Is there a way to disable a light switch? Ie, when the ELK is armed, I don't want the furnace room light to work (where the ELK box & ISY are stored). So if someone breaks in, they can't turn on the light. Ya ya ya, they probably have a flashlight, but I'm having fun with this stuff.

 

I created a program to turn the light off anytime it's turned on (when the ELK is armed), but it still allows the person to turn the light on for a brief second, then it shuts off.

 

I tried with a REST command (/rest/nodes//disable) but it just stops ISY from communicating with it, you can still click the button to turn on the light. Which makes sense because it's hardcoded right into the switch incase the ISY fails, so for now, looks like a program is the only 'kind of' work around?

Is this switch directly controlling the load? If so then it's not possible. Having a program shut it off immediately after turning on would be the only way.

 

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Ya I kind of figured that would of been the answer, with it being hardwired. I just wasn't sure if there was a software (REST) command.

 

The only way would be to install an AC relay hidden in there and send the ELK output to it. Oh well, the robbers will have a flashlight anyways. lol.

Or separate the switch from the load, and add one of the micro dimmer modules inside the light fitting. Then you could adjust the scene based on criteria like alarm state...

Get an Insteon remote control to mount beside the switch and an Insteon lightbulb. The remote control would have to send a command through your ISY where you could lock it out.

 

This could also be done with a MS and would probably work better. Put the mechanical switch back in and leave the light switch always on.

If the switch is a dimmer, you could use adjust scene to set the local on level to 0 and set a long ramp rate when the alarm is active. As long as the thief is not insteon aware and doesn't do a FastOn or a fade up that should work.

 

-Xathros