scubaguyjohn

I hear you... On Smarthome, if they had taken care of my keypad linc failures better, I would likely have a different opinion because they are, in general, very good. However, I believe they knew the parts had a high failure rate due to a design flaw and they didn't step up and support their customers (who have no other choice). In the long run, I do believe that one or more of the big boys must get involved as the average consumer can't deal with setting up isy, homeseer, etc...I'm constantly amazed at how much i have to rely on my tech background to get this stuff working properly....I feel like i'm still programming in machine language sometimes!

Zwave products come from multiple suppliers, for example. Open platforms tend to be better supported, offer greater choices at lower price points. Same reasoning I don't buy Apple PC's....typically, substantially higher prices for less performance on a closed platform. I've used zwave fairly extensively so I'm not looking at it from a distance. As you say, however, i'm sure there are detractors on both sides.

Thanks, that works perfectly.

I'm not sure if my issue is related to the above toggle issue but I'm trying to accomplish similar activities. I have a keypad link with the D button in toggle mode. In a program "IF" statement, I test to see if the button status is 100%, and if so run the Action. This works. Then, after running the desired Action, I want to reset the button by turning off the backlight and setting the status to 0%. To accomplish this I use "On 0/Off 0 (backlight level)" as an Action for the D button but that doesn't appear to set button D status to 0% (or less than 100%) as the activity keeps running. However, the D button does turn off but apparently the D button status is still 100%. What am i missing? thanks, john.

Yes, select html as the type of email under "customized content" and then use standard html commands to change font, style, etc. For example, <font face="verdana" color="black size="10"> would set the font as verdana, black type, and size 10 font. John.

In customizing emails, I referred to the following wiki page: http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY-99i_Series_INSTEON:Custom_Email_Substitution_Variables However, it's not complete. For example, CLITEMP is missing (which i found through trial and error). Is there a complete up to date list available? thanks, John.

Smarthome (for me) is very good for sales and technical questions (but still not as good as UDI!) and most products are reliable. However, I've been burned on buying insteon keypad lincs...I now have about 10 that have all failed in 3-4 years...that's $800 out the window and no alternative solution, and no real offer to replace them by smarthome other than a discount on new units. If i could start over, I wouldn't use Insteon as I'm locked into a sole supplier and I strongly dislike the lack of flexibility. My insteon/homeseer (homeseer, a very expensive disaster) decision 2-3 years ago would not be the same today. With the recent advances in isy and zwave, that would be the route I'd take. John

thanks Lee, on to the next tests.

let me focus on just the AP in the garage - I triple checked the circuits: the garage light switch (dual band), the garage lamplinc (dual band), the AP (dual band), and the io lincs are all on the same garage electrical panel leg. I understand the the legs alternate. When i press the AP in the garage 4 times, the garage light switch blinks red and the garage lamp linc blinks red. Isn't this the opposite of what they should do when on the same leg? Heck, the lamplinc is plugged into an outlet right next to the AP...removing the AP from the extension cord doesn't change the behavior. Do I understand the blinking red color meaning correctly? Lee, I'm maintaining vertical orientation on the AP's correctly, they are not lying on their sides. thanks John.

would appreciate some feedback on my long post above...thanks.

I guess I have a comm problem as the only time the sensor state changes upon query, is if it's in the incorrect state (on ISY panel). Running a query when the sensor state is correct (regardless if this is on or off) doesn't result in a sensor state change.

thanks Lee, the objective of the garage AP is to simply relay the message via RF.

For one day, after rechecking the reverse trigger box, the sensor system worked as it should. However, overnight, it stopped. Ran more tests: 1. Pressing garage AP 4 times results in garage light switch blinking green and garage lamplinc blinking green. The IO Lincs don't blink regardless of how close the AP is located to them or even if on the same circuit. Should the IOlincs blink? The house AP starts to blink green when the garage AP is moved within 100' of it (via an extension cord). Only one house switch blinks red. 2. Pressing the house AP 4 times results in some house switches blinking green. The number of switches is fairly limited and appears to be only those that are in close physical proximity to the house AP. I have 75 or so switches and perhaps only 5-6 blink depending on which outlet the AP is plugged into. I have 3 electrical panels in the house. 3. Pressing the house AP 4 times results in the garage AP blinking green. While the garage AP is blinking green and on the same panel leg as the garage light switch, the garage light switch is now blinking red indicating its receiving a RF signal. The lamplinc which is further from the AP is not blinking indicating it is out of RF range. This is not the same behaviour as #1 above. Also, if I unplug the garage AP, the switch red light keeps blinking indicating that it's receiving the RF signal from the house AP! 4. The house AP and garage AP lose contact if I move them apart more than 100' despite clear, direct outdoor line of sight between them. Specs rating is 200'. I don't understand this. Without naming names (yet!),I should note that the AP's were purchased from an ebay home automation reseller...I'm wondering if these are reduced quality AP's even though they are new and rev. 2. I've had a lot of problems with keypadlinc's purchased from the same company but attributed that to lower rev./older units. Did the AP's have distance issues at one time with prior rev's? John.

as a last resort, i unchecked the trigger reverse box, now ISY is reporting the sensor status accurately and in real-time.... and it works with the AP unplugged.

ok - pressed AP button 4 times and I'm getting blinking red on the garage AP and blinking red on the garage dual band dimmer. Does that mean both AP's are on the same phase (bad)? or does it mean they are communicating via RF (good). I can tell you I'm only getting about 80' open air, direct line of site communications between the two AP's which is a concern. I will post the trace afterwards. Gotcha Lee on the sensor flip due to query. I have tested and retested but the sensor won't change value without a query.

okay, here's the latest. Installed an access point at the main house and one in the garage. After holding the set button on the house AP, it blinks green, then the garage AP light blinks green once and beeps twice after pressing its set button - is this the correct lighting sequence for linking the two via RF only communication? I installed the garage access point on the same panel leg as the iolinc. Running event logs, ISY is receiving sensor commands when I hotwire the sensor terminals to change them from on to off. However, the ISY panel still will not reflect the change until a query is done. If i install the iolinc in the house, the sensor value changes as expected without a query. I'm thoroughly confused as to why ISY sees the sensor communications but won't post the correct status. IOlinc won't work in the garage by moving it to another outlet (same circuit) that is closer to the house. I moved the access point to within 60' of the main house to see if that would help, it didn't. I relinked the AP's as above and put the IOlinc within 10' of the garage AP, and still ISY won't change value until queried. I can control the garage lights and a lamplinc without issue which are on a different leg than the AP's. Removing the dual band dimmer and lamplinc from ISY (leaving only the IO linc and the AP's in the garage) did not change anything. ISY is running 4.05 help is appreciated! John.

thanks for the detailed explanation...that makes sense why some of my configurations work better than others as not every device is rebroadcasting every command. John.

understood ... I have about 30 new dual band dimmers. Assuming a device is dual band, will it automatically send out every insteon signal via both rf and powerline?

do all insteon devices in a network automatically rebroadcast all commands via both rf and powerline?

Separate power source? Not on same meter and panel, huh? Is it possible that these separate power sources are on different transformers, or even different phases of the power grid? I am seriously starting to get out of my comfort zone here, but I am not sure that insteon will work if on different phases of the three-phase power system. I assume that the fact that this works SOMETIMES suggests, at least, that you are on the same phase. Strange...maybe. It could be explainable with a better sense of which keypads are working (the one in the garage, on the same power supply and leg) and which are not (separate power supply, hundreds of feet away?) Did you add these garage devices to the ISY while they were installed in the garage? garage devices were added to ISY while installed in the garage. Both keypads are in the house which is what makes it strange one will and one won't control the garage lights. I can presently restore any of the devices in the garage without issue. Yes, on different meters and panels but off same power line. I think, however, the RF is doing the communicating.

OK. That makes more sense. From what I have read here since the dual band devices started rolling out, these devices have rather minimal range and are often very directional making them poor choices for bridging a significant distance. I would think a pair of access points arranged as close to line of sight as possible would be a better choice. I have to wonder if you are actually communicating via powerline through a common utility transformer rather than via RF. -Xathros that's an astute observation...its entirely possible but I don't think so as I'd lose communication entirely when I'd move the lamplinc too far away from the house...I've ordered the 2 access points...my understanding is that isy doesn't "see" them but i can link them to one another to insure they are communicating. off topic: some of my switches blink when there is network activity. I recall being able to change that feature with Homelinc, is there any way to change it with ISY or? John.

Lee - thanks...the ISY query doesn't change the sensor value if it is correct. In my case that means ON when the door is closed and OFF when its open. I think you all are likely correct that its a communication issue...I just added a different keypad to control the garage lights and I'm not getting a reliable response from the lights. Strange to me that one keypad would trigger the garage lights but another won't. Does the insteon network send out RF signals from all dual band devices at the same time?

thanks...I wasn't clear...I'm relying on RF to bridge the 100' as the power to the garage is a separate power source. On the same leg as the IOLinc I have a dua lband lamplinc and a dual band dimmer in the garage which i rely on for the RF back to the house.

Which, to me, suggests a problem near the PLM. What other devices are on the circuit with the PLM? There are no other insteon devices on that circuit with the exception of a 2413u and the isy/plm. I unplugged the 2413U with the same results. My audio receiver is plugged in nearby. I assume by circuit you mean an electrical circuit controlled by one electrical breaker. When I say the ISY is not reflecting the correct value, I arrive at this opinion by watching the ISY control java control panel for a sensor value change. Whenever I turn on/off a light, the control panel immediately reflects the status change.

I have a very large insteon network (over 75 devices) so bridging the legs shouldn't be an issue. However, the iolincs are in a detached garage so I'm sending the iolinc RF signal about 100' to/from the house. What's strange is that it works 100% reliably with the keypadlinc and the keypadlinc always shows the correct sensor status. However, ISY is not automatically picking up the sensor status change on a consistent basis. A query always shows the correct value. Originally, I thought a communications error could be the issue but it makes little sense that ISY is not picking up the correct value but any other device will. FYI, my control of lights across the 100' gap is flawless which further baffles me as to the issue. For others with Chamberlain garage door openers, you have to wire the iolinc directly to the momentary switches in the powered wall control unit. If you don't, nothing will happen when triggering the opener (actually the wall controller clock will reset and the opener will indicate a short via it's flashing lights). I didn't solder the connections but was able to wrap the wire (I used some old Cat3 wire) around one of the legs on the momentary switch which made it painless. Each wall controller has 2 momentary switches under the door open/close button for door control (one on the left and one on the right of the controller). Wiring to either one will work. Then run the wires back to the IOLinc.