Etched Button for INSTEON-enabled Keypads

[Squintz]

I have never tried insteon products as of yet but this is a great incentive to switch over.

 

[Rupp]

I wish SH would offer a switch like this one with replaceable buttons:

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Rupp,

That one does not have replaceable buttons but it does has the "rubberized" buttons that can be etched - Mike, please see my previous question.

It also does have an IR receiver built into it.

 

[SmartLabsMike]

Mike, are you saying that you're going to change the type of buttons? Those hard plastic ones can't be etched. Are you going to the "rubber type" buttons?

Martin,

One step at a time.

We will be etching pastic buttons to start. If we see enough demand I am sure we will evaluate a rubber button as well. The threads got a little off topic. Any more naming suggestions?

Hopefully I will have some time to tally everything this weekend and post the top 10 or so requested.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

We will be etching pastic buttons to start.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but, how on earth are you going to be able to see etching on those plastic caps?

 

[markthomas]

Hehe Rupp...

Smarthome DID offer those keypads... they are the ones I have. And the eight-button ones too. They were called the "Softouch" Keypadlincs.

They even had a neat online ordering page which would show you what the final keypad would look like with your custom-etched labels on it.

IMHO, since then they have taken a few steps backward with their keypads.

 

[Herdfan]

We will be etching pastic buttons to start.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but, how on earth are you going to be able to see etching on those plastic caps?

The etchings are filled with ink. Or the buttons are dual layers with one color underneath and the etching removes the top color revealing the bottom color.

http://www.litetouch.com/content.aspx?pg=2003

 

[markthomas]

Mike,

Whatever you do, make sure you do not sacrifice the backlighting. You can make the etchings translucent (like the new Litetouch Coastal series--that would be cool) or just put a little pinhole window to make it look like the Centralite keypads.

I tend to use my keypads as status indicators as well as control.

Here's a pic of the Centralite keypads (I'm thinking about their "traditional series", the third one). I think it would be fairly easy to put buttons like those in the current Keypadlinc housing.

 

[upstatemike]

Here are the top few requests thus far:

Garage
Home/Away
Kitchen
All Off
All On
Enter/Entry
Hall/Hallway
Lamp
Movie
Dining/Dining Room
Driveway
Goodnight/Goodbye
Bath
Bed/Bedroom
Living Room

Kind of plain vanilla... doesn't anybody do anything interesting with their keypad buttons? Where are all the requests for things like:

Self Destruct
Lotion Dispenser
Diagonal Blinds open/close
Servant Call
Plant Mister
Ejection Seat
Rock Tumbler
Walk-In Microwave
Bug Zapper
Tornado Siren
Gravity on/off/reverse

 

[SmartLabsMike]

Hehe Rupp...

Smarthome DID offer those keypads... they are the ones I have. And the eight-button ones too. They were called the "Softouch" Keypadlincs.

They even had a neat online ordering page which would show you what the final keypad would look like with your custom-etched labels on it.

IMHO, since then they have taken a few steps backward with their keypads.

Mark,

Those did look nice however they had some issues. The etching wore off after a period of time, each button had to be individually labeled and you could not change them once they were etched.

One reason for moving to the current style is to first let people put whatever they want on the paper inserts, then they can decide if they want new etched buttons.

 

[Herdfan]

then they can decide if they want new etched buttons.

I've decided. I want etched ones. When, when when?