larryllix

I believe in home automation as a goal, The remote control is fun but not really any point if the HA is done properly. I probably touch a wall or lamp switch only about 2 times per day in normal daily activities. ooops. I lied. I touch my ensuite SwitchLinc many times per day, but right now, having it change laser intensity to not wake up the spouse intensity twice per day is good enough automation. That may change later when I get ambitious. My goal is not to require any switches at all, so a special 3-way switch that cannot control a load and only performs half the usual tasks usually available with devices in a switch box, is not much use. Out of my 10 Switchlincs in use, I have none without a connected load. I always back up vocals with a hardware switch somewhere. If my ISY failed i have manual remote controls for all lights in a cupboard somewhere.. If those batteries were found dead and needed, then there is the plug in the receptacle to be pulled.. I do have a hardware four way system in my front foyer and a three-way system in my stairwell. apostolakisl's easy switch to reach applies in those cases and also I was warned in many places over the years, not to automate staircase lighting. Ever had a power failure while walking down a staircase? You quickly grab for a railing, while your feet freeze and your weight keeps going forward. Creates a moment of complete panic.

www.blinds.com or www.blinds.ca in Tx. has the best prices I have seen. I have dealt with them twice now from Canada.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.toxbox-24-volt-ac-adaptor.1000112971.html

Mini-Remotes are switching devices without a load connection. Get the one button rocker ones. There is your 3-way switch unit without load connections. Get some wire nuts and get over it. The X10 3-way switches required house wiring between the dummy and the load connected switch so they weren't usable for upgrading like Insteon SwitchLincs are. I have a junk box full of three way X10 remote switches and after decades of using them I wouldn't buy a 3-way Insteon Switchlincs, even if they were available. For a few bucks more the full SwitchLinc gives me the capability of repurposing it later, when my brainstorms change. I prefer one standard style of SwitchLinc I can use anywhere I want, not have to have a stockpile of different switch styles to use for different applications. Similar to Stu, once you activate some real HA and vocal controls, and not just install remote control systems, the need for 3-way starts to disappear. Perhaps SmartieHouse knows more about the future than we think. @Teken. Thanks for that

Used the bottom method with the URL cut'n paste. Being very confused why the admin console link mysteriously appears on my Win 7 desktop.... http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/22342-isy-portal-loads-wrong-ui-version/?do=findComment&comment=218144

Thanks Michel. Furthering this. Was there something I did to mess up the access using a v5. UI? Mostly when I do these things I end up with an Admin Console link on my desktop. I suspect that was a v4.6.2 and I forced it to replace my v5.0.10 UI in my folder (Win 7). Should I have just deleted the new a/c link and used the existing one and would that be the proper method?

The link provided in the Portal "ISY Information" was added to my existing "ISY Finder". I am not sure why it loaded v4.6.2 or how it would even know which version to load.

Following the Wiki instructions to use the admin console from the ISY Portal, it loaded v4.6.2 UI instead of matching my v5.0.10 f/w. Luckily I caught the error without any ISY program damage when it loaded my programs in less than 15 seconds instead of the usual 2-3 minutes. Then I noticed that programs were not complete with errors marked. This needs some attention and I believe somebody reported a bad version load in another thread somewhere else. Thanks!

This is dangerous! It installed UI v4.6.2 over top of my v5.0.10 UI. I caught it when I noticed that the programs loaded in less than about 20% of the usual time and then found mnay of my programs incomplete with <unspecified devices> lines. Luckily I didn't save anything and did some digging o I would have destroyed my ISY program image. In the back of my mind somebody had previously reported this and UDI noted it. This needs to be fixed ASAP and make the Admin Console from the Portal useless.

I also prefer one less device to understand and keeping the style list down to one device. I use three way systems in my house but all Switchlincs have their own loads. I use programs that can selectively act as three-way switches or not. Typically it works like this. Tap on only gets it own load. Double tap On, gets both loads on. Same with Off logic. This allows me to remotely turn a light on at the other end of the house (wrap around deck and porch lighting) and then turn the local one off. Useful occasionally. Alexa has made much of this program logic redundant now. In the end the total and independent control of as many finer lighting components works better. Dimming can be done by ISY and is never wanted during 3-way operations. eg. Alexa, Turn On outside lights Alexa. Turn On side deck lights Alexa. Turn On porch lights Alexa. Turn on runway lights (under side deck) ...and the Off reciprocals

@Teken. Thanks! I wanted access though. This has never worked for me before. When accessing this style I only get a page full of XML code. @Paul. Thanks. Looks like the first few lines don't match the newer style...maybe? I followed Michel's list and got there. Just editing some programs for a new MS and I get occasional socket and other errors (UB?) via the Portal. It ssems to act as if it is reconnecting every few minutes too with the "can't connect to Christmas Tree (disabled) device". Good enough/workable for doing some necessary maintenance while away if the need ever arises though. V5.0.10.

Thanks, but not the admin console, just the udajax/had webpage.

I just started exploring the ISY Portal recently. I cannot find any access with the Admin Console. Can you give me more instructions to get there? That wouldbe worth the $25 per year rather than some freebie DDNS that I had fail me when I needed it in the past.

Good point! We are all so quick to blame Insteon for everything, now. I had a lot of this problem on the job. When an alarm went off it was usually the alarm equipment that was immediately blamed, rather than the device that was being monitored.

ISY doesn't show what it doesn't know. Insteon devices have a very dumb application layer in the protocol. They only report when something changes, rather than adding in a cyclic all-else-fails report in addition to the exception style reporting. Querying a device seems to be an Insteon protocol feature, attempting to alleviate this problem after power off/on, but many devices do not handle that properly, either. Perhaps you could build an ISY program to query certain things upon ISY powering up. There is no hope for Insteon battery operated devices, except to wait for a change in status.

I had problems with the KPL statuses also. I don't remember the exact scenario now but the KPLs do not send the same commands as they respond to a query with. They are really messed up. IIRC I don't think it matters what mode you have them in for sending commands, the queried status always toggles, every button press. You would have to ignore and just stop querying the buttons. Michel attempted to explain this to me once upon a time when I was questioning the log files, and I had to run some experiments myself to believe such stupidity in a device. BTW: Add a Wait into the Then section also. It was suspected I may have cause myself some problems sending feedbck to a KPL so quickly after controlling devices with a KPL. It's all the same device despite dfferent sections.

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/17495-how-to-use-a-ms-with-lights-for-faster-response/?hl=%2Bmotion+%2Bsensor+%2Bxathros

I don;t think PLM communications are a problem passing each other in transit so responding to a trigger with an output shouldn't be a problem for the ISY/PLM process. However... Battery operated devices send out several repeated commands unsynchronised to the 60Hz. powerline and without respect to other Insteon signals. Now we have your fast program trying to output an Insteon signal while the MS is still sending out it's insurance signal repeats....problem. Most of us use direct inks (scenes) between MSes and lights for the ON portion and let ISY detect this event and turn the lights off. ISY makes managing these links/scenes quite painless and the technique is very fast.

No! ISY only has variable that handle 32 bit images. There are no facilities in the REST protocol to receive text messages. Interesting challenge! A bank of named programs could do it but could (a)mount up quickly. A bank of named variables could work with a value for each track but the percent word typically needs to be used. Alexa.... Set Van Halen Track (to) 7 percent. = Play Van Halen track number 7 I have found Alexa doesn't do well with second or third words, only the first words are highly successful. Therefore Set Van Halen Album Four to 7 percent will confuse Alexa with all other Album numbers or names. Creating one huge "album name" for each band could work somewhat.

Now you can install it back in the metal box, still with the cord on it to prove the box is affecting comms.

It doesn't sound like you are missing anything in your technique so.... In a last ditch attempt...maybe disconnect it and wire it somewhere else? then "gone bad"?

OK. With your lack of success I just wondered. The device has to be powered up with the button held in so a time gap with the power on and the button NOT pressed will make the factory reset fail. Unless you have two people or can reach both at the same time, turning the breaker off should not work either. I know factory restting wall switches is harder to do than most other devices. I always have to use a small screwdriver to press the button indeep enough but you are getting some beeps, indicataing you probably are. Sounds defective to me.

Just pressing the button in will not factory reset devices. From the manual Factory Reset Factory Reset clears all user settings from ToggleLinc Relay, including INSTEON scenes, on-levels, ramp rates, X10 addresses, etc. 1) Pull out ToggleLinc’s Set button to create an air gap. 2) Wait 10 seconds. 3) Push in Set button and hold it. Do not let go. ToggleLinc will begin to emit a long beep. 4) When beep stops, release Set button. A few seconds will pass. ToggleLinc will double-beep. LEDs will return to normal brightness. The connected load will turn on.

ISY will still have the image with links for the device. It will re-install them into the device and make a new and clean image inside it.

Not here. Alexa doesn't recognise my city anymore. for temperatures or weather. It did for a while some time back but not anymore. She can say "Canada" to ask for what city, though. She will have to learn about provinces and State though. The city of Waterloo is found in about 13 states and two or three provinces.