New System help and suggestions.

[integraoligist]

Hey all, 

1. I was researching the "best smart home dimmers of 2017" and Insteon was placed last on the list because of the app software it uses. But per my previous post learning about the HUBs... everyone here uses the ISY944 and it's app, so I dont see how their take on it being in last place is relevant as the standard Insteon app may be crap but the ISY (from what I read on here) is great. Plus Insteon is the only dimmers I've seen that have Text written right on each button. What are your thoughts on this?

2.
I've come up with the following shopping list. My question is, is there anything you would change and why?

HUB: ISY944i ZW/IR Pro
ITEM #:12241

Smoke/CO alarm: FIRST ALERT SCO501CN-3ST
ITEM #: 7983
Only need 2 of these as it's a small home.

Thermostat: I'm still up in the air for this one, we're switching from a standard AC/Furnace to a Heat Pump next year so I'm not sure which to get. Thoughts?

Siren: INSTEON SIREN
ITEM #: 2868-222
As this is plugs in to an outlet, I'm not a big fan of it, I'd prefer this in the ceiling in the middle of the home, maybe one outside? As i'm wanting to use this as an intrusion siren only when paired with the door/window sensors.

Door/Window Sensors: Insteon
ITEM #: 2843-222 
Are there others that are better for the ISY?

Motion Sensors: INSTEON MOTION SENSOR II
ITEM #: 2844-222
I want these to turn on at night after hitting a "sleep" theme button, and if triggered turn lights on and sound a siren.

Water Leak Sensor: What is the best unit to get?

Garage Door: open/close/notify of position
Already have an older LiftMaster unit, is 74551 the best way to go?

Cabinet Lighting: INSTEON REMOTE CONTROL PLUG-IN ON/OFF MODULE
ITEM #: 2635-222 
I'll be installing cabinet lights without a switch... I just want them to turn on/off with a particular scene (not dimmable), and from looking at the options, is the 2635-222 the best way to go?

6-button Dimmers: Insteon
ITEM #: 2334-232
Used for scenes when walking in a room.

Regular Dimmer: Insteon 
ITEM #: 2477D 
Used for a single light or scene like a closet light

Regular Switch: Insteon 
ITEM #: 2477S
Used for bathroom exhaust fans

3. Other then having the keys made from Insteon for each 6-button dimmer... does anyone make their own keys? I've seen some people scratch off the paint so the button is clear then apply a Label Maker sticker. I'm not a fan of this... however, I would really like to have the 1-button stand alone Dimmers and On/Off switches labeled just like the 6 and 8 button units. So a 1 button on/off 2477S would have the text "FAN" on it and so on. Is this possible? What have you guys done?

4. I have Outdoor lights that are wired to a hot line thats outside of the home, they are on the electrical pole just below our Electric Meter. Right now there is just a simple Dusk/Dawn sensor turning them on/off, I want to remove that and wire a dimmer to this, but dimmer would be at the Pole. So the closest dimmer inside the home would be about 40 ft. from the Pole through a exterior Brick wall. Now will the wireless part of a 2477D make it? Or will the Powerline still work even though this is past the homes electrical panel but is actually still on the same system, the dimmer is just between the homes electrical panel and the electrical meter instead of after the electrical panel with all of the other devices?

5. In addition to the outside lights power at the pole, we also have a gate, we will be adding a electric gate opener to, I think they are basically the same operation as a garage door opener? But again, the power would be ran from the electrical pole outside. Would the 74551 be what I would need to use for this? As I'd like to be able to open/close it from a Scene button inside the home.

Thanks again all for the help!

[marcin]

RE 3 - you can take a look at this post <Click Here>

[Teken]

Hey all, 

 

1. I was researching the "best smart home dimmers of 2017" and Insteon was placed last on the list because of the app software it uses. But per my previous post learning about the HUBs... everyone here uses the ISY944 and it's app, so I dont see how their take on it being in last place is relevant as the standard Insteon app may be crap but the ISY (from what I read on here) is great. Plus Insteon is the only dimmers I've seen that have Text written right on each button. What are your thoughts on this?

 

2.

I've come up with the following shopping list. My question is, is there anything you would change and why?

 

HUB: ISY944i ZW/IR Pro

ITEM #:12241

 

Smoke/CO alarm: FIRST ALERT SCO501CN-3ST

ITEM #: 7983

Only need 2 of these as it's a small home.

 

A: You will need the Insteon Smoke Bridge: https://www.smarthome.com/insteon-2982-222-smoke-bridge.html

 

Thermostat: I'm still up in the air for this one, we're switching from a standard AC/Furnace to a Heat Pump next year so I'm not sure which to get. Thoughts?

 

A: Since you're buying the Z-Wave enabled controller the world is your oyster so you can buy what ever unit meets your needs from Insteon / Z-Wave enabled.

Siren: INSTEON SIREN

ITEM #: 2868-222

As this is plugs in to an outlet, I'm not a big fan of it, I'd prefer this in the ceiling in the middle of the home, maybe one outside? As i'm wanting to use this as an intrusion siren only when paired with the door/window sensors.

 

A: If safety and security of your family and home is paramount. Invest the proper finances for a monitored wired security alarm system. All of these home automation devices will not offer you the required protection and long term reliability. Insteon and others are however a good way to integrate with an existing alarm system which offers a layered approach and HA conveniences.  

 

Door/Window Sensors: Insteon

ITEM #: 2843-222 

Are there others that are better for the ISY?

 

Motion Sensors: INSTEON MOTION SENSOR II

ITEM #: 2844-222

I want these to turn on at night after hitting a "sleep" theme button, and if triggered turn lights on and sound a siren.

 

A: This sensor is still not fully supported in firmware 5.XX.

 

Water Leak Sensor: What is the best unit to get?

 

A: This would be the Insteon option: https://www.smarthome.com/insteon-2852-222-water-leak-sensor.html

 

Garage Door: open/close/notify of position

Already have an older LiftMaster unit, is 74551 the best way to go?

 

A: This would be the Insteon option: https://www.smarthome.com/insteon-74551-garage-door-control-status-kit.html Due to the possible ALL ON / ALL OFF bug this is the equivalent Z-Wave option: http://www.fortrezz.com/shop/mimo-lite 

 

Cabinet Lighting: INSTEON REMOTE CONTROL PLUG-IN ON/OFF MODULE

ITEM #: 2635-222 

I'll be installing cabinet lights without a switch... I just want them to turn on/off with a particular scene (not dimmable), and from looking at the options, is the 2635-222 the best way to go?

 

6-button Dimmers: Insteon

ITEM #: 2334-232

Used for scenes when walking in a room.

 

Regular Dimmer: Insteon 

ITEM #: 2477D 

Used for a single light or scene like a closet light

 

Regular Switch: Insteon 

ITEM #: 2477S

Used for bathroom exhaust fans

 

3. Other then having the keys made from Insteon for each 6-button dimmer... does anyone make their own keys? I've seen some people scratch off the paint so the button is clear then apply a Label Maker sticker. I'm not a fan of this... however, I would really like to have the 1-button stand alone Dimmers and On/Off switches labeled just like the 6 and 8 button units. So a 1 button on/off 2477S would have the text "FAN" on it and so on. Is this possible? What have you guys done?

 

4. I have Outdoor lights that are wired to a hot line thats outside of the home, they are on the electrical pole just below our Electric Meter. Right now there is just a simple Dusk/Dawn sensor turning them on/off, I want to remove that and wire a dimmer to this, but dimmer would be at the Pole. So the closest dimmer inside the home would be about 40 ft. from the Pole through a exterior Brick wall. Now will the wireless part of a 2477D make it? Or will the Powerline still work even though this is past the homes electrical panel but is actually still on the same system, the dimmer is just between the homes electrical panel and the electrical meter instead of after the electrical panel with all of the other devices?

 

5. In addition to the outside lights power at the pole, we also have a gate, we will be adding a electric gate opener to, I think they are basically the same operation as a garage door opener? But again, the power would be ran from the electrical pole outside. Would the 74551 be what I would need to use for this? As I'd like to be able to open/close it from a Scene button inside the home.

 

Thanks again all for the help!

 

In line comments . . .

[lilyoyo1]

You have responses to your post on the smarthome forum as well

[Goose66]

Comparing ISY 994i with the Insteon Mobile App is comparing apples and oranges. The ISY 994i is more comparable to the Insteon Hub. The Insteon Hub plugs directly into the wall and provides an interface between the Insteon Mobile App from any location and Insteon devices in your home. The ISY 994i requires an Insteon PLM and a subscription to the ISY Portal to do the same thing, plus that doesn't include the app. You have a couple of choices for mobile applications (MobiLinc, eKeypad, Agave) and they each have associated costs. There is an administration module that comes with the ISY 994i, but it is more functional than pretty, must run on a PC or Mac with the JRE installed, and is more for configuration than control use (It would get very low WAF scores for a comtrol app).

 

What you get from the ISY 994i is the ability to integrate many other, non-standard devices and ecosystems into you home automation system through ZWave and Zigbee modules, electricity monitoring, a basic programming capability, network resources, node servers in the beta 5.0.X firmware, and the like. But setting this up and maintaining it requires a hobbyist/technologist/programmer skill set and may not be right for everyone.

 

The Insteon Hub is more plug-n-play, allows control and integration of Insteon dimmers, switches, outlets, thermostats, cameras, and the like, and comes with builtin mobile app and Internet portal capability. It has some integration capability with a few brands, like Amazon Alexa, FirstAlert, Sonos, etc., but is otherwise closed and doesn't allow custom integration (it may support IFTTT, though). It supports more of the latest Insteon devices, like the Motion Sensor II, for example, and it has better troubleshooting tools for your Insteon network.

[Teken]

Comparing ISY 994i with the Insteon Mobile App is comparing apples and oranges. The ISY 994i is more comparable to the Insteon Hub. The Insteon Hub plugs directly into the wall and provides an interface between the Insteon Mobile App from any location and Insteon devices in your home. The ISY 994i requires an Insteon PLM and a subscription to the ISY Portal to do the same thing, plus that doesn't include the app. You have a couple of choices for mobile applications (MobiLinc, eKeypad, Agave) and they each have associated costs. There is an administration module that comes with the ISY 994i, but it is more functional than pretty, must run on a PC or Mac with the JRE installed, and is more for configuration than control use (It would get very low WAF scores for a comtrol app).

 

What you get from the ISY 994i is the ability to integrate many other, non-standard devices and ecosystems into you home automation system through ZWave and Zigbee modules, electricity monitoring, a basic programming capability, network resources, node servers in the beta 5.0.X firmware, and the like. But setting this up and maintaining it requires a hobbyist/technologist/programmer skill set and may not be right for everyone.

 

The Insteon Hub is more plug-n-play, allows control and integration of Insteon dimmers, switches, outlets, thermostats, cameras, and the like, and comes with builtin mobile app and Internet portal capability. It has some integration capability with a few brands, like Amazon Alexa, FirstAlert, Sonos, etc., but is otherwise closed and doesn't allow custom integration (it may support IFTTT, though). It supports more of the latest Insteon devices, like the Motion Sensor II, for example, and it has better troubleshooting tools for your Insteon network.

 

Information Only: The Hub II supports Stringify vs IFTTT. The Hub II also requires 100% Internet connection and is reliant on the cloud. The ISY Series Controller is not but allows the ability to integrate and connect to many cloud portal services / hardware. The ISY Series Controller only supports one plugin module either Z-Wave vs ZigBee.

 

ZigBee is dedicated only to the energy monitoring / energy management of the system via POCO or third party energy monitors from Brultech.

[Goose66]

Information Only: The Hub II supports Stringify vs IFTTT. The Hub II also requires 100% Internet connection and is reliant on the cloud. The ISY Series Controller is not but allows the ability to integrate and connect to many cloud portal services / hardware. The ISY Series Controller only supports one plugin module either Z-Wave vs ZigBee.

 

ZigBee is dedicated only to the energy monitoring / energy management of the system via POCO or third party energy monitors from Brultech.

Thanks for clarifying. For me, the deciding factor for the ISY over Insteon Hub, HomeKit, SmartThings, and several others is the fact that it can operate independent of an Internet connection. Connectivity to cloud services (like the ISY Portal) is great, and I wouldn't even mind if the ISY Admin console was moved to the cloud. But having the core functionality depend on connectivity to the cloud (and/or mobile devices, in the case of HomeKit) just doesn't make sense for me.

[Teken]

Thanks for clarifying. For me, the deciding factor for the ISY over Insteon Hub, HomeKit, SmartThings, and several others is the fact that it can operate independent of an Internet connection. Connectivity to cloud services (like the ISY Portal) is great, and I wouldn't even mind if the ISY Admin console was moved to the cloud. But having the core functionality depend on connectivity to the cloud (and/or mobile devices, in the case of HomeKit) just doesn't make sense for me.

Agreed, the ISY Series Controller offers the best of both worlds. You're not held hostage for a product you think you own. When in fact all your doing is renting / leasing a product.

 

There are too many examples where small to large companies went under, abandoned a service, to starting to charge for so called premium features!

 

All of the above doesn't even begin to address the security & safety aspects of having a cloud first appliance in your home!!

 

I can state with a high level of confidence those using such *Cloud First* controllers in Texas, Florida, PR, are not having much success.