edokid

Yeah sorry after I sent that link I realized. I'm sure I saw somewhere though online someone using it as an actual combo lock, I think on Homeautomationguru.com I'll try to find.

Here you go! http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY-99i/ISY-26_INSTEON:KeypadLinc_Combination_Lock

Thanks everyone! Stu in your photo, the Fan is that the load there? So pressing the top large button once turns it on and again turns it off, with all the other buttons doing different things?

Hey everyone, I want to buy a Keypadlinc but debating on the 6 scene or 8 scene one. Same price but 8 obviously seems better but I do like that the 6 has those 2 large buttons which would be easier for Home/Away mode, plus I doubt I even have 8 scenes I could put on one. Just wanted to check though, with the 6 button one for example, are there limitations like those big ON OFF default buttons can only control the load vs anything else? Or can I shift them around so that the big top button is Away mode when lit, or Home mode when off, with one of the smaller buttons being the light/load etc? Same with the 8 button one, I thought I read the top left one is the load so not sure if that can change. Not a huge deal it's more the 6 scene one I wanted to find out if there's limitations. Thanks!!!

Yeah the problem is then you loose your good descriptive names in the admin console is all.

Thanks yeah I use aartech as well they are great and super fast, usually get the item the very next day. Their pricing is good, but Canada Computers has had the best pricing so far, only issue is each of their stores have like 2 Insteon items only so that's where I got most my stuff, going to each their stores and buying it there. Speaking of which though I just bought the Insteon wall plate adapter to let you use a Remotelinc on the wall and they are a piece of garbage! They are too wide so the remote just pushes right through and they use these tiny bubbles of plastic to hold it in place which don't reach far enough. The result is the same as if I had nothing there and just tried to hold a remote on the wall.

I know this is more of a MobiLinc question but figure people here would use it and don't want to sign up for another forum. Is there a way to rename devices in MobiLinc Pro for iPhone? On the MobiLinc forum a post from 2013 says go to the Device and press Edit in the top right, but I only have a refresh icon in the top right. Can only seem to rename them from the ISY which is less than ideal since I can no longer make them descriptive in the ISY and instead have to name them "Garage Door" etc. Thanks!

Thanks everyone that helps, I'll definitely avoid it since it would be different if they were like $5-10 or something but they are close enough in price to the Insteon switches to not make it worth it. I didn't realize the ISY needed an add on to do X10 as I saw it saying add X10 device on mine. It would be nice if there was a cheaper Switchlinc that didn't dim. Not sure why they are priced the same as the dimming one. My issue is all the lights I've installed one on don't dim, it basically stays 100% until I go to maybe 40% then it goes a little dimmer but flickers, until 5% then it goes really dim and flickers like crazy.

For a bunch of rooms in my home I don't really want any fancy or crazy controls like dimming, just the ability to use them to control the light for motion or remotely. On eBay it seems that X10 switches are a bit cheaper than Insteon ones even with shipping, usually $10-15 less, making them like $28 or so which is much better than $50. Are there any issues or limitations to look out for or will this still work? I'm thinking mostly in the areas where there won't be lots of programming, such as maybe a patio light where it's more just to control it on a timer or a motion light where motion turns it on or off. I just checked super fast and saw this one X10 PRO Decorator Wall Dimmer Switch XPD3-IW PRO Version of WS12A . There's others on there as well was just checking quick, a lot have high shipping to Canada. Thought I'd check to see or if it's better to just spend the extra money on the Insteon one. There's just many places I just want basic control, I don't need dimming etc, so wish there was a less expensive way for just basic control. Thanks!

Rats just woke up and realized even Insteon would be a pain in this bathroom since company would probably hit the switch before walking in, so not sure how useful having motion in there would be and hate to move the switch just for that. I guess I could just disable the switchlinc in the hall so that people are forced to walk into the bathroom or just not worry since 99% of the time it would be family going in there, so I just have to stop worrying about company lol.

Thanks Stu that's what I was thinking, but it's really no issue, was more just for those Lutron motion switches it wouldn't be possible, but I just put a Switchlinc there instead and then will use one of the motion sensors on the inside.

Yes definitely that makes sense for sure. I'm already thinking maybe I shouldn't have returned it lol, but Amazon does have next day shipping so I could potentially have it back in a day haha. Everything is working great right now.... until I went to put a Lutron motion sensor switch on my second floor bathroom and realized that the switch is outside of the bathroom in the hall, so impossible to use the sensing switch on it so would have to be Insteon! So will see, as the Lutron switches do work well but there's areas where Insteon would be better (also Insteon is silent, the Lutron's make a click when they come on). Like I said I don't think it was the cost of it all per say (even though I think it's still pushing it), it was more that it was $2k all at once. So instead of it being "Oh it's just $100 to have these outside lights come on at night, oh but wait, that's $2100 that I'm at now so damn", it's now more just "Oh it's just $100 to have these lights come on at night and brighten with motion then go dim again, giddy up!" I think my second issue is that I made the mistake of buying TONS of stuff and then wanting (or expecting?) it all to work together immediately. So I'd install the motion sensor and switch, try to make it work a few times in the ISY, have a couple problems so give up since I couldn't wait to install the Garage I/O Linc, only to have the same issue, like why does the off button not work, etc. So I was trying to everything all at once, few mins on one, few on the other, give up etc. Where as if I just work on ONE thing at a time it would be easier. I just find motion drives me nuts since you're standing there waiting 1-2 mins constantly to test it. The best is when you think you have it and then you walk in the room and they start flashing! Or the other day when I was sure it was good, and I'm in the shower and all the lights go off. Just stood there laughing for a good minute or two.

Thanks everyone that's a big help and I think that's definitely where the issue was coming from. I returned the ISY yesterday morning though, not because of the issues but because I don't really have a need for it at this time. Everything I'm wanting to do is mostly simple things that the hub can handle, like open the closet door and turn on the light. The motion sensors in the kitchen was more just doing it because I can, and because I bought an extra motion sensor, but I have no real value in that. What I did want was motion sensors in the bathrooms, but I bought those $19.99 Lutron switches and they are fantastic! Installed super easy and works insanely well, letting you pick 1 minute, 5, 15 or 30 minutes for timeout. When you walk into the bathroom the lights immediately come on, and then you can press the switch on the wall to turn them off which disables the motion for 10-15 seconds giving you time to leave the room. Obviously can't do schedules or advanced things but works for what I need, so planning on putting a bunch of these around the house. I wish Insteon stuff was more like $20 for each item vs $50 or so, since it's not really expensive expensive, but I find it's at that price point where it doesn't make as much sense to do something unless you really need it. Like with the Lutron, $20 and I can have a motion light in the hallway, but with Insteon it would be $40 or so for the sensor, then $50 for the Switchlinc, so $90 which isn't expensive at all, but it's more in the price range now where you should have a need for it vs nice to have. Even with the closet doors, at Home Depot they have for $22 you screw it into the light socket, then the light screws into it, and it includes a door sensor, so when you open the closet door the light comes on. Insteon obviously has the benefit that the system is connected, and from your iPhone etc you can see all devices. I just came to the realization that everything I'm trying to do doesn't really benefit from that, since being able to see if a closet door is closed, or control a closet light from my phone serves no purpose. I think where the Insteon stuff will be fantastic for me is with the ability to make it look like I'm home, so having the outside lights on, inside etc. I just kept finding myself always trying to find a use for my Insteon stuff, figuring out where to put it, then I'd install it somewhere and realize "wow I just paid $50 so that I can turn the garage light on and off remotely or from my phone, which I'd never do." I think the exciting thing though is that nothing is a waste now, all the stuff I have I do have a use for, and it's not like in the future I can't get the ISY if I have a need for it so I think that's the best part of all of this. I think what will also help is that once I have the ground work in place, it won't seem as expensive to add things like $90 here or there.

Larry how do you though differentiate the switch controlling the light manually versus the motion sensor doing it? I think my actual issue (I have a lot obviously ha) is that I'm honestly thinking of every remote insane scenario and then ruling out doing something one way. Like for example, it just hit me, why can't I set up the motion sensors the way I want, but then tell the family if you want to disable them for 3 hours you press down twice, and enable them again you press up twice. Like that's pretty straightforward. I think the issue is that I keep picturing certain people like a friend visiting, and how they wouldn't know to press down twice to keep the light off etc, but then it's like why am I worrying about if someone who comes to my house once a year will be comfortable disabling the motion! Worst case too I get a Keypadlinc for the Kitchen instead, with a huge button "DISABLE MOTION LIGHTS".

That's my problem, most of these things like doorbell when dryer stops could be sort of handy, but definitely wouldn't work for us. I doubt in 10 years we have ever emptied the dryer within 5 minutes of it going off! I think the Motion Sensor not sending the OFF command could be key to some things here. How do you handle though someone turning the light switch on or off manually? If the Switchlinc sent a different command for when the light is changed from it, vs the ISY or another controller, I think that would be an insane help. Since that way you'd just have your motion programs running as normal, but then a program saying if any command is received from the Switchlinc then disable the motion program for 1 hour. It's that which gets me going crazy since you have to always try to program it in since it doesn't know what caused it to go off. Unless I'm totally missing something big here lol.

See that's really the problem, simple programs I have no issue with, I can easily make the lights go on and turn off after a set time. The problem is as soon as you are standing in the kitchen or somewhere else, you realize there's like 50 possible scenarios for what might happen with these lights. So for example, I walk in they go on I want them to stay on 10 mins and they go off. That's fine, but then you realize someone is going to press the up switch on the wall and expect the lights to stay on, or they might make it 50%, so now you need to include all that criteria. Then you realize someone might want the light to stay off, so they would naturally just press down to off on the switch, which of course doesn't work as the motion sensor immediately turns the lights back on since you're still in the room. I don't see how you can program it that if the switch is pressed "off" to disable motion, since how does the system know that an Off command to the light from the switch should behave differently than an Off command sent to it from the motion sensor, they both just say Device changed to Off. Using Fast on or Fast off is useless, as company and guests etc would never know to do that. Then there's the further issue of if the light is already on, don't start the motion sensor timer to turn it off, but writing "If motion sensor control is ON, and Kitchen light is OFF, turn on the kitchen light" doesn't work, since it only would the first time, but any future motion does nothing since the light is no longer off and meeting that criteria. Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about the ISY or saying it's bad or anything like that, I absolutely get that it's powerful and that with proper programming it can do what I want. It's more for my situation I don't feel I need it, and for the things that I do need it for, it's all really complex where I can't spend days trying to program it. Standing there waiting for the lights to turn out to see if it worked takes a lot of time. If I was to sit down and write out everything that I'd want to be automated in my home, there's really nothing that needs the ISY all that badly: - Open a closet door and have the light inside turn on (Easy with the Hub, no time conditions etc) - Have the front door, back door, garage door, leak sensor all show status and notify me if they change, also easy from the Hub. I realize the ISY can do smarter programming like email me if the leak sensor battery dies etc, but that's really not that critical to me - Walk into the laundry room and the overhead light comes on for a minute then off, this works much better from the Hub, way faster trigger - Have my living room and media loft lamps come on and off on a daily timer - Maybe eventually control the house temperature etc, but I would get the Nest if any thermostat as the Insteon one is really ugly - I wanted door locks eventually as well but I can't really justify the cost it would be to accomplish that I realize the ISY can do all the above and do it well where the hub is more limited, but more criteria etc can also be done with HouseLinc if I need a little bit more control. I think my main issue of course is that I'm having some issues programming just the motion sensors, everything else is fine, but it's that the whole home automation thing sounds so cool and helpful, but when you start adding the cost to do something, I feel like it's not worth it. Like for example, you'll see examples on various websites or forums "With one button I can dim the basement lights, turn on the lamp, lower the projector screen, turn on the bluray player, and set it to all turn off at 2am" Like that sounds all fine and great, but I mean my house isn't small, it's about 2500 sq feet, but there's 2 lights for all my basement lights with a switch at the stairs, and beside the couch side by side, pressing power on my receiver turns on the receiver, speakers and TV, and I mean that's really it. To have one button do all that, it's like $80 for Keypadlinc, they were showing 2 I/O lincs, one to raise the screen one to lower it, so that's like $160, switchlinc to control the second light so $50, one of those $50 devices to control turning the TV on or off, then I guess another one for the receiver at $50. That's $340 right there JUST because I'm too lazy to walk to the receiver, press power, go back to the couch and press off/off on the lights as I sit down. I mean extreme example, might not have a projector or things like that but my point is now that I have all this, I'm just realizing how expensive it is to do the same things I can do for less, like $50 switchlinc, $40 motion sensor just to turn the lights on when I walk in the laundry room and off a few minutes later, which as mentioned I could accomplish for $19 using the Lutron sensing switch. Don't get me wrong I see the value here, not trying to bash any products I'm just saying for me I keep feeling like I'm purposely trying to find uses for Insteon stuff, vs it actually solving a need for me. Perhaps if I had a huge house, where we had LOTS of lights in the living room then scenes would be cool etc, but nothing ever changes here, kitchen light is on and living room lamp. I always think of my friends place in Miami where I got really into wanting to do automatiion as he has all Crestron stuff and house is insane massive. It's like the ideal home for it, huge pool with different lights, where he'd press pool scene and the patio lights would all change and so on. Every time I think of a scene, or Insteon device to use, I'm always basically like "It's still easier to just turn the switch on". Even having lights in the closet come on when I open the door, I mean the light switch is RIGHT beside the door handle, like turning it on as you open the door with Insteon saves you maybe a whole 1 second

Sorry didn't see that. Well for example I knew that changing the sensor to On mode or Occupancy mode might help, so I set it that way and saved it. However any time motion would be detected after that it would just flash a red LED over and over for 5 seconds. Once it started working, when the system would turn the lights off after the time out, the LED would just flash rapidly for 5-10 seconds in which time no motion would be detected, hence having to wait in the other room and then walk in and it would come in. So not sure why I keep having so much trouble with these. I'm going to keep it a bit longer but it's more I just don't think I have an actual need for it immediately. All of this stuff really adds up, and I've bought a ton of switches and so on and I'm pretty much trying to find uses for them just to use them vs actually having a need on anything. The motion sensors turning lights on in the bathroom really is more of a "this will be kind of cool and futuristic" vs there being any real benefit to having it. For everything else, like lamps and so on they are all just timers, or sensors, like being able to see that my garage door is closed and notified if the front door opens if I'm away etc. I think my biggest problem is that my family is all also very random, so while it sounds like a nice idea to open the garage door from my car, and have that turn on the outside lights, unlock the back door, turn on the kitchen light etc, the reality is that I'd never actually ever need or use that. If I lived alone it might be fine, but instead every idea I get requires 10 "If" and other programs to make up for all the possible scenarios for what might happen. For me I really think the benefit and value here is in being able to have the sensors notify me if anything is odd while I'm on vacation or away from the house, and to have timers and the ability to control lights remotely should I want to make it look like someone is home. The other area I think would be handy is with things like opening the closet door and having the light inside come on, those types of things. I think motion events are just too complicated right now with too many possible outcomes and options, so I just don't really see the need for the ISY. I think I'm also a bit biased now too because I used HomeSeer for a couple weeks before the ISY and I found it super easy to use and straightforward with no issues and so I'm always comparing it to that. The main thing is that I get a full refund on the ISY, so I just figure I'm already at like $2000 in gear I've bought, I think I should return the ISY and PLM for now since I really have no need yet.

Thanks for the help. All my lights are LED, we don't have anything that isn't as we replaced them all last year. I have a mix, some are Philips others are different brands some Ikea, most buzz to a different degree. I think I'm going to actually try the Lutron sensing switches as they have 5/5 review on Home Depot and the motion is right in the switch and apparently is really accurate. They are only $19.99 as well so makes more sense anyway compared to the cost of the Switchlinc and motion sensor, and the plus is that I don't have a motion sensor on the ceiling making my house look like an office. Will see how it goes, as again everything else the Hub does perfectly for me, it's just these motion sensors giving me issues. I think the problem with them also is when you make a change it seems like they take 10+ mins for it to fully register, so it makes troubleshooting hard as it seems like it's not working. Where as sometimes it won't work at all after a change, but leave it alone for a bit come back 10 mins later and then it has registered the change.

Is it normal though that the motion sensor triggering lights to come on is slower when using the ISY vs the Hub? I just set up the Hub again as a test and literally as my foot enters the door the lights come on, but with the ISY I walk in and it's a solid second maybe 2 and then they come on. All my issues are with the motion sensor, it drives me crazy because I'll get it working perfectly fine, but then it will start doing something completely random, like if you walk into the room within 10 seconds of the lights being automatically turned off, they won't come on. You have to wait out the door for a second then go back in and then it works. Stupid stuff like that, even though I'm following programs online exactly. It does the same thing with the Hub sometimes just goes all weird. I'm most likely going to just return the ISY because the motion sensors are the only things that I have where I have any use for the ISY, everything else is just scenes or status like Leak sensor, door sensor turning lights on like a closet light etc. The ISY I only need for common areas where I wanted motion sensors, since I wanted different things at different times of the day, but there's just too many variables and conditions that could happen that I can't program it all, and then I start thinking that there's really zero point to a motion sensor turning a light on, like the light switch is RIGHT there. It's nice in my laundry room since it had a pull chain light, but in the bathroom and so on it's just easier to hit the switch myself. Every room I program I'll get it working but then later that day I'll turn the light off since I want it off, and the motion turns it back on. So I realize oh yeah, I need a way to now disable the motion. Then I start thinking of other people in the house and how they aren't going to remember to do a fast off vs off, or I'll think of my parents visiting and how I don't want to always have to say "make sure to press up twice on the light switch so the motion sensor doesn't turn the lights off if you're in there longer than an hour" etc. That coupled with the fact that the switchlinc dimmers buzz so bad and in my bathroom especially they don't dim the lights at all, same with my lamps connected to a LampLinc that have Philips Hue, you can't dim them even though they are dimmable bulbs, you have to use the Hue app to dim them. In my kitchen the 3 lights all buzz, and when you dim under 20%, one of the bulbs turns right off, the other 2 stay on but flicker.

It would be nice if the ISY guided you through tasks or helped with certain things, like you say you want to make a new event or whatever, pick what belongs into it like motion sensor and light, and then it kind of figures out, okay are you wanting to control the light by motion? And then just give all the options, like when should this happen? How bright? If the light is already on should the motion turn it off? What do you want to press to disable the motion? Etc, something like that would be handy. I do see the value in it though in that because it's an empty canvas the sky is really the limit. I think I just find it feels more limited compared to HomeSeer which I was trying out for a couple weeks which seems a bit easier to program for since they have more built in conditions like "If a device change from this status to that status then do this" or "If an email is received containing these words, launch this or that Windows application" and so on.

Great thanks so much oberkc, I'm going to try that tomorrow. Been reading all night about this more so starting to understand things better now in terms of how they work. One of the big problems I kept having was with the one program that stops the timer and turns off the light. Instead of just having it then or else, I'd put a condition in, like motion sensor off turn off the light, so the lights would flash on and off over and over.

I think I might actually have this figured out, not home so can't test but I've been reading http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY-99i/ISY-26_INSTEON:Using_Motion_Sensors_in_Bathrooms but I find it so confusing because it's not clear when they are starting a new program vs just adding on to a previous one. I think I just figured out that the final program basically starts at "Program 5" on the example and it's starting to click now.

Thanks, that I don't really have an issue with. It's more how do people handle the actual real world use of it all? Like I mean, I walk in the kitchen in the above at 4pm, the lights come on. I don't want them on now, so I turn them off, but they immediately come right back on since the motion triggers it again. Would I write another program that if the Switchlinc goes to OFF to then disable the motion program for a set period of time? But wouldn't that program then also disable the motion every time the motion turns off as well? Same with if the lights come on but I want them to stay on, how do I handle that, if I want to press ON on the Switchlinc again and have the motion not turn them off. That's where I keep getting confused, in that I find it very easy to program the ISY, it's when you actually start living in the scenes that you see all the issues, like people manually controlling the lights, or not wanting the motion to trigger anymore and so on.

I'm having big issues with my motion sensor to the point I'm about ready to return the ISY and just live with the Hub's limitations since I'm not that great with this! I've seen lots of examples online but none ever seem to properly work for me. I just get lost with variables or when to use them vs multiple programs and so on. I have 2 devices "KitchenMotionSensor", and "KitchenLight" to keep it easy. All I'm unsuccessfully trying to accomplish is: - If the time is between 3pm and 10pm, and the kitchen light is fully OFF, and motion is detected, then turn the kitchen light on to 100% and turn it off after 10 minutes. If motion is detected at any time, then reset the 10 minutes. - If the time is between 10pm and 5am, and the kitchen light is fully OFF, and motion is detected, then turn the kitchen light on to 9% and turn it off after 10 minutes. If motion is detected at any time, then reset the 10 minutes. - If at ANY time the kitchen light is turned ON using the Switchlinc wall switch (so night time motion turns it on to 9% and someone presses up on the switch to make it ON, or they press up to 50% etc, or between 3-10 if the motion has turned the light on, but someone presses up on the switch basically doing nothing or changes it to any other dimness level), then cancel the motion actions and permanently leave the light on until someone physically turns it off. So basically what I'm trying to accomplish is between 8am and 3, motion does nothing, can turn the lights on or off, dim etc with the switch. If the time changes from 2:59 to 3 and the lights are on at any brightness level, then ignore all motion unless the lights are off or turn off at some point. If they are off and motion is detected, turn them on to 100% for 10 minutes and then off again. If however I press up on the wall switch to ON again, set it to any brightness level etc, then ignore all future motion. If the time changes from 9:59 to 10 and the lights are on at any brightness level, similarly ignore any future motion until the lights are manually turned off, or if they are already off and the time is 10pm to 5am, motion sets it to 9-10% brightness for 10 minutes then off. If I press up on the switch to ON, change brightness etc, then disable all future motion until they are turned off manually. Sorry I explained that basically twice, tried to write it more basic first and then more in just every day wording. Thought I'd post here to see if there's any tips on how to tackle this before I return the ISY. Would like to give it a proper chance, I just feel it might be overkill for me as most things I want to do have multiple conditions like this, and I haven't been able to make it work so I figure it's too hard for me to do! Thanks!

No problem! I don't think I really have a huge use for having it other than just being kind of cool. Like I said I mostly just use it to see the outside temperature since it's a bit more accurate than checking online.