aLf

Michel: Makes perfect sense, but unfortunately Insteon switches don't always make sense in what they do! They are supposed to "take on their last state". I've had many a KPL that was "ALL BUTTONS OFF" before the outage, then after 110 was restored any and many buttons are "ON" and their respective responders were "OFF". My fear is that the following happens: I leave KPL, button A, OFF. This signals the system and most importantly ISY that the house is "AWAY". The power goes back on and KPL button A goes on (due to the outage), then will ISY somehow know that it really should be "OFF" and make the status accordingly? If not, will ISY run my "HOME" schedule? You Quoted that ISY will query the schedule, I can see that, but I manually pushed KPL A off before I left. Does ISY know that?

So I drop sw1 & sw2 & Button a & Button a in a scene called "Main Hallway" I push any of the three and each shows the exact corresponding level?

How many scenes can one put into ISY?

So did I get this right? I'm assuming that this question is about linking and not programming. Do you need to link switches this way? I know this isn't Houselinc, but in HL you'd make sw1 a controller and sw2 a responder, and then turn around and do the same for the other direction, then set local ramps. I'm getting that in the case of ISY you need to make a scene for the two sw's, in the same case sw1 & sw2, throw them in a scene as both controllers? If you do that won't sw1 when pressed try and control a contoller? Who responds and how? I'd want sw2(non load) to run it's LED's up and down as a responder to sw1(load) press and vice versa.

We have MANY power outages (a big reason why I bought ISY). Insteon switches are not supposed to turn on after outages (if they were off at the time of the outage). But they do. I want ISY to watchdog this for me in my absence. I got to thinking about the KPL and how it may turn on or off as well after and outage. Does anyone have any brainstorms as to a script that I could use to stay one step ahead of that? My intent is to "vacation" a KPL button when I leave that will run one set of commands. But what if the power outage thing turns the KPL button on or off, will ISY now see an off and run an unwanted program?

Michel: Hi again! I will be able to take an exam on this shortly! Question... Here is my course of action, is it correct? 1) Contact you for details on getting 2.5 or 2.5 BETA. 2) Either by short crawl or best manualy insert all Devices. 3) Create all links between devices, i.e., master/slaves, KPL & SW 4) Re-create scenes, creating never before use of backlighting of KPL's 5) Create what if's, i.e., "If KPL A is on do this, Create schedules, i.e., at 1:00AM switch 1 off", etc. "If KPL A id off do this, Create schedules at 1:00AM set switch 1 on-20%", etc. 6) Set Lat-long to my exact location. 7) Never, ever use Houselinc again. Now that said, I select File->Restore Devices and ISY will overwite the entire links and scenes in my network (those previously set up with Houselinc)? The reason for my asking this is that almost all of my Insteon switches have shown wierd links in them from new, links to Insteon device ID's which do not exist in my home. SH has always said that switches are tested in the lab ( I interpreted that as "returned switches" were tested in the lab and then re-sent out to customers, therefore leaving an errant link to some switch back at SH (or previous owners system). This has continually shown up when crawling my system with Houselinc. If the aove is true, I assume that after File->Restore Devices, I will have a "high watermark" set as to my exact link files, etc. both in ISY and my system? Also, somewhere in the paperwork I read that ISY works best with a D-Link router, a poster, marksanctuary, reccomended a Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router (WRT54G). Does it matter? I will use e-mail and notification, eventually. Thank you. aLf

Michel: Thank you for the answers. I am anxious to get going on it. I will do the semi crawl method. I assume that after I get the devices, relink them and reset-up my scenes that the download from ISY to the system will be just like Houselinc does with the hour plus writing of code through the system? Your comments lead me to believe that after that everything my system knows now will be wiped out. That siad, I guess it will be best to write down the current scenes and their contents, i.e., ramp rates and preset levels for each member of a scene. I also assume that the (NEW) scenes that I replicate are then added to, say a KPL button? What inside scoop do you have on the Outletlinc that you talked about? I really would like to get my hands on some of them. Is there a Beta? Your service to customers is the BEST thing I've seen in any product. Regards, aLf

Hi Sub (Rand); I have not yet started the change-over. I will tackle it next week. I hope the crawl works, it will make life easier, maybe. Sometimes stuff like this is better from scratch. I'll let you know when I get done. The outletlinc will be a big seller I'm sure. I still have the X10 ones laying around, but I vowed no X10 with the Insteon. X10 was a such a nightmare for that house (northern WI) that I never want to deal with it again. One of my applications for that is a clock which has lighting in it which turns on at sunset. The lights are flourescent and the appliancelinc which luckily fits behind has failed several times and I'm starting to wonder if the flourescent starter is the culprit. Never had a problem with the old $8 X10 outlets. SH should get right on those as they would be 100% cleaner. Thanks, aLf PS. I Used to live on the corner of Wolf and Dundee, Corp. Pilot at PalWaukee.

Michel: Thanks. I have done an entire 40+ switch setup with Houselinc. Is the current links and scenses that setup currently seen by ISY when I crawl? Am I better off to just go back to factory settings and re-program it all? I had kinda thought maybe the current scenes and stuff would just transfer over. Also you mentioned an "outletlinc" I've got several places for them and had them wth my old X10 system. I didn't know they existed! I checked the SH website and can't find them. Do you know where they are? Thanks

Mark & Michel: Thanks for the question and answer session! The biggie was the fir st though. Is there any better documentation to get started? Like I said, I have read all the enclosed documentation, but still feel like I'm wandering through a minefield a little. I fly a 20MM corporate jet, so I know the tech knowledge will come as get my feet wet, just had hoped that someone might have made a step by step, (what to expect to see) as I implement ISY. If not, next week I'm diving in . Thanks.

I just recieved my ISY. Thank you. I have read both the regular manual and the advanced. My question is whether there has been a step by step, what to expect series of happening written on this forum to help a non-programmer type like myself in getting started and being sucessful in the setup? My guess is that it will be a simple process once I get going, but some helpful hints would be nice. A couple questions too... 1) I see that Lat-Long is custom, can you pinpoint ones exact Lat Long in ISY? I have the exact numbers. I'd rather not use a location 100 miles from home. 2) I don't have internet capability on location yet, can I upgrade firmware at another location first? 3) Can you configure this to look at a KPL button for status of what if(s)? i.e., Button A is on (I'm home) now run this schedule, Button A off (I'm not home, run another schedule? 4) Can you link KPL Buttons to show actual status of a switch? i.e., Insteon Switch XX1 is turned on manually, then ISY runs a program for it to turn off, in Houselinc the KPL button would stay on, I'm hoping that now with ISY the Button will also go off as ISY turns it off! Do KPL buttons that control just one switch normally, light up as that switch is involved and turn on during a scene? 5) What is the best wireless router (model and serial) to buy knowing I will be installing DSL along with this conversion? 6) Does the password protection stop my nosey neighbor from hitting ISY, and with that in mind does a WEP on the wireless affect ISY or is the WEP issue precluded because ISY is Ethernet wired? Let me know if there is any othe useful information that I can access before I get started with the conversion. Thanks

Can the 8 Button KPL from Smarthome be set the have a pseudo or stealth on or off set to have ISY recognize the state of that particular button? I.e., I'd like to program, say button "H" to show the state of my being home. When I'm home I'd push "H" on and ISY could run commands predicated on that "on" call. If ISY saw it "OFF" or away from home a different set of caommands would run. In the old SH managaer there was an "IF" criteria that said "IF" a certain switch was off, and the time was 12:00 and the day was Saturday..., then turn "certain switch" OFF. I'd substitute certain switch with KPL H, etc. Thanks ahead of time. aLf