Ramp rate and level

[gmurch]

I have been playing around with the ISY for a few days now and have become comfortable with most of the functions. I have a few things that I can't seem to make work:

 

1 In a scene I should be able to adjust the ramp rates and levels of the different devices, I can do this but if I escape the scene and go back the levels and ramp rates have gone back to what they were when I started?

 

2. I can't access it from the internet, I believe I need to make some ajustments to my router and I am not sure what to do and still have a secure network. I have a Linksys router.

 

3: I would also like to be able to access "my lighting" on the browser on my Blackberry ? Will this be possible?

 

4: I have been able to get a text message to let me know a timer or event has run but I can't seem to find out how to have an email alert? This would be handy so I can tell what time my wife gets home, that way I can call her and have her put supper on !! (that is of course, a joke) !!

 

So far I have been really pleased with the ISY, it is a learning curve but I enjoy the challenge. It is stable and everything I have done so far works flawlessly !!!

 

Thanks in advance

Glenn

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello gmurch,

 

May I humbly suggest the peruse of the User Guide? You have a link to both the PDF version as well as the on line version under the Help menu. Here's the on line version: http://www.universal-devices.com/mwiki/ ... User_Guide .

 

Please find my comments below.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

1 In a scene I should be able to adjust the ramp rates and levels of the different devices, I can do this but if I escape the scene and go back the levels and ramp rates have gone back to what they were when I started?

Please make sure you understand the difference between the "scene" on level/ramp rate vs. the local on level and ramp rate: http://www.universal-devices.com/mwiki/ ... teon:Scene

 

2. I can't access it from the internet, I believe I need to make some ajustments to my router and I am not sure what to do and still have a secure network. I have a Linksys router.

Please checkout our How To section http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewforum.php?f=9 . The first topic is exactly what you are looking for.

 

3: I would also like to be able to access "my lighting" on the browser on my Blackberry ? Will this be possible?

In release 2.7 ... very soon!

 

4: I have been able to get a text message to let me know a timer or event has run but I can't seem to find out how to have an email alert? This would be handy so I can tell what time my wife gets home, that way I can call her and have her put supper on !! (that is of course, a joke) !!

http://www.universal-devices.com/mwiki/ ... figuration

[gmurch]

Hi Michel:

 

I am missing something in the translation. I have read all of the doc's about creating a scence and ramp rate and for the most part it is very clear to me. I have created numerous scenes, triggers and timers and they are all working fine. I can move devices in and out of the scenes by dragging and dropping or right clicking - all very easy to understand but the ramp rates and on levels are not working for me.

 

For and example, I have a living room scene that is controled by C on a keypad link -- the scene contains 7 lamplincs and one switchlinc -- they all have had their ramp rates set in houselinc and these are the values you see when you veiw the scene by clicking on its node. I can go to all of the devices as described in the literature and adjust the ramp rates and levels with the sliders but I can see no way to save this configuration? As soon as I click on another node the levels and ramp rates go back to their previous values. I have tried doing it many different ways but always the same result. I must be missing some step and can't figure it out from the manual.

 

Thanks in advance

Glenn

[aLf]

gmurch:

 

Hi. What you are missing is that the local ramp is set from Houselinc as you have said. Now go into your scene, highlight the particular switch that you want to control (ramp), then go down and adjust it's ramp and level. Close out and you should be good to go!

 

aLf

[gmurch]

Hi Alf:

 

Thanks for the help. That is exactly what I am doing - in houselinc you press F2 adjust the ramp rate and then save it to the network -- works fine. With the ISY I open the scene -- go to the item I want to change - adjust the level and ramp rate - there seems to be no way to save it and it doesn't change the level in real time -- as soon as I leave the "scene" and come back the changes are gone and we are back to what we started with?

 

Thanks I must be missing one step somewhere - I would think there would be some kind of a "save" ??

 

Glenn

[Michel Kohanim]

Glenn,

 

All changes are updated at runtime and immediately. Have you upgraded to 2.6?

 

With kind regards,

 

 

Hi Alf:

 

Thanks for the help. That is exactly what I am doing - in houselinc you press F2 adjust the ramp rate and then save it to the network -- works fine. With the ISY I open the scene -- go to the item I want to change - adjust the level and ramp rate - there seems to be no way to save it and it doesn't change the level in real time -- as soon as I leave the "scene" and come back the changes are gone and we are back to what we started with?

 

Thanks I must be missing one step somewhere - I would think there would be some kind of a "save" ??

 

Glenn

[gmurch]

Hi Michel:

 

Yes, 2.6 is the version I am using.

 

Glenn

[gmurch]

Did you receive my screenshot?

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Glenn,

 

Yes and I already replied.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Did you receive my screenshot?

[gmurch]

RESOLVED -- after spending some time with Michel on the phone last evening we now have everything working -- I feel a bit dumb but there seems to be a minor bug in the program. I am using a laptop and was tapping the touchpad to move the sliders -- they move by doing this but don't update the rr and level. You must hold down the left mouse button and drag the slider. Seems very basic now that I know, it is easily done incorrectly on a laptop.

 

Thanks so much to Michel for the wonderful support !!! No other company would take the time to give you such great personal service !!! I would gladly invest in anything UD made !!! (maybe even if I didn't need it)

 

Glenn

[MikeB]

Good find! I've never noticed that before, but just tried and was able to duplicate your issue.

[jcthorne]

Well I am not using a laptop and still cannot get ISY to set a local on level and ramp rate. Sets it for the scene just fine and pressing a control link button in that scene controls the load using the prescribed on level and ramp rate.

 

Pressing the paddle at the local switchlinc dimmer that controls the load (in this case a ceiling fan) goes directly to 100% with no ramp. Neither changing the setting at the local or scene level in ISY has any effect on the local control. Since the switchlinc is a controller to the scene, should not the scene on level and ramp also apply to the local as well? Even if not, setting both local and scene to the same settings should have it work that way and does not.

 

I can find no way of setting the local control on or ramp rate though ISY that works. Its says it is writing somethign to the module when I change it but does not. If I query it, it has the settings I sent. The local control does not use that setting. It does if controlled from a different controller in the scene.

 

I can set it manually at the switchlinc but then ISY does not match. I even restored the device, tried facotry reset and restore....all the same. Its a 1000w version if it has any difference.

[MikeB]

Well I am not using a laptop and still cannot get ISY to set a local on level and ramp rate.

 

After you set the rate through the ISY, go to the switch and physcally soft reset it (pull the airgap for 5 seconds, then softly push it back in - do not hold).

[Guest]

 

Pressing the paddle at the local switchlinc dimmer that controls the load (in this case a ceiling fan) goes directly to 100% with no ramp.

 

 

Can a switchlinc dimmer control (ramp) a ceiling fan? That is a hefty motor load for an electronic dimmer.

[jcthorne]

Well I am not using a laptop and still cannot get ISY to set a local on level and ramp rate.

 

After you set the rate through the ISY, go to the switch and physcally soft reset it (pull the airgap for 5 seconds, then softly push it back in - do not hold).[/quote

 

That did the trick. Is that something peculur to the rev level switchlinc I have? (its old]

 

On the subject of ceiling fans, Smarthome has sold them for that purpose for years. Some fans work better with them than others. We use only old style open frame Hunter fans with the many pole motor and cast iron armature. With that type fan they run smooth and quiet. This dimmer is one of the first Insteon 1000W dimmers I bought in 2005 and it runs most of the day in summer season. The load is far less than 1000W, I just thought it would be a better application since this load runs at part throttle most of its life and for many hours or continuous duty.

 

Thanks for the tip on getting the local ramp rate to work.

[Mark Sanctuary]

I think there is a chance of buzz or hum but it does control them from what I understand. I have not tried a Insteon dimmer yet on a fan but going to soon.

 

Pressing the paddle at the local switchlinc dimmer that controls the load (in this case a ceiling fan) goes directly to 100% with no ramp.

Can a switchlinc dimmer control (ramp) a ceiling fan? That is a hefty motor load for an electronic dimmer.

[Sub-Routine]

Well I am not using a laptop and still cannot get ISY to set a local on level and ramp rate.

 

After you set the rate through the ISY, go to the switch and physcally soft reset it (pull the airgap for 5 seconds, then softly push it back in - do not hold).[/quote

 

That did the trick. Is that something peculur to the rev level switchlinc I have? (its old]

 

...

 

Thanks for the tip on getting the local ramp rate to work.

 

Only the KeypadLinc is exempt from the power-cycle-to-read-new-values for the local settings. You can also cycle breakers if you want to do more than one switch at a time.

 

Rand

[jcthorne]

Thanks for the info on setting ramp rates. Sounds like a bug in the dimmer firmware but the work around seems to work ok.

 

On the ceiling fans, that was one of the first reasons we went to insteon from x10. The older lutron x10 controllers handled the fan fine but the noise on the line while they ran pretty much made the x10 comands unusable while doing so. Insteon made that problem go away. Going to the heavy motor hunter fans was suggested by an electrical engineer in my firm, the weight of the armature and the number of poles in the low speed motor design pretty much eliminate the hum. I have run across other fans that were designed for remote control but they are few and far between since the chinese took over that market with low cost designs.

 

Casablanca was another that worked well but I don't think they are around anymore and the lower end Hunters are no better than thier competition in the low cost segment.