[ANSWERED]Which technology to build on as a newbie?

Not sure if this belongs in the z-wave forum, but I'm putting it here for now.

I am interested in using Indigo as it sounds like the right approach. Unfortunately, my first attempt was a FAIL as I bought a Schlage Z-wave lock and a Z-Stick S2 and I now see that Indigo doesn't support that combination unless I use a Vera bridge and buy more hardware, which seems like a pointless and expensive approach. I posted the error on the Z-Wave area but I'm not optimistic I can get that working.

I had heard that Z-Wave is the up and coming technology and thought that since Indigo supports the S2 I should be able to get things working the best. It's turning out to be a headache.

My question is, to get a working deadbolt, a few lights, and a garage door opener relay working, should I ditch my z-wave dongle and deadbolt and switch to something else? What do people recommend to a newbie?

Thanks!

[jay (support)]

As you've found, the only way currently to get Z-Wave locks to work with Indigo is via a Vera and the Vera Bridge plugin. There is an INSTEON lock solution that some users have gotten to work as well but it's not the perfect solution either. We're hoping that better lock options will come along soon but they're just not around yet.

Either Z-Wave or INSTEON will work for the rest of your requirements - locks are the only sticking point.

[matt (support)]

Based on your screenshots, Indigo isn't able to communicate with the Z-Stick. Open the Event Log window and see what error messages it is showing. Make sure you have the Z-Stick plugged directly into the Mac (extension cables can cause a problem), and make sure you have installed the Z-Stick driver and followed the other instructions in the getting started guide.

As Jay mentioned, Indigo doesn't support the Z-Wave locks, so the above won't help with that, but you will need to get Indigo communicating with the Z-Stick before other modules will work.

Thanks for the tips. So is anyone using the Indigo with any sort of lock? I don't care if it's z-wave, that's just what I happened to buy. I can always get rid of this lock and get another one, in fact I guess I have to. What lock do you recommend?
Thanks

[jay (support)]

As you've found, the only way currently to get Z-Wave locks to work with Indigo is via a Vera and the Vera Bridge plugin. There is an INSTEON lock solution that some users have gotten to work as well but it's not the perfect solution either. We're hoping that better lock options will come along soon but they're just not around yet.

I'm not sure what else you're looking for...

I have three of the Morning Industries locks with the associated INSTEON controllers and they work great; in fact, it is probably my wife's favorite part of the home automation setup. We use the deadbolts with the exterior keypad, but I assume all are similar in nature. You do not get feedback on the lock status, but can always just issue the command as necessary (will be ignored if, for instance, you tell it to lock when it is already locked).

The forums have some examples (or links to examples) where people have rigged up methods to determine lock status, but that just wasn't all that important/useful to me.

Adam

As you've found, the only way currently to get Z-Wave locks to work with Indigo is via a Vera and the Vera Bridge plugin. There is an INSTEON lock solution that some users have gotten to work as well but it's not the perfect solution either. We're hoping that better lock options will come along soon but they're just not around yet.

I'm not sure what else you're looking for...

I guess I am not being clear. I thought it was obvious. I'm looking for a nice working solution for a remote control door lock that doesn't cost $400. Too much to ask? I guess so.

So far it looks like I have two poor choices:
Indigo light version -- $100
Door lock $100
Z-Stick $60
Vera lite station $170


INSTEON apparently "works" but not very well.

It's just not very cool at all, in fact it's what I call "lame."

[matt (support)]

And I thought we were being clear: the current solutions that work with Indigo are the INSTEON MorningLinc, or a Z-Wave lock and using Vera as the controller.

I agree it definitely isn't ideal (believe me, we know that). I am very confident there will be a more elegant solution in the future for Indigo. It likely will not be Z-Wave locks for multiple reasons. It might be ZigBee locks or might be some type of WiFi based lock. We don't know yet and we don't have an ETA yet.

Frankly, if you are only interested in remote control/automation of locks then right now I wouldn't recommend Indigo for you. In the future we'll have something that will work well, but lock control is definitely the weakest area of Indigo support right now (but we have lots strengths as well so I recommend looking at the bigger picture).

First of all, sorry that this is going on in two threads, I didn't know where to put my post.
I guess the reason I'm being such a cry baby is that Indigo really does look like the best software out there. If I get a Vera controller, are there any other benefits? If I switch to INSTEON, in order to get the locks, what kind of tradeoff am I making?
I think maybe I found my own answer here: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/zigbee-vs-zwave-vs-insteon-home-automation-protocols-explained/.

If you’re just now dipping your toes into home automation and control, we recommend going with either ZigBee or Z-Wave. They’re both fast, wireless, have great range, and come inside of hundreds of different products. If your home is outfitted with an older x10 system, go with Insteon. It’ll allow you to go wireless; and although it doesn’t boast nearly as many compatible devices as Z-Wave or ZigBee, it does have a pretty good selection of products. Overall, so long as you pick one ecosystem and use devices within it, any of these three standards should be sufficient.

I'm very concerned about that bit about "not nearly as many compatible devices." But for $50 for the controller and $100 for a basic deadbolt, a cheapskate like me might be satisfied. Maybe I just need to admit I'm going to have to spend a bit of money to get what I want.


For the benefit of others: Controller I found: http://www.smarthome.com/2458A1/MorningLinc-INSTEON-Morning-Industry-RF-Doorknob-Deadbolt-Lock-Controller/p.aspx
Deadbolt possibility: http://www.amazon.com/Morning-Industry-RF-01P-Frequency-Deadbolt/dp/B000FBU2KM

Thank you.

Arggh. There are not MorningLinc devices for sale anywhere. Clearly I'm being punished.

Arggh. There are not MorningLinc devices for sale anywhere. Clearly I'm being punished.

Buy from here, and only from here when you can... Prices are often competitive with Amazon and customer service is top notch:
http://www.machomestore.com/catalog/pro ... cts_id=215

I'm very concerned about that bit about "not nearly as many compatible devices."

Honestly, there are advantages and disadvantages to all of the devices/protocols/controllers. I, along with many here, have both Z-Wave and INSTEON devices. I am happier with the INSTEON devices for general device control. I only use Z-Wave devices when it involves broadcasting sensors (temperature/humidity/etc.) because of the better collision detection/avoidance/troubles.

You'll also find that no one answer is right for everyone. I have NO signal problems or collisions with INSTEON devices (~70 dual band devices), but others have had signal issues with just a handful. Planning, testing and patience is the key.

There is no exactly "cheap" home automation solution that is worth anything at all. There are, of course, lower cost ones... This is why I went with MorningLinc as opposed to the Vera solution (plus, it keeps things simpler). You might start with one (INSTEON/Z-Wave) and can always add another protocol later.

Adam

Good advice and guidance, thank you. I changed my mind and went with the Mi Casa Verde controller system. A bit more expensive but should give me what I want.
The next level is going to be checking into the Indigo programmability features. I'm a computer scientist and am definitely wanting to look at some API's.