Insteon AccessPoints & RemoteLinc
- Thread starter MikeB
- Start date
upstatemike
Senior Member
I have to say I was looking for something to complain about based on all the posts I have read on this unit but my experience so far has been nothing but positive. Setting up links using PowerHome is fast and simple. Operation has been rock solid fom all practical locations (I'll start trying the impractical later in the weekend to see what the real limits are). I have a large hand so the size and button placement actually work very well for me. I like the beep to confirm a button press but I can see where some folks would not. Fortunately it is easily disabled. (And I guess the LED serves the same purpose).
I think I've found some oddball bug on the RemoteLinc, I'm trying to narrow it down now. Maybe someone else can chime in, or duplicate on their end.
In my house I have 7 KeypadLincs installed. One thing all these KeypadLincs have in common is buttons to control my front door and driveway lights.
One primary goal of my RemoteLinc is to be able to leave 1 in my car and turn my driveway lights on or off if I need to.
So basically, I program button 4 of my RemoteLinc to control my driveway lights, which means it links to:
- (1) KeypadLinc primary load button
- (6) KeypadLinc secondary buttojns
Then I program button 5 of my RemoteLinc to control my front door lights, which means it links to:
- (1) InlineLinc
- (7) KeypadLinc secondary buttons
If I push button 4 on or off, it works great. If I push button 5 on or off, it works great.
HOWEVER - if I push ALL ON or ALL OFF one of the front door light secondary buttons is not controlled. Coincidentally or not, it's a secondary button on the same switch that carries the load for the driveway lights.
I'm still trying to narrow down the problem and try to duplicate it in a different scenario, but figured I'd post it up here and see if anyone else has notice anything.
Otherwise, everything is working fantastic.
Coverage seems awesome I agree. I can be at a neighbors property and it works. If the case was better I would give it high marks.
If they take the same circuit and incorporate it into different style remotes they would probably do well.
They should also consider changing the frequency of the piezo tone. To me a beep is nice but the actual tone is horrible.
Mike,
If they came out with a decent wall bracket for the remotelinc would you use that instead of wall mounting your controlinc's? To me it would be just as good if not better.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Just did a test to confirm your bug.
I used a RemoteLinc, a ControlLinc, a KeypadLinc, and 2 LampLincs.
LampLinc 1 is Linked to Button 1 on the KeypadLinc, ControLinc and RemotrLinc.
LampLinc 2 is Linked Button 1 on the ContoLinc and RemoteLinc and the first secondary button on the KeypadLinc.
ControLinc correctly controls the LampLincs and status lights on the KeypadLinc stay in sync even when using All On and All Off.
RemoteLinc correctly controls LampLincs but when using All On and All Off the secondary button on the KeypadLinc does not stay in sync. KeypadLinc Primary button always displays correctly.
****************EDIT***********************************
I had the steps below backwards (as noted in later posts) so I am correcting them
********************************************************
This may be an issue with KeypadLinc firmare rather than with the RemoteLinc. I know I had a similiar problem with ControLincs and the workaround was to ensure that links to KeypadLinc button 1 were programmed AFTER links to secondary buttons. Of course if you do not need a link to button 1 on the KeypadLinc this will not work.
I would try the following:
Remove all links from RemoteLinc to the KeypadLinc
Link a button from the RemoteLinc to Button a secondary button on the KeypadLinc
Verify this works OK using the All On and All Off from RemoteLinc
Now link a button from the RemoteLinc to ther secondary buttons on the KeypadLinc and/or Button 1 on the KeypadLinc
Test again to see if the secondary button still works with All On and All Off
There is a bug in the firmware of KeypadLincs that requires you to link seconary buttons to a ControLinc or RemoteLinc BEFORE linking them to KeypadLinc button 1. Otherwise the KeypadLinc secondary button LEDs will get out of sync when using ALL ON and ALL OFF commands.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Been looking at that. I am worried that the rocker switch configuration would not be intuitive for a wall mount device. Folks entering a dark room will just reach to punch a button and might tend to hit the center of the rocker rather than the top. The discrete On - Off buttons of the ControLinc are better suited in this respect.
Or maybe I am over thinking it. I might give it a try and see how it goes. Would probably be better than a KeypadLinc in a wiremold box which is how I am dealing for now.
OK, here we go...
I was able to duplicate the issue very easily - I guess the issue is what you suggested, or close to it.
Basically I tried linking the load button of any KeypadLinc to the remotelinc button 1, and linking any secondary button on the same KeypadLinc to remotelinc button 2. I was able to duplicate the all on/all off issue doing this on several KeypadLincs around my house.
I tried what you suggested - load button 1 first, test, then secondary button 2, test - and got the same issue.
Then I reversed it - I linked secondary button 2 first, tested, then load button 1, tested - and it worked!
I then went ahead and programmed the rest of the remote and it seems good.
So, do you still think this is a KPL bug, or a RemoteLinc bug?
The only other annoyance I've had is the 4 min timeout when putting the RemoteLinc in linking mode. I have to remember to do my PowerHome programming in small chunks, otherwise the RemoteLinc will exit linking mode before the programming is done.
I was able to duplicate the issue very easily - I guess the issue is what you suggested, or close to it.
Basically I tried linking the load button of any KeypadLinc to the remotelinc button 1, and linking any secondary button on the same KeypadLinc to remotelinc button 2. I was able to duplicate the all on/all off issue doing this on several KeypadLincs around my house.
I tried what you suggested - load button 1 first, test, then secondary button 2, test - and got the same issue.
Then I reversed it - I linked secondary button 2 first, tested, then load button 1, tested - and it worked!
I then went ahead and programmed the rest of the remote and it seems good.
So, do you still think this is a KPL bug, or a RemoteLinc bug?
The only other annoyance I've had is the 4 min timeout when putting the RemoteLinc in linking mode. I have to remember to do my PowerHome programming in small chunks, otherwise the RemoteLinc will exit linking mode before the programming is done.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Yes it sounds like the issue is in the KeypadLinc. I probably remembered the steps backwards so I'm glad you sorted it out.
As for the 4 min timeout, I think it is something that needs to be there from a practical standpoint just because it is a battery operated device. Maybe 4 min is not the right length of time but there needs to be a timeout to preserve the batteries if it is inadvertantly left in linking mode for some reason.
Oh, I agree 100%.
Just wanted to mention that it's annoying when programming a lot of links. Definitely better than the alternative (poor battery life).
Speaking of battery life, I've probably killed this thing with all the linking and testing I've been doing!
Not sure if I like the beep or not yet. Definitely annoying when programming/testing because I'm hearing it so often, but in real-world usage it's probably useful to confirm button presses and not nearly as annoying.
I don't have any usability problems with the size. I'd like it to be a bit smaller, but no one here has a problem operating it.
Just a followup -
The remote is working great. I can't believe the range I'm getting on the thing.
Last night I was coming home from dinner, and I decided to try the remote probably 7 or 8 car lengths from my driveway. Must have been almost 400 feet from my house, with a few trees in the way, plus my exterior wall - and it worked!
No range issues anywhere inside my house either, so far.
I couldn't be happier with the range.
The remote is working great. I can't believe the range I'm getting on the thing.
Last night I was coming home from dinner, and I decided to try the remote probably 7 or 8 car lengths from my driveway. Must have been almost 400 feet from my house, with a few trees in the way, plus my exterior wall - and it worked!
No range issues anywhere inside my house either, so far.
I couldn't be happier with the range.
I agree the range is not an issue at all. Better than expected.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Just confirmed that I had the steps to fix the KeypadLinc LEDs backwards. The secondary keypadlinc buttons need to be linked First when linking to a ControLinc or RemoteLinc. I edited the orignal post to prevent confusion.
I haven't received my accespoints yet.. (ordered 3)..
I currently have two signallincs and have some areas of the house where i just have poor reliablity (comms around 70%).. and i've had problems placing my signalincs (i.e... if i put a signalinc in location "A".. the coms on switch "1" improve... but coms on switch "2" degrade..... I could never find the "magic spot" to place the pair of signalincs.. so i thought i'd add some more)
Can anyone comment on whether the accespoints are better, worse, or the same as the signalincs for spreading/re-inforcing the signal?
Andrew
I currently have two signallincs and have some areas of the house where i just have poor reliablity (comms around 70%).. and i've had problems placing my signalincs (i.e... if i put a signalinc in location "A".. the coms on switch "1" improve... but coms on switch "2" degrade..... I could never find the "magic spot" to place the pair of signalincs.. so i thought i'd add some more)
Can anyone comment on whether the accespoints are better, worse, or the same as the signalincs for spreading/re-inforcing the signal?
Andrew
In my opinion it is definitely not worse. Cant say for sure its better though. I found that most of my reliability problems (with the exception of one switch) were from switches with address's starting with 00 or 01. I do not have any that start with 02 and only a few left with 03.
On several occasions I swapped a switch that had a 00 or 01 address with a newer switch with an 04 or 05 etc and the communications reliability improved dramatically. I cant prove why this is happening. I am GUESSING that SH made an improvement at some point. Since the 00 and 01 address switches were mostly Icons SH would not take them back so I chucked them.
I still have quite a few with 00 and 01 address's that are working ok. I dont think I have had any problems with 04 or later with one exception.
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