INSTEON Venstar Thermostat Adapter Features?

The T1800 provides humidity control (and reports) as well as outside temperature, when the appropriate modules are installed.

Does the Insteon adapter provide access to this data? If so, how can it be accessed from Indigo?

Thanks to clarify.

Jeff

Humidity shows up in the UI just fine.

I don't have an external temp sensor so I don't know if that works. I have remote sensors (in-house) that get averaged together and displayed just as the single number.

[matt (support)]

Does the Insteon adapter provide access to this data? If so, how can it be accessed from Indigo?

You can access the main temperature and the humidity (presuming humidity module is installed). However, the adapter does not provide access to the external temperature sensor.

There are different ways to access the temp and humidity depending on what you are trying to do. Here is an example of accessing the temperature from AppleScript.

Indeed. It's regrettable that the Venstar Insteon adapter provides so little functionality. The thermostat itself (T1800) can do a lot of things but the adapter merely interfaces 20% of the features. There is some misleading advertisement from Venstar/Insteon here.

I suppose I can wait for a better or upgraded version to appear at some point. Thanks for your feedback Matt.

Indeed. It's regrettable that the Venstar Insteon adapter provides so little functionality. The thermostat itself (T1800) can do a lot of things but the adapter merely interfaces 20% of the features. There is some misleading advertisement from Venstar/Insteon here.

I suppose I can wait for a better or upgraded version to appear at some point. Thanks for your feedback Matt.

What features are missing?

The T1800 can do a lot such as reporting outside temperature, setting a humidity set point (under which it can command a humidifier to fire up), reporting how many hours the heat or A/C have been used since last reset, etc, etc.

It appears that, thru Indigo and the Insteon adapter, only a handful of the thermostat features are accessible: setting the mode (but not even "programming" the program mode of the T1800), setting a heat or cool set point and reporting inside temperature and humidity. It seems that's it. Really too bad...

[matt (support)]

The INSTEON Thermostat Adapter (and thus Indigo) supports reading and setting:

• heat setpoint
• cool setpoint
• main mode (off/cool/heat/auto/run program heat/run program cool/run program auto)
• fan mode (always on/auto on)

And supports fetching/polling:

• main temperature
• humidity (if humidity sensor exists)

Although it doesn't support everything the thermostat itself does, IMHO it does at least support the basics. Thus far I've been happy with it.

But its inability to provide, what I consider the extremely basic functionality, of telling you if the AC, heater, or fan is actually 'on' is ridiculous.

Accessing the other temperatures (outside, and the averaged remote) also seems pretty obvious as that data would allow decisions on damper control, for example.

I recently purchased additional INSTEON Thermostat Adapters and notice the firmware is now at version 2.8 the one I originally purchased last spring was at version 2.4.
Does anyone know what was added or corrected with this version change?

I don't, but I will say that I've seen no difference between the original and the 2.8 firmware.

At least I am 95% sure that the higher signal reliability is due to me moving a couple signallincs around, rather than the firmware update.

[matt (support)]

Does anyone know what was added or corrected with this version change

I'll ask Smartlabs.

But its inability to provide, what I consider the extremely basic functionality, of telling you if the AC, heater, or fan is actually 'on' is ridiculous.

Accessing the other temperatures (outside, and the averaged remote) also seems pretty obvious as that data would allow decisions on damper control, for example.

Indeed, this is really too bad and borderline unacceptable...

It's a lot later now (2023) and I wonder if there is any support for the remote temp sensor?

Or if not, what is another option (replacement?) that allows for remote temp readings?

I do have the wave AerQ temp sensor connected, but it doesn't seem very responsive. I have changed my oil burner to a heat pump and got AC in the deal. My original system has the thermostat in the basement, which works for heating, but for AC, not at all...

[jay (support)]

No change on the Insteon front.

I use an Ecobee with remote sensors, each of which is visible as individual Indigo devices (which also go ON when motion is detected).