shannong

I had them but got rid of them due to problems with them but unrelated to your issues. I read about many others complaining about the Master mode problem. I did not use "Master" mode. For me, that seems to defeat the point of having a central controller, although I understand why that would be easier. Instead, I had them both linked with ISY but wrote programs to control the HVAC system. Basically, the wireless tstat was just a temp sensor for the room it was in. With the ISY making decisions and controlling things you'll probably be more successful and happier with them.

I converted my 8-button to 7 this weekend. Pretty quick and simple. However, with the rail missing across the top and bottom the large button has a tendency to pop off. Have you experienced that? How did you resolve it? I'm going to try a piece of double-sided Scotch tape to see if that resolves the issue.

I'm using a Synchrolinc for my washer and dish washer. I use it to set a variable for when the washer is on and base actions on the variable instead of directly looking at the status or linking it with scenes. As you've already discovered, the washer has pauses as it switches cycles such as from wash to rinse that causes the Syncrolinc to turn off/on. In my programs I have a 2 minute wait included so the variable is on for the entire cycle and goes back to zero only after the washer/Syncrolinc have been off for the 2 minutes. The settings are a mystery and I did a lot of googling trying to find the answer what the exact effect of Hysteresis and Holdoff provide. There was some documentation but it wasn't clear and in my testing the Holdoff seemed to have no effect. I would greatly appreciate you sharing whatever "gold" information you get from Smarthome. I also tried the iMeter, but I don't recommend it. You have to poll it regularly to get a reading to set your variables. However, it can be handy for understanding the work load profile of a device you want to connect to a Synchrolinc if you're interested in more than just on/off and need to fine tune the thresholds.

There are many residential grade routers with this functionality already included. Also, there are several open source packages such as DD-WRT that you can install on residential broadband routers that provide DDNS and use free services such as dnsexit.com, dynu.com, etc.

This unit was made to be used with an external contact. In the first pic showing the unit open but still assembled it's showing the wires coming up and connected to the elevator screws made specifically for that purpose. No modifications necessary.

If you look closely you'll notice another set of holes just above my screws where the wires are attached . This was one of my first units I made. There are some solder points on the circuit board and on one side it was making contact with my screw head so I had to move them down a bit. It was very frustrating trying to figure out why my sensor wasn't working reliably until I finally realized that was the case.

More pics.

I simply drilled four holes and used #4-40 3/8" screws. For two of the screws I screwed on wire leads made made out of 20AWG wire. In a few spots where I wanted to detect water in space not easily accessible like behind the dish washer I created a wall mount using a cheap drawer glide mount that I picked up at Home Depot for about a buck. This allowed me to drill a hole in the cabinet and mount the sensor in the cabinet next to the washer so I could service it without pulling out the dish washer. I did that for all my sensors for appliances like the fridge, washing machine, etc. For this one I actually used nuts to screw on and hold the screws because the plastic was too soft to hold the screw on it's own.

I couldn't see the pic since I don't have an account there. I chose the Honeywell sensor because it's super cheap and just the right form factor and size.

Wireless sensors are a lot more fun to install than wired. Only takes 5 min to install. Just unfortunately more expensive and inherently less reliable than a hard wire. I would've preferred everything wired, but I couldn't feasibly wire all my windows and run wires everywhere I needed a smoke. The M1 can have several wireless transceivers attached and of mixed type. The number varies depending on the make and model. The Elk Two-way transceiver provides signal acknowledgment, which I like. However, it is not specifically a supervisory function. The Elk, Honeywell, and GE sensors all send a daily heartbeat signal so the system knows if they're still there and working. Two-way communication isn't required for that, although signal acknowledgement is a desirable function. They all also have a low battery notification. On mine I have the Elk Two-way AND the Honeywell. I started with the Elk transceiver just because it was Elk and really didn't know much. I did like the concept of the two-way communications for signal verification. However, once I started installing I discovered how limited the Elk options are for wireless. Namely, the wireless CO detectors were the first culprits. Then I wanted a contact wireless sensor for my backyard gate. Then a temp sensor for my freezer. And then.... And then... I was inexperienced and didn't plan enough before buying. I researched and compared the Honeywell to the GE and discovered the wide variety of sensors available for the Honeywell. GE was limited although better than Elk. The Honeywell also was reported as having stronger and more reliable communications than the GE. I can't actually say if that's true or not since I've never used GE anything. The Elk has two-way acknowledgement but the signal isn't as powerful as the Honeywell in my experiences. I started with the Elk transceiver on the garage wall and the PIR sensors on the far side of the house could not communicate with it. I had to relocate it to the middle of the house (wasn't easy to get a wire there) and still did not always have reliable communications with one of the far sensors. I installed the Honeywell in the same location near the garage and didn't have reception issues. I'm not saying the Elk is weak or bad. I have an older house with shiplap on the walls and some walls with plaster so it's a challenging environment. Adding wires for all my windows and smokes wasn't an option. I'm in TX where basements are unheard of and don't even have an attic since it was converted to usable living space. So wireless was a must for me. However, I didn't add sensors to all my windows. I strategically placed a few window break sensors instead. Another option Honeywell has the Elk does not. That combined with internal PIR motion detectors should provide adequate protection vs. wiring every window which for me would be a lot on the first floor. I really like the micro wireless contact closures that Honeywell has. Very small and able to be completely concealed in a door or window. I even used a few on interior doors. Elk has some small ones also but none that can be completely concealed. There are cheaper Honeywell wireless contact closures available for less than $20 and I was also able to make wet detectors with them instead of buying the $35 Insteon sensors. They're more reliable in my experience so far. My Elk directly turns off the water to the house on its own when one of them goes off. So I can have water leak protection even when the power is off. You can't do that with ISY. http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13832 Good luck on your install!

It's worth noting that it's against electrical codes in most states to use a device outside it's intended use or beyond it operating thresholds. Do you have a switch inside the house or garage for this light? If so, you could mount it in that box. That's what most folks do vs. mounting it outside in the light box. I wouldn't expect the cold to affect it as long as it doesn't have collected moisture on it to freeze. Do you really expect it to get above 104F in Boston?

I don't know what Venlink is but I'm looking forward to checking it out. Thanks for your efforts.

I agree with Dennis that all lighting/automation/control is better done with the ISY. For things like turn off lights and setting HVAC, etc when I leave, I simply have a program on the ISY to detect the Elk in "armed" state and set a variable. I have various ISY programs that trigger off this variable to turn off lights, shut off the water, change set points on thermostat etc. Far more flexibility and easier to do with ISY vs trying to program the Elk to do it. Same thing for notifications. The options and ease of doing it with the ISY far exceed the Elk.

My two most important cameras will be wired because I can. For me those are the cameras for the front door and garage/driveway. The other two will be wireless since getting a cable to the location I need will be very difficult. For me, the cameras won't integrate directly with the Elk. They'll integrate with the ISY which means I can trigger camera events based on Elk alarm events. Also as in the common example, when somebody rings the doorbell I'll get a text from ISY and an email with a snapshot from the front camera.

Elk also has a GE radio and their own two-way radio. I use the Honeywell radio available for the Elk M1 security system. Honeywell has the best selection of wireless sensors that I've seen. Honeywell has 5X or more the number of sensors than available from GE or Elk including ones appropriate for exterior applications like the gate on my fence. I chose Elk over other platforms because it has native integration with ISY. I can see the status of every smoke detector, door sensor, freezer sensor, etc from ISY. While I want the reliability the Elk provides for security, I want to also be able to leverage it all with my ISY for home automation The Elk can also directly turn on a device that the ISY controls.

The main issue is power. A security system like Elk will have a battery backup system included. I have also put it on a UPS along with my water shutoff valve. You cannot do that on Insteon based technologies which would include the ISY. So no power means no security, no fire, etc. Nothing. There's also reliability of signal. Ever had a light not turn or other status not update on the ISY for whatever communication issue? I have. Many times. I have never had that with my wired or wireless sensor on my Elk. What if that signal lost on your Insteon network was the door opening? Or the FirstAlert smoke detector going off? This is especially true of smoke/heat detectors. Most state laws do not allow the fire dept to be summoned by automated monitoring unless it's a UL approved system. Elk and many detectors are. Insteon and ISY are not. I want the fire dept at my house putting out the fire regardless of whether or not I know there's a fire. On more minor issue, the Insteon sensors use RF technologies and communication protocols that are battery intensive that need to be replaced often. The Honeywell wireless sensors I use (and many others like Elk and GE) are designed to last for 3-5 years on a single battery. That's important for things like the front door and others used frequently. They are also much smaller. I have Honeywell wireless door sensors that are completely hidden. The Insteon ones tend be larger and unsightly.

I'm willing to front half of the cost of a T5x00/6x000 for development purposes as long as I clearly understand what the expected outcomes are and expected shortcomings. I realize not all things can be committed upfront but just expect a gentlemen's understanding. I'm not happy with my Zwave tstat much more than my Insteon one. I'm currently polling it regularly to keep things in sync, and I'd rather have the pretty Venstar T6900 and poll it regularly over the IP network rather than over Zwave.

Thanks for the pics. I have my 8-button on order.

Did you do the conversion? I'd appreciate any feedback you can give as I'm considering this for one of my KPLs.

Oops. That is correct and I misspoke. I confused the MMD with some other nodes that do read the settings from the device like motion sensors when you open the options menu. As for "risk of beta".... Well that's a risk vs reward discussion. You're not going to lose your house or million dollars if the beta has a bug. Comparing this to experiences in the "IT industry" just don't apply the same when assessing risk. I also have an extensive background in the IT industry to base this on. I've been an desktop tech, server admin, network admin, security specialist, voice specialist, built a world class co-lo facility, CTO, CIO, and run consulting groups. So what's the risk? The risk for me is small enough to be without consideration. Backup and then upgrade. Test. Was the problem resolved? No - Then downgrade and restore. If Yes the problem resolved - Wait to see if there are other problems. Are there other problems? Yes - Then downgrade and restore. Easy. Quick. What's the real risk of upgrade? A light doesn't turn on when you wanted? Yep.... Pretty low risk. What's the reward? I get new features and support for new devices now. Worth the small risk to me. Really want to reduce risk for your home automation project? Pay a professional to install and program. Not worth it to me. I enjoy it.

I am also planning to have my ISY takeover irrigation, but I'm waiting for v5.0. The current version only support integers for variables (no decimals), does not let you store node values in a variable, and you can't do math on variables. Seems to me that makes a more sophisticated analysis for irrigation at least difficult if not impossible. Hopefully it will be out in a month or two.

The Save button is only useful if you have a console open all the time to capture the events, which isn't feasible obviously. Thanks for the response.

Using the REST commands does make the buttons appear and function.

Is there a way to enable and/or download Events? The "Log" can be downloaded but that doesn't actually have all the events as seen by the Event Viewer. The Log only has basic Insteon/Zwave on/off actions. It does not have all the other events seen in the viewer such as Elk, IR, etc.

I'm confused. This a known issue for many and for which I've had a ticket open for more than month on. Why are the responses for this acting like it's new and can't be recreated?