jmed999

It's a secret I kid I kid... http://www.smarthome.com/2487S/KeypadLinc-INSTEON-6-Button-Scene-Control-Keypad-with-On-Off-Switch-Dual-Band-White/p.aspx

Ok. I knew the dual band PLM sends both powerline and RF but I wasn't sure if all dual band devices receive and retransmit both powerline and RF signals. Seems like retransmitting the RF signal would make comm issues almost nonexistent but if they reduce the hop by 1 I could understand how comm issues could still exist.

In this case, the stair case is open so from one keyppadlinc to the other there are no walls, floors, or anything. They have a direct line of site to each other. The PLM is however in a closet with lots of electronics. I'm thinking that is the problem.

If the ISY triggers the PLM to send an RF signal to activate a dual band insteon device, do the dual band devices within range of the PLM receive the RF communication signal from the PLM then retransmit the RF communication signal to all dual band devices in range until it gets to the device that is to be controlled? In other words, do all dual band devices receive the RF communication signal and retransmit the RF communication signal? If so, then how can powerline noise keep a dual band device from getting the communication from the ISY? Seems like the communication errors would be nonexistent as long as the dual band devices are in range of the next dual band device. Am I missing something?

It seems like with the dual band keypadlincs being so close to the PLM that the RF signal would reach the PLM regardless of the powerline noise. If there is lots of noise or signal sucking on that circuit from electronics, wouldn't the RF frequency still make it to the PLM? Does this mean I have some RF interfering with the RF coming from the dual band keypadlincs?

Great info Lee! Also, the dual band keypadlincs are within 15 ft of the PLM and on the same circuit. I'm thinking those facts could help narrow down the noise/signal sucking electroncis. Thanks!

"Is the problem happening with a specific B button, or all B buttons?" The remotelinc buttons C-D (4 scene toggle mode) works perfectly everytime! The scene B button on the primary keypadlinc works most of the time. The scene B button on the secondary keypadlinc works only about 10% of the time. Both keypadlincs are on the same circuit.

"Your "B" scene includes ALL B buttons (and the remote button) ALL as controllers, correct? No responders? What do you mean by "secondary" buttons?" Scene B includes the kepadlinc #1 (primary) button B, keypadlinc #2 (secondary) button B, and the remotelinc button C-D (4 scene toggle mode) all as controllers. Keep in mind, I have 2 keypadlincs here used as a 3 way switch. One is at the bottom of the stairs going to the bonus room and the other is at the top of the stairs. Secondary just means the secondary keypadlinc in the 3-way switch setup.

Thanks to IM and the UD guys for striving to better the irrigation module! You guys should put a donate link in your sig. This irrigation module will hopefully save me lots of money! Thanks for all your time on this guys!

Very helpful information Lee!!!! I'll have to do some troubleshooting on this! Thanks for your help!

"And this is the point of so many of the earlier questions...is the thermostat not adjusting because the program is not running because the ISY is not seeing the button presses (sounds likely)? Or is the ISY seeing the button presses but not running the program (unlikely in my mind)? Or is the program running, but the thermostat is not seeing the commands issued by the ISY (possible, and possibly the same as causing the failure to see the button presses)? Answers to these questions will help isolate the cause and course of troubleshooting." I don't think it's the stat since it works perfectly with the remotelinc...100% of the time. I guess both issues (when the button is pressed and there is ISY activity and when the button is pressed and there is no ISY activity) is comm related. I do have a UPS plugged into the same circuit. It has never caused a problem and since my comm problems are rare these days I didn't plug the UPS in a filter (since a filter can introduce noise itself). Now that the new keypadlincs are getting comm errors it's time to rethink filtering the UPS. Thanks for your help! I'll post the event viewer results tonight when I get home so you guys can further help diagnose the problem.

So warm season and cool season grasses Kc are both 0.8? Thanks for the instructions!!!

For closure...here it is...thanks to Xathros http://web.archive.org/web/20121124104104/http://www.universal-devices.com/tools/irrigation/calc_irr_run_time.htm

Thanks for the respsonse Lee!!! There are really two things going on here. One thing is I sometimes do not get any activity on the ISY event viewer when the button is pressed. This almost has to be a comm problem but I'm not sure what to do about it. When a comm problem exists such that the PLM isn't getting the comm do I troubleshoot like any other comm problem...start flipping breakers, unplugging things, etc??? The other thing going on when the button is pressed and the thermostat doesn't adjust (scene doesn't change state) when there is ISY event viewer activity. For this case I don't get the "Can't comm" error. Normally on other devices, if I do have a comm problem (which is rare these days ) and activity does show in the event viewer and the device doesn't change state, I get the "Can't comm" error. So this situation seems different in that I'm not getting the error. If I press the button, get event viewer activity without the "Can't Comm" error, but the thermostat/scene does not change state...is this still a comm error? Thanks guys!

When I say it works I mean I pressed the scene B button and the program activated and initiated the correct scene (either Upstairs On or Upstairs Off) and the thermostat changed correctly. Tonight I tried pressing the Scene B buttons on both keypadlincs with the event viewer on level 3. Sometimes pressing the scene B buttons would work and sometimes they wouldn't. When they didn't work, most of the time nothing showed on the event viewer...other times it didn't work the event viewer showed some activity and the hops left would be either 1 or 0. It never gave an error saying the ISY couldn't communicate with the device. What does it mean if I press the button and no activity shows on the event viewer? I don't think I've ever had this happen. Thanks!

First of all thanks for your help! Yes, the event viewer does register the secondary keypadlinc scene B button. It seems like it works depending on the staus of the remotelinc button c and d. I haven't figured out the logic yet though. Does the remotlinc need to be off (button c pressed) for the scene B button to turn the "upstairs on" scene on?

Thanks Michel!!! Everything working great so far!

Thanks for the reply! I added the remolinc buttons c-d to the scene B. Keep in mind that I'm using the remotelinc as a 4 scene remote and not 8. So I didn't need to set on levels of 0% and 100%. This part now works great! I now have the following programs... If Control 'Remotelincs / Upstairs Remotelinc / Upstairs RemotelincC-D' is switched On Or Control '22.90.00.B' is switched On Or Control '22.90.F5.B' is switched On Then Set Scene 'Upstairs On' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') If Control 'Remotelincs / Upstairs Remotelinc / Upstairs RemotelincC-D' is switched Off Or Control '22.90.00.B' is switched Off Or Control '22.90.F5.B' is switched Off Then Set Scene 'Upstairs Off' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') The remotelinc controls the scene B on the keypadlincs great! The remotelinc and the "scene B" button on the primary keypadlinc controls the thermostat great but the secondary scene B button doesn't control the thermostat that well. I tried the secondary keypadlinc scene B button many times and it only adjusted the thermostat a couple times. So the remotelinc and the primary keypadlinc is working perfectly but not the secondary keypadlinc scene B button. I must have something incorrect. These are both dual band keypadlincs. How can I get the secondary scene B button to work like the primary scene B button?

Looks like some big changes for the irrigation module. Where can we go to see an explanation of the changes? ie. What calc method is optimum, what the crop coefficient means etc. Thanks!

Wareman, May I suggest using this technique to determine soil type? I used this method and was surprised! Hope this helps! http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/hows-your-soil-texture.aspx

I currently use a remotelinc2 in a bonus room in 4-scene mode. The d button on the remotelinc turns a scene called "upstairs on" on and the c button turns on a scene called "upstairs off" on. Upstairs on turns a thermostat to 72/68 Upstairs off turns the thermostat to 85/56 The programs for the remotelinc is... If Control 'Remotelincs / Upstairs Remotelinc / Upstairs RemotelincC-D' is switched On Then Set Scene 'Upstairs On' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') If Control 'Remotelincs / Upstairs Remotelinc / Upstairs RemotelincC-D' is switched Off Then Set Scene 'Upstairs Off' On Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Those programs work great for the remotelinc. I just installed a keypalinc at the bottom of the stairs and a keypadlinc at the top of the stairs going to the bonus room. I would like Scene B buttons on both keypadlincs to control the thermostat in the bonus room. When a Scene B button is toggled on it toggles the other Scene B button on (via a scene called "Scene B") and I would like it to turn on the scene called "Upstairs on". When the Scene B button is toggled off I would like it to toggle the other scene B button off and turn the scene "upstairs off" on. I would also like to turn both scene B buttons on when the remotelinc button d is pressed and vise versa when button c on the remotelinc is pressed. How can I do this with programs? Thanks for your help!

-So everyone should use a absorption factor of 80% regardless of the type of soil you have? -How can we not use the "allowable depletion"? It is calculation automatically and not really a way to turn it off. -I'm actually doing the catch can method today using http://www.nrgideas.com/rg-107s Thanks for your help!

I set up a program to notify me of the ET, Yesterdays Water def, and the irrigation req at 12:01AM. When I woke up this morning I compared the e-mail numbers to the actual numbers. They were all 3 different. It had been raining before and after midnight but I think the numbers when I woke up and when the notification was sent should still match...shouldn't they? Thanks!

-When you say you apply 0.2" of water do you mean your irrigation system applies 0.336" which equates to 0.2"? So you apply 0.336 and only 0.2" is absorbed, right? Seems like if you need 0.336" and allowable depletion = absorption factor you would need to apply 0.56" since 0.56*.6=0.336. If you want to replenish the amount that has depleted (0.336") then wont you need to apply 0.56" since only 0.336" will be absorbed? -Also, for loamy sand (your soil) the ISY has an allowable depletion of 83% which is different from your chart of 60%. Why such a difference?

I'll return Stat #2 for a replacement. Sounds like the problem is with the stat. I have not recently replaced the PLM. What do you mean, "Do you have any links in the PLM?" The temp is showing on the ISY for now (Stat #1). Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. It's currently on AC power but I need it to run on batteries. I'm thinking about changing it to battery power to see how it will act. Thanks for your help!