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Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

We do not recommend that you place Strips close to solid aluminum or other metal because it will significantly decrease its range.

This includes Strips Guard (all versions) that is not designed for window/doors made of metal.

In general, metal interferes with radio waves and can reduce the range for smart home devices. This means that if a metal object is placed between the unit and the controller, a metal door for instance your Strips sensor may not communicate with the gateway as it should, thus resulting in false open/close readings or not working altogether.

By placing the Strips sensor between metal surfaces, (e.g. between a metal door and a metal frame) you will pretty much block the signal completely and should be avoided when mounting your Strips sensor.

Another effect is that the Strips antenna gets very close to the metal surface due to the thin design which deteriorates the overall performance of the antenna. The magnet (or rather the magnetic field) is also affected by metal and makes it almost impossible for the Strips sensor to detect.

We do however have a way to get around this! By just lifting the unit 3-5 mm with a spacer of wood or plastic improves the situation dramatically. If the sensor is lifted 3-5 mm from the metal surface it would help greatly. As a rule of thumb, the distance between the magnet and Strips Guard should be shorter than between magnet and metal.

Note: It is imperative that the magnet and Strips Guard remain on the same level.

Here are a couple of pictures that show mounting the sensor on a metal door and frame with a plastic spacer.

metal 1
metal 2

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Strips for LoRaWAN

Strips for Z-Wave 700/800

Strips for Z-Wave 500

Getting started

Strips gateway compatibility list

How is the battery lifetime affected by the usage of routing devices to extend the range?

What should I keep in mind when setting up my Strips?

How to manually wake-up Strips

Integrating the Strips Guard with Home Assistant

Mounting

Where do I mount Strips Guard?

Strips mounting instructions

Some Strips are weatherproof. What does this mean?

Can I paint Strips with different colors?

Is it possible to move Strips?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

How to remove Strips

Strips Guard Magnet Position Guide

Strips Guard Mounting Guideline

Resetting

Removing Strips from your Z-Wave network

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Troubleshooting

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

Strips does not work with my Gateway. What should I do?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

Strips Blink test

If a device doesn’t pair

How to remove Strips

Troubleshooting guide

How to manually wake-up Strips

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Tech

Strips gateway compatibility list

Where do I mount Strips Guard?

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

How is Strips powered?

What is the expected battery life?

I have lost the magnet. Can I use another magnet instead?

Can I replace the battery on Strips when it is done?

Is the battery rechargeable?

Strips Z-Wave 500 series Limited Warranty

How can I maximize Strips battery life?

What range should Strips be from my gateway?

Strips battery tested and verified by Qoitech

Integrating the Strips Guard with Home Assistant

Strips General

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Strips Guard 500

Where to buy

Getting started

Strips gateway compatibility list

How is the battery lifetime affected by the usage of routing devices to extend the range?

What should I keep in mind when setting up my Strips?

How to manually wake-up Strips

Mounting

Some Strips are weatherproof. What does this mean?

Can I paint Strips with different colors?

Is it possible to move Strips?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

How to remove Strips

Resetting

Removing Strips from your Z-Wave network

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Troubleshooting

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

Strips does not work with my Gateway. What should I do?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

Strips Blink test

If a device doesn’t pair

How to remove Strips

Troubleshooting guide

How to manually wake-up Strips

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Tech

Device Handler for Strips Comfort/Drip

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

How is Strips powered?

What is the expected battery life?

I have lost the magnet. Can I use another magnet instead?

Can I replace the battery on Strips when it is done?

Is the battery rechargeable?

Strips Z-Wave 500 series Limited Warranty

How can I maximize Strips battery life?

What range should Strips be from my gateway?

Strips battery tested and verified by Qoitech

Strips Drip: how to turn off temperature & light reporting to extend battery life

Strips Comfort and Drip Temperature Report Statistics

Strips General

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Strips Drip 500

Where to buy

Getting started

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to use LUX report levels to create scenes

How is the battery lifetime affected by the usage of routing devices to extend the range?

What should I keep in mind when setting up my Strips?

How to manually wake-up Strips

Mounting

Can I paint Strips with different colors?

Is it possible to move Strips?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

Where do you mount Strips Comfort?

How to remove Strips

Resetting

Removing Strips from your Z-Wave network

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Troubleshooting

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

Strips does not work with my Gateway. What should I do?

Does metal/aluminum affect Strips Functionality?

Strips Blink test

If a device doesn’t pair

How to remove Strips

Troubleshooting guide

How to manually wake-up Strips

How to remove/exclude your Strips Z-Wave

How to reset your Strips

Tech

Device Handler for Strips Comfort/Drip

Strips gateway compatibility list

How to create a stable Z-Wave network

Strips Comfort Report Settings

How often is Strips Comfort reporting ambient light?

How is Strips powered?

What is the expected battery life?

How is Strips Comfort reporting ambient light & temperature?

I have lost the magnet. Can I use another magnet instead?

Can I replace the battery on Strips when it is done?

Is the battery rechargeable?

Strips Z-Wave 500 series Limited Warranty

How can I maximize Strips battery life?

What range should Strips be from my gateway?

Strips battery tested and verified by Qoitech

The anatomy of Strips Comfort

Strips Comfort and Drip Temperature Report Statistics

Strips Comfort Ambient Light Report Settings

Strips Comfort Temperature Alarm Settings

Strips General

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Strips Comfort 500

Where to buy

How to use LUX report levels to create scenes

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