416to305

I think the word is "cheap"... My static IP at home is $4 per month and I know that I can access my home from anywhere, at any time. That's a small price to pay for peace of mind in my opinion.

Yeah just to add after reading just the first few posts on here, how do you know it's a communication problem to the people suggesting that? This might be as simple as a KPL button being a controller of a scene with a lamp as the responder in it. The KPL turns the lamp on and off, LED light works as expected. However if you turn the lamp off manually or from your phone, the KPL still shows it is on as the scene technically is still on. If that's all the issue is, then a simple program like "If status of lamp is on and status of lamp is not off, Then set KPL1.B.LED Scene to ON, else set KPL1.B.LED Scene to OFF" where KPL1.B.LED is a scene that just has the KPL button in there as a responder.

The hardest part for me is dealing with all the damn variables! As in environment variables. Like especially with motion. I have motion in my kitchen after dark turn on my Hue under counter lights if the main lights are off. Works fine of course, but maybe I don't want them to turn off once I leave the room, or maybe they were already on and I don't want motion to turn them off. Maybe I want them to stay off and keep it dark, etc etc. There's always so many little things you forget, that I find the easiest is not only KISS for programming, but for deciding how you want to set something up. Otherwise it gets so complicated, a simple motion light program turns into 10 different programs to account for different times of day, different conditions, variables, etc. Then when something goes wrong a few months later it's like damn now what does this program here do again and why do I have this set like this or that?

Stu explained it best. You can press up on a Switchlinc 5 times in a row if you want, and the system sees that as you pressing control ON 5 times. Great for if you wanted to do something like increment a variable, such as every time I press up, disable the motion sensor for 20 minutes. Press up 3 times, it's disabled for an hour type thing. Status would be that the light was off, and just came on. It doesn't care that you pressed On 100 times while it was on, status just sees that it is on. Control is what sees you pressing it so many times. I always got hung up on that when I started but it makes sense now. A motion sensor, a switchlinc, a KPL etc they can all send control ON for a light, so the benefit is that control lets you define what happens based on how the light was turned on, vs status just caring that it's on or off. Status is super helpful too for reminder type programs, because the IF is only true while the status is. For example, say you want a notification if a light has been on for an hour. You can simply do: If status of Light is not off (allowing any level of dimness not just 100%) Then wait 1 hour Send notification that light is still on Where this is great is that if the light is off and goes on, then IF is true, as status is light is on. That means the 1 hour timer starts right then. However, say you turn the light off after 15 minutes, well the status is no longer on, it's off, meaning this program IF statement is now false, meaning the Then programs all stop, as in no more waiting, and no notification is sent. So you don't even have to write another program to be like "If light goes off, stop running program "Notification"" etc type thing.

I had a similar issue, had to move the PLM from the basement to the living room and then it started working for some reason. I have about 5 PoE adapters in my house for the Unifi wifi network and I don't have any issues with interference on anything.

Thanks everyone glad you like them! Was determined to crack it and make it work. They look better in person, I find the photos make some look different sizes etc. Key is to use photo paper, glossy and an ink jet then ruler and x acto knife to shave off the edges to make them fit. 6 button are definitely more user friendly I think. I definitely found though if possible keeping the KPL as secondary has been the huge help. So 2 gang switch, switchlinc on left for the main light, KPL on the right for secondary things. I think the colors help too because they make them stand out more, where as before I found it was almost like people wouldn't even notice them. They'd immediately flip the one and only switch, not even looking at the KPLs. With the colors it's more like "Ooh what's this?". I might try later if I have time to write out a tutorial on how I did them, but they aren't too difficult to be honest. I hate ink jet printers, I have 3 of them since you always seem to get one free with a computer, but the ink is always dried out. So printed these at my other place, but haven't been there since, so just been more of a pain because I can't whip up new buttons as easily which is why I haven't finished it all yet.

I believe you have it correct it just depends on what that second program does. THEN only ever triggers when IF is true, if it isn't, that's when ELSE triggers. In your example, on Sunday from 10pm to 11:55pm, so 1 hour 55 minutes, it will set whatever Plant Heat is, to 44 degrees. On other times, it will then run that VeriForm Plant program, being the ELSE path but it does depend on what this one does. Say for example you instead had it say "Set Plant Heat - Main 30 degrees" (not sure if that's C or F sorry), then it would be 44 from 10 to 11:55, and 30 all other times. That's a better way I think to accomplish something like that. Are you able to post what that second program is, as that will help us determine the best way to write this program, as if it's something simple like a setting, or light being on etc, you could just put that right in the ELSE path, you don't need a separate program for it. One thing I forgot to mention is that with IF and THEN, there's 2 things that happen with IF. 1) It can trigger something one time. So IF time is 5pm and LIGHT1 is OFF, THEN wait 10 minutes, turn LIGHT1 ON" Useless program, but at 5pm if the light is off, the program waits 5 minutes (because IF is true) and then LIGHT1 comes on and program ends. 2) It can trigger based on status. So for example, say you wanted a program that says IF the garage door is open for 60 minutes and not closed, automatically close the door. So "If status GARAGE DOOR is OPEN, THEN wait 60 minutes, SET CONTROL GARAGE DOOR to ON". In this example it's pretty cool because our criteria are the door is open. So as long as that door is open, the IF is true, meaning the "Wait 60 minutes" will run, and stay true, then close the door. If however you close the door after 20 minutes, well the IF program is now no longer true, so that THEN statement that's waiting for 60 minutes, now ends and doesn't finish the program because IF is not true, and it doesn't need to keep running. So it's great for things like that.

One thing that's cool with them is at night especially I have the off level set to brightness 1 and on to 15, but because they are colored, they actually look like a touch screen until you go right up to it. The nice thing with these too is the clear buttons pop off super easily, you don't even need to remove the frame of the KPL or anything, just use a knife or screw driver and pop it off. So it's handy because you could even have an extra set of them and change them seasonally, like Christmas Lights, things like that.

Leak Sensor always has to be added manually, by Link Management > New INSTEON Device. Then type in the address for it, just give it any name, and can leave it at Auto Discover. Put it in linking mode by holding it down for 5 seconds on the sensor and press Ok on the ISY. Always works for me that way.

Thanks, I actually changed things around and had a better use for that keypad downstairs so now my bathroom is all z-wave and nothing in the shower. I only had died in the shower because I really had no other use for it but I figured something better out that I can do with it so back to manual control for the shower. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks bleep, I like them now, and leaving the off level at 1 and on at 15 is cool too since they always have a neat glow from them. I almost returned the clear buttons as well but it's definitely in the paper. I used actual photo paper and an ink jet printer which I think looks better than the black on white. They are a tall rectangle, but it's hard to get it exact on the computer, so I just used Pages for Mac and made them the rough size after I had the general font size down, and then right now I just print them and keep trimming to fit. Was going to make a better template eventually but started getting easy without. If you use regular paper they look awful since the lights show the fibres through it. To the others, I agree about the mechanical switch, that's why I hated the KPLs, but like I said in my last post, they seem to work best as supplementary control to a switchlinc like I have on my 2.

I actually like them a lot more now especially with the color on them. I just found they were two plane before and people didn't really immediately stopped to look at them when trying to turn the light on, but when they are colorful they stand out more and using a dark background with white text and keeping the LED brightness to 1 while off 15 on makes a big difference. It's interesting because it's almost like there is a psychology behind it, because you don't want it too complicated but it's a waste of money to just have it be a fancy three-way switch. so they are tricky, finding the right spot that will be easy for people to use and that actually provides value. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi everyone, here's an example of what I am talking about on two of them. These are just quick, just to have labels on the buttons so I might change some colors and text, and the one is obviously not finished, I'm not going to keep the Hue lights here, that's why the one button looks a little bigger because I did it quick, just to test. But gives you an idea of what I'm doing, I think it looks better than the buttons that came with it. The one for Sonos Control will change, I will put actual icons on there, and it probably should be volume down and then volume up. I didn't realize I needed other hardware to change it from a 6 to 8 button keypad, but doing it like I did in the photo seems to work fine as you pretty much have to press the button directly in the center forget to trigger both buttons, otherwise there's no problem using the top and bottom as 2. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry for the delay! I actually went in the opposite direction and seem to have things better sorted out now. I think the problem is when you put a KPL somewhere as the main light, especially in a public area where it's not just family using it. For example my front door had a 2 gang decora switches there, so the left one is a normal switch for the outside light, and the right is the foyer light which I made a KPL. Over xmas my mom wanted to turn the light on so she walks over and just immediately flips the switch for the outside light not even looking at the KPL. When I was like no, press the top left button on the keypad, she did but she pushed it down for a second or two before releasing it, so it just started to make the lights brighten vs turn on, but at 5-10% during the day it looked off, so looked like she wasn't doing anything. So what I found was that for me what works best, is that a KPL always needs to be secondary if put with commonly used lights like kitchen etc, then if that's not possible, put it as secondary, so don't put it as the bathroom light, put it as the fan, etc. My other problem with them is that because they are expensive, I always feel like I need super important functions on them, vs just a virtual 3 way switch type thing, but at the end of the day, that's really what they are best for, put whatever you commonly use on it regardless of where the other switches are. What hit me was that I wanted to put under the counter lights in my kitchen, so instead I just bought Philips Hue with the 2 light strips and installed them super easily. Now with the network module the switch in my kitchen turns the main light on, then the KPL beside it turns dining room on/off, one button is for Hue 1, another for Hue 2, another button causes them to cycle through the colors etc. The Hue API is amazing, works SO well with the ISY. So for that I find it perfect, because any visitors can turn the kitchen light on with the switch, or the dining room switch on the other side of the room, and can ignore the KPL all together since they don't need the Hue lights on etc, so I find this approach is better since it caters to users of all ages and experience. My other main issue though was the damn buttons. In Canada aartech I believe is the only place to get them, and it's $40.99 plus $9.99 shipping and 13% HST for them, so $57.60 in total for just one pack! I really like things custom so I'd need at least 2 of them, plus some buttons I'd love to be graphics like play, pause etc. So I took a chance and actually bought the clear button pack even though I've seen negative reviews. The first thing is if you print the template from their website, it doesn't work as the buttons are more square on the PDF but they are really more tall rectangle, but easy to make your own. Using paper is AWFUL to the point I was going to return them as it looks super cheap. However I had some old photos sitting around, so I cut a few of them to the exact size, one each a different color, and put them in for fun. And I have to say, I really love them, they look fantastic when you use photo paper, as they look more solid, plus because the frame is clear, it looks like they are floating. Having each one a different color looks so cool as well as most were in a blue tint and my wall is yellow so actually looked really awesome. So now I'm going to keep those and use photo paper and make each button maybe a different color with white text or a white icon, make it look almost like Windows 8 live tiles lol. So I think this will help big time I'm hoping, since it's so easy to change them.

I will probably remove it then and the extension cord as I sold about half of my Insteon gear this week after realizing what a waste of money it is for the most part, as most of it I have no use for. I put keypads all over the place and they are all literally empty trying to figure out a use for them. The one in the living room is an 8 x 10 one and only one button is used which is to control the lamp but even that I realized it was a waste of money because I have a lamp linc dimmer on the lamp in the living room literally doing nothing but being an expensive timer which I could accomplish with a wall timer from the dollar store. I also find the keypads are ugly now that I own them, I wanted them thinking it would look all high tech but it's really been the opposite that has happened, people asking why I have this old mechanical keypad on the wall and I'm like it's totally knew! Also they are really hard to control especially for visitors as a few times I've said turn that light on and have had to say no that button, no the top left one, see it says main? No not that one that one, etc. it's funny because a week ago at this time every single light switch in my house other than maybe three of them (18) were all switch lincs or kpls, and now I'm down to five in total. I just realized that it's stupid buying automation stuff just for the hell of it, as 90% of my network didn't need to be there like the garage, there is never a time that I could ever possibly think of that I would need to have the ISY control my garage door etc. anyway that's a whole other story. My problem with Insteon is that there's very little legitimate reasons at least for me for having it. Like I will say oh cool for $70 I can get a door sensor and a switch and have the bathroom fan come on automatically when the door closes! Then I will rush out and spend 3 x $70 for my 3 fans, but then I'm like who is that stupid and lazy that they can't turn on the fan themselves? It's never been a problem before, people always automatically turn the fan on because the switch is right beside the light switch. I'm sure for some people that would make sense but for me I end up looking around the house and thinking $210 is practically what it would cost to get hardwood in my bedroom, something that adds more value to my home and actually feels worth it to me. I'm not talking about wiring the neutral on this switch, I'm not that stupid LOL. There is a white and a black going to the switch and then a bundle of white neutral wires behind it. I connected the white and black from the switch to gather and it works as expected, confirmed with an electrician. Having an extension cord run along the baseboard might not be allowed, but having a light in your closet is, as every closet at my condo has a light built into it, it's just my house that doesn't. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk