Zwave Dimmer Switch - Local Onlevel Setting

[ulrick65]

Does anyone know how to set the onlevel percentage for a Zwave device?  For example, when I press the local button I want it to come on to 50%.  I tried to change it in the device settings in Eisy...set the onlevel to 50% and it works there, if I click the on button it comes on to 50%. But I clicked on Write Changes and that doesn't seem to do anything.  When I press the local button to on, it seems to come on to whatever the last level was.  Not what I want.

 

[ulrick65]

I figured it out, parameter setting.
I am trying to figure out how to get Alexa+ to control the light directly (not through a scene). It works, but if I ask to turn on the light (based on the room I am in, it knows which light device) it always turns it on to the last level. I got it so that when I turn it on from the paddle switch, it comes on to 50% like I want. But Alexa always turns it on at the last level...frustrating. I know I can use a scene to do it, but it should work to turn on the light to the default on level that I set for the device I would think.

 

[jkmcfadden]

You might investigate using a program as the Alexa interface instead of the device directly.  The program can set the actual on level.  I use a ZooZ Z-wave dimmer switch in this manner and programmatically set the on dimming value when turned on.

I like Z-wave devices, but you (like many of us) have discovered that there are some limitations where Eisy is concerned.  Programs seem to be the best/only solution.

[oberkc]

6 hours ago, ulrick65 said:

I figured it out, parameter setting.

Unfortunately, I believe different brands of zwave devices have different parameter settings and I have only found them in the user manual for the various devices.  I would have guessed that yours might have had a parameter for default ON levels and, once set, telling Alexa to turn on the light would have resulted in the light coming to that default level. 

I looked up parameters for one of my zwave switches and found that there is default level parameters for when you toggle the switch but separate default level parameter for when the switch is controlled by another device:

Basic Set Custom Brightness On

Parameter 34: Set the custom brightness level (or leave the last brightness level) for for Basic Set ON commands when the ZEN72 is triggered by another device in direct association.

Values: 0 – last brightness level; 1-99 (%). Default: 0

Size: 1 byte dec

Perhaps your switch has a similar parameter?

[Geddy]

13 hours ago, ulrick65 said:

For example, when I press the local button I want it to come on to 50%.  I tried to change it in the device settings in Eisy...set the onlevel to 50% and it works there, if I click the on button it comes on to 50%. But I clicked on Write Changes and that doesn't seem to do anything.

While you might have figured it out you might look at the screen again. I don't use z-wave devices like this, but if they have a screen similar to Insteon devices on the "on level" when you set it to 50% is there a button/label next to that setting? click THAT "button".

This is for an Insteon dimmer. A long mentioned UI issue since 5.x came out meant the button next to this setting is what writes it to "memory". I'm not sure if z-wave works this same way or not, but I would hazard a guess that it does.