larryllix

Here is my test program. It is verified to affect the ISY Scene setup brightness each way but does not affect the SLD or any of my plug-in modules when attempting this. If - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition') Then In Scene 'Mudroom / MudRm Walkthrough' Set 'Mudroom / Mudroom Potlights' 0% (On Level) Else In Scene 'Mudroom / MudRm Walkthrough' Set 'Mudroom / Mudroom Potlights' 100% (On Level) Do you see any difference? There is nothing else in this scene to adjust. The MS is not available to adjust in the scene and not in linking mode to take an adjustment. With ISY installing direct connected reciprocal links between the MS and SLD I doubt it that link can be affected by ISY as I stated above. Maybe there is a clue there. Note the direct link was installed by the ISY scene and not "on the side". I have repeatedly tried this technique in five or six locations, in about five or six sessions, every few months, when I become enthused again, unsuccessfully each time and gave up. I have also tried this with direct X10 links in LampLincs and abandoned that idea due to lack of ISY control (in the X10 case ISY doesn't even know the LampLinc is activated). Back to the default method with X10 through the ISY to an Insteon LampLincyou can expect 2-10 seconds of delay sometimes. It would be real nice to make this work. What am I missing?

Using ISY scenes I installed a new SwitchLinc last night to do more testing. I used an existing MS for this. Here is what I found with this SW and MS combination. Before any ISY scene was created = SW contained two links to the PLM Create an ISY scene with just the SW = SW contains three links to PLM Add the MS to the ISY scene = SW contains three links to PLM and one direct link to MS Note: MS has to be put into linking mode at which time ISY writes the direct link to the SW into it. Until then the MS is marked as bad-comm. - In effect ISY has created a direct link between the two devices and now has no ISY control over any part of that scene now existing outside of ISY. - ISY can now control parameters of it's own scene and when the scene is activated the brightness levels and ramp speeds will be effective but only when initiated by the ISY programs or manual operation. - The MS and SW now have their own link and that operation cannot be affected by the ISY scene settings. - This does not seem to be the intended purpose for an ISY scene to have a controller device included in ISY scenes. They appear to serve no purpose, and may be a detriment to intended operations, cutting the ISY control out of the picture. BTW: Removing a device from an ISY scene and/or deleting the whole scene does not remove the direct links from the devices (despite writing to device indications in the Admin Console) . A restore must be done on each device to remove the scene links to ISY or the direct links between devices after deleting/removing the devices from the ISY scene.

Several reasons I use it - The folder colours indicate the program "Then" or "Else" last ran for debugging - I can see the status of things in MobiLinc on my cell phone since it cannot display variables - Other programs can see the status of the program in question although I don't think I ever use that feature.

LeeG Myself and many others report that "then" code will execute when the "If" is called with no condition lines inside it. Are you saying the program can be left, or become, false without any "If" section code and stay that way to cause "Else" to execute each time the "if" section was called?

To help facilitate this process I will rename the old model with a few "X"s at the end lie this "LightSwitchXX" The new one will get the original name used in the programs "LightSwitch" Then with the copy/replace option mentioned by Xathros above the two names are found very close to each other in the list and easy to implement Replace "LightSwitchXX" with "LightSwitch" in all programs. Of course delete the "LightSwitchXX" from the device tree when you are done.

A "direct link" is a link created directly between the MS and the SwitchLinc. This can be done directly between the devices or using an ISY scene and writing the links into the devices. The devices then talk "directly" between themselves without any ISY intervention. ISY can not adjust any settings in this "direct link", from my testing experiences. This "direct link" between a MS and a SwitchLinc or other device reacts almost instantaneously. The eye has a hard time discerning any delay, unlike communicating the MS signal to the ISY and then ISY triggering a scene to be communicated out to the SwitchLinc. Insteon links were designed to work without any controller and be very fast, after the slow X10 protocol it was built on. This "Direct link" is what the OP appears to want but to control the parameters with the ISY. You can't, from my experiences.

I have tried that and you cannot affect a scene directly linked outside of ISY. When you turn the scene on from inside ISY the scene brightness works but when the MS activates the direct scene link the ISY settings have no effect. I use the scene adjust technique for non-direct linked scenes (ISY control) and they work somewhat but not for directly linked scenes.

Here is how I control my directly linked setup. I used a long "just in case" timer for the manual control lest people forget they turned it on at the switch. This happens frequently with automagically controlled lights.

Directly linked scenes are much faster but mostly out of ISY control, unfortunately.

I have tried this in every way I can think of in my setup. I can't make it work. When you adjust the local control brightness of a dimmer with daily programs you are turning the light on to that level at that time. Not acceptable usually. When you set up a direct linked scene between two devices and adjust the brightness of a device in the ISY scene other devices directly linked do not trigger that scene in ISY. With direct linked scenes ISY cannot intervene in brightness or ramp speed. ISY can only monitor. I use a direct linked scene with one dimmer in my mudroom and the speed of response embarrasses the ISY program response speed. I can use this in this location only, as I do not have any need to control brightness, time of day, or ramp speed. I just let it activate during the day. Only time off delay can be adjusted by ISY but for 60 seconds of CFL on energy, a few times during the daylight hours, there is no point. The ballast triggering is the wear out issue on CFLs and the damage is already done. If this can be done some other way I would surely be interested.

You could combine the last two if you don't need to differentiate between the states 1 and 2. Remember the slave subroutine programs should be disabled or they can self trigger. //Generac.SendMessage1 (disabled) If $GeneracIsOn is 1 OR $GeneracIsOn is 2 Then Send Notification to 'steve.sms' content 'Generac.On' Else ---- Another way to skin this cat. //Generac.SendMessage1 (disabled) If $GeneracIsOn > 0 Then Send Notification to 'steve.sms' content 'Generac.On' Else ----

What? No "Over 80 million served"? Nice! Another notch in your belts!

//Generac.SendMessage If $GeneracIsOn is 0 Then Send Notification to 'steve.sms' content 'Generac.Off' Else run prgram (if) //Generac.SendMessage1 //Generac.SendMessage1 (disabled) If $GeneracIsOn is 1 Then Send Notification to 'steve.sms' content 'Generac.On' Else run prgram (if) //Generac.SendMessage2 //Generac.SendMessage2 (disabled) If $GeneracIsOn is 2 Then Send Notification to 'steve.sms' content 'Generac.Timing' Else --

Intertek testing labs? LOL Glad you cleared that up! I guess that is the symbol with incomplete circle with ETL in it. New glasses coming! The are made in China, according to the label. Perhaps some politics/culture are in play to stop one Chinese manufacturer attempting to undermine the other manufacturer and side-sell the clone product. The original mfg. loses out and you piss off the world marketers, namely SmartLabs/Home in this case. The net for China would be negative gain in the end. There are lots of other products the world wants made in China.

Agreed but on repeated research I only see wall switches, plug-in modules and MS units from $10 more to double the Insteon prices. Not completely true. I did find one plug-in that was slightly cheaper than Insteon. Without any repeaters required for Insteon that tips the scales somewhat also. ISY with it's choice is a real good place to be right now, for sure. Who knows what will happen to Insteon. Would be real nice if they licensed it to another manufacturer. It's all made by Intertek in China, anyway, and probably would be from another manufacturer too. Hopefully a different flavour and quality spec though. However, I do see much more selection, which is nice.

How is the Insteon sales chain any different than X10 was or other protocols are? Is there actually different manufacturers making the devices or just different suppliers selling it? Insteon devices have their problems but read some other protocol forums and see. The grass on the other side of the fence always looks greener, especially when you look from a distance and an acute angle.

I have successfully avoided extra parts for the Insteon system so far so I would have never came across that. I have been hearing about this "four tap" test for months now and after researching doc unsuccessfully was going to ask about it one day. This was the day thinking it may help the poor noobie too. "Everybody knew about except me!" There seems t be a lot of that with Insteon....assuming you have all the parts and pieces so we don't have to explain that part 'cause we mentioned it in 1986. Software writers are not tech manual writers and if it is going to be manual we will find a way to automate it anyway.

Maybe you didn't want to hear the earnest message, "Get out of this crazy HA before it's too late!"

I have the full LampLinc manual. 33 pages. I did find this description: "RF Beacon Places the device in a mode that broadcasts a signal over INSTEON RF. Any devices beeping or displaying a blinking LED are within range of the module’s RF signal." http://www.insteon.com/pdf/2457D2.pdf You are correct about the "four tap test" terminology usage, although it is descriptive. the only way I knew to do it was from posts here. As I posted I have never run into this in a manual before. Mind you the "RF Beacon" was not too descriptive. The word "test" was never used either. Thank Gawd for the UDI forum and helpful people, like you. I don't have that many years left to spend them all trying to get to second base.

Very strange. None of the manuals I have describe this test despite being dual band devices. However, My LampLinc 2457D2 R1.9 unit, beside me, is marked dual-band but the 2457D2 manual mentions nothing about what the "RF Beacon" test means except that "RF Beacon" is found as a mode in on the fancy flow / testing chart as a state. The four tap test would not function that way for these 2457D2 devices, according to the docs. This is the same unit, I discussed before, does not support the third vertical leg of the chart... the factory reset modes. I seem to have some form of half-way hybrid unit that only supports the first two legs of the flow chart. However, the unit does perform the "RF Beacon" test with the old four tap initiation method and the old factory reset mode. Boy! Leave it to Insteon to make a huge mess of their documentation! No wonder there is confusion!

Thanks! There is no mention of this in the SwitchLinc Dimmer, ApplianceLinc, LampLinc, SynchroLinc, OnOff Module, or IOLinc manuals that I have downloaded in the last few months. There is mention of the phases in the IOLinc module Table of Contents but the reference is incomplete due to the content missing on the pages.

Where does one find this 4 tap method I keep hearing about here? I have never come across this in any manual and I have read all the ones for my devices. Thanks.

No! Not crazy at all. I have my doorbell send me a text message and an email if nobody is home. My dryer rings my doorbell when it is finished. Nothing is crazy with the ISY.

Just plug a dual-band module into the other phase of your electric service that your PLM isn't plugged into. Hopefully both of these devices can be located close to your electrical panel for radial spread to all circuits. AP and Extenders do the same thing as any dual-band Insteon device. They may do it with a stronger signal but I, personally, have never needed one. I leave a spare On/Off module plugged into a circuit running off the phase opposite to where my PLM is plugged into. Check your electrical panel. One leg or phase will have all even numbered breakers and the other leg or phase will have all odd numbered breakers. Read the link you provided. It describes the two phases problem quite well with illustrations In my case my other phase may be generated by an inverter and may not be connected to my main panel at all. The RF transmission of the PLM talks to it (On/Off module) and the On/Off plug-in module converts the RF signals to powerline signals and spreads the good word on that phase. The AP was created when Insteon did not have dual band capabilities as older modules and battery devices don't.

OK maybe that is why I have gotten this response before at other times. You drinkin' rum up there too? "Earth to TeleTeken....Earth to TeleTeken..."