
builderb
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Everything posted by builderb
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Forgive me if I'm missing something here, but if you wired the 6-button as recommended, with the load wire capped, and the fixture always hot, why would they even be able to dim the fixture at the switch? Just set the scene controlled by the 6-button on/off buttons to an on level of 100% and a ramp rate of 1/2 second. This assumes you're ok with powering down the bulb, and having it come on at the default color and brightness. Otherwise, as suggested above, delete the scene wherein the 6-button controls the FanLinc light. Then use a network resource called by a program tied to the 6-button on/off switches to set the light color and brightness to the desired level. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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I stopped worrying about my outdoor motion sensors after the thread here where the guy's device that got knocked off his mailbox by the snowplow, and stayed buried for several days, still worked. I've got mine under the eaves, so sun and rain isn't a problem. Cold isn't really a problem. Occasionally it goes below freezing. Couple times a year maybe. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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I know I've mentioned this before in other posts here, but startssl.com offers free Class 1 SSL certs. No need to use self-signed certs if you don't want to. You will need a domain name though. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Another way to look at it: If you like MobiLinc, this is also a way to support good software developers. I could set up the port forwarding myself, and have for other parts of my automation system, but I figure the $30 each year helps someone keep writing good software. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Phillips Hue bulbs are awesome, if somewhat pricey, as accent lights. They are very easy to control from the ISY if you can follow the directions in the forums here. (Edit: Assuming you have the network module for your ISY!) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Nicely done Xathros. Pushing the use-case envelope. I don't reboot my gear much either, but in thinking this through a bit, if your internet service does go out (as opposed to a locked-up modem or router), won't this power cycle your gear every 30 minutes until it comes back? I mean, usually if I've lost Internet for any length of time, odds are the power is out too, but there have been times where it's just been a Comcast outage for a day. I guess I'd suggest adding some logic that power cycled things once or twice, then left them on until internet service returned, rather than running a bunch of on/off cycles a day during a worst-case scenario. Or maybe just try every couple hours after the initial try. Food for thought for anyone who tries this.
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I would even go so far as to say using scenes is preferable when switching multiple lights on or off because they will all respond simultaneously, versus a sequential shut down if you tell your program to shut them off one by one. Unless you're going for that sequential look, of course. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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I'm a total novice with those things myself, but I've gotten pretty far with The Google. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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My $0.02... There are much more reliable methods of presence detection than that. MobiLinc's geofences are easy to use, as is a button by the door. Some of us are using ibeacons, which requires some additional computing power (a $35 Raspberry Pi in my case). Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Http traffic is typically handled over port 80, and https over port 443. I'm curious how this relates to NTP as well. Edit: FYI, some ISPs block those ports so you don't run a home web server. There are ways around this, of course.
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Here's what I've noticed: The 6 button KPLs are much more intuitive for n00bs when it comes to on/off controls. I agree about using paddle switches for ease of use also. I do have an 8 button by the front door for the porch light, but that light is almost always controlled via motion sensor, so I don't have issues with trying to poke it. I also use an 8 button by the bed, but those aren't used by the general public. Otherwise I try to stick to the 6 button. I haven't tried the conversion to 4 button yet, but I could definitely see doing it. Labels on your wall plates may not seem like the best aesthetic, but if there are a lot of switches, or the location of the switch doesn't automatically tell you what it controls, labels are a huge help. I have even used temporary labeling as the family gets introduced to new switches. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Sounds like Google has plans in the DR market, too. I'm assuming it's not long before california gets voluntary residential DR programs in place, so I'm guessing Google wants in on that. If they can get subsidized Nests into houses through utility companies, there's a lot of money to be made (not to mention data to be gathered). As a pre-Google Nest owner, I've been watching with suspicion since Nest was bought up. It still does what I bought it for, and does that well. It was also a gateway drug into the HA world for me, so I can't be too sad about its lack of what seemed like promising interoperability at the time. My Nest plugin on Indigo is still chugging along though, so I haven't sold it off quite yet.
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And a $10 voltage detector is an excellent investment! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Is the propane furnace a millivolt system? My neighbor has one of those, and his choice of t'stat in general is very limited, not to mention smart t'stats. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Typically the motion sensor comes with jumper 5 in place, which puts control of the sensor in the hands of the ISY. If you put the sensor in linking mode, you can change settings through the admin console. I use on only through a scene, with programs to time the light shutoff. Otherwise you can allow the sensor to send an off command after a set amount of time. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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From what I've read here, you'll be able to pass device states to variables, and vice-versa when 5.x arrives. That's the necessary missing piece here. Supposedly shipping Q1 2015. If you have a computer you can use, you can run ISYLink right now though, and use that as the intermediary in passing the on level between the device and variable.
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If you're just looking for threshold notification, you could use the kit Smarthome sells that connects to an IOLink. Or you could get fancy with a 1-wire setup. There are several threads here on that topic, and more than one way to go about doing it.
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Might have to wait for the 5.x update, or use something like IOguy's ISYLink, but you could write something that would adjust the on level of the motion sensor to match what the controller sets the light to, then when you switch the light off it reverts to the 30% default.
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Yeah dimming seemed like a pretty tall order when I looked into it too. My thought was to use multiple layers of lights to increase light levels. Accent lights only would be the first layer on one (likely pretty small) xformer, and brighter general lighting available on a separate xformer. But this project hasn't moved beyond concept yet. That was just my thought after digging into landscape lighting controls
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Could you use a DIN relay on a UPS? That would avoid the insteon signal issue, but would mean your network switches would need battery power too. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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See, this is where I modify a scene with a program. The motion sensor on my front porch controls the porch light, via a KPL inside the front door. MS is set to send on only to the front porch motion scene. After 5 minutes, the ISY turns it off. But from an hour after dawn until 90 min before sunset, I have a program that adjusts the scene's on level to 0. Best of both worlds, the instant on of a scene, and the control of a program. FWIW, I also have a program that disables the motion off if the porch light is turned on at the switch, so if we leave the light on for someone, it stays on even if there's motion.
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There's always Wiremold. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Agreed about speed of reaction. It's faster if it's a scene. And as a fail safe, it's better to have scene info stored in the devices themselves. If I can do it with a scene, I do. If I cant, I try to use scenes modified by programs. If that still doesn't do it, I'll go with programming. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Do you happen to have a keypadlinc you could dedicate a button on to this? That way, if the storeroom light is on, so is the button on your keypad. Bonus, you can turn it on/off from there too. Otherwise it'll take a few programs to do this. Maybe something that runs every minute after 30 minutes and flashes a light until the storeroom light gets shut off. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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The above program would just shut the storeroom light off after x minutes. You're asking how to flash a light in your house on and off after x minutes until the storeroom light gets turned off, right? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk