Turning on 13 lights with Insteon remote Switch

[BRL]

Hello,

I am a new user and have setup my Insteon system and ISY994i controller.  I am using on/off and dimmer light switches, ~20 different circuits.

My issue is I am now trying to setup an insteon remote wireless switch to turn on 13 lights, kind of of like a panic lights on switch.  It sort of works but all the lights do not always come on or off and it seems random which ones each time.  

Below is my if then else statement, any thoughts or suggestions?

Thank you Brad

RemoteA-On - [ID 0004][Parent 0001]

If
        Status  'Remote - A' > 1%
 
Then
        Set 'Entry way' On
        Set 'Front Porch Light' On
        Set 'Front Driveway Lights' On
        Set 'BackHall' On
        Set 'BackHall Garage' On
        Set 'Guest Fan' On
        Set 'Guest Shower' On
        Set 'Guest Vanity' On
        Set 'Hallway 3way' On
        Set 'Kitchen Breakfast Bar' On
        Set 'Kitchen Overhead Lights' On
        Set 'Kitchen Overhead Secondary' On
        Set 'Laundry Room' On
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

[paulbates]

Hi Brad

There are 2 ways to do it.

1. The way you programmed it above, turning all the lights on individually. If you use this method, you need to put a "Wait 2 seconds" after the first (Set entry way on) and all the way through the next to last (set kitchen overhead secondary). The reason is that turning insteon devices on directly creates a message to the switch, and the switch sending an acknowledgement back to the PLM that the message was received. The ISY doesn't account for this, and if you send them back-to-back with no wait statement, the next set command will "step on" the acknowledgement(s) from previous switches and the Insteon network will be flooded with traffic. That's why you're getting unpredictable results. The PLM and Switches give up after a few tries, and with 13 devices this is going to happen.
    
2. What I think is a better way is to use an Insteon Scene. Scenes are Insteon "virtual circuits" of many devices that act like they are on one physical circuit, even though they are not.  You add all of the devices that you want to turn on and off to a scene, and turn the scene on and off. The scene will show up in the list of devices and you use set with it too. In this case, you'd turn that one scene on, lets say you called it "remote A", and all 13 switches will turn on simultaneously.
   
   To create an Insteon scene, use the Link Management menu and Create New Scene and name it what you want. Use the mouse, and "click and drag" the switches over the scene to add them. The ISY will ask if you want them to be controllers... the answer in this case is "no", unless you want any individual switch to always turn all the others on and off -- typically no but depends what you want. You can click and drag each switch individually, or hold down CTRL and click on all 13 individually, and drag them as a group... either method gets the same results.
   
   Creating a scene
   
   
   A view of several scenes I have that I turn on with a keypad key
   Doorwall.lamps is a keypad key and the red text means I made it a controller. Pushing the keypad key turns the lamps on and off with no ISY program needed. Creatinga scene uses the ISY's Insteon Network management feature. 
   
   
   One more suggestion for method 2. If your goal is only to have a an Insteon remote turn the lights on and off, you can add the remotelinc button to the scene as a controller (pressing and holding its set button until it beeps first)...and you will not need a program. The ISY will program you insteon devices so that the remotinc directly controls the 13 switches

Paul

[BRL]

Hello Paul,

This is perfect thank you very much.  Where I was confused was setting switches as responders in a scene vs a controller.  Your tip about adding the keypad to the scene as a controller eliminates all the programing also, again thank you.

One more question, is I also have 4 light switches that control outside motion lights.  I wanted to setup a program/maybe a scene that would turn these 4 switches off and then instantly back on so the lights are in manual mode and turn on.  Any suggestions on how I would be accomplish this?

Brad

[BRL]

I did setup the following program with the motion sensor switches in Scene Night On.  Since the switches might be on I used the OFF/ON/OFF/ON command to make sure they cycled on/off.

This seems to work but wanted to see if there is a better way.

Brad

Outside On - [ID 000B][Parent 0001]

If
        Status  '44.C0.3B - B' >= 1%
 
Then
        Set Scene 'Night On' Off
        Set Scene 'Night On' On
        Set Scene 'Night On' Off
        Set Scene 'Night On' On
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

[paulbates]

Brad

If it’s a scene, even all responders only, one set command will turn everything on (or off). You should not need to do it multiple times

Let’s ask this... how is the motion sensor turning everything on, is it configured to send on commands only, and in the scene with the switches?

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BRL]

Hello Paul

The way my motion sensors work is if you turn them On/Off/On quickly then they are in manual mode until sunrise.

The issue I have is that I normally have these lights on but sometimes they get turned off.  I found that if I went OFF/On/Off/On then it did not matter if some where off and some one they would all turn on manual mode.

I did put all 4 light switches in the Scene Night On.

I am not sure what you are suggesting, if I add remote B as a controller and have the 4 light switches as responders then what would I Program for the remote to cycle OFF/On/Off/On?  I would like to have it setup so my wife/kids only have to push on button once on the remote controller.

Thanks again

Brad

[paulbates]

I assumed you were talking about the Insteon motion sensor.

My guess is that you need to add wait statements between the ons and offs

Manually operate the switch to figure out what the spacing is .. 1 second, 2 seconds.. etc. Then add the appropriate wait statements to the program.

It may take a little ‘fiddling’ with the program to get it write. The timing may not always be identical.

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BRL]

Ok thanks again Paul.

Brad.