Joe Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 I have the INSTEON MINI REMOTE CONTROL KEYPAD, 8-SCENE. This is a recent purchase and I got it all setup and working without a problem however after owning it just a few weeks (and after the rechargeable battery died) after recharging via USB I noticed that the power switch is busted. It just rattles back and forth in the case and has zero mechanical resistance when it is slid from off to on and from on to off. The little switch accessible from outside the device isn't actually actuating anything internal. This means I cannot turn the unit on. I am going to return it to smart home but before I do I thought I'd delete it from my ISY994i. The problem is, after selecting this device and choosing "delete" from from the right-click context menu in the UD Administrative Console, I am presented with a pop-up dialog that reads "Your RemoteLinc2 needs to be put into communications mode to complete this operation." (See attached screen capture.) Since the switch is busted I cannot turn this device on and therefore cannot put it into communications mode and therefore cannot delete it from my ISY - unless there's another way... Anyone know how I can delete this device from the ISY without being able to turn it on? What happens if I don't delete this device? Will it linger in my ISY forever?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Yes it will linger forever. I believe you can just click OK and I will make several attempts to comm with it and delete it anyway, but... If you connected to it you were able to activate the link button and should be able to again to unlink it. How did the power get turned off? It must have been on to begin with so there has to be a way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 How did the power get turned off? It must have been on to begin with so there has to be a way. Great question. I don't know how it got turned off. Actually, I guess I really don't know that the switch is "off". I do know that when I plug it in to USB, a red LED glows from within the unit but after charging it for several hours the little green/red that is supposed to flash when you press one of the "a" through "h" scene buttons does not flash. Also, when I press and hold the set button for an extended period (> 3 sec.) the green LED doesn't flash indicating that it is not in communications mode as one would expect after pressing and holding the set button for > 3 sec. Lack of response from the red/green LED in either of these scenarios has led me to conclude that the thing is off... ... there has to be a way. Update: You were right. There was a way... I just took the thing apart and found that the internal PCB mounted power switch is supposed to have a tab protruding from it that the external switch engages. For whatever reason this tab was broken off so the external switch wasn't able to actuate the PCB mounted switch. See attached photo from FCC database. While it was apart I was able to use a toothpick to push on the remnants of the tab on to PCB mounted switch to the other state. It turns out the thing was "off". After the change in state of the switch using the toothpick the thing turned on. Yipee! So, it was in fact "off" but I don't recall turning it off but must have at some point. Anyway, I was able to place the thing in "communications" mode and delete it from my ISY. Incidentally, I don't recommend taking these things apart as they don't go back together very cleanly. The four little tabs that protrude from the top cover and grab the bottom cover don't grab real well after having been pushed outward to release the bottom cover. I hope I haven't ruined my chances of getting a replacement device by taking it apart... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Glad you are having some success with your problem. Worst comes to worst at least the thing will work. I have two and I can't remeber using the power switch since setting them initially. OTOH: Alexa has taken over a lot of my manual input functions. I mean why would I get out of my lazy chair, or reach for a mini-remote on, the really far side of, my end table to operate something, when I can get a women with a nice soft voice, to do it for me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian H Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 There is a very good chance the device has been updated from the FCC Database photos. I have seen others like the older 2442-222 HUB and the original V1.0 2413S/U PLMs are different from the FCC Database ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stusviews Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 A device does not need to be "on" or even present to delete it from the ISY. If that were the case, you couldn't delete a defective device (e.g., one that died). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 A device does not need to be "on" or even present to delete it from the ISY. If that were the case, you couldn't delete a defective device (e.g., one that died). Good to know... I was thinking that requiring it to be in communications mode before deleting seemed an ill conceived protocol for the exact reasons you cited. I wonder why UD Administrative Console prompts the user to place the device in communications mode when "delete" is selected from the right-click context menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teken Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Good to know... I was thinking that requiring it to be in communications mode before deleting seemed an ill conceived protocol for the exact reasons you cited. I wonder why UD Administrative Console prompts the user to place the device in communications mode when "delete" is selected from the right-click context menu. To ensure any associated links to scenes, programs, are *Properly* removed from other Insteon devices . . . Failure to do so will leave *Half Links* in the system. Those who have HL2 software can readily see this end result . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 To ensure any associated links to scenes, programs, are *Properly* removed from other Insteon devices . . . Failure to do so will leave *Half Links* in the system. Those who have HL2 software can readily see this end result . . . I suppose then that it *is* necessary to for the device to be present and on (and in communications mode in my case) to [properly and fully] delete it from the ISY to "...ensure any associated links to scenes, programs, are *Properly* removed from other Insteon devices..." Interesting... just for future reference, what is the best course of action in the scenario where an insteon device is destroyed, lost, or otherwise rendered inoperable such that it cannot be present and turned on when one wishes to remove it from the ISY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teken Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 I suppose then that it *is* necessary to for the device to be present and on (and in communications mode in my case) to [properly and fully] delete it from the ISY to "...ensure any associated links to scenes, programs, are *Properly* removed from other Insteon devices..." Interesting... just for future reference, what is the best course of action in the scenario where an insteon device is destroyed, lost, or otherwise rendered inoperable such that it cannot be present and turned on when one wishes to remove it from the ISY? If half links are a concern which some often see as *Ghost* behavior the best course of action is to go through any devices in the tree and verify that defective item isn't present. If it is the arduous task of deleting those devices and adding them back in is the most common sense approach. Those who are still in doubt go the extra mile and delete the device - hard reset the hardware - then add it back into the system. Going that route will ensure no half links are present and the system is operating in the OEM state and will offer the best reliability while avoiding odd behavior. NOTE: The above steps are easy to do when there is a small Insteon network and limited amount of programs. But when the system exceeds 50 devices which are (scene) linked and there are hundreds of programs which are tied to variables, network resources this same task is extremely time consuming. Users need to weight out the benefit vs time ratio . . . Given this is in your home which is normally the most expensive possession a person has the effort is worth the piece of mind. As everyone who has lived long enough knows: Doubt Kills . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 If you are going to garbage or send the unit away a half link inside it is not a problem at all. ISY will forget when you delete it. In the SH Hubs this was a problem. ISY is smarter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stusviews Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 The ISY is a very Intelligent SYstem. Deleting a device, even if the device is missing, will delete all links. That includes both controller and responder (half) links. In fact, you can even remove a device and when you add the replacement and swap the now missing device for the new one, all links will still be intact (as long as you did not delete the removed device). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.