Recent content by Paul_PDX

From smarthome's forum it appears that a 1000W Insteon Dimmer is just a 600W dimmer with metal tabs on each side to add 200W each to the rating, The insides are the same. http://www.techmall.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=612 This means you never want one of these in the middle (need to break off both...

I received my EzRain V1 from Simplehomenet last week - Using their provided (by download) software a PLC and a SDM it seems easy to set up up to four programs containing up to eight zones per program. You can also set up default on times for manual control of the zone. These run times are all...

Which version KPLs are doing this? I know I haven't seen this with version 1.0 KPLs.

You can purchase from e-store menu and the checkout links -- the buy button on the Products menu page seems not to be hooked up. When I talked to them they said more of the pages should be live by this week (the forum is there today and wasn;t yet on friday).

Simplehomenet has started turning on their website for info and orders for their 8/7 zone Insteon sprinkler controller. So far you can order the EzRain but not any of the other devices mentioned on the site. I've ordered one to see how it works with power-home as a supplement for my current 24...

http://www.smarthome.com/promo060913.html $10 off of $100 order $30 off of $200 $100 off of $500 or more Another chance to load up if you are waiting on smarthome deals.

I think this notice is only out for people who have the SDK. Currently if you are just using the PLC with released automation products, I don't think there is anything that needs to be done -- if your management product starts requiring the new PLC with a new release they will probably say so...

It should work if you have a transformer that can be dimmed with a triac (if the track lighting company sells their own dimer for the lights it should work). I am using Elko and WAC transformers for LV Halogen lights with good success using SwitchLinc V2s to do the dimming. I have also tried...

I must say my 60 insteon devices installed so far work far more reliably and faster than the 10 or so X10 devices and powerphase bridge that I had in before. (4300 sq ft house with extra 1900 ft garage 70 ft away). With Insteon I don't need to use polling since power-home remembers the status...

As far as they have told us on the developers forum the 2.12 PLCs and newer are the only devices with working extended peek and poke commands. The SignaLincs don't support the commands at all (so they can't bridge powerline phases or be repeated by a SignaLinc). AFIK other devices all have...

Without extended messaging Linking, Link scanning, and polling is definitely not as fast as it could be, but it still can be accomplished. This slows down computerized set up and it slows down computer software when it first starts up if it wants to determine the initial state of swicthes. But...

When asked about extended messaging not being in existing devices SmartLabs told developers several months back that although extended messaging is in the specs, it is an optional feature and will probably show up in future versions of devices not in free updates to existing devices. Old...

Powerhome seems to have a definite advantage with KeyPadLincs -- it can configure either 6 or 8 button mode and it can work with either toggle or non-toggle modes for the buttons. I am sure HL will resolve both of these eventually but rightnow it seems to be a plus for PH. I prefer PH's device...

When you want powerhome to set up local load control from a secondary button on a KPL you need to use both the Group linking "Create/Edit/Clone" screen and the keypadlinc config screen (from Devices - Insteon - Units screen right click on a KPL and choose Keypadlinc config ). I don't know if...

This is typical of the overly broad vague patents that the patent office is so prone to grant (especially to the software industry). Most of these could be vacated if anyone could afford to sue since there is alot of prior art in this area (even PC controlled x10 systems predate most of this...