INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

Posted on
Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:53 pm
jay (support) offline
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INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

This is the topic dedicated to discussing SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc devices. We may add specific model topics for switches that have specific characteristics, so look for your specific switch model first to see if there is a special topic for it. If not, feel free to use this topic to discuss either type of switch in either On/Off (Relay) or Dimmer models.

How to use with Indigo

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Posted on
Thu Sep 12, 2013 6:27 pm
garys0427 offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

Hi Jay,
I have about 20 X10 switches in my 35 year old house and I'm thinking about converting to Insteon but have a question. How do people handle switch boxes that don't have a neutral? If I understand it correctly it's against code to use the ground wire so I'd like to get that sorted out before going further.

Also, off topic, are you planning to update Indigo touch to be compatible with the iPhone 5 screen size? I'm due to upgrade from Indigo 5.1.6 and was just wondering.

Thanks fro your help!

Gary Sawtelle

Posted on
Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:01 pm
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

There is a SwitchLinc 2-wire Dimmer that doesn't require a neutral.

Yes, we will update Indigo Touch to use the full iPhone 5/5C/5S screen size.

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Posted on
Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:20 pm
kw123 offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

the 2 wire dimmer does NOT work well with LED or FL lamps. It needs >25 watt of regular bulb load to function. i When operated with FL or LED mine started to oscillate at 0.5 Hz.

but it works with regular lamps.

Karl

Posted on
Thu Sep 12, 2013 7:45 pm
matt (support) offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

Yeah, that is the problem with the neutral-less switches (INSTEON or Z-Wave). They need to siphon a bit of electricity through the load, which works well for an incandescent filament, but not so great for the circuitry in a CFL or LED bulb.

I think the only solution in that case would be battery operated switches like the INSTEON Mini Switch (with wall mount bracket), or for Z-Wave the Cooper Remote Switch RF9500 (pricey, but nice build quality).

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Posted on
Thu Sep 12, 2013 10:08 pm
kw123 offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

check if your 2 wires go between between the lamp and the switch::::

here is a potential way to make it work:

- if the cable to the switch comes from the lamp socket there must be line and neutral and Ground in the socket

- connect one wire of the cable that goes to the switch to neutral and one to line.
then in the switch box connect the insteon dimmer to line and neutral (black and white), and leave red open (cap with wire nut)
- add a microswitch/dimmer (if you use eg LED's in the lamp socket, should be enough space)
black ceiling micro to black (line)
white ceiling to white micro and lamp
red micro to lamp black
ground as usual all together

- make the micro switch/dimmer a responder to the dimmer


!!! don't try this is you don't feel comfortable doing this.
must measure the voltages before you start in the old houses you never know..


Karl

Posted on
Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:35 pm
kw123 offline
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keypadlinc and fanlinc

I have a keypadlinc (6 buttons) and would like to use the manage link screen to link the button 1 (ON) to a fanlinc to
"switch on light" AND set the "fan speed to medium".
(and then a similar setup with the OFF button(7))

It only links to ONE responder. As soon as I enter the second and re-sync it deletes the first one. Is this as it should be or how do I get this done?

thx

Karl

Posted on
Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:12 am
matt (support) offline
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Re: keypadlinc and fanlinc

Hi Karl,

This is an Indigo limitation / buglet. It only allows a single responder link to be written to modules for each unique controller address + button/group link. So you can have KPL button #2 turn the fan speed to medium and KPL button #3 control the fanlinc light, but you cannot have button #2 send both to the same responder. The work around is to have Indigo handle it via a Trigger Action instead. Fixing this has been on my ToDo list for a while, but the fix is quite involved and the link synchronization / editing logic is quite complex so I haven't found the time (and courage) yet to fix it and QA all the possible logic permutations that may break.

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Posted on
Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:50 am
kw123 offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

i have indigo currently handling it, but in case Indigo is down I would like to be able to switch things on and off w/o indigo. It can wait.

thanks

Karl

Posted on
Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:04 pm
echiang offline
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Firmware

Greetings,

So, I have a question of about Insteon switch firmware and whether using a switch with newer firmware would help my situation.

I have 2 motion-activated floodlights. One floodlight is switched by a Switchlinc Relay with Sense with the i2 firmware (the sense line is disabled). The other floodlight is switched by an older Togglelinc Relay with the i1 firmware. Both floodlights are the same make/model.

By turning off the floodlight then toggling on/off twice all within 3 seconds, I can override the motion sensor and the flood light will stay on. I worked out an Action Group that will work for the Switchlinc-controlled flood light and it works about 75% of the time. When it does not work, I can run the Action Group again and this flood light stays on.

However, I can't get the floodlight with the ToggleLinc to stay on using the same Action Group. I've tried variations on the Action group, but have not been able to override the motion sensing. I have also tried to to do it manually, flipping the Togglelinc on/off twice with in 3 seconds. It still does not work.

I did find that I have an ivory colored Togglelinc with the i2CS firmware that I could swap temporarily. Before I go through the hassle of swapping ToggleLincs, I thought I'd check if different firmware would even matter.

Thanks,
Ed

Posted on
Thu Nov 14, 2013 2:57 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Firmware

echiang wrote:
By turning off the floodlight then toggling on/off twice all within 3 seconds, I can override the motion sensor and the flood light will stay on.


Is this something that's built-in to the floodlight?

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Posted on
Thu Nov 14, 2013 3:28 pm
echiang offline
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Re: Firmware

Yes, it is a feature of the floodlight. As far as I can tell from the instructions the process to over-ride the motion sensing is fixed.

Ed

Posted on
Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:08 pm
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

So it sounds like the light isn't working properly since the switch (or INSTEON) doesn't have anything to do with that bit of functionality.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:15 am
echiang offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

Jay - thanks for replying.

I did a poor job of actually phrasing my question. So, let me try again.

Would the firmware version of an insteon switch have an effect on the how an Action Group is execute, specifically when it is time critical, as in the case of turning on/off the floodlight twice in 3 seconds?

I did not have time this past weekend, but for fun this coming weekend, I many swap out the older i1 firmware togglelinc with a newer togglelinc with the i2CS firmware and see if there is any difference. I suspect it will not matter, but half the fun is trying to get it to work.

Ed

Posted on
Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:33 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: INSTEON Switches (SwitchLinc and ToggleLinc)

I don't believe that manually toggling a switch will be effected by the firmware version - since you can't get it working manually it seems to point the finger at the light. But it couldn't hurt changing out the switch I suppose.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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