Venstar 'stats - Alexa control?

[telljcl]

Have a few ISY programs I've been using via Alexa, in conjunction with Alexa "Routines" to control my Venstar 7900 stats, and of course that works fine (thanks to NodeLink).

But I'm now wondering if there is a way to control the 'stats w/out using a routine or program?

I now see that you can "expose" the Venstar stat to Alexa via the ISY portal, but it appears to only have options to classify it as a light, switch, outlet, motion sensor or contact closure.

This makes me think that Alexa won't know that the device is a thermostat (so I'll need to keep controlling them the way I mention above?)

Thanks for any clarification.

[larryllix]

I try not to use raw control on devices.

Alexa. Set stat to 5 degrees.
Scares me. I like to use ISY as a filter for garbage.

Look in the ISY Portal I believe Benoit has provided special circumstances for things like Thermostats.

Also the Alexa app may have a skill to control the stats directly.

[paulbates]

There's been an Alexa Venstar Smarthome skill for several years that works through skyport cloud. For a lot of alexa controlled devices, including things like the rainmachine or logictech harmony, you can directly command devices from alexa that way without the need to use the ISY / portal. Example "Alexa, what is the family room temperature?".  If basic control is the function, that could be used... it has no more or less control than any of the other alexa thermostat skills.

I stopped using it a while back, but have to guess its still available. Also amazon has improved the skill over the last couple of years, it may do more now, not sure

Paul

[telljcl]

2 hours ago, paulbates said:

There's been an Alexa Venstar Smarthome skill for several years that works through skyport cloud. For a lot of alexa controlled devices, including things like the rainmachine or logictech harmony, you can directly command devices from alexa that way without the need to use the ISY / portal. Example "Alexa, what is the family room temperature?".  If basic control is the function, that could be used... it has no more or less control than any of the other alexa thermostat skills.

I stopped using it a while back, but have to guess its still available. Also amazon has improved the skill over the last couple of years, it may do more now, not sure

Paul

Thanks - I'd disabled that skill a while ago as about all I could get it to do was change temperature and give you the current temperature. To change temperature, you had to specify a number - couldn't just say "raise" or "lower" as I recall. Also couldn't be in "auto" mode I don't think.

I have routines that do this now, and actually I think I may still have the skill active as if I request the temperature in that room, I think the skill is what is retrieving it.

The routines intercept the language before the Venstar skill can tell me "Den doesn't support that...." and via ISY, does what I ask. Just cumbersome.

There were some other limitations with the skill, IIRC, and Venstar seems to have more or less abandoned improvements or development for these 'stats best I can tell.

I still like that I can control them w/out the cloud, through NodeLink - so that's really the only reason I still have them. They work pretty reliably with a few quirks mixed in.

 

[paulbates]

I think one of the limitations is that the skill based on the Alexa thermostat underlying skill... and its pretty thin, or used to be. My recollection is I could say "raise or lower <thermostat name> temperature, which gave a 2 degree F bump.  Our use of alexa is not significant. Its good for Insteon virtual circuits in our family room / kitchen area.  Since we weren't using it, it disabled the skill.

I tried it out for my wife who finds the skyport app easier to deal with, and can be used anywhere in the house.. we have just one dot.

Paul

[telljcl]

I really don't use it that much either, but was wondering if anything had changed in the last 6 months or so.

I've got so much programming in my ISY - I'd love to delete some of it where possible.

That's the beauty of ISY though I guess - if it "can't be done", then you can work around it so it CAN be done.