jtara92101

Oh, and congrats! Looking forward to it! I've set up a few simple on/off actions with IFTTT for now. When you are done with this, no doubt there will in the future be Cortana and Siri appliances to deal with... As I am an Apple household, neither Google HA or Alexa are optimum. But I've decided that each "home assistant" has an agenda, and I guess the Google one is less evil: Alexa - get you to buy stuff from Amazon Google Assistant - get you to use as many Google services as possible Cortana - assimilate into the Borg Siri - make her less lonely, because nobody uses Siri after the initial excitement (I think poor accuracy, and too many irrelevant, sometimes totally bizarre results). Oh, and get you to use as few Google services as possible I have to say I am still impressed by the accuracy and relevance, especially for local results.

Well, darn! I had assumed that I could use IFTTT to make the Home Assistant speak when timers time-out... But, no. It will be more complicated! I came across this for Raspberry Pi. As it's just Python, assume I could install this on my always-on Mac Mini or on my Asus Router (with AsusWRT-Merlin). https://community.home-assistant.io/t/speak-service/7292 Assume that is just chrome-casting to the Home Assistant, so there should be lots of options. BTW, do not turn off both RF and powerline communication! I found out the hard way... As I had no assistant for hard reset, I had to remove the OutletLinc and put it on my zip-cord setup to reset. (To hard reset, hold down top button while powering up until it makes a long beep, and wait for the long beep to finish.) There is a soft reset, which only resets links, but not options. One thing that bothers me a bit is that it's only 15A, and it's on a 20A circuit. It may be possible to overload the outlet. Looks like I sneak by: Espresso: 800W Sous Vide' 850 W Lamp 10W Total 1670W ~14A When I am using the sous vide' it normally loafs along at like 20W, but would draw 850W during initial heating of the water bath. This is not in my kitchen, unfortunately, it's along the back wall of my living room adjacent to kitchen.There's one circuit for LR and office outlets. (LR lighting is on separate circult at least.) It leaves me with 6A for AV, subwoofer, and office computer! Skating on thin ice if I am watching the morning news, while reading email, making espresso, and warming a Sous-Vide' bath. Fortunately, an unlikely combination.

I finally got around to my espresso project, and realized it would probably be a bad idea to install the micro on/off in the base of the espresso machine. I checked the specs on the wiring in the base, and was able to find the specs from the website of the Italian company that makes the wire. It has silicon insulation, and is rated to 180C (356F). Checked the spec on the micro on/off, and operating range goes only to 104F! I figured the environment in the espresso machine base will be too hostile for the micro on/off. Installing an on/off outlet instead. A bit awkward, as I will need to add a power strip in order to plug everything else into the other outlet. (Sous Vide', lamp, grinder.) I was using a pair of flat heavy-duty splitter dongles. (Well, hmmmm... I guess it wouldn't hurt to plug the grinder into the same outlet as the espresso machine.) Goal is two-fold - just thought of a second use! 1. Safety. When away, the ISY will insure the espresso machine is off. I had an "incident" in the past. Did not damage the machine, but scratched my head for a while realizing that there is a tiny thermal reset switch in the base. 2. Convenience. Now I can have Google Home Assistant announce when the machine is ready to use, and then remind me again if it's been on too long and finally shut it off. ("Your espresso machine is ready." ... "Did you forget to make espresso? ... Turning off espresso, it's been on too long!") If it stays on too long without use, it will be too hot, resulting in improper timing of the "pull" - it will come spurting out in seconds rather than the desirable 20-30 seconds. (Can be compensated with finer grind or harder tamping, but then I'd also have to wait longer...). And then finally shut it off if it's been on too long. I'm enabling the sense so that if I do leave with the espresso on too long, I only need to turn the switch on the machine off then back on to re-enable the switch.

Google Assistant has two kinds of actions. Both require a server that the developer supplies that Google can talk to. There are a variety of high-level and low-level APIs that developers can use. Conversational Actions: The developer must supply an invocation trigger, dialog, and fulfillment action. It is up to the developer to specify the words that will be used by the user, and the flow of dialog. (Because it can go beyond simple commands, and include a back-and-forth "conversation". An example of a service that would be well-suited to conversational actions would be a baseball trivia "bot". Direct Actions: The developer only deals with fulfillment. Google handles the entire conversational interaction. Google has defined a number of problem domains, which they refer to as "verticals". Examples are food ordering, home automation, reservations, etc. Google has defined the possible actions. So, for home automation, they've defined commands to turn things on and off, dim and brighten, etc. Direct actions are limited to what Google has defined. So, I can imagine that conversational actions would still be needed if a home automation product is capable of doing things that Google didn't think of. So, for example, if you wanted to use ISY to arm an Elk alarm, or tune a channel on an AV system, it could be awkward. There isn't (as of yet) a vertical for home security or AV control, and the terminology will be a bit off if you were to piggy-back it on Home Automation. Conversational actions give the developer more control, as the developer is in charge of the conversation. Direct actions are easier to implement, and have the advantage of using a common vocabulary. The user could control e.g. Hue or Insteon using the same vocabulary and syntax. This can be a good thing or a bad thing! It seems desirable for services that fit into the available verticals to support direct actions, because users will have expectations how services in a given vertical work. One might easily get the impression that direct actions are more difficult to implement, but I think it is the opposite. Direct actions have a sign-up and approval process I think mainly because they are new an still a bit experimental. Google is still learning (both Google PEOPLE and Google AI...) and I think developing specs as they go along, so there is a need to limit access at this point - I suppose mainly to industry leaders - like UDI!

1. Does it happen only when you press the KPL button, or also when you activate the scene from the ISY administrative console? 2. If only when you press the KPL button, did you forget to copy scene attributes to the button? (maybe there is some old scene programmed for the button?) 3. Disable all of your programs and see if it still happens. 4. Restore device

I just ordered two RadBeacons. One white for my home, one black for my car. Not interested in tracking myself from room-room, as my place isn't very big, and I don't carry my phone around the house with me. But useful if the ISY knows if I am home or if I am in my car! Actually, for car, i should think it possible to use an OBD2 dongle (I have a Kiwi3 installed in my Mini), a visor speaker-phone, or any other BLE device to detect presence. I know Automatic (OBD2 dongle) app does it. But I prefer the more-technical non-nonsense approach of the Kiwi3 to the "I'm your friend in the cloud, for everything BUT what OBD2 was meant for..." approach. (Anxiously awaiting the overdue Kiwi3 bespoke app. Currently using Dash Command, which has no presence feature.)

Looking forward to some Google Home support similar to current Alexa support. I've set up a few actions using IFTTT, but it is painful. Sure would be nice if IFTTT had a duplicate/clone option. How do they miss something this obvious? So, I have just set up some basic lights on/off for a couple of areas. I'm not planning on relying on voice instead of pushing switches. But handy in some cases if I am not near the switch. I'm planning on installing SimpleHub, (always-on MacOS app for SimpleControl AV remote) so that I can do some simple actions like "watch cable TV" or "watch Apple TV" and send commands to SimpleHub to start an AV activity and dim the lights. It's handy because it takes several steps to open SimpleHome on my iPad and then select an activity.

I concur with others. Get a purpose-made alert product. And, then, convince her to start carrying a smartphone. Or at least SOME sort of cell phone. I realize it will be like pulling teeth. Maybe one of the phones specifically designed for seniors, which I think will have an emergency alert button on it in any case. She will have to get over any stigma associated with carrying such a phone! I had a neighbor with dementia (realize not the same thing!) and her son and I tried and tried to get her to carry a phone. "Who would I call"? She has a home phone which suits her needs - she screens carefully and does check caller ID as - sadly - most of the calls she receives are from some sort of scam artist or another. So she only answers if it is her son, a neighbor, friend, etc. (It is a pain if somebody has to do some service on her home, etc...) I gave her my best shot, but I'm afraid it failed. She is a spunky 86-year-old, and once got into a physical altercation with her housekeeper when she came home and found her in the house, not remembering that she was there to meet the plumber! She also walks around the neighborhood sporting a Louis Vuitton handbag. I told her then when somebody tries to steal her Louis, that she would need to have a phone so that she can call the ambulance to take away the culprit after she bops him in the head with her purse! (Fortunately, she does not wander or lose her directions. She just forgets anything recent - and that can result in AWKWARD conversations!) You are going to have to top that to convince her! Just tell her that you want to make sure she is OK, and want to be able to reach her (and vice-versa) where ever she is. If she gets a smartphone, then (with her permission) you can enable GPS "friends" tracking so that you can always know where she is.

Please add +1 to the "successfully repaired" column! Was able to query entire system, no longer getting "blinky" on KPLs that are configured to run a program, etc. etc. (I was having those problems prior to the PLM dying completely.) I found the best way to remove is to use solder wick to first remove the bulk of the solder, then position the board so you can grab the cap with pliers and wiggle and pull as you heat the pads from the back. Easy does it, or you might pull a pad off the board. First one I tried to do it all with solder wick, and it was very time-consuming. If you get the cap pulled up enough, it would be helpful to clip the leads once you can get at them. I do not like/trust manual "solder suckers". Too many past incidences where they pulled the pad off of the board! If you have access to a professional desoldering station, that would be best, though. The manual spring-loaded solder suckers are too violent. Plus that hitting-yourself-in-the-chin thing.... The Hakko soldering station is an indulgence - they are the best! But you can get similar knock-offs for much less. Tips are expensive, as they not just a blob of machined metal, but contain both a matched heating element and temperature sensor. The controller maintains tip temperature very accurately! Have never needed an alternative or replacement tip, so not worried about tip cost. In any case, a temperature-controlled soldering station with sensor in the tip will help prevent damage to pads and through-holes. I could have sworn I had a can of flux remover. Couldn't find it - used Goof Off and Q-tips. Original soldering was sloppy, and they didn't remove flux. It was a mix of machine and hand soldering, or maybe they did the reflow work on surface mount components with a heat gun (they have tiny heat guns just for this). The through-hold soldering was obviously done by hand, and sloppily, but no horrible flaws, so did not "correct" any of the other joints. The fit of some of the capacitors is tight, but you can wiggle things around to get them to fit. There were no lead-spacing mismatches. Yes, my "workbench" is my kitchen counter, and, yes, that is a pizza peel. I have no idea where the plastic jaws for the PanaVise are - I was careful! I used the Kemet ESX106M400AH4AA 10uF/400V which is back in stock. I used UTT1C100MDD1TP as substitute for discontinued UTS10100MDD instead of USV that some others have used, as UTT is recommended replacement for UTS line. Some tips: - Use a magnifier headlamp if you have one, to help avoid solder bridges, accidentally wicking solder from adjacent pads, etc. - These are plated through-holes, always make sure to heat the wire and pad both and then apply solder to the pad. It will wick down into the plated hole. - Clean both sides of pads with solder wick after removal. Place down wick, soldering iron on top of wick. - Wet (with solder, silly!) and clean the tip OFTEN. ESPECIALLY when desoldering/using solder wick. - The "brillo pad" is the best for cleaning the tip! Please no wet sponges. Tomorrow I will attempt a LampLinc and an Access Point. I think I am lacking a zero-crossing cap recommended here, will need to make a trip to Fry's.

And do we know that the inductor value (filter with C7/C13) is the same from V1 to V2? Got the parts, BTW. The UPS guy didn't actually require signature, left it at my door.

My parts are to arrive today! (Just noticed, though, that Mouser ships "signature required". 8 bucks to ship, AND they want a signature on a small order...) classicmac, I see your parts list varies from the "canonical" parts list. Can you explain the differences? 1. You have two extra 10uF/16V. What capacitors do those replace? Or just spares? 2. I see you preserved the original values of C7/C13 (10uF) vs 100uF in the "canonical" replacement list. (2) Got me thinking. Can somebody explain the reason for the "upgrade" from 10uF to 100uF? I looked at the schematic, and see these are part of a pi filter on the (power? Or is this detected signal?) line to the riser board. What is the reason for the radical change of value for these caps? Assume not a typo, as I'd hope somebody would have noticed by now if so. Could not find any (useful) information on the LNK345GN. A handful of sites in Chinese that, when translated... suggest that it is some kind of IC. (Which I already knew!)

I'm a bit skeptical of some of the substitutions now. Some of those caps spec a lifetime of only 2000 hours. I did do a little research, and do realize that lifetimes are based on operation at limits - e.g. at max temperature and max voltage. And some of the substitutions have had the voltage spec bumped-up. Apparently, it is common that manufacturers really over-rate voltage ratings and then decrease lifetime. Maybe some more exotic capacitors, e.g. Polymer would be a better choice. I know a really good analog engineer I will ask him some questions! (But shouldn't Insteon have hired a really good analog engineer years ago?) I suppose offering a "high reliability" version would have a predictable backlash... In any case, the replacements suggested here go for about $5 total, in onesies. If really "exotic" capacitors might cost $15 in quantity, maybe they would have to increase the price to $100. But can't imagine that reliable replacements would cost $15.

Jimbo, Conversational Actions don't require any special permission. It's Direct Actions that have a sign-up for some future notification. Direct Actions don't seem to be "all that" in any case. They allow Google to handle all of the "conversation" for specific, very limited, problem domains (they call them "verticals".) That is, the developer doesn't have to list trigger phrases and responses and manage the conversation. The available actions seem limited. Can't seem to find it again, but I did come across a list of the available actions for Home Automation. Basically, you can turn something on or off, or increase or decrease a level. That's it. But it (presumably) make it easier to implement, as the developer doesn't have to program the conversation syntax. Just handle simple commands to "turn on", "turn off".

If you have the "Pro" version, you can defer device updates while you make your changes. Then, re-enable updates and walk away while they take place. File > Automatic Writes to Devices toggles it. The icon is green when enabled, gray when not. Really, making updates to any more than a very small system is very inconvenient otherwise, as you have to wait for every change to take effect before going on to the next. IMO, maybe it is time for this to no longer be a "PRO" feature. I think at one time it was thought this was mainly useful to installers. I think it gives the product a significant black eye from the viewpoint of users. Why make it so difficult to set up a system? "To encourage an upgrade to PRO" is a bad answer. This feature should be opened-up for all versions of the product.

The ESX106M400AH4AA is now in-stock at Mouser. The UTS1C100MDD shows as "obsolete" and none in stock. The UTS Nichicon line was discontinued, and recommended replacement is UTT Looks like equivalent is UTT1C100MDD1TP. Similar specs to UMW but higher ripple current 46ma vs 29ma, plus it's the recommended replacement. Both UTS and USV are rated 5000 hours. I'm going to try to fix my dead Access Point and a dead LampLinc2457D2 while I am at it. The LampLinc seems to have only one cap, 6.8uF/250V. I'm going to use the same 10uF/400V recommended for the PLM. The AP has 1000uF/25V and 470uF/50V. I bumped up the voltage rating to 35V and 63V in similar models.

My PLM (2513S, V1.B 1317) finally gave up the ghost. In retrospect, it has probably progressively failed over a period of time, as I'd been having difficulty communicating with devices and vice-versa for some time. A couple weeks ago, I noticed there was no green light on the PLM. Unplugged it, plugged it back in, and it lit. Now it's gone out again, and does not come back after re-plugging. I'm either going to order caps or go get them from Fry's. (Anybody successfully got all you needed from Fry's?) But I think it would be good to have a backup. I see the cheapest places right now seems to be Home Depot - $68.30 with California tax. Not in stock at store, but can have shipped for free or send to store for pickup. Anyone have experience buying Insteon products from Home Depot? If so, were they fresh versions? Is there a current writeup on PLM repair advice (website, PDF, Wiki, etc. etc.), without having to read back through the entire post?

Since I acquired a Google Home Assistant (second banana to Alexa, but it was free...) I'm thinking of adding SimpleControl Simple Hub. In the past, I didn't see any compelling need for this. IFTTT can talk to SimpleHub, and Google Home Assistant can talk to IFTTT... Of course, then, ISY can also talk to SimpleHub using rEST, and it would be more convenient than dealing more directly with IR hardware or IP-controlled AV products. It's similar in concept to Harmony Hub. That is, it's an always-on hub on your local network that works in concert with SimpleControl remotes running on your iOS devices. I like that it is NOT a cloud service. It comes in multiple forms: they offer a (overpriced, IMO, $199) hardware device. Or you can run it on an always-on Mac. Or an Apple TV. (But, unfortunately, the Apple TV has to keep the app open, so only viable, say, to repurpose an older-generation Apple TV...) The Mac option appeals to me, as I have an always-on Mac Mini. It's $49. So, why use SimpleHub, rather than just using rEST network requests directly from ISY? Because controlling AV equipment directly from ISY is painful at best, and impossible at worst. Sure, you can send IR control strings to a Global Cache' or other networked IR transmitter. And you can control SOME IP-connected AV equipment with simple rEST requests. But others, not so much, as they have bi-directional protocols and might involve authentication means that aren't supported by ISY. (Apple TV is a good example.) I've done some SIMPLE things with rEST from ISY, such as A/B speaker switching. With Simple Hub, you send "higher level" rEST requests, that deal with the activities (e.g. "cable", "apple TV", "bluray") you have defined, and mnemonic commands (rather than IR strings) to devices. That is e.g. "volume up" rather than some hex IR string. (OK, looks like not QUITE so simple, as you might need to first look-up a UUID associated with e.g. an activity.) If you use SimpleControl, you've already defined your activities, and are probably somewhat familiar with the device commands. (Assuming you've done some fiddling with custom buttons.) So, using Simple Hub then I think is a no-brainer, as it lets you leverage the setup you've already done, instead of having to go knee-deep in IR commands, and adding IR emitters to equipment that doesn't otherwise need it. (Since SimpleControl can control almost all popular AV equipment that is controlled by IP or serial.)

Assume you mean that your ISP assigned a new address to your router? In most cases, this has nothing to do with your ISY's address on your local network. Normally, you would have your router in NAT mode, and you would need to set up a port mapping from your router to the ISY. But maybe your ISP provides a block of IP public IP addresses (rare, today...) and you assigned your ISY to one IP in the block? (No NAT.) You didn't say whether you use the UDI portal. If so, you do not need a static address for your ISY. As far as the IP address of your router - most ISPs do not provide a static address, and the address may change from time to time. You can use a dynamic DNS service to assign your moving-target IP to an unchanging domain name. Most/many routers now support a number of dynamic DNS services directly. When the router's public address changes, the router will notify the dynamic DNS service of the change. If you fill in the blanks, we can probably help you figure out what went wrong. IMO, there is no good reason to assign static IP addresses directly on devices these days. If you need an unchanging address (on your local LAN), make a DNS reservation instead. It's more fool-proof.

That was then, this is now... "Buy" button for the starter dev kit gets a "404 not found". Maybe they can be found used on eBay. (I haven't tried contacting the company yet.) You can buy 10 of the 100 series for $239.90. Not a bad price - if you need 10! Actually, I had been looking at the price for the larger, 200 series, which seemed a bit high vs others I've come across. (10/$379.90). I don't know what the difference is, other than size. The 100 series is more attractive for home use. If you have some USB outlets, the 100 series would plug into one side unobtrusively. The 200 series would be a wart sticking out of the wall almost certain to get broken in half, especially if there are children in the household! I'd guess the 200 series antenna might be more effective.

It was more advice for users that want to install beacons for multiple uses, with or without ISY, for CEC or other purposes. At this point, it would seem prudent to get ones that cover as many standards as possible, until it becomes clear if there is "a winner". Plus, the Bleustation products are difficult to source in small quantity. They seem to be more interested in retail chains with 100s of stores than they are in homeowners. I am naively assuming that an iBeacon is an iBeacon is an iBeacon - at least for presence - and any one should work. That said, I realize you probably have to pick a specific piece of "supported" hardware for your CEC project. But if you pick one that is multi-protocol, it would be more consumer-friendly, as it would provide wider compatibility. And, there are almost certainly differences if there's any attempt to do ranging.

Thanks, Javi, I will explore the front aux connector. But I'd imagine it just has a mechanical switch that is activated when the plug is pressed in. I found out how to make a drink. You have to ask Tender. Still getting used to the idea of asking different services. For food recipes, though you don't ask through a service. I actually like that each service has a different voice, unlike Alexa. I don't like that they (at least Tender) will bug you until you dismiss them. Tender wanted to offer more cocktail recipes. (I used "thank you, Tender, goodbye!" There is a history list of all interactions and you can play back your voice. I guess this is in the interest of full transparency so that you know just what the device has recorded. I'd like to think that once you erase the list, it is truly erased. OMG I asked "Hey, Google, can I change your trigger word?" It gave me instructions for changing ALEXAs trigger word on Echo! Google needs to get themselves moved higher in the search results!

What if you are playing a record on your quad system at the time? And now you want to turn on the lights in the kitchen, because you want to make Jiffy Pop? So, you say "OK, Google! Turn on the kitchen lights! And, oh, what is the weather going to be like tomorrow?" Google answers, through your preamp (or some thingie in front of it) and you hear the weather recited on you quad system, and your Steely Dan record is automatically muted or attenuated for the duration of the answer. Once you hear the weather, the record is un-muted, and you return to your Big Black Cow. That - or the functional equivalent - is what i mean by "cut-through". A specific source (a home assistant appliance, in this case) can "cut through" whatever is now playing, without having to actually switch sources. Like an integrated navigation system in a car would override any other audio source for the duration of an announcement. So... it would be handy if home AV receivers would have an audio input (or inputs) that can "cut through" in the manner described above, as it would be very handy for "home assistant" type devices.

So, my neighbor gave me a Google Home device. His dad gave it to him for Christmas, but he's too paranoid to hook it up. Just unboxed and set-up, so no real experience yet. I have to say, am impressed with a few things: 1. It's actually un-tacky and even attractive, and fairly unobtrusive. 2. Amazing sound quality for a little box. Impressive bass and impressive stereo separation. 3. The voice mic is plenty sensitive and voice recognition seems very accurate. (Better than Siri on iOS, which drives me batty!) I have the device in my living room, and it can "hear" me "loud and clear" from my adjoining office. One thing that is immediately obvious, though - and this goes for all such devices - I would like to have the sound be routed to my home AV receiver. Only problem is, home AV receivers are going to have to catch-up now, though. While I could use a ChromeCast Audio device to connect, there is a feature lacking (I think - have to dig through my thick Denon manual...). They need to start adding a "cut-through" input that will override regardless of current source. Sure, I could perhaps set something up to switch sources back and forth, but that's just too clunky and not fast enough. (Maybe newer receivers have this? I have a several-years-old AVR3311). Of course, anything (in the future, I suppose) that will have ChromeCast Audio built-in would I presume have a cut-through feature. This is going to be "interesting", as I am an iOS/macOS household otherwise. There are some deficiencies. It doesn't know how to make an Old Fashioned. Fortunately, I have that committed to memory. It sure as heck isn't going to know how to make an Aviation. (It doesn't.) It does, however know how to make Osso Buco, and helpfully drops the written recipe in the Google Home app. It seems to have an anti-alcohol bias, which is something I would more expect of iOS.

It might make sense to use a beacon that supports the multiple competing standards: - iBeacon (Apple) - Eddystone (Google) - AltBeacon (Radius Networks) And in any case, it would make sense to support multiple standards, if at all practical. AltBeacon is fully open-source with no licensing needed to build hardware or deploy software that uses the standard. Whether it gains any traction is another matter. The Radius Networks hardware products support all 3, and many products support both iBeacon and Eddystone. Radius does have a compact USB dongle like the BleuStation 100 (as well as other form factors), at similar (I think a bit high) pricing. But you can buy them in onesies without a hassle. A quick search of Amazon finds a number of iBeacon/Eddystone USB dongles at lower prices. I'd imagine a search of Alibaba would find them even more significantly less expensive, at varying levels of quality.

The Bleustation's seem pricey, and currently only available in 10-packs? Anyone know what the different is between series 100 and 200, other than size? Their website isn't very helpful. OK, I found a Starter Kit with 3 beacons. No pricing, though. I gather they are going for the retail market. Doesn't seem to me a good match for home automation, at least with their current marketing.