lilyoyo1

I left my old stuff in the house and just bought me stuff since technology changes. I didn't want to reuse older equipment. It worked out because I was able to set up and do some programming prior to moving which cut down on the work once we moved into our new house. Since I use alot of programs it made it easier for the new owner to set up the system the way they wanted to without much work.

I saw this thread due to the added comments. No company gets it right the first time nor will any company please everyone. Not everyone wants their devices to revert to whatever condition after a power failure. Companies battle with ever changing desires constantly. Devices do not know what a person is thinking at any given moment. If I have a power outage right now, chances are, I will want my lights to come back on. The device does not know that. Maybe it takes 2 hrs. Before it comes on again and my mood changed. How is a device to know? I'm not going to beat up on the OP as many others have already pointed out the root problem. However, for any system to work properly, you have to take the time to understand it's pros/cons and use available resources to plan accordingly. What you experienced could happen with any system including a non automated system. I am glad that your house did not burn down and no one was hurt, this isn't time for the blame game. It's looking at the root cause, understanding it, and planning for it. My iron and my fiance's hair stuff gets plugged into appliance modules. Those are there as a safety net for the one time someone may forget to turn off or unplug their item. That way should we leave them on, the system will turn them off. With that said, we both understand the dangers and take the extra step to ensure that we unplug them properly when not in use. Since you have an automated system, taking the time to program for different scenarios is paramount; especially if you travel often. You state you have frequent losses so this would not have been the first time you noticed this behavior. At that point something should have been done to remedy the situation especially since you have the ISY. To combat lights being left on, I do two thing: 1) I use motion sensors everywhere to make sure lights are off if a room is unoccupied. 2) I run programs that will automatically turn off lights in the middle of the night if their status shows on for more than 40 minutes. This way, if I am out of town and something happens I am covered. I'm not sure of any manufacturer that has user upgradeable firmware for any of their switches. Due to how they are normally purchased (large qty) all it takes is someone screwing up an update and they are out of 20 switches.

I have 4 echos in different areas. Because they are not within ear shot of one another, I am able to use the same name for all of them without issue. I have too many devices to try and control individually with the echo. I try to use timers as well as sensors to automate most tasks so that I only need remotes and my echos for those rare times I need to do something outside of my normal routine. Personally, I have found remotes to work faster than the whole Alexa, tell Izzy to do....... When it comes to Alexa, what I decided to do was control my scenes for specific tasks that I do not use often enough to put on my remotes/keypads or automate. For example; while my outside lights can be turned off from my status keypad in certain rooms, I do not have it set on my remotes. While they will eventually turn on based on certain triggers/conditions, I can use my echo to turn them on/off should I choose outside of the programming schedule.

At that temperature, I would say your definitely living in the wrong area. lol

I would have to agree with Stusviews on this one. Whether you use an electronic lock or a regular lock does not change the nature of the door itself. It is about the convenience that it offers. This could apply to the ELK or any other alarm system as well really. Is it perfect. Far from it. However the convenience that it gives as well as the peace of mind it gives when it comes to alerting for the avg. burglar suits the needs of most people. Especially when you add the convenience of integration with your HA system. For those who want a fort knox clone, None of this stuff should go in their home. Yes you can lock your home down as tight as technology and money allows...And the right thief will still break in and steal your stuff (banks and museums get robbed every day). Most systems are designed to deter the crack head, teen, common thief. The cat burglar who knows how to truly break into a secure place will not be deterred regardless of system. They will figure out a way. At that point, I hope you have Insurance.

Teken's post answered most of what I have to say but I have some additonal comments. When it comes to HA, most companies want you in their ecosystem that they can control. It's like Hue stopping you from using 3rd party (they've since reverted back). When something doesnt work right, they get the blame as well as the tech calls for something they have no control over. Secondly (as the hub style systems are called) these glorified remotes like smartthings doesnt actually do anything really good. They are party tricks. Great to show off but once the novelty wears off, they are no longer used. All in one systems also do not fare well long term. In order to integrate different systems together and make it easy for the avg person, you lose out on a lot. Since these simple remotes aren't designed for any specific task they cannot go to deep into control. For example, if Insteon is capable of 20 different things, controller "A" may do 3 or 4 of those things because doing more would keep it from working with something else. Systems such as the ISY only do a few protocols. However that focus allows them to take advantage of many offerings that those devices offer. The question that everyone should ask themselves is if you want a controller that can control everything but does little, or a controller that controls a little but does everything

Like Michel said, theres always the hub.

It amazes me how many people want a product without knowing anything about it just because it has Apples name on it. WIth the information I have seen on homekit, I am glad UDI is staying out of that. I love the ISY the way it is and it's future capabilities.

I am not a big believer in using apps to control my system so lack of polish for an app is the least of my concerns. Besides that, there are customizable options out there that a person can use. I am like Lee G, by taking the time to learn the limitations ( I don't try to use my devices in ways they weren't intended or that brings out their weaknesses) I have minimized issues in regards to constant babysitting, changes and failures. I have found that when trying to minimize investment into HA (whether Insteon or Zwave), frustration levels increase as does babysitting. For me, HA is more than a hobby. It's an Investment. Just like any investment, in order to get anything out of it, you have to be willing to put into it. As your lifestyle changes so will your programming. People change so our equipment does too. Like Jwarner says...It's kinda fun. If your having multiple failures there may be something else going on.

That is true. However with the switch stealing power from it, I'm wondering if its taking enough of the power to keep it from going full on. Halogens produce enough to turn on but even as you dim, it cuts off sooner with that particular switch than an incandescent. It should work but since he's having the same issue with multiple switches, its a good test to see if its duplicated with incandescent

If you don't want to pay new price for an ISY, I would go to eBay or amazon marketplace. Trying to start with a device that hasn't been supported in years will cause you more headache than what it's worth. Your better served getting the 994 to see what things are really capable of instead of trying to use the 99 and not be able to use it with most things

That switch was designed to be used with an incandescent. Because it is stealing power from the bulb to power itself, that could be causing the bulb to be dimmer. Try it on an incandescent. That will tell you if its a switch problem or not. Insteon is pretty adamant about using incandescent with that switch for a reason.

If you have already installed the fanlinc and don't want to rewire, simply unlink the fanlinc light from the switch and let it stay on always. Then the only way they could turn it off was if they accessed the device directly.

Your needs today could change tomorrow. I know when I first started, the single outlet was enough in every location. As time went on, I found that I started having needs for a second outlet at which point I would simply purchase an on/off module. Not to say that the same thing will definitely happen to you, but if it does, that 15 dollar cost just turned into a 35 dollar savings. With the new dual outlet, I have pulled out the older outlets and replaced them with newer ones.

What I have found is that many people use devices incorrectly and then blame the device when it fails. For example, many people will use a device outside but blame the manufacturer when it fails. Or will use Insteon side by side without de-rating. The big thing now is LED's. They will have switches controlling a group of LED's without taking into account in-rush then when the switch blows (or continues to blow) insteon sucks and not their installation. I have used many keypads. I upgrade alot also and I have never had a single issue. One last thing- no one wants to troubleshoot. I've seen on other forums (including here) where the device gets first blame until troubleshooting steps are taken and the issue is fixed.

You need to add a repeat. The duration is not for how many times its supposed to beep

The best thing to do is experiment. Everyone has their way of doing things. Programs you write today may not be used tomorrow. Don't be afraid to simply try stuff. The best way to learn and understand the ISY is to simply do it. If it fails try other ways of programming. In time it will get easier.

If you want your fast on to do something completely different from a single tap, it is best to use programs otherwise the double tap will also turn your scene on. For example, a single tap will turn my bedroom fan to medium, and a double tap will turn it to high. Pressing off turns off the fan regardless of speed. The same for my bedroom lamps. A single tap turns my lamp on while a double tap turns both mine and my fiance's lamp on. Her remote does the same. A single tap will turn hers off and a double tap will shut off the whole room. Because the remotes are used generally when we are in bed, after 10pm a double tap becomes an "all off" and shuts down the whole house. That way if we didn't arm the alarm, shut a light off, or left a door unlocked, all of those things will happen.

I do my buttons the first way that Eric mentions. One of my buttons show if the cameras are turned on. I can also use that button to reset my router.

I use mostly 8 button KPL's in my home with custom etched buttons. I try to set my scenes on the buttons so that they are clear and concise. I let the automation aspect of things happen on the behind the scenes. Double taps provide extended features that me and my fiance use but not are not necessary for everyday use or for a visitor to need. For example, in our main bathroom, dbl tapping the main button off will shut off the fan and the light. A person visiting would not know that but at the same time, they can simply hit the fan button. I have switched out my bulbs and started using hue bulbs. Throughout my house, I put the same button controls in the same places. The Main button is always in the same spot, rooms with Lamps is marked Lamps with it next to the main button. Scenes start the next level and so forth. I try to keep the important functions at the top so your not digging through buttons to do a simple action. If the room has a second keypad, I generally will put secondary actions on that. For example, my 2nd kpl in the bedroom has the ceiling fan, hvac presets, etc on it. They are clearly labeled so if you were in the room, even as a visitor you would know what they controlled. Once again standard use is clearly labeled. Secondary use from a double tap is not but generally those are things that happen automatically. For example, my phone chargers button will turn on the chargers manually (i have it on timers also) Double tapping the same button will also turn on the charger for my remote; should that be needed outside of it's timer.

Too expensive? Have you seen the price compared to some of the other zwave switches? It is competitively priced to the market. Insteon may not have every device out there that zwave has but it also has devices that zwave doesn't have. Zwave coming out the winner? Have you been to costco, walmart, Manards, Bestbuy,etc.? You can find Insteon out there at different places. How many stores can you walk into and find Zwave? There is room in the market for both companies, especially with both showing the ability to kee up with consumer trends.

Smartlabs is always looking at staying up with the market even if it appears they are slow to react sometimes. It is quite possible at some point we could get there. I have a lot of insteon devices myself so am with you in regards to upgrading switches. I try to switch out devices when I see a jump in what the switch does (ie: the different leds and change from 2476 to 2477). Just knowing the general public though (especially moving into walmart and manards) I do question whether it would be a wise decision to do that from a business standpoint.

Having the ability to upgrade a switch is a good idea for power users. However giving that option to alot of people has the potential for bricking and destroying the switches. The heavy users on here (ie:Teken, LeeG,etc.) would have no problems updating a switch. However there are many out there who can't even plug the PLM into the proper port. Not only that, you also have to take into account firmware changes can also involve hardware changes. In doing that and having someone update the switch, you could cause problems.

I do agree that the hub should support every insteon device. However, the people that the hub is marketed to generally will not use those devices or even know about them (smartenit devices). Since the hub came out they have added support for everything else.

Adding zwave support was great by UDI. It protects them and us should something happen to Insteon although I really don't see that happening. It also allows us to fill in with devices where Insteon might be lacking or vice versa. Insteon is trying to grow the European market along with quality improvements, and new devices to satisfy their biggest customer (us -US market). Keep in mind, the Insteon catalog was not where it is now when it first started. In time, you will see more growth in other areas. They do not have a google budget. They are limited to where they can spend their dollars. Once the European market grows more, you will see more devices marketed for them. The open nature of Zwave does have benefits of more choice and protection. However it also means more headaches too. Not every zwave device works with each other. You can run into compatibility issues with some things. Generally with insteon and the ISY this is not the issue.