Leviton RF Installer 1.1.4.1 Released (Win10 support)

[xlurkr]

IVB, have you ever considered Vera as the primary controller for setting up your Z-wave network?  It is obtuse in many ways, but it offers up lots of information about and control of the configuration of devices, and it's a networked device that you interface with via a browser, so that's helpful.  It comes with a battery pack so you can go around enrolling devices and plug it back into AC when you're done.  The newest model is about $150, I think, and you could probably find an older one much cheaper on eBay.
 
I don't have a big network, just a couple of GE outlets, but it works fine.  I'm assuming it can transfer a network to a secondary controller easily, based on what I've read on their forum, but I have to admit I've never done it myself.
 
I'm moving the Z-wave to my UDI ISY once they come out with version 5, because most of my automation is Insteon, and the folks at UDI are awesome - Michel, the main dude, is Dean-like in his responsiveness and knowledge.  However, I think the ISY is too expensive to use just for Z-wave, let alone just to create a Z-wave network and transfer it to a VRC0P. 
 
-Tom

 

[IVB]

I've bought so many different zWave controllers to test (VRCPG->Intermatic USB thingey, VRCOPv1, VRCOPv2, M1XSP for VRCOP, SmartThings) that if ISY works with keypads i'll buy it. But only after someone else confirms it works with the scene/zone controllers support in V5. CQC has ISY support so i'd ditch the VRCOP in that world and just stick with ISY. Heck, i'd buy an ISY this minute if they committed in blood to support scene/zone controllers within a period of time, but nobody can say "yes" until its working.

 

[pete_c]

You sound frustrated.  You've put all of your huevos in one basket.  Change the huevos and the basket.

 

[IVB]

>100 year old house = nothing done to code = no other viable baskets. My HV lines are a mess. 

 

[pete_c]

Dean suggested using RA2 a few posts above.  I don't see many CT forum users using RA2 complaining.
 
Then again I do not use it today. 
 
I have the VRCOP plugged in adjacent to the home fuse panel next to conduit in the basement and it does see all of the Z-Wave devices (well they work) today.  I could probably extend the serial wire up to the attic for even a better footprint.  I have done that with other RF controllers.  HAI ZIM currently is sitting about 3 feet from the VRCOP on a wire rack and it works fine too.  Basement here is solid cement wall down about 8 feet from ground level and about 16" thick (a bit much I guess).
 
That said here all electrical is in conduit / metal boxes and I am not having any issues with UPB. 

 

[IVB]

/throws VRCOP against the wall as now it won't connect. And 5 of 23 devices give RFIT errors upon attempting to associate with VRCOP.
 
ISY zWavePro ordered. Onto zWave controller #7. (8?)
 
(Dean mentioned RA2 as he knows i'm sick of zWave issues. But thats >$10K, so i'll attempt the $300 controller that everyone else swears by before doing that)

 

[pete_c]

Understood.  Yeah you do not want to toss out a 10K investment.  I wouldn't want to do that.
 
Thinking back though thinking I did that with the conversion from X10 to Insteon to UPB a few years back. 
 
IVB; it's really a root cause issue most likely relating the design of Z-Wave rather than the hardware you are using. 
 
Thinking that has been also mentioned a few times now.  I see the issues now here with two controllers each talking to the same Z-Wave network today.
 
RF is RF is RF and RF done right...
 
Basically the methdologies of 802.XX wireless networking have been similar and have only changed to be better over the years.  Still hiccuping though.
 
I remember a conversation at an Intel conference asking if WOL was available yet for 802.XX.  Not sure today if it is but for me it was a selfish want for a multi million dollar global project I was working on.  Really then at the time I told Intel that they were too slow in their R&D stuff.
 
I personally think that the Z-Wave R&D development folks skipped a few pieces in the development of Z-Wave technology mostly to get it out the door fast and fix it afterwards. 
 
The assumption was that no one would complain of the wondrous new technology.
 
That is my opinion though.

 

[IVB]

oh i agree completely, hence my huge zWave displeasure. But PLC isn't an option, even RA2 is a hope but it has the concept of repeaters and isn't a mesh network so thats better.
 
We might remodel the house in a few years and add a 2nd floor. In NorCal thats $400K min, likely $500K, so I might also rip the 1st floor to studs and run hardwired Homeworks QS and be done with this nonsense. it'll be prohibitively expensive to re-run all HV wiring to the first floor so thats the only other path.
 
Ah, the joys of owning old & beautifully architected houses...

 

[ddennerline]

IVB - From the posts, it sounds like you rebuilt your network using Windows10 and latest version of RFIT. Can you confirm that you able to successfully rebuild network? Does latest version RFIT work any better for rebuilding network.
 
I understand the frustration with the move closer messages. For a large house, this is normal. I have to sometimes run up/down stairs when I un-enroll a switch. In small number of cases, I just press cancel.
 
Having the four-button scene switches is nice. I use the one in kitchen quite often.

 

[IVB]

Yes I was able to rebuild the network on W10/RFIT. Yes it worked with my VRCZ4 controller. However I opted to buy an ISY, just came today, out of other frustrations.
 
Specifically, RFIT struggled to assign associations to my devices. That could be a hardware issue, but the software wouldn't give any clear indications as to the issue. Actually other issues too but I won't go into detail, its just that its not any better than prior RFIT. For me, it wasn't getting the job done for associations, which was enough to move away.
 
As of this moment the ISY does NOT support the VRCZ4 or VRCS2 controllers, but supposedly the alpha 5.x version does. I haven't upgraded it yet, not sure I want to move to an alpha product.