what to do in upcoming new house???

[msfujitsu]

Hello again, 

I will be purchasing a home in the near future, and I would like to do a HA system again.

I liked the ISY (originally purchased in 2011 or 12, upgraded to newest version in 2021), and I liked the ability to create programs to do what I wanted.  I have a lot of "leftover" insteon devices that I was thinking of taking with instead of leaving with the existing house when i sell it, but after researching that the insteon plm's are virtually nonexistent in the marketplace, and the so called dual band devices dont seem to work with the ISY without the plm, what can you do?  Get another ISY that does z-wave and do nothing but z-wave devices and not deal with a plm? another type of system? does anyone have any suggestions?

thank you

[Geddy]

There's been numerous other posts like this over the years. This last year has probably been one of the biggest questions on everybody's minds if not openly posting here. There's just too much uncertainty to say. It's more in what does your budget allow and what do you want/need to accomplish in the system?

Here are a couple to read through:

https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/31786-future-in-insteon/

https://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/34022-is-radiora3-the-ultimate-replacement-for-insteon/

 

Since Smarthome/Insteon is trying to launch their new Nokia line it's causing the tried & true Insteon camp to wonder what the future holds. Nobody (really) knows or certainly aren't able to say in an open forum until the company officially does/announces something.

There are options that would work in the future of the Polisy. So if you're looking for the reliability of the controller that you've had in the ISY you should consider the Polisy as the new controller to handle the future system you go with. The Polisy can use the USB PLM (and some have mentioned success with a USB Stick that Insteon makes/made), or go the z-wave route, or use one of the many Polyglot Nodeserver options that have been developed to incorporate other platforms. 

There are pros and cons for every system. Just have to dig and figure out what you want them to do and then hopefully find one that can do that and make you happy at the same time.

 

 

[upstatemike]

I would install your spare Insteon switches for now and then test other technologies with the ISY/Polisy and hold off on buying new switches in quantity until you decide what you like. Polisy can mix samples of most anything you want ot try and stretching the decision over time will reduce the stress level of making a decision like this while also dealing with all the other aspects of buying a new house.

You could sample:

Z-Wave

Caseta

Hue/Zigbee

Maybe even Yolink LoRa or RA3 once the APIs are published

Remember the facts used to drive a best decision today might change by the time you are in your new place so better to decide then using up to date information at the point you are actually ready to install something.

Edited December 24, 2021 by upstatemike

[msfujitsu]

@Upstatemike ... wouldnt polisy need a modem to communicate with insteon? i cant seem to find either the usb or the serial one on the market right now...

[DAlter01]

16 hours ago, msfujitsu said:

wouldnt polisy need a modem to communicate with insteon? i cant seem to find either the usb or the serial one on the market right now...

Yes you need a PLM, but the USB modems are usually available in Ebay for a fair price.   And, I do expect that at some point Insteon will be selling product again.....then again, I didn't think they would be suffering on product availablity for this long so what do I know.   If you decide to go Insteon, get a back-up PLM since that part is the one that isn't replaceable by some other protocol.

But if your implementation isn't until mid 2022, my guess is Ra3 is going to be a fantastic solution, likely supported by the Polisy by then, and available in any quantities you may need.  It is Lutron so it should work well.  Nearly every product they produce functions well and is supported.

[upstatemike]

I think you will be able to find a PLM, new or used, for awhile. RA3 could indeed be your ultimate choice but the cost of a PLM in order to buy more time to decide for sure seems like a reasonable trade off. You might also fiind Caseta is all you need if you aren't going to use keypads in the new place.

[midrar]

Do you really think they’re a change that ra3 would work with the ISY?

 

let’s say the answer is yes to the question above, would you go with the M1 Alarm or another choice?

[lilyoyo1]

1 hour ago, DAlter01 said:

 

But if your implementation isn't until mid 2022, my guess is Ra3 is going to be a fantastic solution, likely supported by the Polisy by then, and available in any quantities you may need.  It is Lutron so it should work well.  Nearly every product they produce functions well and is supported.

I wouldn't say that. My suppliers has already let it be known things are in limited supply. 

[lilyoyo1]

57 minutes ago, midrar said:

Do you really think they’re a change that ra3 would work with the ISY?

 

let’s say the answer is yes to the question above, would you go with the M1 Alarm or another choice?

Michel has stated they've applied to be a partner so I think it's a good chance. 

Alarm integration depends on needs. The M1 is a great system but can be difficult to install. 

[DAlter01]

1 hour ago, lilyoyo1 said:

I wouldn't say that. My suppliers has already let it be known things are in limited supply. 

These shortages have got to end sometime..... 2023 maybe?  I'm needing to put new clay roof tiles on my house, quote was roughly 22 weeks......

[lilyoyo1]

21 minutes ago, DAlter01 said:

These shortages have got to end sometime..... 2023 maybe?  I'm needing to put new clay roof tiles on my house, quote was roughly 22 weeks......

I doubt it. Not at the pace we keep buying 

[midrar]

That is awesome to hear that they are applying to be a partner. We are living in our 3rd home with an M1. It is a bit cumbersome but I love the integration. I love that it integrates well with the isy. And lastly, I love that I don’t have to use I/O lincs when using the elk.