Teken

Belias, I too would like to extend my thanks for such a well crafted program! I just completed all the variable programming and so far all appears to work just fine. Some observations about this new sensor which many have noted before. - I have no clue how anyone could use this sensor with out the aid of the ISY. During testing of the first 4 leak sensors, showed the change of state (wet/dry) to be instantaneous via the ISY UI? - Others have indicated that they see their leak sensors when placed in water starts to flash the green LED? Mine simply flickers once when its placed in water and nothing else happens. - If there wasn't a method to *monitor* the wet, dry, heart beat via e-mail / sms. I have no clue how anyone would start to trouble shoot these devices. - Not all of the sensors are created equal. If I didn't have AP's in key locations the signal would never travel and be received by the Insteon network. So, make sure you have AP's in the areas, floors, zones you plan on using these devices. Otherwise you will not receive an alert from these devices. - I also received a unit that has a yellow stained antenna? Has anyone seen such a thing? All the others are white but this one unit looks like a busted *** banana. Once again the ISY has proven its power, flexibility, and community support in another Insteon product that could have went down the toilet! I am not sure how many people have wasted their time trying to trouble shoot this silly device. But, its safe to say I would have thrown these things straight into the garbage with out the support of all of you! Thank You Teken . . .

Hello Greg, I do use them for local monitoring of specific loads around the home. For monitoring all 32 channels from the GEM the best solution is to purchase one of many cheap Andriod style tablets. They go for $89.00 each these days all over the net. Would allow you to view all your channels in One decent sized screen also. The Energy Monitor was a great idea from Insteon but requires more development to get it further along. Teken . . . Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

Greg, The energy monitor obtains its information from the other Insteon module. If there is a method to relay the GEM data to the energy monitor I would love to know how. Teken . . . Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

ELA, Would you please clarify the distinction you're trying to make here: Teken . . .

Anything worthy I always notice! As a inside joke I was going to paint the base green to mimic your original unit in the link. Just to pay homage to the creator! Teken . . .

Tom C, It was your sharing of the home brew water sensor that got me started! Much thanks for that and your personal web site is also outstanding! Teken . . .

Michel, That is most excellent to hear and know! I do realize there are countless people with 9999999999 requests for your support in so many areas. So, prioritizing them with an eye toward ROI is challenging to say the least for UDI. If you could please ask Ben for the temp / pulse packet format that would be most excellent. As long as this is on the radar and going to be implemented. This would add even more value to the ISY / GEM for both companies. It would also allow others to have a simple path to capture energy, temperature, and pulse data. This has been a very long road for both companies, and the on going development has been staggering. But its safe to say everyone will reap the rewards once its done. As always I thank you for your continued support, insight, and vision. Teken . . .

I have but given the fact I am already using the Zigbee dongle in the ISY-994. Z-Wave is not an option for me in my system. The Zigbee dongle allows me to take energy information from my GEM and use the Insteon network to control various loads. The GEM has 4 pulse channels, and 8 temperature channels also available. If both of these data streams could be obtained from the ISY-994 iZ Pro. This whole Energy Monitor support issue would be a moot point for me. I am not sure where the barrier lies with obtaining these streams of data. But, I was assured that purchasing the ISY-994 iZ Pro was the path for support in all of this. Currently, there is / was a low request rate for such features from the masses. Even though *so called countless people* chirped up and said they would be one of the first to purchase the iZ models. Its safe to say much of them were full of hot air because the Brultech forum has been stagnant in the UDI forum. Based on a few threads in this forum some Energy features are still being worked on so I have hope. Teken . . .

Ed, Newer style of GFCI's are less prone to this issue. If the GFCI's in your home are still the same one's more than likely you will see the same problem. Upgrade one to Leviton and you should be in good shape. I have several Insteon devices on a GFCI and nothing has ever tripped. Teken . . .

Would anyone be willing to purchase and send this item to Canada for a fellow member? I would pay for the shipping and the device cost via Pay Pal. Please let me know as I just purchased four via SH today. Teken . . . Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

I have not seen any mention of work in this area. But thanks for bringing it back to the top and hopefully the new year will provide more time for UDI to work on this device. Teken . . . Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

Speaking for my self only I believe Insteon will continue to grow and be adopted by many home enthusiasts. More than five years ago you could not have paid me to purchase one single item from SH / Insteon. Everyone knows the whole story about why so I won't even explain it. I literally sat on the fence waiting to see, read, and hear from other users about how the product developed. As time went on many of the problems were resolved and many more new products brought to market. In the time I have owned Insteon and have dealt with SH it has been a positive experience. Anyone who has ever taken a moment to read my writing in this forum and others know I am quick to judge, but quicker to acknowledge resolution and success. If someone asked me today about *If I should purchase Insteon for my home* it would be a resounding yes! They have continued to release more products and items than any other maker. All the while increasing their market share around the globe. My only jab at them is that at some point in time the price point on key items needs to come down. Who ever is responsible for the pricing and marketing of the product needs to be fired. They have no clue about strategic pricing and how to gain market share. One only needs to look at the last four items just released from them. This is just one perfect example of out pricing yourself from the market and to the customer: http://www.smarthome.com/2335-226/INSTE ... ack/p.aspx Now to be fair someone in Management must be watching a little bit. As they have left a few items on perpetual sale which seems to be a good balance of value and profit for both parties such as these: http://www.smarthome.com/2475F/FanLinc- ... and/p.aspx http://www.smarthome.com/2472DWH/Outlet ... ite/p.aspx This is one of my all time favorites $49.99 WTF?? http://www.smarthome.com/2401C8/Custom- ... bpage=prod Clearly at the more sane price of $19.99 not only did they move more but it made sense! At the end of the day the product is great. I expect to see more items and features being provided as the years go bye. The only problem I see is that if SH ever goes broke or decides to leave the HA industry the Insteon adopter will be screwed! I have purchased many spare units for that just in case scenario. As I have way too much money, time, and effort for it to go poof! Teken . . .

I have no direct experience with the brand you have listed. But, know the Trendnet power line Ethernet have no issues with Insteon signals. Teken . . .

Thank you oberkc, I did check. When connecting the wires, the controller resets and door does not open. Have you reversed the wires to see if that makes a difference? Teken . . .

On the Liftmaster 3800 Jack Shaft GDO's. All I did was wire in the I/O Linc in parallel to the opener itself. I set the I/O Linc to 0.5 seconds via the ISY and all has worked for more than three years. The Liftmaster 3800 uses the code hoping technology to randomly generate the next code. It is not in its purest form considered encrypted as it does not send out a hash key etc. Teken . . .

It does seem as though garage doors are one of the common themes. In my mind, the "ideal" setup is in the wiki, but I agree with LeeG that personal preferences and setup can vary quite a bit. Given that a measurable number appear not to read the wiki, dedicated forums, or even the user manual, I hold little hope that a sticky topic will fare much better. We are men! We don't need no stinkin manual! I agree, sometimes if people took 5 minutes to read some of the forum threads the insight they seek would be found. How ever, there are times when the search comes up with 9999999999 results and that can be quite a bit of material to ingest. Teken . . .

Though I haven't been able to speak with a Fire Marshal, the information I've been able to gather suggests the auxiliary alarm relays manufactured for 120v 2/4 wire systems are not rated for or advised to be used with security systems. Lots of problems seem to occur outside of the fact this type of installation violates the NEC/NFPA and will void any warranties on equipment. They seem to be manufactured to trigger auxiliary warning devices as sirens and lights only. There appears to be no way to legitimately connect a 120v unmonitored smoke detector system to the security panel. Jon Hello Jon, As I indicated in my previous post above. Here in Canada this is the method we use to interface a hardwired smoke / co device to an alarm system panel. This has been used and deployed around Canada for more than 30 years and millions of homes are wired this way. The NEC may have a specific reason for not allowing it. But, rest assured it works, and if properly installed will protect the occupants from a fire / smoke condition. I hope you're able to find a solution to your current problem. I just wanted to offer you some insight and perhaps a solution to your needs. Teken . . .

How'd you rig up this relay system. Thanks, Jon Hello Jon, The first thing you need to do is confirm if this method of connection is allowed in your city, county, etc. I live in Canada and this sort of configuration and hook up is allowed to ensure smoke, heat, co detectors can be monitored. Look up via Google two / four wire hook up for smoke alarms. Teken . . .

Wired sensors (and I'm referring to power) are available but none that I'm aware of will transmit as some wireless sensors do. I wanted to keep the hard wire so the battery would merely be backup but all in all it's looking easier to just swap 'em out with wireless transmitters Jon There is nothing stopping you from doing what you're asking. As I have my system wired in the exact same fashion you have indicated. I have my original KIDD smoke / co detector wired via a relay system to the security alarm system. Which is monitored by the alarm company for smoke, fire, co, etc. This device is in the basement in my home. In the hallway I had another hardwired 120 VAC KIDD smoke / co unit. I simply replaced that hallway unit with a First Alert Onelink smoke sensor. This hardwired Onelink sensor is connected wireless to all of the other smoke / co units in my home. From there, it is linked to the Insteon smoke bridge to my network. Works just fine and allows you to have all of the above with out compromise. The only thing I needed to follow up and confirm is if I link the smoke bridge to the smoke / co talking combination sensors is if it will actually register and send a low battery alert to the smoke bridge. As the hardwired 120 VAC Onelink sensors do not speak or indicate zones etc. So, I am going to test if the ones that do speak and can tell the user the battery is low etc will change the low battery node in the smoke bridge. I hope to complete this test by the end of the month. Teken . . .

I wanted to chime in here and thank everyone for sharing how to set up a v.40 and above KPL to integrate with the Fanlinc. I have been putting this off for quite sometime and just got around to doing this. The picture from LeeG helped out tremendously to understand what needed to be done. Incidentally, my helper did not notice that the Controller node was the one being modified to turn off the secondary responder buttons. This caused a few moments of head scratching and I then reviewed the link from LeeG, and it was clear the modifications were done to the Controller, and not to the Scene Pallet. Now, all I got to do is install 6 fans, fanlinks, and 10 KPL's. Teken . . .

LeeG, After thinking about this for a little while. I am thinking due to the complex environment in my home. I will need to test this low battery alert on a one link module that can talk. I have three types of the First Alert One Link Sensors. Smoke Only Battery Operated: This was the device that had the low battery alert which did not notify the Smoke Bridge. I have two of these units. This device is not linked directly to the Smoke Bridge. Hardwired 120 VAC / Battery Smoke Only: This device is linked to the Smoke Bridge. This device can not talk or alert the user of the zone / area. This unit is also wired to my security system and is tied to the alarm monitoring station for a fire condition. There is only one of these units. I then have nine battery operated smoke / CO units in various parts of the home. I think I will link the Smoke Bridge to the combination Smoke / CO units and see if the the response is different. I guess I will have to endure a whole day of beeping! Teken . . . Encrypted By: Phoenix Security Solutions

I finally got a chance to install and test the smoke bridge. So far it looks like the alert notification for Smoke, CO, Low Battery, Malfunction come in while pressing the Set button on the device itself. I have been able to link all the required lights and sirens I want during these events. It appears to activate all things linked as I would hope. I know others have wondered about the Low Battery alert notification. As of this writing one of my smoke alarms began to chirp. It did not initiate a signal to the Smoke Bridge, I am guessing the voltage is too high? Both AA batteries measured 1.375 VDC for the device in question. I would be interested to know from First Alert / Smarthome as to when the low battery signal is sent off? As the device does in fact sound off indicating the battery is low. I gather this threshold is much higher than what the Smoke Bridge considers low? Since I was already going to change out the battery I decided to complete the review. I performed a *Test* on the First Alert One Link module. It did in fact signal the Smoke Bridge and I received all the e-mails & text sms to all the phones I had programmed. It looks like this product is very solid and does perform as advertised. Teken . . .

Hello Michel, Are you currently using ISY Firmware 4.04, along with GEM COM 1.99, Engine 1.41 for your testing? I am using ISY Firmware 4.04, along with GEM 1.96, Engine 1.41 and have been unable to get the GEM or the ISY to display all 32 channels. I have removed the 7 nodes, removed the node in the diagnostic window, along with rebooting both the GEM / ISY to no avail. Ben has indicated that GEM firmware 1.99 is not yet available for release for public consumption. In your mind is the GEM COM 1.99, along with the ISY Firmware 4.04 working as expected and correct? If so, I shall reach out to Ben and request that this release be made available as it currently the energy management does not function at all. Teken . . .

Hello Michel, I have left my replies also in the Brultech forum and will await Ben's reply as to next steps. Please confirm the firmware you are using for the GEM for me in case I am not at the latest release. I am currently on COM 1.96, Engine 1.41 as this resolved a few com issues along with the inclusion of the secondary packet format type option. I believe once I receive my Dash Box and the firmware for both the GEM / Dash Box has been some what finalized. That the primary channel will indeed use the ISY packet format. The secondary channel will be set to what ever format (Binary) Brultech deems necessary to communicate to the Dash Box. The Dash Box will in turn take the accumulated data and push it to the SEG site. The ultimate goal is to have local / remote data capturing. While having the ISY see the power, current, volts, KWH used and thus control the Insteon network. I know this is the first go round for the GEM via the ISY-994iZ IR Pro. So, progress is being made! Once again, thank you for your continued support and development of the GEM to interface to the ISY. Teken . . .

OK, after about one hour of trouble shooting the following are my observations. It appears that the latest 4.0.3 firmware is over writing the GEM's *Primary Packet Format* from my SEG Format, to the ISY Format. This explains why my SEG has been down for almost two hours. I believe the solution is to code the next ISY firmware to send ISY Format packets using the *Secondary Packet Format* channel, as the Primary Packet Format channel is reserved for the SEG. It also appears that the other packet formats are grayed out in the secondary channel, there for the secondary channel must be used to send ISY data packets. I was able to obtain all 32 channels at one point. Later I was also able to see the huge power readings Michel had observed. All other box's were indeed blank. In the interim I have disabled the Zigbee on the ISY, as it continuously took control of the GEM, and rewrote the primary packet format channel as ISY. So, I hope this proves helpful. Teken . . .