBm and then it works. Then I take it outside again, keeps working for a while and then it will disconnect again. What could cause this problem?

zhechen

mv4neck May I ask if there are other router devices in your network? It is possible that the sensor is connected to a router device, which might be causing the offline issue. If possible, please contact our customer support team to provide more details about your situation.

dennis-c

any news about this, I have the same issue. it just disconnects and goes offline after a certain time. it feels like its useless. I have uptated it to version 46 and still the issue occurs.

pharizna

I’m using ZHA Homeassistant and I’ve just updated the probe to the latest firmware version (0×0000002e), but my issue with consistently low / very low readings persists. I’ve also recalibrated it following the suggested procedure: it reads 0% in air and goes up to 100% (actually 97%) when submerged in water.

The problem is that when placed in a properly watered pot, the moisture reading doesn’t go above 4%. Meanwhile, the Apollo PLT probe placed about 25 cm away in the same pot shows 60% — which seems much more realistic.

Is there any solution to this?

austwhite

I have not had the issue of disconnection with any Third Reality product, using ZHA with a ZBT-2 Zigbee dongle. I have 55 devices in my ZHA Zigbee Network,, a combination of battery and mains powered so the mesh is quite robust. The only issue I have had with the Soil Moisture sensor ( I have the Gen 2 version) is that it seems to read too high a moisture level. I am waiting for a replacement to come from Third Reality though, they offered to send a replacement directly when I reported the issue. They were very responsive to issues.
My experience has been really good, but I have seen the disconnection issue reported. I am not sure if it only affects the first version of the sensor though. Like I said, I haven’t had the issue with the Gen 2 version.
Maybe put the sensor (dry, not in a pot) near your Zigbee co-ordinator and see if it still disconnects when it has a direct connection, see if it might be some weird RF issue or Zigbee and WiFi clashing.

austwhite

@pharizna
With the stuck at 4%, I had the opposite where it would read 20 to 25% higher.
Have you tried the calibration process? This may help the stuck at 4%

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