Linking 2 switches

[OutBackOne]

I am new to the home automation world and am just getting started. I have what is probably a basic question.

 

I am linking my first 2 switches. I have them added and both included in a scene. When you turn one of the switches on/off at the switch the other ones LED responds accordingly to show on/off. So I believe I have them linked correctly.

 

The problem is if I turn one on/off from the Device Console or from MobiLinc the second switch LED does not change as well. Why does this work when you do it at the switch but not remotely??♦

[LeeG]

You turn the Scene On and Off from the Admin Console for both switches to follow. In Insteon, even though switches are cross-linked, turning either switch On/Off "individually" from another controller (PLM in this case) does not cause the other switch to react. That would be cascading Controller function (controller 1 turning on responder 1 which then becomes controller 2 and turns On/Off its responders) which is not the way Insteon works.

[OutBackOne]

Oh I see. I guess that makes sense. I wanted one of the switches to appear in my "favorite devices" tab on the MobiLinc as opposed to in the "favorite scene" tab. Since in my mind its still a device. I have groups doing things, which I would think of as a scene.

[LeeG]

From and Insteon perspective a Group is a Scene is a Group. The Insteon command document and PLM developer guide do not have the word Scene in either document. All Controller to Responder relationships are Groups from a hardware perspective. Scene is used in end user documents to describe an Insteon Group.

 

I don't use MobiLinc so I have no reference to what is considered a Group from that products perspective.

 

When an Insteon Direct command is sent from the Admin Console to control an individual device there is no placeholder for a Group number. Link records are not required and not used with an Insteon Direct command.

[apostolakisl]

If you think about it a little bit, you can see why controlling a switch from something other than switch should only control that switch, and not propogate onto other switches.

 

When you start creating more scenes and having switches in more than one scene, what you would realize is that turning a single switch on could potentially cascade into practically every switch in your house.

 

You will also notice that a switch is allowed to be a controller for only one scene. It can be a responder to as many as you like. Again, this keeps things from snowballing.

 

Think of it this way, for a change in switch "A" to cause a change in switch "B"

switch "A" must be physically acted on (you pushed it), not acted on by an insteon command (responding to a scene).

 

Also, imagine having a switch as a member of two scenes, just because you want that switch to turn on in a specific scene doesn't mean you want all of the lights associated with that switch in a different scene to also turn on. Hope that made sense.

 

Mobile linc has a shortcomming, it doesn't list the status of a scene. So, to know if a light is on, you need to look at the device list, but to turn it on and off and actually have all of the switches in the virtual three-way follow, you need to use the scene. I do not like this either. I am hoping that in future versions they put a scene status where something like red is off, green is on, and orange means that some of the switches are on and others off.