HAI, I'm stuck!

[advansis]

Hi everyone, I wanted to introduce myself and give you some of my background to preface my questions.
 
As you can see I am new here, but have been snooping the boards for some time now, but now finally after quite some time, want to get this project finalized! I am located in south florida. 
 
I am an avid DIYer both on the computing side and building side, so I am not scared to get my hands dirty, but i think i may have bitten a piece a tad too big with my HA project. 
 
I see many people asking what I want of my HA project: 
- 1) save money on electricity (program exterior lights, ability to check status/ turn lights on/off from my iphone, even if not at home)
-2) eventually set up programmed lighting scenes, add a few door locks  etc, but first things first, i want to be able to at least control my lights from my phone.
-3) convert my house to run as efficiently as possible
 
Here is the overall setup of my house, which I have done everything myself, including network config etc.
 
Upcoming projects include rainwater collection for irrigation (1000G system) and photovoltaic panels on roof (with an actual installer)
 
whole house has CAT5, Coax, I run the LAN off an Apple Airport extreme (AC) with two other airport extremes acting as extenders/amplifiers. All data runs into the garage where in my closet I have most all lan switches, IP security camera dvr (running on a different subnet), voice, catv distribution, etc) 
 
Home Automation wise:
 
Alarm system is a Honeywell Lynx 5100 with z-wave and wifi modules (z-wave was just added, but no devices connected)
Audio: Sonos
Garage is a liftmaster w/ IP connection to access and verify remotely if door open/closed
HVAC 3x Nest 2nd gen
 
HAI Lumina,(Leviton EMS2 Kit) which i have installed, and for the time being:
1 UPB switch installed in the kitchen
 
I have about 6 or 7 more UPB switches to install, but stopped after frustration with switch #1.
 

 leviton 35a00-1 switches 600W
 leviton 37a00-1 aux switches

 
What I have done so far:
I have installed the panel, LAN, and 1 switch. I have done the very initial setup of the system as required by use of the control pad. I also configured the IP address and have purchased the PC access software which was supposedly going to make configuring the system much easier.  I have managed to connect to the panel, read the config, made some minor tweaks, and have updated the panel to the latest firmware, so one that front everything is fine and dandy. In case I need to connect via RS232, I have everything I would need to do that, but the LAN connection seems to work as intended.
 
Now here is the million dollar starter question:
 
1)how do i assign the kitchen switch a name and "tell" the panel of it's existence? I can't seem to find instructions on how to do this!  I stumbled upon a paper that said to press 5 times the switch to put it in setup mode, and the light started blinking blue for a while, but then I couldn't figure out how to tell the panel to "search" for the switch.
 
1a) also i get a little lost with the rooms and unit config, i understand that the first entry is the "room master" and from there i have 7 devices i can configure, but i am lost between the theory and the reality. I want to prep the system as much as possible for the future so I can then just add switches etc as I can afford them- current projects are running me dry ;-)
 
and a few more questions ;-)
 
2) i have swapped out all my exterior lights to CFL or LED, and I have 12 floods running on the circuit, total combined LED/CFL wattage is below 600W, can I use one of the switches to control the lights?
 
3) I have 4 sets of two-way switches right now is there a more cost efficient way than shelling out $100 for each set of two switches?
 
4) can i use the switches to control a group of 3 pool lights? (low voltage, not line)
 
Thanks a million for your time in reading this and I hope someone can help me!
 
 
 
 

 

[Desert_AIP]

Welcome.

The lumina controller operates very similar to the lighting portion of the Omni full HA panel.

If you search for "HLC" you'll find several threads discussing setting up and programming as well as the unit ID and link allocation scheme.

Your UPB switches are Leviton/HAI.
You should be able to make the system learn them in.
Or you can program the switch ID manually via UPStart.

It sounds like you understand the room concept of the HLC scheme.
In a room of 8 units, the first space is reserved for a multi button room controller. If you don't have one you still have to name the unit, this provides the room identity.
If the controller doesn't see a name in the first unit, it assumese there is no room, and no other switches.

In PCAccess you'll need to name the first unit of the room the room name.
Then the first switch will be the second unit ID in the room.

So for the first room, unit 1 is the room controller. It must still be named in PCAccess.
Then unit IDs 2-8 are the switches. 8 is also special as it can be used for a house controller if you want.
You tell the system there is a switch by entering a name in the corresponding unit ID.
You also have to program the switch with this unit ID so the switch will respond to commands sent to that ID

Do you have a UPB PIM you can connect to a PC and run. UPStart with?
To truly see what is going on with the UPB comms you'll need that.
UPStart also allows you to precisely program each aspect of each switch.
UPStart is a free download.

 

[Desert_AIP]

and a few more questions ;-)
 
2) i have swapped out all my exterior lights to CFL or LED, and I have 12 floods running on the circuit, total combined LED/CFL wattage is below 600W, can I use one of the switches to control the lights?
 
3) I have 4 sets of two-way switches right now is there a more cost efficient way than shelling out $100 for each set of two switches?
 
4) can i use the switches to control a group of 3 pool lights? (low voltage, not line)
 
Thanks a million for your time in reading this and I hope someone can help me!
 

2). While you "could" control a load up to the rating of the switch, I believe it would not meet code. You have to allow for the rating of the fixture itself. So if the fixture is rated for 65W, that is the number you need to use when calculating. Even if you are only running a 10W LED bulb in it. That is to prevent somebody from coming in behind you and replacing the 10W bulb with a 65W (because the fixture label says you can).

3) you don't need three way switches with UPB. A lot of people, myself included wire one switch to control the load. In place of the other switch you can wire a link transmitter to control a number of loads, send scenes, control other rooms, send links that have other automation functions, etc. or you can eliminate that switch if you don't need the three way action. You could put a second switch there and just make it a link transmitter for that load alone, preserving. The 3-way functionality. There are also remote switches that can be wired in for this function that are significantly less expensive than a full dimmer switch.

4) to control low voltage lights with UPB you can wire the switch to control an outlet with a transformer, or a hardwired transformer itself. Or use a relay to switch the load. You can't wire low voltage directly because the switch outputs 120vac.