jtara92101

What color is it? I have a lot of spare frames/keys from a move. I went to basic white. One of the wonderful things about Insteon is that they have color-change kits - you can even change the color of the LED light pipes. A side-benefit is easily obtained spare parts for this sort of "oops". I have some ivory, grey, and light almond. I even have some custom-etched buttons. (The real ones, from SmartHome.) LOL, $1.55 on sale! Guess you don't really need my offer to send you one.

First off, in ISY-land, all of your devices are considered "nodes". Your Insteon devices are nodes. Your thermostats are nodes. Your Z-Wave devices are nodes. (Simplistic explanation, but should do for this.) 5.x introduces node servers. Node servers are some code that runs on some external computer or computers (which could be desktop, embedded (Raspberry Pi, etc.), or even built-in to some dedicated hardware device (anything from an outlet or dimmer to a microwave oven. I'm engaging in some wishful thinking here...) The ISY and the node server(s) talk to each other, and now that device acts just like any other ISY node. You see these external nodes in the admin console just as if they were "regular" ISY nodes. I think one of the first node servers that was written is one that integrates Hue lighting into ISY. ISY Portal extends that concept, so that node servers don't even have to be in your home - they could be somewhere else on the Internet. The possibilities are endless! For example, a node server might replace the functionality of the weather module. You might connect to a node server run by your electric utility, that might provide data about demand periods and might even allow your ISY to, say, switch between rate options. If you live in a high-rise, and all your neighbors have ISYs, it might even be possible then to use a node server in the basement to have all of your lights spelling out "Merry Christmas".

We should all hang our heads in shame! Except giesen: Use one or more Range Extenders: http://www.insteon.com/range-extender/ Or else, if you might find some use for the additional functionality, any dual-band Insteon device(s). Some have better range than others, though - search the forum. Apparently, the dual on-off outlet has particularly good range. I think better than the PLM itself or even the range extenders. It has the latest version of the Insteon RF circuitry, and they claim greater range. More Insteon products will probably be released with the greater range. Search the forum - it's been discussed here. I would not assume that it will be possible to find a single central location that will reliably reach all of your thermostats. That's the duct-tape and prayer solution. Please verify that your thermostats Use Insteon RF signaling, not Z-wave. I presume that is the case, since you have a PLM and don't have any other Insteon devices other than the thermostats.

Don't purchase a 994i. UDI has a generous upgrade offer. Contact them. I upgraded my a few years ago.

Comparing Ethernet to serial is not comparing apples to apples. Ethernet over Cat-n uses a fairly sophisticated signaling scheme. And is using multiple pairs. Serial RS-232 uses a very unsophisticated signaling scheme - simple mark/space. Above a certain voltage level is a 1. Below a certain voltage level is a 0. (There is some hysteresis.) The PLM has both RS-232 and TTL (5V) signal levels available, not sure which the ISY uses. Either way, RS-232 goes to pot when the signal edges get rounded enough to make bit recognition unreliable. RS-232 maximum length is speced at 50 feet for 19,200bps, OR a maximum measured capacitance of 2500pf. https://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-232_specs.html I believe UDI specifies 10 feet. And, even so, urges you to "keep it short". Have you considered an extension cord for the power? Or, buy a pair of RS-232-over CAT5 extenders. You'd use the same CAT5 cable. It would be a bit goofy, you'd need to rig an adapter from the CAT5 connectors on the ISY and PLM to the standard RS-232 D-sub connectors on the extender.

Assuming somebody picks up the football. Which I assume they will. iOS apps aren't as easily sideloaded as Androld. If you have a developer account, and somebody has posted a built app, you can install it. If you have a developer account, you can build it yourself and load it. Anyone with a developer account can build it and submit it as a new app. If Apple has any fraud-protection procedure at all (which I assume they do) it will raise a red flag, and they will check with Marcus, and then make him go through some red-tape to allow somebody else to release it on the App Store. It will require some small changes. Either remove the login, or change the endpoint for login. UDI could publish it, hint, hint. I am sure it will all work out. Apple doesn't reach into your iOS device and remove apps, unless there is some really serious issue. Everyone is good for now.

The server will be shutting down. The server is convenient for diagnosis, but it is not necessary. The app(s) (iOS/Android) may need to eventually be updated if future OS updates break it. The app should continue to work for the near future at least. App caveats: - I don't know if it might throw annoying error messages once the server shuts down. But there is a "log out" in the app settings that ought to prevent this. - Apple may well balk if they realize that the app has a server login feature that now no longer works. I don't know if Marcus intends to update the app one last time to remove the login feature. The server was just made open-source I see. It is written in nodeJS/Express/MongoDB/Redis, which are popular and easy to host. The app was already open-source. Anybody that wants can clone the repo and publish their own version and run a server if they so choose, as it is all open source. Apple will complain if somebody calls it "Locative".

I think I paid $180 for my Nest. Not sure if it was from Amazon Warehouse Deals or eBay. In any case, it was the latest model (this year), nothing wrong with it, I think it was just an unopened return. I signed up for an SDG&E (San Diego Gas and Electric) program where they will throttle it back on critical days, but then I can override it if I choose. I got a $50 debit card. I get another $25 debit card for every year I stay with the program. Slam dunk. I had a Venstar. I left it at my previous residence. I kept the Insteon plug-in interface. Anyone wants to buy it, message me. The Venstar was a PAIN to do home/away with ISY. I had to redundantly put the complete schedule in the Venstar itself and into an ISY program. The Nest has no communication with the ISY and I Don't Care. It Just Works. It does it's own home/away determination with the Nest app, and it is the best Home/Away that I have. I only wish I could use it for my ISY home/away, but the only way is with IFTTT and the IFTTT delay makes it impractical. OT, what ever happened with Honeywell vs. Nest? I had a MagicStat, back in the day - before Honeywell bought them. I coincidentally met the inventor (of MagicStat) back in Michigan. I was impressed, so I bought one - my little gesture of support. So little changed between MagicStat and Nest, over such a long time. The key concept behind MagicStat was you don't think about it. You just goosed it up or down as it suited your fancy, and it figured out what to do and when to keep your fingers off of the dial. It took 30 years for somebody else to finally get the idea that "don't think about it" is desirable. Nest adds IOT, presence, game-ification, and tweaks anticipatory action. Not sure about the lawsuit, I think it is/was a fine line. Did Nest violate the MagicStat patent? I dunno? I'd be more sympathetic if it were MagicStat, and not Honeywell. I'd rather have a 30 year old MagicStat than Venstar. If you like to fiddle, and think you know better, get a Venstar. This is pretty amusing: https://zoningsupply.com/blog/retro-thermostat-1982-electronics-guide-review-of-magic-stat I love my Nest. It's Back to the Future. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-10-11/entertainment/8503090437_1_thermostats-heat-home/2 OMG, you can still buy one. Or, somebody forgot to take their web site down: http://www.rexxindustrialparts.com/quad-six-magic-stat-ms2-programmable-thermosta2.html

If it can send using HTTP, then it can set send commands to ISY using the REST API. If it has an HTTP API, then the ISY can send commands to the VoxCommando. You will need to purchase the Network Module. (No Network Module needed for REST API - already included with base configuration.)

See also: http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/21620-google-home-now-supports-multiple-users/

You can set this up for even a single user. I just did it. The instructions are a bit confusing. Once you push the button to set it up, iOS (if using the iOS Home app) asks for permission to use the microphone. So, I go "ohoh" and go to the other room so as not to confuse it. Apparently, though, it listens both on your ios/Android device, as well as on Google Home. I guess it's either some additional microphone diversity, or a security measure. I had to go back to where Home could hear me to complete the setup. Waiting for Anderson or O'Reilly xxxxxxxx, or Harvey Levin to say "OK Google" and test...

I wonder if you can train it for only one person? If so.... thank you McDonalds! You did some good you didn't intend to. I'll give it a try. There's a good chance Anderson Cooper will inevitably say "OK, Google" in reporting on this. I'll see if I can get this set-up before the evening news...

Google Home seems to have gotten some elocution lessons. I'm not sure how successful they were. She's a bit sultry now, with a slight ironic twist. I would keep the knives away from the Home widget. I noticed it when she said "Thanks, but espresso gives me the jitters." this morning. (It's a routine we have...)

It is strange that you have a problem with this much load. I only have one place where I have a similar issue. In that case, the total load is probably no more than 30 watts. If I go to full brightness, it goes into a dim/brighten endless cycle, doh! You will have better luck I think if you use LED retrofits that have "color temperature changing" feature - like some Phillips. That is, they lower color temperature at low brightness. But, actually, they just have a few low color-temperature LEDs in the array that are "always on" at a constant brightness. So, it puts a floor on the load. How old are your Switchlincs? Newer Insteon products do a better job at low load than old ones. My problem lighting track is currently fed from a very old Lamplinc. But in my bathroom, I have a SL that works fine with a 16W load. It's actually not particularly new - not even dual-band.

Just call Smarthome and ask their advice. If they steer you the wrong way, they will cheerfully accept a return within 30 days, and usually will give a store credit for a reasonable period after that. Basically, they won't accept a return that they can't resell, because now the product is obsolete. The surest thing for this is to pick a device that has a physical relay output. Two terminals, the relay connects the terminals, and no internal connection to the AC. But there ARE DC SSRs. (Don't know if any Insteon products.) I/OLinc has a mechanical relay, rated at up to 5A at 30V. Is that enough for your lighting? Are you sure you don't want to dim the lights? You could purchase Insteon 0-10V ballast dimmers (on sale for $49.99 at SmartHome) along with 0-10V drivers. Is your lighting LED?

Sounds like a shorted control line. What brand and model of thermostat? What "programming"? Does the thermostat work correctly just on it's own, without the ISY doing anything with it? Kind of an out-there possibility, but are home HVAC thermostats (especially "smart" ones) designed to work with pool heaters? It may be too smart for it's britches, and get terribly confused by the radically different thermal characteristics of rooms full of air vs a pool full of water. And not to skip the obvious, but you have a thermocouple plugged into some thermostat that accepts an external input, not letting the thermostat measure the air temperature, right?

Idea: persist the user's page selection in the portal on the server, cookie, or localstorage (localstorage is probably best), so that when they log in again, they are in the same place. Optionally, persist navigation history as well. (window.history) This at least makes it less painful when they have been logged-out. Since many/most users probably use a password manager or let their browser save passwords, it seems to me the bulk of the burden is the re-navigation, not re-logging-in.

Ditto for Google Home, even though Google Home is generally reported to "hear" better than Alexa. It is a tough problem. Both need to get better at identifying and masking background sounds. It would be great to have some setup where you turn on other sound sources so that Alexa/Home can identify them. Ideally, Alexa or Google Assistant would be built-in to your receiver, with the sound output to the speakers also routed to Alexa/Assistant. Given the raw source material, it could be subtracted from the mic signal, after adjusting for delay, room response, etc. etc. It should at least then be able to recognize that it's Jeanne Moos talking, and not you.

Since we don't know what you wrote, it's hard for us to tell you how to make it better!

I also am having no difficulty with IFTTT talking to ISY via the ISY portal. (I just set up Google Home > IFTTT > Maker Channel > ISY > SimpleControl to control AV).

An update on SimpleHub... I finally got around to purchasing a SimpleHub license and installing SimpleHub. It is viable, but a bit disappointing. A few hints for anyone wanting to go this route to control AV equipment from ISY, IFTTT Maker Channel, etc. - Documentation for the REST API is hard to find. It's at: https://www.simplecontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/HTTPCommandInterface.pdf - It starts an HTTP server on port 47147, and HTTPS on port 47148. However, the HTTPS either uses a self-signed certificate or one signed by a CA not found in common bundles. I had to use curl --insecure option to connect to the HTTPS. - documentation implies some sort of reverse-proxy similar to ISY hub. It has no such thing. SimpleHub just attempts to open a port on your router using UPNP. Two problems with that: the IP address will change over time with most home Internet connections. And I don't consider it safe to enable UPNP. https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/118918/is-upnp-still-insecure - documentation doesn't bother to go into the practical necessity of using a dynamic DNS service. I have one and know how to use it. But the average user would not have a clue. Given the above, I think the best way to use SimpleHub if you need to command it from the outside world is through ISY Portal. So, for example to run, say, a Cable activity from IFTTT, you would use Maker Channel to run an ISY program. The ISY program would send the REST command using HTTP (not sure if ISY can connect to HTTPS in insecure mode?) then over the local network. An added advantage is that then you have a program you can use with ISY/Insteon/Zwave as well, which may or may not be useful. (Useful if you actually WANT a KPL button for watching cable, or watching Apple TV, etc. - I don't). Edit: I tested, it does work. If a bit painful to set-up. But not as painful as using IR commands! I've only set-up "watch cable tv", "watch apple tv", and "tv off". At least now I can use the TV Off program to shut off the TV when I fall asleep with it on! SimpleHub does have an Alexa service. So, if you are willing to go through the rigamarole of exposing the port, you can control directly from Alexa without going through Maker Channel -> ISY. To clarify, I have Google Home Assistant, not Alexa.

And, of course, you could also use KeyPadLincs, if you might have some use for extra buttons. You can just wire the fixture from the closest switch location, and save the micro dimmer for another project. Another useful (reversible) wiring change is to change switched outlets to always-on. Then use lamplinc dimmers, either in-wall or plug-in instead, and then you have the flexibility as to placement in the room. The best place to change it is in the switch box - just move the load wire to hot, and leave the outlet split-wired. To reverse, just replace conventional switch and move the load wire back from hot to the switch. Of course, if you use an in-wall lamplinc, then you'll just cap both ends of the load wire. (In the U.S. it is common to wire the bottom outlet of one duplex outlet in each room to a wall switch - typically with switch at entrance and outlet across the room.) Great thing about switchlincs is that now you not only have 4-way switching, but dimming at every switch location.

But he had me at "colours". Anywhere that spells it that way is likely to be on 220/230/240, unless they say "colours, eh?"

Mea culpa! But, actually, it's "strangely" rated for 100W. 100W at 140V. What country uses 140V lines?! OP is in Australia, and it's rated at 200W at 240V. Australia is nominally 230V so, close to 200W should be plenty for most lighting. I assume the real limit here is current, apx 0.7 A (= 98W at 140V). So for nominal US voltage of 120, 84W. OP never said what his purpose for the micro-module was. I always assume it is an issue of lack of wired switch. But I guess in this case it is because they want to use existing 4-way switches and wiring?